"YIPPEE", shown in the title picture, was the 5000th P-38. The whole plane was painted a bright vermillion.

One of Japan's leading aces who survived the war said in an interview here on KZread that the P38 was the hardest US aircraft he went up against to shoot down, the reason he gave was it's twin boom design, they preferred to attack aircraft from above from a dive and when he'd fire on the P38 the rounds would pass through the open area between boom's, he said something like "There was nothing to hit!!! The bullets just passed right through!!!".

@kgblagden

2 жыл бұрын

link pls :3

@dukecraig2402

2 жыл бұрын

@@kgblagden Even if I could remember how to find the video I still couldn't post a link, I only have an Android phone and I guess you can't do that from one, however if I remember correctly either his first or last name was Honda but I can't say for sure. The entire interview is in Japanese with subtitles, the interviewer is also Japanese in case that'll help you find it.

@dukecraig2402

2 жыл бұрын

@@kgblagden I think I found it, his name is Honda Minoru. Just enter "Honda Minoru interview" and you should find it, it's in several parts.

@kgblagden

2 жыл бұрын

@@dukecraig2402 thx :3

@dukecraig2402

2 жыл бұрын

@@kgblagden The interview is in 3 parts, it's in the first part he talks about the P38 being hard to hit due to it's twin boom design, I think it's right around 11 minutes in. Watch all 3 parts it's a great interview with him.

“Why a twin boom design?” Because it looks cool, duh.

@johanrunfeldt7174

2 жыл бұрын

It makes for some awesome nicknames from the enemy.

@RalphReagan

2 жыл бұрын

My thoughts too!

@johngilbert6036

2 жыл бұрын

It's great when function and beauty work together

@gregculverwell

2 жыл бұрын

Pity about those ugly gills on the booms. Looks like someone either ran out of ideas or briefly forgot about aerodynamics.

@xenaguy01

2 жыл бұрын

Only way to get turbochargers in it.

Ace of Aces Richard Bong was from Wisconsin. There is a Bong Recreational area that people mistake for other uses.

@barrygrant2907

2 жыл бұрын

The recreational area was meant to be Bong AFB but the program was cancelled.

@ppsh43

2 жыл бұрын

Bong field is the airport in Superior Wisconsin, Bong’s hometown.

@dukecraig2402

2 жыл бұрын

A few hours from where I live in Pennsylvania there's two communities right up the road from each other called Intercourse and Blue Ball's, I'm not joking about that, one of the biggest problems that the townships have is people stealing road signs, everyone wants a matching set.

Twin booms aside, the push-pull engine configuration AND a requirement for space for a pilot and weapons and superchargers and fuel and methanol-water injection and/or nitrous oxide seems to result in quite the sizeable plane, case in point the Do335. Makes one appreciate how compact a design the P38 actually is.

@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles

2 жыл бұрын

Good point about the size of the 335, and it doesn't have turbos.

@juanordonezgalban2278

2 жыл бұрын

The Do335 makes the p47 look thin.

@jorehir

2 жыл бұрын

At least the Do335 manages to have 1 fuselage instead of 3... Not by chance, its top speed is 100km/h higher despite having no turbo and a worse power/weight ratio. Of course, there is more than just top speed. But the 3 gondolas approach isn't exactly the most elegant one from an engineering perspective.

@juanordonezgalban2278

2 жыл бұрын

@@jorehir Good point. The planes had diferent objetives to achive and took diferent aproaches to them.

@RLRSwanson

2 жыл бұрын

@@jorehir 1 fuselage and what, 5-6 years of progress in aerodynamics. Despite the Do335 being a chungus of a fighter plane, among other developments there's far less scoops, turbos and other doohickeys hanging out in the breeze than on the P38...I mean the gun barrels sticking so far out of the nose cost mph (like the bulges on the cowl of the 109-G6). But I don't think the three gondola or two gondolas and fuselage would be something that couldn't be overcome with a wind tunnel and horsepower like the f7f or Sea Hornet.

The P-38 is one of those planes that just looks the part. You know? You catch sight of those twin booms in classic profile and it just sort of makes you stop and admire it for a moment.

I've been reading stuff about the P-38 since I first discovered WW2 airplanes about 60 years ago. The twin boom configuration is always rationalized as a solution to maneuverability in a twin engine airplane or improved aerodynamic efficiency, neither of which really made much sense to me. I always thought it was more likely a packaging thing, and a very logical one. You are the first person that's stated that in simple terms. I'm looking forward to more in this series on the P-38.

@markhamstra1083

2 жыл бұрын

Maybe the first time that you’ve seen it, but definitely not the first time, since Hibbard said as much in the article that Greg highlighted.

@matchesburn

2 жыл бұрын

"The twin boom configuration is always rationalized as a solution to maneuverability in a twin engine airplane or improved aerodynamic efficiency" ...I've been a fan of the P-38 Lightning and have always looked for content specifically focused on the P-38 (...and wondered why how iconic it was, Greg ignored it for the longest time...) and I've *_never_* heard this as a reasoning behind it. It just always made sense to me that this was made well, well before the Merlin and before the R-2800 was ready and this was a way to get more power and more fuel into the the aircraft and have strong structural stability. And, I mean twin-booms were not a new concept with WWI aircraft and plenty of interwar aircraft having them and Focke-Wulf having a successful design with the Fw189 prior to this.

@grndiesel

2 жыл бұрын

I remember reading that it also had to do with giving the plane an "extended aspect ratio" and improved stability even with a heavy payload.

@markrobson8747

2 жыл бұрын

My dad worked with the Mosquito and held Lockheed in high esteem

@donjones4719

2 жыл бұрын

I'm surprised Greg didn't mention the poor visibility of the twin fuselage design (to one side) vs the excellent visibility of the P-38 as built. Odd that he said he wasn't sure why the twin fuselage was passed over at 13:20, except for the central firepower.

This guy puts most other airplane guys on KZread to shame.

@luciustitius

2 жыл бұрын

…just imagine he‘d use a decent mic-setup without hum.

