P-38 Article

[Pudgy]

Not sure if this has been posted here before, but here is a long but interesting P-38 Article that I got linked to while reading another forum.

It goes through the development of the various version and talks about a lot of the problems in the ETO and incorporated pilots experiences and opinions.

http://www.ausairpower.net/P-38-Analysis.html

I never get tired of reading about the Lightning.

Enjoy,
Pudgy

[Randy1]

It is a good read.

[Ack-Ack]

http://www.ausairpower.net/P-38-Analysis.html

That article is from C.C. Jordan's old site.  Some of you vets might remember C.C.Jordan's by his handle "Widewing"


There is a book that was compiled from reports of squadron leaders and senior officers from the various fighter squadrons (P-40, P-47, P-51, P-38) in the 5th AF.  The book details in the squadron officers own words their tactics and tips for fighting the Japanese.  It was written in the last few months of the war as an aid to new incoming pilots.  The 8th AF and 15th AF also published something similar and this was the 5th AF's version.

[Vraciu]

I thought the P-38 had "handed" prop rotation--outboard.   The article says inboard.

Or is this just Ozspeak?

[Ack-Ack]

I thought the P-38 had "handed" prop rotation--outboard.   The article says inboard.

Props rotated inboard on the P-38.

Or is this just Ozspeak?

No Ozspeak since the writer is from the US.

[Vraciu]

Props rotated inboard on the P-38.

(Image removed from quote.)

No Ozspeak since the writer is from the US.

I guess the blades are on backwards then...   Or it flies in reverse.

[Vraciu]

Looks outboard to me...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_PQfAWFHHFA

[FLS]

The P-38 pilot manual states that the propeller rotation is clockwise for the right engine and counter clockwise for the left engine, as it is in the game.

[Vraciu]

The P-38 pilot manual states that the propeller rotation is clockwise for the right engine and counter clockwise for the left engine, as it is in the game.

Yep.  So  the article has it wrong. 

[morfiend]

Yep.  So  the article has it wrong.

  Atcually it's just as ACK ACK's drawing shows,facing the AC the right engine turns clockwise,or inboard....

   I hardly think Mr Jordan would make this type of mistake,but dont take my word on it instead watch a video that has a shutter speed that shows the prop spinning in reverse!


   

[Vraciu]

  Atcually it's just as ACK ACK's drawing shows,facing the AC the right engine turns clockwise,or inboard....

   I hardly think Mr Jordan would make this type of mistake,but dont take my word on it instead watch a video that has a shutter speed that shows the prop spinning in reverse!


   

I posted a video.   As I mentioned, the author screwed up (with the exception of the prototype).

The non-Brit production 38s have "handed" prop rotation.   They turn outboard over the top.

Facing the aircraft the engine turning clockwise from the viewer's perspective would be on his right (No. 1).  Take Ack-Ack's picture and watch it upside down.

The picture shows them turning inboard over the top like a Seminole.

No disrespect intended.   

[FLS]

  Atcually it's just as ACK ACK's drawing shows,facing the AC the right engine turns clockwise,or inboard....

   I hardly think Mr Jordan would make this type of mistake,but dont take my word on it instead watch a video that has a shutter speed that shows the prop spinning in reverse!


   

I believe the illustration is incorrect. Rotation should be from the pilot's perspective. 

[Vraciu]

I believe the illustration is incorrect. Rotation should be from the pilot's perspective.

The illustration is fine for a PA-44 Seminole, just not a P-38L.  Flip it upside down and it is perfect.


Rotational perspective isn't relevant in this case.   For a conventional twin it would be. 

[Mongoose]

Props rotated inboard on the P-38.

(Image removed from quote.)

I found your diagram at this Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-rotating_propellers

Which also said "In designing the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, the decision was made to reverse the counter-rotation such that the "tops" of the propeller arcs move outwards, away from each other."

I know that Wikipedia is not authoritative, but I found it interesting what the article said, compared to the diagram.

The diagram was included in the article simply to show what "counter-rotating" means.  It doesn't mean that the P-38 follows this rule in regards to the direction.  And we have multiple authoritative texts that tell us the rotation on the P-38 was the opposite of what this particular diagram shows.

Now to make things even more interesting.  I have two links from Joe Baugher's site that talk about the development history of the P-38.

XP-38
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p38_1.html

YP-38
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p38_2.html

On the XP-38, the props rotated inwards.  On the YP-38, they switched so the props rotated outwards.   The engineers found that reversing the direction made the plane more stable. 

[morfiend]

Well my left and right brain saw that completely different!   Wouldnt be the first time or the last.

  I often see letters backwards,b's and d's cause me all kinds of fits.


I had to go reread widewings write up and I'm still not sure where it's mistaken,I saw the prototype section but dont see the mistake.


 Oh well my bad!