P38J to P38L

[SAS_KID]

what is the difference besides ords and the dive flaps?

[Baylor]

ailerons?

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

The L model has dive flaps, boosted ailerons, and rocket trees. The J model has none of those, and has bazooka tube style rockets. If you fight below 350 MPH and 10K feet, the general consensus is that the J is better. If you want a dumptruck to haul ordnance, take the L model. Some will disagree, some will not.

[Iceman24]

Adding to what Savage said. The L has dive *recovery* flaps, they are not true dive flaps in the sense that when you deploy them, you slow down. I don't feel like typing a huge description of them, you can do a search on this bbs if you want. Basically they just help the nose to pitch up when you are at high speeds, 350mph +  or if you are compressing. The main difference for me anyways is that the L has hydraulic assisted controls meaning that it can turn and roll better at high speeds. Our 38L and J both have the same engine modelled, the L is a little heavier due to the dive recovery flaps and the hydraulic boosted controlls. When you initially fly the L and J you most likely will not notice the differences, once you fly a certain model for a long time you will begin to notice. Basically the J is a little bit lighter, therefor in a slow speed stallfight the J would win by a little bit all things being equal.

[mussie]

As much as I like the 38 I cant stand not being able to see the instruments properly.

I also find I compress in it alot

I did have fun in FT once when RMANIAC and two of his cronies LA-7 SPit16 and Tempest got into a turn fight with me...

I was able to keep turning at 90mph (? been a while) and would have filled RM full of led had his mates not nailed me

[Raptor]

Originally posted by Iceman24
Basically the J is a little bit lighter, therefor in a slow speed stallfight the J would win by a little bit all things being equal.

I tend to disagree with that remark

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by Iceman24
Basically the J is a little bit lighter, therefor in a slow speed stallfight the J would win by a little bit all things being equal.

Boosted ailerons in the P-38L will make it easier to swing that sucker around in a stall fight compared to the more sluggish response of the J model.  In the J, a lot more rudder input is needed in low speed/stall fights than is needed in the L model.



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[viper215]

The J can turn better unless raptor is in the L

[Ack-Ack]

Not necessarily.  The P-38L will turn better than the J at high speeds above 300mph IAS and below 150mph IAS.  Those boosted ailerons is what gives the L the edge at those speed ranges.


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[Mako15]

I think we may be overlooking something here...what about the G? Where does it fit in? Been flying it lately (cause it has pretty OD sharktoothed skin hehe) and I like it

[Krusty]

I like that sharktooth skin as well, but it doesn't stand out enough!

They're not counting the G because it's underpowered. It supposedly is the best turning P38 but the difference between it and its brothers is apparent. I think the question was more along the lines of "what makes these two planes different" -- the G's differences are obvious so it wasn't included.

That's just the way I read it.

The G is pretty nice, but the lack of power sometimes really hurts.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Krusty
I like that sharktooth skin as well, but it doesn't stand out enough!

They're not counting the G because it's underpowered. It supposedly is the best turning P38 but the difference between it and its brothers is apparent. I think the question was more along the lines of "what makes these two planes different" -- the G's differences are obvious so it wasn't included.

That's just the way I read it.

The G is pretty nice, but the lack of power sometimes really hurts.

Yeah, in the pure vertical the P-38G suffers against the J and L, but only in a sustained climb. Otherwise, the G gobbles the other two up if the fight is not in the pure vertical. With the G model, flap usage requires more discipline because you cannot replace E as fast as the other two can.

What we need is the P-38H.... Only a few pounds heavier than the G, but powered by the same engines as the J model. Many P-38 vets considered the H model to be the best all around dogfighter of the line. However, due to weak intercoolers, the H had MAP restrictions above 21,000 feet, whereas the redesigned J models did not.

My regards,

Widewing

[Mako15]

ahhh cc...makes sense....38j has a sharktoothed skin too...but its too toned down for my hard-charging predatory self...teeth just arent big enough! and it's got too much red...lol....my fav skin on j is the one by Jager...aka "Darth Vader" skin....black with white accents

[Treize69]

Originally posted by SAS_KID
what is the difference besides ords and the dive flaps?

The fact that I'm decent in the J and a bullet/ack/LA/Spit magnet in the L?  

It may be just psychological, but the WEP on the L seems more effective to me than on the J. It seems to accelerate a bit better, especially above 15K. And I don't know if I'd say the L turns better than the J (since I'm a pretty dedicated G/J driver) but it certainly establishes itself in the turn better. That fraction of a second you get from the boosted ailerons can make all the difference in a quick scissors. I usually find myself pulling up in my J when an L rolls into a turn and trying to drop on him after he loses sight of me for a few seconds. Can handle him easily in a G though.

And I have to agree with WW on the desire for the H, but for a different reason- many of the units that are so well known for the P-38 didn't become operational in it until the H model came along- for example, the 20th (the Yellow-nosed Js we have) didn't become fully operational until the late autumn/early winter of 1943, and nearly all the chinless Lightnings you see in their markings are identified as H's. There is an operational gap of about 18 months between the G and the J- a long time in a 6-year war.

But, I think our G is a better option than the WarBirds trio of F-J-L. The F was even more 'under'powered, shorter ranged, and didnt have a maneuver-setting on the flaps. At least not until the end of its production run. Plus I don't think it could carry 1,000 pounders until the end of the run either. And no rockets.

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by Mako15
I think we may be overlooking something here...what about the G? Where does it fit in? Been flying it lately (cause it has pretty OD sharktoothed skin hehe) and I like it

Nothing has been over looked.  The topic of the thread was what is the difference other than dive flaps and ordnance betweel the J and L models.  The G model was not part of the question nor was it over looked because it was "under powered".


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