@1joshjosh1

2 жыл бұрын

@@luciustitius I hear no hum. I like his mic setup. It's perfectly manageable volume.

@paulslevinsky580

2 жыл бұрын

@@luciustitius hey man...he's using new old stock vintage equipment from the period. Bakelite and tubes. It's three dimensional history.

@luciustitius

2 жыл бұрын

@@paulslevinsky580 Wasn´t aware of that. Thank you. Love it. Great job.

@stephenrickstrew7237

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely …!

It's what we've come to expect from you Greg - a thorough look at an aircraft based on your considerable research, which really helps us understand some of the design points of this beauty. Many thanks as always and great value for money!

@Mike-eq4ky

2 жыл бұрын

I always wondered about all those little scoops... On my bucket list is a one-third scale (well, ok, maybe only quarter scale '38and now I've got the data sources I needed! 😊

@sticksbass

Жыл бұрын

@@Mike-eq4ky the radiators are back there.

Finaly the start of the P-38 Series, many Thx Greg

@Mike-eq4ky

2 жыл бұрын

This is one of the major series I've been so anxious for... Greg's full on special treatment of the P-38, my favorite warbird of all time! Elegant, ground breaking, and a study in the art of engineering and pushing the envelope... Literally. There certainly by were better "fighters" but it's place in history (in many ways like the Jug) is often underestimated by so many. It truly is a beauty of an airplane. Thanks, Greg, this is why I'm a Patreon supporter. Can't wait for the next installments!! My summer just got a lot more interesting! Time to go buy me a P-38 mug. Thanks again, Greg... I thought I knew a lot about this bird and now realize there is sooo much more! Great job, Greg!

@matchesburn

2 жыл бұрын

Same. With how iconic the P-38 was, how successful it was and how far it was pushing the limits of aircraft design at the time I'm surprised he put it off as long as he did.

@grndiesel

2 жыл бұрын

Yup, me three! I knew Greg was working on for a while and glad to see it's finally here for us to enjoy.

@mikejohnson555

2 жыл бұрын

@@Mike-eq4ky You say there was certainly better fighters, but was there really? During ww2? I have always been of the opinion that the P-38 remained competitive and even superior to what both the Germans and Japanese could fly up until the end of the war, and superior to our own aircraft that largely replaced it. Often the response I get as evidence that this couldn't have been true is the fact that the army air corps chose other aircraft instead, phasing out the use of the P-38 in the ETO. I still firmly believe the P-38 remained as good or better than the aircraft like the P-51 as a individual aircraft with a skilled well trained pilot. Yet I will say something that seems contradictory, I would make the same call and choose to produce P-51s instead of P-38s. It wasn't that these aircraft that largely replaced the P-38 were superior aircraft, they were cheaper more cost efficient aircraft, and at the end of the day I would rather have 200 P-51s than 100 P-38s.

@Mike-eq4ky

2 жыл бұрын

@@mikejohnson555... While appreciate your perspective, let me qualify my statement and see where we land... By "fighter", I was specifically referring to the air-to-air combat role and the bomber escort role in Europe. That said, the case can certainly be made that the P-38 is underestimated as a fighter, especially given its outstanding performance in the Pacific Theater where the cockpit heating and turbo issues and operation at low temperatures weren't particularly relevant, and zoom and boom tactics were very effective against the zeros, and you didn't need to get into turning dog fight with them. The P-38 had some of the best Firepower of any American fighter of the war, given that 20 mm Cannon and 4-50 cals right in the nose on the centerline, doesn't get much better than that! It was fast and had range, but needed a great pilot to really wring it out in a dogfight. And, here again, tactics, theater of operations and opponents in question are all relevant. The plane had a steering wheel instead of a stick and lacked both hydraulically boosted ailerons and dive flaps until later in the war which limited the roll rate and dive speed. It could have been an exceptional high-altitude Fighters if the turbochargers worked at the colder air the high altitudes a bomber escort Duty in the ETO oh, but it was not there yet. And then later on the 47's and 51's were better fits for that role with good or outstanding armament and in the case of the 51 even better range. But in terms of Versatility, arguably the P-38 could have been the best aircraft in the war from that perspective and Wyatt soldiered on to the end. And BTW, completely agree on the selection of the 51 given the economic considerations, and don't forget about the logistics of supporting and maintaining an aircraft like the 38 which had two of everything! So not only is the cost triple that of the 51 it's also twice as hard to maintain in the field! And as I said before it's always been my favorite aircraft of all time, and on my bucket list is to build a 1/3 scale radio control model of one! I'll get to that soon...

P-38 is a beauty and its great its getting a full breakdown.

@adamliu2246

2 жыл бұрын

I know right :)

"Everybody was Night-ling fighting.......The crew was packed in tightly..."

@josephking6515

2 жыл бұрын

_It was a little bit frightening........ But they fired with expert sighting..._

@michaelkneringer3194

2 жыл бұрын

Woh oh oh oh...

@kludgedude

2 жыл бұрын

Lightning fighting?

@BLD426

2 жыл бұрын

Showing our age...

@Rose.Of.Hizaki

2 жыл бұрын

_"Those P-38s moved as fast as lightning...."_

Ah! My favorite WWII American fighter! I still remember how much I enjoyed building a Monogram 1/48 P-38 over 50 years ago, and I know have the lovely Tamiya kit in my stash. Episode One in this series was informative and as always, I learned a lot. Thanks so much.

@Sturminfantrist

2 жыл бұрын

Monograms pro was that you can built also the Droop Snoot and Recon Version F-4 or F-5 (?), i built a Academy Jor L years ago , have the Academy nightfighter version and the Hasegawa P-38F/G/H (1 kit 3 options) , Haseg. P-38J and Haseg. P-38L, all 1:48. they are in the cellar now together with 200 other kits, plus Resin and other aftermarket parts and decal sets in 1:48 scale, my eyes are really bad now because of Sinusitis and i didnt have enough space for all the Models here in my new Appm., maybe in future but for all the Monogram B-29s, B-17s or B-24s plus the smaller stuff i need a Palace not an Appartm.. Tamiya P-38 sounds like a shake n bake ;) Align the Twin Booms wasnt easy with Academy Kit, think Tamiyas P-38 is a good choice .

