Q for you P38J folks

[Max]

I rarely fly a P38 so here's a question for those who do:

P38 J, 75% fuel, no bombs or rockets...How many minutes would it take you to climb to 24K from a 0 level airfield, traveling 1.5 sectors? Assume WEP was used.

 

[katanaso]

Rough guess: perhaps between 7 and 8 minutes.

[Max]

That's roughly what I came up with using the climb rate chart. Seemed a bit quick but I'll defer to you're expertise...thanks.

[DmonSlyr]

The P38 can actually climb vertical very well, especially right after take off. If you climb manually going a bit slower than the climb charts you can actually climb much more steeply compared to if you hit altX, however you will be going a bit slower once you level out. I like to take off, circle the base 2 or 3 times using a spiral climb, and be about 10K in under 5 minutes. So I'd recommend manually climbing almost to stall limits to gain alt, then level out after you climb to gain speed the rest of the way.

[MK-84]

The P38 can actually climb vertical very well, especially right after take off. If you climb manually going a bit slower than the climb charts you can actually climb much more steeply compared to if you hit altX, however you will be going a bit slower once you level out. I like to take off, circle the base 2 or 3 times using a spiral climb, and be about 10K in under 5 minutes. So I'd recommend manually climbing almost to stall limits to gain alt, then level out after you climb to gain speed the rest of the way.

You do not have to manually do anything if you don't want to. Just type  ".speed XXX" where X is the speed you want the autopilot to hold

[Lusche]

At default climb, a P-38J at 75% fuel, using WEP from the start until it runs out, reaches 24k after almost exactly 8 minutes and a horizontal travel of about 27 miles. (No wind conditions)

[FLS]

At default climb, a P-38J at 75% fuel, using WEP from the start until it runs out, reaches 24k after almost exactly 8 minutes and a horizontal travel of about 27 miles. (No wind conditions)

Did it take about 9 minutes total to test that? 

[Rich46yo]

what fighter is the King of climbing to 24K fastest? I assume the K4? Of course not counting any of the perk planes.

[FLOOB]

The p38... Every major airforce had to learn the hard way that twin engine fighters are a bad idea. Poor historians, that's the term I like to use to describe individuals who like to learn things the hard way.

[Zoney]

The p38... Every major airforce had to learn the hard way that twin engine fighters are a bad idea. Poor historians, that's the term I like to use to describe individuals who like to learn things the hard way.

Like the F-15 ?

         

[WaffenVW]

what fighter is the King of climbing to 24K fastest? I assume the K4? Of course not counting any of the perk planes.

I would be surprised if the K4 wasn't the quickest including the perk planes. That 10 minute monster WEP lasts all the way up to 24K and beyond. The two top Spitfires are almost as good in performance but they'll run out of WEP after 5 minutes.

[WaffenVW]

The p38... Every major airforce had to learn the hard way that twin engine fighters are a bad idea. Poor historians, that's the term I like to use to describe individuals who like to learn things the hard way.

That's an unhistorical view. The twins got an undeserved bad reputation early in the war because of how the 110 performed in the battle of britain, and the P-38's problems in europe. People got it wrong. The real historical fact is that in 1940 the spitfire and 109 were in a class of their own and ALL other fighters no matter the number of engines and seats, were obsolete. The 110's performance was better or on par with all other fighters in the world at that time. The hurricane, the P-39, the P-40, the french fighters, the dutch fighters, all the russian fighters, the italians, you name it. The 110 in 1939-1941 and P-38 in 1942-1943 were at least as good if not better than all the single engine fighters in the world EXCEPT the spitfire and 109.

History should reflect that the spitfire and 109 were EXCEPTIONAL in their time, not that the twins were sub par.

[FLOOB]

You understand that your argument that the twin engine fighter was not a bad idea is that the much cheaper spitfire and 109 were exceptionally good? I just want to be clear.

[icepac]

The KI44 of 1942 beats the P38.

[WaffenVW]

The twins was not a bad idea. The P-38 and 110 were not designed to replace single engine fighters, but to provide an additional capability as long range fighters. Only very late in the war did single engine long range fighters become practical due to advances in engine design and aerodynamics. The top two US aces flew twins.


@icepack lol I don't think so!