The P-38 was a radically new design for a fighter of its time in 1939.  It is a big airplane for a single seat fighter, with a wing span a full 11 feet wider than the P-47 and weighing in empty at over 12,000 lbs.  It has twin engines on twin booms and a tricycle landing gear configuration.  It carried four 0.50 caliber machine guns and one 20 mm cannon in the nose section immediately in front of the pilot.  This gave it a tremendously powerful punch and gunnery accuracy.  It became referred to by the enemy as "The Fork-Tailed Devil."

One of the most important and overlooked P-38 models was the F-5.  The F-5 was a P-38 with the guns removed and replaced with up to 5 powerful cameras for photo reconnaissance missions.  These F-5 guys were unbelievable.  They would fly in, mostly unescorted, over potential target areas and bring back photos to plan strike missions.  Because they were flying in the clear over important and well-defended targets, they were shot at.  After a strike was complete, they would fly over the target again to obtain photos to perform battle damage assessment.  Unless the strike destroyed all of the anti-aircraft guns, they were shot at again.  They did all this in an airplane without guns of its own, that is to say, no self-defense.  In this way, they earned the tactical reconnaissance slogan, "First and Last Over the Target."

Lockheed P-38 Specifications:

Nickname: "Fork-Tailed Devil"

Engine: Two Allison V-1710, V-12 Cylinder, 1475 hp each

Wing Span: 52 ft. Length: 37 ft, 10 in. Height: 9 ft, 10 in.

Weight: Empty: 12,800 lbs. Max Take-Off: 21,600 lbs.

Maximum Speed: 414 mph

Service Ceiling: 44,000 ft.

Range: 450 miles

Crew: One

Number Built: 10,000+

Flying Today: Approximately 7

 

 

 

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