@markfrommontana

2 жыл бұрын

@@Sturminfantrist You have an impressive collection! The Tamiya P-38 will be my first WWII airplane build since 1970. I returned to building static models last year after a 50 year hiatus and I’ve built 20 or so WWI planes all in 1:48. The first dozen were vintage Aurora kits as I was nostalgic for the models I had built as a kid. Along the way I discovered models made by Eduard. The kits from that Czech company have excellent detailing and fit although the tiny photo etched parts are a challenge for my old eyes and shaky fingers.

@hazchemel

2 жыл бұрын

Which was your favourite, from the whole world, all in all?

@jacktattis

9 ай бұрын

Germans had no trouble They loved it.

@jacktattis

9 ай бұрын

This comment should be in response to dukecraig2402 below.

I’ve always loved the Lightning and my family has a special connection to it. On my mom’s side, my grandpa had an engineering job at Lockheed in Burbank and helped develop some of the systems for the late model P-38s. On my dad’s side, my great uncle flew P-38s in Europe before his squadron transitioned to P-51s, mostly on ground attack sorties since this was mid to late 1944.

1:44 Coolest Ambulance ride EVER!

@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles

2 жыл бұрын

Blame you're a braver man than I.

I was amazed at how large the P-38 is, when I walked around one on static display at Oshkosh a decade ago.

@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935

2 жыл бұрын

I saw a museum Tempest. It was BIG.

@rotorheadv8

2 жыл бұрын

They have one tucked under the wing of the Ebola Gay at the Smithsonian. It looks like it was flown straight in from a field in New Guinea.

@BogeyTheBear

2 жыл бұрын

Funny thing is, an F-35 has the same ground footprint as a P-38. Thing is, the F-35 fits into the box lengthwise while the P-38 gets turned to the side.

@joe_not_a_fed

2 жыл бұрын

@@BogeyTheBear But the P-38 is about a kajillion times cooler.

@toddsmith8608

2 жыл бұрын

I was lucky enough to see Glacier Girl several times while she was being restored in Middlesboro, Ky in the early 2000's. Very cool plane and IIRC, Steve Hinton came to do the first flight after it was finished.

I've grown up practically drooling over the P-38 Lightning since childhood and was taken aback learning of all the amazing feats it pulled in WWII! The amazing altitude it could reach, the speed, the nose guns... and there were even a few types that fired rockets! I was also surprised when I first learned that this was the plane used in "Operation Vengeance" over Bougainville in 1943 that shot down the bomber carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack.

For anyone specifically looking for a book about the P-38, I quite like The Lockheed P-38 Lightning by Warren Bodie. It's a fairly in depth treatment on the airplane, but also interesting glance into what was going on with Lockheed leading up to the development of the Lightning. It even has a endorsement and Foreword written by Kelly Johnson and Benjamin Kelsey. As Bodie did work for Lockheed, it admittedly reads with a bit of a homer slant. But it has a lot of good information, and (probably my favorite part about it) a lot of fantastic pictures and schematics.

The P-47 was the first WW2 aircraft I fell in love with (figuratively speaking). Then I learned about the P-38 it became and still is my favorite WW2 aircraft. I got to get my mitts all over one at the EAA AirVenture Show in Oshkosh several years ago. The pilot, who wasn't the owner, said it was okay and we had a nice chat about her and what it's like to fly one. THAT was a great day for my son and I.

Favorite aircraft channel. I could watch it all day.

My favorite WW2 aircraft. First learned about this plane when reading Martin Caiden's book "The Fork-Tailed Deveil: P-38" back in grade school (8th) more than 25 years ago. He flew & tested in them so info was 1st hand. The combat scenes being of pilot's own accounts. One account of a pilot in Europe is after a tree-top level attack run he got too close to a pole & ended up leaving 8ft of a wing tip behind. Others were having an engine shot out & having to feather the prop to leave just 1 good engine. In one of these it was while engaged in combat. Of course they managed to make it back to base.

@edwardpate6128

2 жыл бұрын

I remember reading it in 1971 when I was in the 6th grade.

@georgeburns7251

2 ай бұрын

So glad you had a favorite fighter. I hope it makes you happy. Do you have a favorite insect too. If not, you consider having one. I think you could then share it on every comment that you make.

@RuralTowner

2 ай бұрын

Then I expect to see a xerox coppy//paste of your rebuttal on every "my favorite" comment left by everyone else as well. @@georgeburns7251

@RuralTowner

2 ай бұрын

Seeing as how YT seems to not let all comments post. Sorry to disappoint. No favorite insect. Now I expect to see you copy//paste your rebuttal to everyone elses "xxxx favorite" I run across as well then? You seem to have missed a few others also saying as much on here. @@georgeburns7251🛩

Thanks Greg, The P-38 is my favorite plane of WW2. When I saw how awesome and informative your P47, Fw190, and Bf 109 videos were I was really hoping you’d do a P38 series. Thanks again

I had a friend who flew F5's (photo recon P38) from the Marianas for BDA, because his flights would often be canceled he had lots of free time. He got the medical crew to teach im how to take X-rays and by the time he left the service he was grandfathered in to become a licensed X-ray tech. He was one of the few Army air corps pilots who wore wings of gold as he did his training at Pensacola FL with the navy pilots. He was in the same class as Joe Walker who was killed in the B70 crash flying the F104. He also flew the C124 with the twin bubble canopy. He was also one heck of a X-ray tech. He got pictures when others had no idea how to position the patient to get what the Dr. wanted. He told me some great stories of flying. Greg keep up the great work, you bring these world war II planes back to life with each episode.

