P-38 Lightning Illustrated

The more than 10,000 Lockheed P-38 Lightnings produced during World War II do not even place it in the top 15 combat aircraft produced during that conflict. And yet, the Lightning is one of the most dynamic and successful fighters of that era. The P-38 was the first Lockheed-designed military airplane to be mass produced, and the first twin-engine interceptor flown by the U.S. Army Air Forces. Up until its introduction, most fighters were powered by air-cooled radial engines. The Lightning was powered by a pair of liquid-cooled Allison V-1710 in-line engines. Likewise, fighters….in fact, most….military aircraft were “tail draggers”, but the Lightning was the first modern fighter with tricycle landing gear. The design of the P-38 was radical…..the twin-boom layout….the bubble canopy, and the flush-riveted skins which lowered drag to a point that the Lightning was the first fighter capable of speeds over 400mph made it unique. That radical design also made growth versions possible, and it was the only U.S. fighter whose production spanned the entire war years. When it went into action, it was the first American fighter to shoot down a German airplane and the first fighter capable of escorting bombers all the way to Berlin. It was the mount of the two highest-scoring American aces of the war. P-38s accounted for more Japanese aircraft destroyed than any other single fighter. The speed and high-altitude performance of the Lightning made it the preeminent photo reconnaissance platform of the war. The versatility of the design included ground attack and night fighter missions. The P-38 Lightning was, indeed, one of the most effective and celebrated aircraft of WWII. This pictorial record of the P-38 includes dozens of color photos as well as drawings and period advertisements featuring the iconic P-38 Lightning.

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