Lockheed P38F Lightning


Plane: Lockheed P38F Lightning

Weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): / /

Wing Area: 327.5

Wing Loading: / /

Length: 37' 10"

Span: 52'

Wing Aspect Ratio: 8.3

Engine: 2x1,325hp Allison Y-1710-49 53 Inline

Flaps: 5 settings

Visibility:

Control Feel:

Stall Speed 1k (No Flaps/Full Flaps) 90/70mph

Guns:

  type/ammo ROF Duration WB Punch Muzzle Velocity Ammo/Gun
Primary: 4x.50 cal Browning MG 12.0/s 41.6s 6x.50cal/ping 2810ft/s 500
Secondary: 1x20mm Hispano-Suiza Cannon 11.2/s 13.4s 1.4x20mm/ping 2,790ft/s 150

Ordnance:
0: none
1: 2x1,000lb bombs
2: 2x500lb bombs
3: 2x100lb bombs

Fuel Time/Percent: 43 seconds/percent

Power/weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): / /

Corner Velocity: 260mph

Durability: Good

WEP time: 5 minutes

Maximum Angle-of-Attack (no flaps/full flaps): 20/20 degrees

Wing Incidence Angle (no flaps/full flaps): 5/5 degrees


Accleleration:

  1,000ft 5,000ft 10,000ft 15,000ft
Stall-200mph 21.1s 26.0s 30.0s 38.9s
150mph-200mph 12.0s 14.3s 19.0s 24.1s
200mph-250mph 19.9s 23.0s 29.0s 37.5s
250mph-300mph 57.0s 51.6s 75.0s -

Climb:
1k-5k: 62s
5k-10k: 103s
10k-15k: 107s

Zoom Climb:
1k 400mph: +4,700ft
1k 300mph: +3,100ft

Dive:

  Max Speed After 30s After 60s
15,000ft to 10,000ft 390mph 335mph 320mph
15,000ft to 5,000ft 490mph 360mph 335mph
10,000ft to 5,000ft 400mph 345mph 325mph
10,000ft to 1,000ft 490mph 365mph 335mph
5,000ft to 1,000ft 390mph 340mph 320mph

Max Speed

  1,000ft 5,000ft
Climbing before levelling 305mph 310mph
Diving before levelling 310mph 320mph

Turn Performance

300mph 1,000ft 5,000ft 10,000ft 15,000ft
One 360 12.7s 12.7s 13.9s 15.4s
Two 360s 27.4s 28.3s 31.8s 35.5s
250mph
One 360 12.3s 13.3s 14.7s 16.6s
Two 360s 27.7s 30.2s 33.9s 39.1s
Sustained
No Flaps 16.6s 18.3s 21.0s 24.3s
Full Flaps 15.9s 17.9s 20.5s 24.8s
Best Flap full full full none
Speed/best 100mph 100mph 95mph 120mph

Corner Speed and Radii (1,000ft):

Speed: 260mph
Radius: 492ft
Sustained Turn Speed: 150mph
Sustained Turn Radius: 581ft
Full Flaps Speed: 110mph
Full Flaps Radius: 408ft

Corner Times 1,000ft 5,000ft 10,000ft 15,000ft
180 degrees 5.6s 6.1s 6.3s 6.9s
360 degrees 12.0s 13.3s 14.3s 15.9s

Roll Rate:
150mph: 5.7s
200mph: 4.5s
250mph: 4.3s
300mph: 7.4s
350mph: 13.7s
400mph: 27.0s

Minimum Full-Flaps Full-Power Split-S altitude:
150mph: 900ft
200mph: 900ft
250mph: 1200ft
300mph: 2000ft


Hoof's Tips and Opinions:

The P38 was Lockheed's first fighter aircraft. Eventually evolving into one of the best planes of the war, the early P38s were plagued with problems. Tail flutter was a big problem in the early designs. This problem was solved, but the compression problems, as well as turbulence destroying the lift-creating ability of the wings at high speeds were not solved until well into the J version. Armament changed rather radically from the early versions, with the original armament consisting of four .50cal machine guns and one 23mm cannon, then two .30cal machine guns + two .50cal machine guns + the same 37mm cannon found on the P39D and finally to the final version of four .50cal machine guns and a 20mm cannon.

If the P38F was the plane the US Army evaluated during the early stages of the US Air War against Germany, then it is no wonder that it was deemed as an inferior aircraft. Climb performance was poor, especially compared to the Messerschmitt 109, diving performance was good, as long as you didn't exceed 375mph IAS. Acceleration was ok for the time, but still inferior to many designs (most notably both of German's fighters at the time, the Bf109 and Fw190). Roll rate was reasonable under 300mph, especially for such a big plane.

The biggest problem with the P38F is it's high speed handling. The P38F's handling at speeds higher than 375mph made a Bf109F seem like a Focke-Wulf. The roll rate was almost nonexistent at these speeds due to excessive stick forces (thus the need for the power-assisted ailerons of the P38L). Elevator control did not feel like the stick was in cement like the Bf109 did, but the turbulence and lift problems at these speeds meant that elevator deflection did not do much (P38L's dive flaps solved this problem). The Germans learned real quick that the best defense against an attacking P38F was a split-s (which the P38F couldn't follow due to slow roll), and a dive (which the P38F couldn't follow for risk of becoming a lawn dart, or shedding it's tail at high speeds).

The P38F is also one of the poorest vertical fighters. Thus virtually any plane with a decent vertical maneuvering capability can yoyo the P38F to death, and overcome any turn disadvantage. The poor vertical performance and diving abilities make the P38F very difficult to energy fight in.

The two main assets of the P38F are guns and turn rate. The P38 series guns are the best in the game, placed in the nose, in a small cone of fire, and have a decent punch. The turn rate is comparable to most of the regular Turn and Burn planes (not vs the dedicated TnB planes though), so the best tactic for a P38F driver is to lure someone into a turnfight. Beware when going against the P38J and the P38L. While the P38J won't be able to BnZ you (due to high speed handling problems), the P38L will, and both do better in the vertical as well as turn a bit tighter/faster than the P38F once the fight degenerates into a sustained-circle fight (the P38F should be ok in the horizontal before then due to a slightly lower wing loading).

Overall, the P38F is outclassed by most fighters in Warbirds in enough critical areas to make flying one a real challenge. It is amazing what Lockheed did with the P38 from the P38F to the P38L, the P38L seems a completely different design, based on the performance stats. For example, the roll rate of the P38L at 400mph is 10 *times* that of the P38F. When you read performance reports from WWII about the P38 that are negative, remember that they are probably for early P38s like the P38F. Had the USAAF had the P38L when the P38F flew, planes like the P47 might never had their day in the sun, as there would have been no need to replace such an exceptional plane.

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