Very competent and interesting reviews, love it. I am Swiss and my father told me that the Swiss company "Brown Boveri Company" located in Baden, Switzerland, produced turbochargers for American WW2 warplanes. However, when Switzerland became surrounded by the Nazis export halted.

As a kid I used to love reading the WWII era "Flying Magazine"s that my Dad had kept from that time. The color photography in them was great as was the ad artwork.

I saw a P-38 at a airshow and was impressed with the size. You can easily walk under it and the main gear tires are large.

The lightning was my favorite childhood plane (I’m in high school just so we’re clear), so I am very excited about the series. Good and interesting opening for a hopefully interesting and informational series.

@jeboblak5829

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Kid, you're awesome! It was my favorite back in Jr. High in the early eighties and I now have a ten year old who loves WWII history and especially aircraft. Keep the love of these amazing planes alive!

Greg, you sir are creating the definitive WW2 aircraft video series. Nothing else is even close.

My neighbor (sadly, passed), flew p38's in the pacific. Lots of interesting stories. I mentioned Lindberg and his efforts at fuel conservation and he replied that he had met him.

@harsep

2 жыл бұрын

Where you able to get his name? Researchers should find this useful if they need to do some historical background checks.

@davidervin7345

2 жыл бұрын

@@harsep Mr. Leed was a beloved neighbor. He did not elaborate on Mr Lindberg. He did relate that on one of the islands they were flying out of it was customary to sleep under the wing. One night a snake was killed in their midst. When they saw the snake they started sleeping on the wing.

@harsep

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidervin7345 Its amazing to see like on the History channel interviews being done in color of these retired fighter pilots while still being in their 50's, 60's but at least its being preserved forever now. You are lucky to be able to talk to one of these legends while they are still alive.

As a kid, even as a Brit, I loved the Lightning, the P47, along with the Mosquito, the Typhoon/Tempest and P-61 Black Widow. I liked the planes with grunt and robustness. Having said that, I will still tip my hat to the day bombing raids by the US forces in the European theatre: bravery beyond measure, knowing the casualties until the P51 could escort them,

@MackTheGovnah

2 жыл бұрын

I got a chance to meet a b17 crewman at an air show many years ago. He said the thing they worried about the most was flak specifically the 105mm.

@Glove513

2 жыл бұрын

I’m a fa n of all those as well, although I would add the Bristol Beaufighter to that list.

@gingernutpreacher

2 жыл бұрын

Shame the dehavland see hornet was so late as that was apparently had enough Maneuverability and role rate to take on single engine fighters

@garyhill2740

2 жыл бұрын

The P-38 did a good job of escorting them. For a long while, it was the only fighter with the range. In the beginning, it suffered from not being fully developed. The Army also resisted improvements that would slow production, even badly needed ones. So solutions that were developed quickly often took a long time to reach the combat theaters. Even with a green airplane, green crews, and not fully mature tactics and strategy-not to mention P-38 flights being outnumbered for much of the early campaign in the ETO-the P-38's helped the bombers get through. As all of the above mentioned factors improved along with the airplane itself, the kill to loss ratio improved. The Germans could afford the losses even less than the Allies could, and attrition took the Luftwaffe to pieces. By the time the P-51's came along, the air war was already being won. Ironically, by the time the P-51's with Merlins came along, the late J and L P-38's were available, but a lot of pilots never flew them because they were handed P-51's instead. The P-38 played an indispensable role in winning the air war in the ETO, and evolved in to a fighter as good as any in the air. But in many misguided histories is portrayed as second banana to the late coming P-51, and the shorter ranged P-47.

@jj4791

Жыл бұрын

The protection of bombers from enemy fighters actually came about later, when allied pilots, mostly flying P-51s by then, were ordered to destroy enemy fighters. (Instead of "defend the bombers"). - They went from flying top cover, and being reprimanded for chasing enemy fighter down to the ground, to being ordered to chase them down and shoot them any chance they had, especially on the ground. And when they were forming up for an attack before they were prepared. This change it tactics literally wiped out the entire Luftwaffe in a matter of a few weeks. After almost four years of playing games. The concept of defending an enormous bomber fleet from a mass attack of cannon armed fighters is somewhere between completely ineffective and criminally incompetent.

I can't tell you exactly why, but this is one of the best KZread channels I've ever found. Intoxicating 😎⭐🙂

@charlesmartel8112

2 жыл бұрын

I have loved WWII aircraft since I witnessed my uncle doing professional builds on models and photographing them for the box covers as a young boy. "Greg's Automobiles and Airplanes" gives a whole new level of insight for me - a person normally bored to tears by technical jargon. Greg makes it fun , not just informative. I have always had sources saying that "this fighter could out-turn or outgun that one" - but it;s really cool to be able to understand WHY that was !! Thanks Greg !

Thank you Greg! I am always intrigued and fixated by the engineering solutions and human heroics of the WWII Era in particular. They often open a keen window into what we are truly capable when pressed to the precipice. War has driven us to so much innovation and unfathomable acts of will. When you talk about oil cooler placement and blast tunes I see young engineers working around the clock in sweaty clothes getting in arguments with the mechanics trying to actually build what is on the plans. Then an innovation that ends up saving .5 gals of fuel per hour in the P47 and tips the needle in the fight for air superiority in Europe. For the sweaty mechanic and engineer,,,,,no glory,,,,,but they are more than fulfilled. Glory was never what they were committed to. Very appreciative! Thanks!

Fantastic start on the P-38, Greg! You should take a look at the NACA report conducted to help the 38 increase its Mach number. To my memory, recommendations were to move radiators to leading edge of wing, a la Mosquito, and to extend back the pilot gondola a bit past the wing to help reduce shockwaves over the tail at high speed - also to rake back the windscreen a few degrees more. My research indicates that the War Production would not allow the P-38 to be taken off line for the time necessary to make the tooling changes - the judged that demand for the 38 was too great relative to the speed that would be gained.

The P-38 is my dad's favorite plane. He was a kid during WW2.

