What did the Germans call the P-38 Lightning?

fork-tailed devil
Developed for the United States Army Air Corps, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. Allied propaganda claimed it had been nicknamed the fork-tailed devil (German: der Gabelschwanz-Teufel) by the Luftwaffe and “two planes, one pilot” by the Japanese.

How many P-38 Lightnings are left in the world?

26
The Lockheed P-38 Lighting is an American two-engine fighter used by the United States Army Air Forces and other Allied air forces during World War II. Of the 10,037 planes built, 26 survive today, 22 of which are located in the United States, and 10 of which are airworthy.

Was the P-38 a good fighter?

When Major John Mitchell led 16 P-38s to attack and kill Japan’s Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto on April 18, 1943, the mission spanned about 420 miles (see “Death by P-38,” May 2013). The P-38 Lightning inspired young men, fought a global war and earned a reputation as one of the greatest fighters of all time.

What does the P stand for in P-38?

A master sergeant serving in the 30th Signal Construction Battalion in North Africa, Bandola began his acquaintance with the P-38 in 1943. “The P-38 was our means for eating 90 percent of the time, but the next thing I knew we were using it for cleaning boots, fingernails, screwdrivers, you name it.

What was the Lockheed P-38 Lightning used for?

P-38, also called Lightning, fighter and fighter-bomber employed by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. A large and powerful aircraft, it served as a bomber escort, a tactical bomber, and a photo-reconnaissance platform.

How many guns did the P-38 have?

four
The Ultimate Weapon Hibbard and his then assistant, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, the twin-boomed P-38 was the most innovative plane of its day, combining speed with unheard-of advances: two supercharged engines and a potent mix of four 50-caliber machine guns and a 20-mm cannon.

What was the P-38 used for?

Can you buy planes from a boneyard?

No. Aircraft that are surplus to requirements are signed over to and disposed of by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO). Sales of surplus equipment are frequently carried out but purchases can only be made if you are a company or individual who possess a licence to do so.

What was the top speed of the P-38 Lightning?

713 km/h
Lockheed P-38 Lightning/Top speed

How many Corsairs are still flying?

Today there are fewer than 30 Corsairs left, and only 10 to 15 are flyable in the United States. There were only seven of those at the Gathering of Corsairs and Legends reunion at Indianapolis.

How many p51s are still flying?

175 Mustangs
There are only around 175 Mustangs still flying, with roughly 150 of those in the U.S. About 100 other Mustangs are on display in museums. More than 15,000 rolled off North American Aviation assembly lines in California and Texas during World War II. The “P” stood for pursuit.

What kind of aircraft was the Lockheed P-38 Lightning?

This video and audio material may not be used in any form without written permission. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament.

Who was the pilot of the P-38 Echo?

The aircraft has been identified as the P-38 “Echo” piloted by Robert Wilson on that fateful day in 1942. The search team, with support from the governments of Greenland, the United States, and the United Kingdom, plans to return next summer to begin the extraction process of the P-38.

How did the P-38 get out of the ice?

Like during the recovery of Glacier Girl, the team will use large heat plates to tunnel down to the aircraft, then send workers down to clear out a cavern around the plane with blasts of hot water. The P-38 will be disassembled and sent up piece by piece.

How big was the tunnel for the P-38?

The Thermal Meltdown Generator, as it was called, followed the track of the pipe and tunneled a four-foot wide shaft through the ice, descending between two and four feet per hour (they ultimately made five tunnels from the surface to the P-38 below).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YDbAkNT0JI