38L VS 38J who, what, why?

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

The J has the best skin. BRING BACK BLACK BETSY

It has no basis in history, there was no plane painted like that during the war. It ain't coming back.

[Helm]

The P38's do seem to draw alot of enemy planes trying to kill it.  To me that's its one weakness.


Helm ...out

[CAP1]

The P38's do seem to draw alot of enemy planes trying to kill it.  To me that's its one weakness.


Helm ...out

i think that would have something to do with the fact that there's only 2 kinds of p38 pile-its.

1) those that will use it, and kick your arse in it every time.

2) those that really suck in it, and are easy kills(like me)

 either way, that makes the 38 the primary target when there's multiple cons.

<<S>>

[MjTalon]

I think i fall in between 1 & 2. I still suck though. 

[Ack-Ack]

The P38's do seem to draw alot of enemy planes trying to kill it.  To me that's its one weakness.


Helm ...out

What you see as a weakness, I see as a target rich enviroment.

ack-ack

[Soulyss]

i think that would have something to do with the fact that there's only 2 kinds of p38 pile-its.

1) those that will use it, and kick your arse in it every time.

2) those that really suck in it, and are easy kills(like me)

 either way, that makes the 38 the primary target when there's multiple cons.

<<S>>

Everyone starts out as a #2, those that stick with it and work at it more often than not become #1 over time.

[Guppy35]

Still at number 2 all these years, but having a ball trying to move towards 1

[CAP1]

Everyone starts out as a #2, those that stick with it and work at it more often than not become #1 over time.

well, maybe i'll make it to #1 someday....asuming you guys keep giving me my free p38's. 

[Messiah]

It's a fact the L climbs better than the J.

[Widewing]

It's a fact the L climbs better than the J.

No, there is zero difference in climb rate for the two.  Simple test, load a J with 25% gas, full internal ammo. Turn on auto-takeoff. Start the takeoff roll using WEP. Use a stop watch to measure the time required to get airborne and climb to 10k. Repeat for the L model.

Your results will be identical to 1/10th of a second.

They weigh exactly the same, with the same horsepower. Climb rate is identical for any given weight.


My regards,

Widewing

[Messiah]

Only 1? Bahh 

[Stoney]

Hey, while we're discussing this--what was the approximate dates that the 5th AF P-38 groups would have had a majority of P-38Ls in theater versus the J?

[Soulyss]

What I can tell (and if I'm wrong someone please correct me).  The L began to roll off the assembly lines in June of '44.  I also found a bit in the 475th Group history that said the 432nd FS received 15 L models on September 29 to give them a full complement (they been flying a mix of J and L's for several weeks).  They turned over the last of their J-20's to the 433rd FS which had to wait till November to get the L's. 

So my guess is that the L's started trickling in over the summer of '44 but most groups probably weren't fully converted till late '44, early '45.

[Guppy35]

Hey, while we're discussing this--what was the approximate dates that the 5th AF P-38 groups would have had a majority of P-38Ls in theater versus the J?

The L's showed with the 475th FG in late September early October 44.  I'm not home at the moment, so I'm not sure on the specific squadron, but one of the squadrons got the Ls first, then another with the third sticking with J's the longest.  I think it's safe to say the groups didn't have a majority of L models until December 44-January 45.  It's also fair to say that the majority of the air to air combat in the Pacific was flown in the F,G, H and J models.  The 80th for example got it's last kill of the war in January 45.   The 5th AF 38s ran out of targets and did a lot of ground support work after that.

The 38L also showed up in the ETO in early October 1944.  The 474th FG had 38s until the end of the war in Europe and they had a mix of Js and Ls right til the end, including some J-10s and 15s that didn't have dive flaps or power assisted controls.

The problem is there were J-25s prior to this, and they look identical to L-1s

[Widewing]

The problem is there were J-25s prior to this, and they look identical to L-1s

The only visual cue to differentiate the J-25 from the L (aside from serial numbers) is that on the L the landing light was moved from the wheel well to the leading edge of the left wing.

Thus, if you can see the leading edge of the wing, you can tell an L from a late J model.


My regards,

Widewing