My Grandfather moved to California in 1942 and worked at Lockheed building Lightnings. He was new to that industry, he was a carpenter back in Minnesota and had 4 little kids so a stack of deferments. Anyway, he worked his way up to foreman. He didn’t talk much about it, I now wish I would have asked all kinds of questions. One thing he did say, when he first got there, everything was done to very high standards of fit and finish. By then time they were getting close to the end of the war, they were cranking them out so fast, the standards of craftsmanship had gone way down. Gaps, misalignment ect. He was glad to leave that industry and Moved back to Minnesota at the end of the war. Another thing he told me, He had some personal power tools at home, electric saw, drill ect. The gov. actually required these to be registered.

Many moons ago I was at a park on the outskirts of Austin, Tx. I noticed it was right along side a municipal airport as their were some hangars and planes parked out on a tarmac in a fenced in area. Was messing about and doing various activities when at some point I heard a loud, "CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG", and billows of black smoke coming from the paddock. My eyes focused on a twin engine prop plane that was sitting out in front of what was now an open hangar door. My eyes turned to dollar pieces at the realization I was staring at a beautifully restored P-38 doing some engine run-up test/tune. I'd seen countless documentaries of the plane and it had never dawned on me just how big this plane was in real life. It props towered over the nearby Cessna's and such. I just plopped down and sat there for a good hour to hang out and watch them work on it.

5:17 It was the first _single-seat_ aircraft Lockheed ever built as well!

Am very happy to see this series of Analysis of a great WW2 Warbird. I served in the 49th fighter Squadron in the 15th AF, Foggia, Italy. As an armorer I saw firsthand the work needed to keep them operational and listened to the pilots relate to their experiences. The J model I worked on had most of the upgrades to AC and engines including Hydraulic flaps. The L model Had the dive flaps that removed the dive restrictions. Your analysis of the beginning design intention and limitations are showing the P-38 was a major factor in our war effort. Your audio seems clear with only a small amount of echo. My hearing aids limit my ability to judge objectively.. (For what it's worth)... I look forward to you additional videos

Man, this video answered so many questions including why a twin engine fighter was developed when so many great single engine fighters existed. I didn't realized how early this was developed.

Large as the plane was, the P-38 was a very 'flat' machine. Most single-seat airplanes, the pilot is sitting atop a fuel tank or the wing box. The P-38 put the pilot, fuel tanks, engines, and guns all on the same horizontal level. This made the P-38 a _smaller_ target than most in the head-on and side-on aspects.

YEEESSSS!!!! So glad to see you opted to analyze one of my favorite WWII-era combat airframes as a subject for one of your videos. 🙏!!!

The more I learn about amazing aircraft like the P38, the more impressed I am with the P47.

Kelly Johnson was an amazing American. He will forever be remembered.

@Mike-eq4ky

2 жыл бұрын

Can you imagine what incredible progress his entire career spanned? From the P-38 to the SR71 Blackbird... From the first plane to achieve 400mph in level flight into unheard of altitudes and Mach numbers... They didn't understand compressibility when it was first encountered it in a dive on the 38... And 35 or so years later imagine dealing with the Blackbird that gets so hot at speed it actually lengthens?? Talk about engineering challenges. There's a man I'd love to have a few drinks with...

@Torfun177

2 жыл бұрын

Son of Swedish Immigrants...

@BogeyTheBear

2 жыл бұрын

Ironic then that Kelly isn't his given name.

It's also the first airplane I saw as a little boy flying over the farm.

Great to find some love for an excellent versatile and too often under appreciated craft. I'm amazed someone involved in designing this also designed the SR-71.

Excellent again from Greg, the emphasis on how early the P-38 design was is usually missed. There is opinion that the design was partially fixed in this relatively primitive state by the government to maximise production output and Lockheed were prevented from implementing desired major airframe upgrades. The P-38J onwards liquid cooled intercoolers were the biggest engineering improvement.

Looking forward to this one. When writing Touched with Fire I ran into a very interesting article by David Ostrowski written for October 1996 issue of "Skyways - The Journal of the Airplane 1920-1940." The title is "Early P-38 problems." The author summarized a major internal report written for Lockheed HQ in 1944, so it's pretty blunt. The P-38 had its share of teething trouble as we all know. According to this report, in 1940-41 when Lockheed was beginning serious work on the 38 they also received huge orders for the "Hudson", a militarized version of their Electra airliner. To get the Hudson out the door, many of Lockheed's top engineers and production specialists were shifting away from work on the complex P-38 to work on the Hudson. To be fair, Lockheed was nearly broke in 1939, and considered big orders to be needed for what was clearly going to be a war ahead. However, because the P38 team was given many inexperienced men and was over worked, the "teething" troubles were protracted and solutions delayed. Lockheed's report concluded that because of the emphasis on the Hudson (a journeyman light bomber at best) the successful debut of the P-38 was set back by at least nine months. In other words, had things gone differently, the Bettys inbound to Henderson Field in August 1942 might have been met by USAAF P-38s instead of a few P-400s. Or 38s could have been defending Port Moresby in the spring of 1942 instead of P-39s and P-40s. Nobody has ever fought a perfect war I guess.

@jonbowden5207

2 жыл бұрын

enjoyed your book

@Ebergerud

2 жыл бұрын

Thankee. It was fun to write.

This channel is the greatest. My father attended the CaseyJones school of aeronautics when it was in Newark NJ before WW2 and your lectures are spot on and beyond what he used to tell me when I was a boy Thank You!

Finally, the best looking airplane from WW2.

@Keti9er

2 жыл бұрын

I would agree whole heartedly as the best looking fighter - but I love the curves and lines of the B-17 overall

Corsair and the P-38 were My favorite WW2 fighters. My Uncle worked for Lockheed in Atlanta and I had all kinds of info and pictures on the C141 and C5 as they were built. the P- 38 flown by Bong and McGuire were interesting reading when I was a boy. Not just to mention how cool it looked. My reading said the 38's Allison engine suffered in the cold air over Europe. I am really interested to hear your detail knowledge on the subject.

