Plane: Lockheed P38L Lightning
Weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): 12,800lb / 17,500lb / 21,600lb
Wing Area: 327.5sq ft
Wing Loading: 39.1lb/sq ft / 53.4lb/sq ft / 66.0lb/sq ft
Length: 37' 10"
Span: 52'
Wing Aspect Ratio: 8.3
Engine: 2x1,475hp Allison V-1710-111/113 Inline
Flaps: 5 settings
Visibility:
Control Feel:
Stall Speed 1k (No Flaps/Full Flaps) 95/80mph
Guns:
| type/ammo | ROF | Duration | WB Punch | Muzzle Velocity | Ammo/Gun | |
| Primary: | 4x.50cal Browning MG | 12.0/s | 41.6s | 6x.50cal/ping | 2,810ft/s | 500 |
| Secondary: | 1x20mm Hispano-Suiza Cannon | 11.2/s | 13.4s | 1.4x20mm/ping | 2,790ft/s | 150 |
Ordnance:
0: none
1: 10xRockets
2: 2x1,000lb bombs
3: 10xRockets+2x500lb bombs
Fuel Time/Percent: 43seconds/percent
Power/weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): 4.3lb/hp / 6.0lb/hp / 7.3lb/hp
Corner velocity: 270mph
Durability: Good
WEP time: 5 minutes
Maximum Angle-of-Attack (no flaps/full flaps): 19/19.5 degrees
Wing Incidence Angle (no flaps/full flaps): 5/4.5 degrees
Accleleration:
| 1,000ft | 5,000ft | 10,000ft | 15,000ft | |
| Stall-200mph | 16.1s | 17.3s | 18.9s | 25.2s |
| 150mph-200mph | 9.1s | 10.4s | 13.1s | 16.1s |
| 200mph-250mph | 13.0s | 16.4s | 18.2s | 25.5s |
| 250mph-300mph | 26.6s | 32.8s | 45.9s | 65.0s |
Climb:
1k-5k: 47s
5k-10k: 71s
10k-15k: 72s
Zoom Climb:
1k 400mph: +5300ft
1k 300mph: +3200ft
Dive:
| Max Speed | After 30s | After 60s | |
| 15,000ft to 10,000ft | 380mph | 350mph | 340mph |
| 15,000ft to 5,000ft | 490mph | 390mph | 355mph |
| 10,000ft to 5,000ft | 415mph | 365mph | 355mph |
| 10,000ft to 1,000ft | 510mph | 390mph | 360mph |
| 5,000ft to 1,000ft | 390mph | 360mph | 345mph |
Max Speed
| 1,000ft | 5,000ft | |
| Climbing before levelling | 335mph | 325mph |
| Diving before levelling | 340mph | 340mph |
Turn Performance
| 300mph | 1,000ft | 5,000ft | 10,000ft | 15,000ft |
| One 360 | 12.7s | 13.6s | 14.9s | 16.3s |
| Two 360s | 27.6s | 30.6s | 33.4s | 36.8s |
| 250mph | ||||
| One 360 | 13.6s | 13.0s | 15.7s | 18.1s |
| Two 360s | 29.3s | 31.0s | 35.3s | 38.9s |
| Sustained | ||||
| No Flaps | 16.9s | 17.9s | 19.8s | 21.9s |
| Full Flaps | 15.0s | 16.1s | 18.4s | 21.1s |
| Best Flap | full | full | full | full |
| Speed/best | 105mph | 110mph | 110mph | 105mph |
Corner Speed and Radii (1,000ft):
Speed: 270mph
Radius: 531ft
Sustained Turn Speed: 160mph
Sustained Turn Radius: 630ft
Full Flaps Speed: 120mph
Full Flaps Radius: 420ft
| Corner Times | 1,000ft | 5,000ft | 10,000ft | 15,000ft |
| 180 degrees | 6.0s | 6.6s | 7.3s | 7.5s |
| 360 degrees | 13.1s | 13.9s | 15.2s | 16.9s |
Roll Rate:
150mph: 4.6s
200mph: 3.4s
250mph: 2.8s
300mph: 2.3s
350mph: 2.3s
400mph: 2.4s
Minimum Full-Flaps Full-Power Split-S altitude:
150mph: 950ft
200mph: 1000ft
250mph: 1400ft
300mph: 1900ft
Hoof's Tips and Opinions:
The L version of the P38 is an excellent example of how improvements of a model over time can really pay off. With the addition of Hydraulic ailerons, and Dive flaps, Lockheed solved the main problem of the P38L: Control lockup at high speed. An improved propeller helped with speed and climb over the P38F. While the P38F becomes a high-speed lawn dart at speeds greater than 375, the P38L can be dived to speeds in excess of 500mph IAS with minimal degradation in controls. Thus Lockheed took what was a mediocre combat plane and turned it into a trained killer, and an excellent energy fighter.
The P38L has been called in Warbirds, and rightfully so, the Super Plane. The P38L is Jack of all trades, and master of most. The P38L does practically everything well, it dives with the best of them, is fast, has excellent high altitude performance, rolls with the best of them, until beyond 275mph, where it leaves all other planes in the dust, outturns all but the Zero and Ki43, has an excellent climb rate, has one of the best and most accurate gunnery packages in the game (with the exception of Otto), and has plenty of ammunition to burn. It's only major weakness is it's huge planform, making it an easy target in some situations. Fortunately, it's exceptional roll eliminates it's predecessor's big problem of being unable to roll away when that huge planform is exposed.
Its pretty hard to go wrong in this plane. With no torque, it is easy to fly, vertical maneuvers are easy to perform, and handling wise, the only problem is ailerons-induced yaw. ailerons induced yaw is when you roll rapidly, one ailerons creates more drag than the other, and the wide placement of the ailerons causes a noticeable amount of yaw, for a brief second or so, and can destroy a good gun solution. Previous incarnations of the P38 did not have this problem because of the wind force on the ailerons at speed kept them from being deployed enough to create a significant difference.
If fighting a P38, and in a good vertical fighter (such as a Spit9, 109F, or Ki84), take the P38L vertical. The design seems optimized for climbing, or turning, but does not do well doing both. A spiral climb by a good climber in a co-E situation is a sure way to gain an advantage, or at least get away from the P38L.
One word of caution: If you look at the sustained-turn rate comparison charts, you will see that the P38L turns with the A6M5 variant of the Zero. It is highly advisable not to put this to the test! The P38L only stay's *with* the Zero (and not beat it), and only if a) the zero has no E, b) the zero is the A6M5 variant, c) the P38L pilot uses full flaps and rides the extreme edge of the stall, and d) the zero pilot does not ride the stall (or uses flaps, as it is not advantageous for a Zero pilot to use flaps). If the Zero pilot has any E at all, he will gain 20-30 degrees real quick on you, and you will find out how durable the P38L is!