P-38J-25-LO-- No Dive Flaps??

[VonnHoltz]

Why isn't the P-38J modeled after the  P-38J-25-LO series instead of the earlier P-38J-15-LO?  It wasn't until the P-38J-25-LO was introduced that the new power assisted hydraulic airleron was also installed.  This gave the P-38J better roll characteristics.  It seems like the AH2 P-38J rolls just as well as the P-38L.. Also according to William Green (Famous Fighters of the Second World War), the P-38J was the fastest variant of the P-38- -420 Mph at Altitude.  Are these features incorporated in AH2 the new version.  Remember flying P-38J in earlier sim (Air Warrior), and it had dive flaps.  I would think that the majority of P-38J's were made with dive flaps, and if they didn't have them on the earlier models, they were probably later modifed to have them.   Does anybody know how many P-38J-25-LO's  and later were produced versus the earlier P-38J's.  It would seem to me that it should be modeled after the P-38J which was produced in greater quanities.    Of course HT is entitled to model the planes anyway they want, but I would think that they would want planes to be represented as most of them  really were.  One other item on the P-38L which could stand improvement is the brightness of the Dive Flap indicating light.  With the word bar covering it, you can hardly tell if the light is on or off.

Even at 62, my heart picks up the pace, when I do a wingover to attack. --- Always Young at Heart!!
 Love the 38-- VonHoltz

[streetstang]

Well I disagree with you when you say the J rolls as good as the L in game. IMHO its noticibly slower.


But I dont see what we are going to gain from the addition of dive flaps. Let me rephrase that. I do know what we will gain, but is it really that important?

With trim, you can pull out of basicly any high speed dive. I use dive flaps on a  merge once in a while but thats about it.

Morph

[Grits]

The later modified J's were the same as the L's, so they intentionally did an earlier J.

[Guppy35]

The real simple answer is a J-25 and and L were essentially the same thing.  would have been kinda pointless to model the same plane again.

Early Js saw lots of service into 45.

Dan/Slack

[oboe]

I read somewhere that the field modification kits to add dive flaps to the J models were being flown to England but the transport plane was intercepted and shot down by a Spitfire.

I think it was in Martin Caidin's book on the P-38.

[Guppy35]

Originally posted by oboe
I read somewhere that the field modification kits to add dive flaps to the J models were being flown to England but the transport plane was intercepted and shot down by a Spitfire.

I think it was in Martin Caidin's book on the P-38.

That shows up in Bodie's book on the P38 as well.  They mistook the C54 for a Condor.

200 dive flap kits that would have been fitted to almost all of the J-10 and J-20 Lightnings in Europe were lost.

Dan/Slack

[38ruk]

production #'s from Warren Bodie's book THE LOCKHEED P-38
P38J-5-LO  210
P38J-10-LO 790
P-38J-15-LO 1400
P38J-20-LO  350
P38J-25-LO 210

I agree that the earliy model J was the way to go , the latter models where practically L's ....   38

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by VonnHoltz
 Remember flying P-38J in earlier sim (Air Warrior), and it had dive flaps.  Love the 38-- VonHoltz

The P-38J in AW was the late model J and it was incorrectly modeled with dive brakes instead of dive flaps.



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