Kelly Johnson seems like about as close to a friendly mad scientist as you can get for an aircraft engineer, considering the sorts of solutions he and his team came up with to problems people didn’t even know they had Also, I absolutely love this plane just for the way it LOOKS, before even getting into was a bizarrely smooth ride it was for a twin engined aircraft: it just looks like a classical Golden Age Superhero, somehow, beaming with idealism and patriotism. It’s also incredibly symmetrical in its design, thanks to the counter rotation meaning they don’t need to build in aerodynamic features to counter torque. That also makes it one of the few aircraft I can understand how to fly in simulators, and the significant “shake” at the edge of stall certainly doesn’t hurt when it comes to learning how much “pull” you can get away with

In War Thunder as in IL2 GB, a properly handled P-38 is one of the most dangerous opponents one could face. Particularly the later J models with boosted ailerons. With its sole poor spot in agility, its poor roll rate solved it becomes very, very dangerous. A splendidly informative introduction to the P-38 Lightning.

@juanordonezgalban2278

2 жыл бұрын

I love it in war thunder. I call it a sleeper turnfighter, because with those fowler flaps you have insane lift. Specially at altutude, where your enemy might have reduced power but you're at 100% power thanks to turbocharging.

@LupusAries

2 жыл бұрын

Yep, a well flown P-38 is dangerous on it's own, and given the very favourable Battlerating in War Thunder, especially in "Sim Battles", where it mostly faces 109 F and early Gs, it can really dominate a match. I've seen a lot of terrible US Pilots in WT, mostly in T-bolts and Mustangs though, but also some very good P-38 Pilots, and those are nearly untoucheable. Us Fighters overall are experts aircraft, you have to use them right, but if you do....they are very, very powerful. But even if you put the P-38 against contemporaries, like in IL-2 1946 or Great Battles, the P-38 really shines, and is my favourite US Fighter. Somehow when you come in at 28-32,000 ft, everyone at high altitude suddenly "vacates the premises", and it can fight toe to toe with a 109 or 190 in a dogfight. If you know how to use the rudder, fowler flaps and dogfight geometry that is. ;) One of the key things that helps against 109s is to never fly just a horizontal turn, always put a vertical element into your turns. And the gun arrangement is something that Lockheed can be justifiably proud of, nose mounted guns are the best arrangement, good tight grouping of shots that do damage in a smaller area instead of the damage being spread out and no convergence problems make shooting at 600 meters no different from shooting at 100, safe for lead and the ballistic curve! ;) How the hell Gaijin thought that a P-38L needs a BR of 4.0, the same as a 109 F-4 I'll never understand.

@hippoace

2 жыл бұрын

@@LupusAries bcus only a handful of players know how to use its fowler flaps properly...

Stellar start to a long awaited series. Thanks Greg!!!

In my opinion, the P-38 is the first step in the Kelly Johnson chain that lead to the SR-71. Twin engines, pushing the performance envelope for the era, and unconventional to fly

@Hunter4042012

2 жыл бұрын

Didn't know much about him, but man he worked on basically all my favours planes, they were all very elegant.

@whydoyougottahavthis

2 жыл бұрын

He didnt have as much say as people think from what I understand, and it shouldn't be considered his first anything

@BogeyTheBear

2 жыл бұрын

@@whydoyougottahavthis Hal Hibbard was the P-38's daddy. Kelly Johnson stepped to the fore when creating the P-80 (and the Skunk Works).

@whydoyougottahavthis

2 жыл бұрын

@Bogey The Bear yeah I know a thing or three about the P-38, a bird so far ahead of it's time it's often accredited wrongly which kinda erks me, the fully modern controls is something that blows my mind Everytime I see it still, personally I consider it a souped up Mosquito that's better in nearly every way lol a Corvette to a sedan, and as deadly as a Corvette to the unskilled, though I personally think the great majority of P-38 kills as in kills BY them was NOT turn n' burn stereotypical dogfight, more like swoop behind them at high speed and blow their ass outta the sky with the most accurate burst of lead in the sky, you know the law of the sky, there's aces and those that get shot down by aces, nothing in-between

@spindash64

2 жыл бұрын

@@whydoyougottahavthis Although it was certainly better in a knife fight than most of its twin engined brethren: I’ve even heard some people exaggerate and say “it turned inside a zero”

In WW2 my Grandpa was in a workshop company in New Guinea, he made a model P 38 out of scrap aluminium, with matching ashtrays made from cut down 37mm shell casings. I still have it. P 38 was a real moral booster in the Pacific.

Greg, you’re one of the two best producers of military aircraft performance history on KZread. Keep up the great work…

Nicely done Greg, now I know. This aircraft would have been intrumental in shortening the war when it shot down Admiral Yamamoto's plane.

One of my favorite WWII-Planes. Thank you, looking forward to the rest of the series.

Great work as usual Greg! I am thrilled that you have turned to the P-38 and look forward to all the coming videos! Thanks for all the great work.

Greg, your work is truly amazing. I can’t put into words how much I love this content, especially for the P-38.

Keep up the GREAT work Greg, been waiting for the P-38 series!! Thanks for putting these together.

I worked on a P38 restoration project years ago.

First time viewer. REALLY love the in depth analysis, history and detail. Never shorten your videos. Keep them long and informative.

P-38 and P-47 are my 2 favorite WW2 planes. Greg, you have wonderful taste and thank you for your insight on these icons.

Love this plane so much! My all time fav, especially of that era. This was probably the best documentary I've seen of it on YT! Thx for uploading.

The weapons package. Watched a documentary on The History Channel (showing my age) where a former P-40 pilot described what he loved in the P-38. Because there was no converging fire he was able to elevate the nose to increase range. Picked off the TEC on a schwarm of ME-109's on a mission doing just that.

I watched the P-38 a couple of times in Duxford when working in Cambridge as Postdoc. Amazing plane. Unfortunately it had a fatal crash, I believe in 1996 or 1997.

