Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: IceBird on May 06, 2006, 07:39:20 AM
-
Here are ma find.
"It was a marveleous aircraft! It was the best aircraft I flew in the war by far. I never flew the P-51, its been one of my life regrets, but I flew just about everything else there was. I liked the P-38s rate of climb, its speed, the way it handled, and its firepower directly out the nose. The P-38 would turn with almost anything, in fact it would out turn the P-47, out climb it, and out maneuver it. The P-38 was one of the great aircraft of WWII."...Charles MacDonald, P-38 Ace
"On my first confrontation with the P-38, I was astonished to find an American aircraft that could outrun, outclimb, and outdive our Zero which we thought was the most superior fighter plane in the world. The Lightning's great speed, its sensational high altitude performance, and especially its ability to dive and climb much faster than the Zero presented insuperable problems for our fliers. The P-38 pilots, flying at great height, chose when and where they wanted to fight with disastrous results for our own men. The P-38 boded ill for the future and destroyed the morale of the Zero fighter Pilot."...Saburo Sakai, Japanese Ace
............................. ............................. ............................. ............................. ............................. ........................
¡å this is that i found in http://www.wikipedia.org, which is descripted on the basis of historical fact.
.......................,
Late production P-38Js also finally ameliorated the compressibility problem through the introduction of minor aerodynamic changes, particularly the addition of a set of small dive flaps just outboard of the engines on the bottom centerline of the wings. With these improvements, a USAAF pilot reported a dive speed of almost 970 km/h (600 mph) and recovered in one piece. After WW2, it was realized that the reported air speed had to be corrected for compressiblity error as well, so the actual dive speed was lower than reported.
Finally, later production of the P-38J was equipped with power-boosted flight controls, one of the first times such a system was fitted to a fighter, and did much to improve the Lightning's ROLL-RATE at high speeds and maneuverability. With a truly satisfactory Lightning in place, Lockheed ramped up production, working with subcontractors across the country to produce hundreds of Lightnings each month. Some 2,970 P-38Js were built.
.....................,
i think of course it's not enough to verify what i want it should be in AH2. But at least there must be something to be measured by about P-38 FM this time. In the past, there were many ppl love to ride P-38 and its variants, which were still poor performed relatively with comparing to the historical reports, even if i don't find out exactly the numberical value. Anyway now it is about to be abandoned, because it's useless in air combat for its poor roll-rate Hitech. Please get its position in MA back to where it should be as it was. Many people feel the same about it. they believe it will be fixed. but i have the doubt it come to that on purpose, not mistake.
-
Thats some good info you got there icebird. :aok
Yea put our 38 back to what it should be, the best plane in AH. :D
-
Fly it against an A6m5b 'Zeke' in the game.
It performs just as your historical reports state.
It will out climb, out dive, out roll and is faster than the Zeke and performs better the higher you go.
If you fly the 38 the right way it is a tough plane to beat.
If you turn fight against a Zeke, you're gonna get eaten alive.
There is nothing wrong with the 38's current FM.
-
There is nothing wrong with the 38's current FM.
Wrong.
"There is a bug in the last flap position that is making the drag go crazy high. That part is obvious when you take it from the 4th to the 5th notch and it acts like it just popped a drag chute.
From Pyro in another thread.
-
If the conditions are right those statements are probably true in AH as well. Incidently Wikipedia is a horrible source. I would take anything I read there with a large grain of salt. Calling anything you see there as historical fact is a stretch w/out citing other sources.
-
Go here: Der Gabelschwanz Teufel (http://home.att.net/~ww2aviation/P-38.html)
My regards,
Widewing
-
Although I am not by any standards an expert P38 stick, but I do fly it regularly. As an Aerospace Engineer I would like to point out a few things:
Originally Posted By IceBird:
Finally, later production of the P-38J was equipped with power-boosted flight controls, one of the first times such a system was fitted to a fighter, and did much to improve the Lightning's ROLL-RATE at HIGH SPEEDS and maneuverability. With a truly satisfactory Lightning in place, Lockheed ramped up production, working with subcontractors across the country to produce hundreds of Lightnings each month. Some 2,970 P-38Js were built.
The power boosted controls ARE modelled in the game. Take a P38J to 350mph and roll. Now take a P38L to 350mph and roll. See the difference?
At higher speeds (300+) the P38L rolls like a 190. At lower speeds however the control authority is reduced (*as it would be on ALL aircraft*) BUT the roll rate suffers significantly due to the ENORMOUS wing size and INERTIA (with 50 feet of wing its bound to happen).
Apart from the 5th notch flap bug (where it bleeds too much E) the P38's FM seems relatively OK to me. When over 300mph, the P38 will pretty much OUT ROLL everything (except maybe a 190).
-
Also check out Hanger Flying, Published by Lockheed (http://www.jamesreese.org/hangarflying/index.htm)
For some first hand observations by Lockheed test pilots.
-
Cool links, Widewing and Murdr, thanks :)
Icebird, the P-38 is a deadly bird if you put it into the environment where it shined historicaly. It will beat every Japanese bird in one way or another and always retains the advantage of the offensive.. both in RL or in AH.
It was, however, no "super" plane in the ETO/MTO and with so many "uber" planes in the MA (many of them not even historical opponents) its not the best anymore. But, please be honest.. its not the plane you want it to be, it's just the plane it should be.
-
Combat Tactics in the South West Pacific Area by Major Thomas B. McGure (http://479th.jasminemarie.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=getit&lid=50)
-
Originally posted by IceBird
The P-38 would turn with almost anything, in fact it would out turn the P-47, out climb it, and out maneuver it...
...Charles MacDonald, P-38 Ace
Too bad that climb and turn are the two least needed qualities up at 30k.
The slow roll, limited dive ability and minor nuisances like the heating system interfered with its original job as high alt escort.
But once it was sent at lower altitudes (in the PTO and MTO), where these qualities do count and its ailments were less a factor, it was a top performer.
Bozon
-
There have been reports from 38 pilots on its stability issues.
Perhaps it should be looked into.
-
Originally posted by IceBird
Here are ma find.
"On my first confrontation with the P-38, I was astonished to find an American aircraft that could outrun, outclimb, and outdive our Zero which we thought was the most superior fighter plane in the world. The Lightning's great speed, its sensational high altitude performance, and especially its ability to dive and climb much faster than the Zero presented insuperable problems for our fliers. The P-38 pilots, flying at great height, chose when and where they wanted to fight with disastrous results for our own men. The P-38 boded ill for the future and destroyed the morale of the Zero fighter Pilot."...Saburo Sakai, Japanese Ace
There maybe one little problem with that...there is no recorded evidence that Saburo Sakai ever encountered a P-38 in combat. He may have heard stories from other Japanese pilots about the P-38 but none of his knowledge comes first hand. And that quote looks like the same quote he made about the F6F Hellcat, seems like someone replaced the Hellcat with the P-38.
ack-ack