World War II American Fighters: Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Nicknamed the fork-tailed devil by the Germans, this American fighter achieved what many nations had hoped for in a twin-engine fighter — one that could actually fight.

Designed by Kelly Johnson of Lockheed’s Skunkworks, the twin-boom design with a center nacelle for the pilot created an effective gun platform that didn’t have the aiming problems of wing-mounted guns. 

The aircraft didn’t gain acceptance with US Army Air Corps pilots, however, until after Charles Lindbergh, brought on as a consultant, taught American pilots how to set the fuel mixture on the airplane.  After Lindbergh’s contribution, which greatly increased the range of the aircraft, this long range fighter began to dominate the air in both the Pacific and European theaters.

Sleek, fast and deadly, this warplane usually armed with four fifty caliber machine guns and a 20 millimeter canon, served as a bomber escort, interceptor, ground attacker, photo reconnaissance and as a radar equipped night fighter.

   

This particular P-38, which can be found at the EAA Airventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was piloted by Richard I Bong of Poplar, Wisconsin, America’s Ace of Aces.  Shown here with 26 Japanese kills to his credit, Captain Bong would go on to shoot down 40 Japanese aircraft during World War II which leads all American aces in total number of kills.

SR-71 Blackbird

The SR-71, unofficially known as the “Blackbird,” is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft. The first flight of an SR-71 took place on Dec. 22, 1964, and the first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., in January 1966. The U.S. Air Force retired its fleet of SR-71s on Jan. 26, 1990, because of a decreasing defense budget and high costs of operation. 

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=395

WWII American Fighters: P-40, P-38, P-47

 

P-40 Warhawk

The P-40 Warhawk, seen here painted with the famous sharks mouth of Claire Chennault’s American Volunteer Group (AVG) or Flying Tigers.  The P-40 Warhawk couldn’t outturn a Mitsubishi Zero, nor could it dive or climb better, but it was faster, had more firepower and could absorb more battle damage.  This rugged fighter took the fight to the Japanese in China.  Chennault’s Flying Tigers fighting for the Chinese, before America entered the war, learned the basic fighter tactics that American pilots would use throughout the war.  Pilots like Major Greg “Pappy” Boyington, officially credited with 22 kills, flew for the AVG .

The Chinese, without a modern air force, desperately needed the assistance the AVG provided.  It is estimated that 50,000,000 Chinese civilians starved to death as a result of Japan’s invasion and the chaos of the Chinese Civil War that followed World War II.

The P-40 didn’t fare as well in the European theater where it was outclassed by more modern German designs, but P-40s  remained active until 1944.

P-38 Lightning

My favorite war plane and I don’t have a good picture of it.  The best way to view the P-38 is from above in front of the nose, that way you can see the twin boom construction and appreciate the beauty of this twin engine fighter.

The P-38 was the first great design to come from Lockheed’s Skunk Works and Clarence “Kelly” Johnson.  The people who brought you such famous planes as the SR-71 Blackbird, the U-2 and more recently, the F-117 Stealth.

At 420 mph this was one of the fastest airplanes of World War II, and with four fifty caliber machine guns and one 20 mm cannon, all mounted in the nose, it delivered devastating and accurate firepower.  Richard I. Bong of Poplar, Wisconsin would rack up forty kills in P-38s to become America’s ace of aces.  The P-38 was instrumental in driving the Japanese air forces out of the Pacific theater.   Variants included a reconnaissance version with guns replaced with camera gear, and a ground attack version used for bombing and strafing.

P-47 Thunderbolt

Built by Republic, the P-47 did it all.  Fitted with drop tanks it served as long range escort.  Fitted with up to 2500 pounds of bombs, along with its six or eight fifty caliber machine guns, it served as a ground attack aircraft used to destroy locomotives, tanks, and anything else that got in its sights.

Dubbed the Thunderbolt by the US Army Air Corps (USAAC), it was nicknamed the “Jug” by those who flew it because its shape resembled that of a milk jug from that era.  It gets that shape from the eighteen cylinder two-row radial engine.  The P-47 was the only radial engine fighter used by the USAAC during World War II.  Rugged and dependable, very few “Jugs” were lost to enemy action.

These planes can be seen at the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. ( http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/ )