Greg, your production quality and attention to detail never ceases to impress and this is no exception. The P38 is my all time favorite machine of any kind, and you still managed to uncover details that lightning nuts like me never knew about. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this series.

Thank you for making this series, I really enjoyed the P-47 series. My grandfather flew the P-38 (among others), so I'm really looking forward to more Lightning videos!

Thank you for producing this series. I was hoping for you to cover the P38, one of my favorite aircraft.

Always interesting. I can't imagine the time you spend researching and organizing the information! Thank you!

Thanks for your time in making this presentation. It was very enjoyable and I’m looking forward to the next one.

"Yippee," I echoed in response to the title plane... a new vid from Greg! And I've pointedly asked for Mosquito vs. P38 years ago (not to say that Greg wouldn't have made this on his own volition, indeed I'm sure he did) so this is a particular treat for me.

Many, many thanks for working up the P-38. It has always been my favorite US fighter of WW II. I look forward to hearing about the problems in Europe vs the comparative success in the Pacific. Did the P-40 have a turbocharger. I didn’t think that it did until they were testing the P-40 Q? (with the bubble canopy), and then the performance wasn’t any better than the P-51 so they just stopped making P-40s near the end of the war.

I sure enjoy Gregs videos; education and entertainment both in one! Thanks, Greg, you have given me hours of delight.

Your videos are outstanding. No distracting background music, just interesting, very well researched information, delivered in a friendly and articulate voice.

Nice start to the P-38 series. Glad to see you debunk a common misconception that this airplane could not turn with other fighters. I think people get this idea from the fact that the Army specification for the airplane used the term "interceptor" for the first time, a term too many people seem to associate with airplanes not designed to turn. According to Warren Bodie, Ben Kelsey wrote the term "interceptor " into the specification only because the Army had prohibited expenditure of funding on development of twin engine fighters. Kelsey believed the performance he desired would only be achievable with two engines, so he invented the term to dodge that bureaucratic restriction. It was an inspired design that, as you said, was just a little too early to benefit from aerodynamic developments that would benefit later aircraft. I see the low critical Mach number as the congenital defect that kept the P-38 from being an outstanding fighter after its other technical issues were resolved. I believe Bodie also said that Lockheed would have preferred a more "high speed" airfoil section, but the airfoil and aspect ratio settled on were necessary to meet the time to climb requirement of the Army design specification.

@lwilton

2 жыл бұрын

Along the lines of the use of "interceptor", the computers manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation weren't "computers", they were Programmed Data Processors. DEC absolutely insisted on this definition, because they wanted to sell to a bunch of government agencies that at the time had prohibited expenditures for "computers".

@FirstDagger

2 жыл бұрын

I think it might also because games often don't model the flaps correctly.

@LupusAries

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it's strange to see that misconception still exist after we've had flightsims for over 30 years and representations of the P-38 in it for more than 23 years, European Air War was the first one that showed it, but the IL-2 series from Forgotten Battles: Aces Expansion Pack onwards really showed how good it was. I mean if you're really interested in this, you have the option to check the aircraft out for yourself, why aren't more people using it? It does have limitations, but compared to some books and even some academic readings they aren't that bad. Funnily, when we got the IL-2 (GB) Battle of Bodenplatte addon, there were still a lot of green new pilots that were very suprised when they saw a P-38 really move for the first time! Me and a few friends who all love the P-38 did a number on some 109 and 190 Pilots who were a bit too cocky.....and well once we went up to 32,000 feet and cruised down the map, everyone "vacated the premises" at high altitude. ;)

@gort8203

2 жыл бұрын

@@LupusAries It has become interesting to see the extent to which the legends of some aircraft are tarnished by negative narratives while others are burnished by laudatory ones. People actually dismiss or admire aircraft due to narratives that are based on repetition rather than fact. Unfortunately, I sometimes suspect that performance of some aircraft in a flight sim may also be based on common narratives simply because actual data was not available to the coders.

@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935

2 жыл бұрын

The Army got burned with the dreadful Bell FM-1 Airacuda escort fighter.

It is interesting how the P-38's wing shape was similar to the contemporary, though much larger Constellatin's.

@dukecraig2402

2 жыл бұрын

Check out the little known Lockheed L-133 proposed jet fighter in 1939, it would have had the same basic wing shape as the P38 and the P80 Shooting Star, apparently that was Lockheed's go to wing shape back in those days.

when i was much younger about maybe 10ish years old i even then loved the P-38 and i had the great opportunity to sit and speak with a P-38 pilot from WW2...i remember listening so intently and being on the edge of my seat. now as an older man i had the opportunity to work on a P-38 and when i was able to run my hand across the cowl covering that 1710 i actually started to tear up a bit and wish my father who was an aircraft fanatic was around to see his son who works on T-6's, seafury's, and others regularly work on my dream aircraft. only thing left on my bucket list for this plane is to take the yoke and go for a ride i can't even imagine what it would be like for me to fly one...probably would run it out of fuel not wanting to come down lol. on a side note...strange thing fate, when i was younger and my father who like i said loved aircraft (mostly WW2), we were only able to experience them at air shows like EAA. never any thoughts of flying, working, or even touching the real deal. Now i look back and say if you'd have told me 20 or 30 years ago a lot of these old warbirds would be part of my everyday life i'd have for sure called someone full of it. just figured this is a story that some of the people watching this type of video could relate or appreciate.

Another outstanding docu-video I will surely need to watch again. Jam packed with excellent information. Great work Greg. 👍🏻

The problem with most of the P-38's contemporary twin-engine fighters is that the others were usually designed as "heavy" fighters, often with heavy guns and 2 or even 3 crewmen. Extra weight does not a good fighter make. The fact that the P-38 was designed as an interceptor and not a heavy fighter meant that it escaped being burdened with extra size and crew. The fact that Kelly Johnson was a genius helped too.

@2lotusman851

2 жыл бұрын

It was a high altitude bomber destroyer.... For all the big, high altitude German bombers.

