P-38 Article

[Vraciu]

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!


 

"The USAAF on the strength of completed tests, ordered thirteen development aircraft, designated YP-38. The Lockheed Model 122-62-02 was fitted with a pair of V-1710-F2 engines rated at 1,150 BHP with GE B-2 turbochargers and weighed in at 11,171 lb empty for a design weight of 13,500 lb. Armament was specified at one 37 mm Oldsmobile M9 cannon, two .50 cal and two .30 cal machine guns. Counter-rotating props were specified, these rotating inboard."

----

He never once mentions the "standard" outboard rotation, leading the reader to believe "inboard rotation" was how they were throughout, excepting British machines.

[FLS]

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.

Did you think I said it was correct?

[Vraciu]

Did you think I said it was correct?

You said it should be from the rear.  I merely pointed out that with counter rotating props it doesn't matter.   

[FLS]

Irrelevance noted.

[Vraciu]

Irrelevance noted.

Cheers, sir. 

[Krupinski]

From that link, about the P38L:

"An added benefit of the dive recovery flaps was their ability to pitch the nose 10-20 degrees "up" momentarily when trying to out turn the Luftwaffe's best, even when using the flap combat position on the selector."

[FLS]

According to Lockheed's 'Hanger Flying' you could loop using the dive flaps.

[Ack-Ack]

From that link, about the P38L:

"An added benefit of the dive recovery flaps was their ability to pitch the nose 10-20 degrees "up" momentarily when trying to out turn the Luftwaffe's best, even when using the flap combat position on the selector."

Some P-38 pilots used that trick and others thought it wasn't of any useful benefit.

[bortas1]

  very nice read. 

[Randy1]

According to Lockheed's 'Hanger Flying' you could loop using the dive flaps.

There is no aerodynamic reason for this to be possible.  I think this was news article spin trying to promote confidence in the P-38 new fix.

[FLS]

There is no aerodynamic reason for this to be possible.  I think this was news article spin trying to promote confidence in the P-38 new fix.

I imagine it's difficult to change a wing's air flow and not get an aerodynamic effect. Some pilots did report a pitch up.

[IdahoRenegade]

Another interesting source for P-38 info.  http://yarchive.net/mil/p38.html

It's a shame that the WPB didn't 2nd source the P-38 by '42.  Another source would both have increased production when it was so badly needed, but also offered more chances to cut in design improvements (such as the P-38-K) without interrupting production.

[Widewing]

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.

I was going to say this.... Carlo and I put this together back in '99 and posted it to my old website....

Carlo is still writing on aviation... He's also still lecturing at Monash University, Melbourne.