P-38 Trivia
(Culled from various sources. See Resource at end of
Info article)
- Lockheed spent $761,000 to develop and build the first P-38
prototype XP-38, which flew Jan 1939. At that time, a Packard
coupe cost about $900, and a new 2-bedroom home in California
cost about $3,000. After the end of the war, the Army Air Force
surplused most of the P-38s for $1,200 a piece. Today, a
restored Lightning sells for nearly $2 million.
- The P-38 was the only US fighter to remain in production
throughout the war.
- A fully-loaded P-38J (ammunition and fuel, no bombs) could
take-off in just under 1,100 ft of runway. Not bad for a plane
weighing nearly 18,000 lbs!
- The P-38L was voted "Worst cockpit" at a conference of
fighter pilots in late 1944.
- Originally conceived as a high-altitude interceptor, the
P-38 was used in a variety of roles, including long-range
escort, photo reconnaissance, fighter/interceptor, ground
attack, night-patrol, even formation bombing. Equipped with
"personnel pods" mounted under wings (where bombs or drop tanks
would normally go) the P-38 was even used to relocate people!
Some other configurations tested include: ski gear (instead of
wheels), large-paddle propellers for high-altitude, off-center
cockpit (to test effects of same on pilot), torpedoes,
pressurized cpckpit, 'bent-up' booms for possible use with
floats, and glider-tug. Lockheed even explored air-cooled P-38s
with hinged wings, for possible Navy use.
- the machine gun trigger was located next to the microphone
switch on the control wheel. Sometimes during the frantic
excitement of battle, the P-38 pilot would confuse the two, with
unpredictable results.
- A captured P-38 shot down several B-17's and at least one
P-38 before being shot down.
- Flown with care, and equipped with external tanks, a P-38L
could travel nearly 2,000 miles round trip, with enough fuel to
conduct 'business' at the target. (When Lockheed considered
attaching pontoon floats for transpacific delivery, they
projected a non-stop range of 5,000 miles!)
- Just over 10,000 P-38s were made, counting the 113 P-38L-5's
made by Vultee and the many F4/F-5 Photo Lightnings.
- After the War, the remaining P-38s retained by the USAF were
dubbed 'F-38' until 1949, when they were officialy declared
surplus.
- Many writers claim that the Germans referred to the P-38 as
"Der Gabelschwanz Teufel" (The Fork-tailed Devil"). This is
likely a post-war myth. Several authoritative books on the
P-38 state that there is no period evidence to suggest this
moniker was used during the war.