@TadMarko

2 жыл бұрын

@@2lotusman851 That seemed a reasonable concern in 1938 or 39.

@jacktattis

9 ай бұрын

Kelly Johnson was not a genius then. The P38 only had the same kills as the Hurricane

Thanks Greg. Been waiting for this.

My Mom is now 95 years old. Obviously she lived through World War II. Knowing nothing about airplane types in general, she still remembers seeing P-38's flying in the wartime skies of North Carolina. This was the only plane that she remembers. There is something primal in one sense, and iconic in another, that seems to set this aircraft apart from all other allied fighters. Nothing painted on a leather bomber jacket captures the feel and mystic of the WW2 years as does the image of a p-38 Lightning. Years ago I walked by the magazine rack in a grocery store. There on the cover of "In-Flight" magazine I was arrested by the photo of an olive drab P-38. In that moment I knew who flying it. And anyone reading this comment probably would guess it was Jeffrey Ethell. He had finally realized his lifelong dream by flying the same type of aircraft that his father flew during WW2. Sadly, as I called the magazine to check up on my friend, I was thunderstruck by the news that he had, 2 weeks previous, died in the second P-38 that he had been so privileged to fly. I can't see a Lightning without thinking about Jeff. But I am assured of this one thing, I will see him again.

I just love the commentary and the way you put the information over,it’s so casual,like talking to a friend.thank you very much 👍Roly from the Uk.

Fell in love with this airplane when I read "Get Yamamoto" back in 1974. Built the Revel P-38 Night Lightning model that same year. Greg is Great.

@edwardpate6128

2 жыл бұрын

I think I built that kit around 1972 or 73. Loved all those Revell kits. Sad to say the ones I built back in the day long gone now. May have to pick model building back up as a retirement hobby!

Along with the P-39, one of the most elegant US WWII fighters. IMO.

@chrismartin3197

2 жыл бұрын

And lead to two of the most brutish - the XP-49 and -58

@dukecraig2402

2 жыл бұрын

It's a shame they didn't have the time to finish developing the turbo system for the P39, it could be that the P51 never would have been designed if that was the case.

@vaclav_fejt

2 жыл бұрын

@@chrismartin3197 49 doesn't look that bad...58 is another matter.

Thanks Greg, I have always liked this plane and am very glad to see/hear you cover it!

I just want to say that I really appreciate the work you do to give us this information.

Everyone loved the planes they survived in.

@ypop417

2 жыл бұрын

the plane that kept hem ALIVE

@BogeyTheBear

2 жыл бұрын

Never could understand the enthusiasm for the Fokker Dr.I given the fact Germany's top aces kept _dying_ in them.

@dukecraig2402

2 жыл бұрын

That's right, and more of them survived in P47's than any other, the top ten P47 aces survived the war, no other fighter on anyone's side can lay claim to that.

Thanks Greg for another great video. I love the “forked tail devil.”

You really do a nice job with your videos. A real no- nonsense approach to describing the subjects of your vids to be sure, but, the thing I enjoy most is the way you interject tidbits of interesting knowledge and ideas throughout the video experience while maintaining the overall storytelling thread of your subjects. Nicely done.... keep em' coming please.

One of my very favorite warbirds, Greg, thanks! I'm really looking forward to the next episode. My cousin, Maj. Milton Joel, was shot down over Bremen, Germany in WW2 as he was escorting a bombing mission in 1943, commanding the 38th FS of the 55th FG. He was, at the time, the youngest Major in the USAAF. His remains were never recovered. He used to call my father "Little Buddy" and when Pop enlisted in 1944, he wanted to join the USAAF, like his older cousin, but Pop's eyesight issues prevented that so he ended up as a supply Sgt in the 3rd Army. Cousin Milton always wanted to fly and had studied aeronautics going back to the 1930s when he was in high school in Richmond, VA.

I adore the P-38. I'm convinced that only the best of the best were assigned to it because it was a beast of a craft. That is absolutely and assumption though

The greatest legacy of the P38 has got to be Wisconsin's Bong Recreation Area, even if only for the highway offramp sign.

@Justanotherconsumer

2 жыл бұрын

Unfortunate last name for a great pilot.

@antonferreira483

2 жыл бұрын

@@Justanotherconsumer Explain please.

@keithalexander7953

2 жыл бұрын

@@antonferreira483 Dick Bong was America's Ace of Aces. An airfield named after him was never completed, and it became the Bong SRA. The best part is that the Bong SRA is actually awesome. The highway sign just reads "Bong Recreation Area."

@antonferreira483

2 жыл бұрын

@@keithalexander7953 I know who Bong was. Why do you think he had an unfortunate name?

@keithalexander7953

2 жыл бұрын

@@antonferreira483 oh, lol, I assume he considers it unfortunate because it is slang for a water pipe when used to smoke cannabis.

Hey I went to Spartan! Cool to see that ad.

The lighting had always been one of my favorite planes. Glad this video caught my eye. Thank you

Oh wow that was unexpected and quick... looking very much forward to watching as soon as the temps drop below the melting point of lava :)

I imagine the statement about 90% of aerial photography would be for the American Forces only as the Brits had their own aircraft for the task including Spitfires and Mosquito's and had been carrying out this task throughout the war and in all theatres.

@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles

2 жыл бұрын

We will cover that in detail later in the series. Right now, I'm still on explaining the plane itself. The final episode will go over effectiveness in various roles.

I am very happy to see that this plane is going to get a treatment from Greg! It really is a plane worth examining, and one of my favorites. Next we have to see if he wants to look at the F-14...

@dukecraig2402

2 жыл бұрын

Check out Ward Carroll's channel for that, he was a RIO on the F14 for years and gives some pretty good insights into it and it's technical capabilities both flight wise and with it's systems.

this video answered my question on why the P-38's twin boom design, i was enamored by it's difference to other fighter aircrafts that i've seen in my grandfather's aircraft book. i really love these sort of videos, props to you Sir Greg.