What was the range of a P-38?

2,100 km
Lockheed P-38 Lightning/Range

Is the P-38 hard to fly?

However, the fighter’s unconventional configuration had its downsides, notably an infamous tendency for the controls to lock up in steep, high-speed dives, with often fatal results. The engines were finicky and required high levels of pilot training that were frequently lacking.

What was the top speed of the P-38?

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

What is the K in K rations?

The first procurement of K-rations was made in May 1942. Some believed the K-ration was named after Dr. Keys or was short for “Commando” (as elite troops were the first to receive it). However, the letter “K” was selected because it was phonetically distinct from other letter-name rations.

What did the Japanese call the P-38?

the fork-tailed devil
The nicknames. They once called the plane the fork-tailed devil, while the Japanese dubbed them, two planes, one pilot.

Are C rations still made?

In 1938, the Field Ration, Type C was developed by the Quartermaster Subsistence Research and Development Laboratory in Chicago. These MCI rations were used until 1978, when they were replaced with the MRE or Meal Ready-to-Eat ration, which is still used today.

How many guns did the P-38 Lightning 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 replaced C-rations?

Meal Combat Individual
Although the MCI, or Meal Combat Individual, replaced C-rations in 1958, most U.S. troops continued to call them C-rations. This continued until about 1980 when the MRE, or Meal, Ready-to-Eat, replaced the MCI.

Where was the P-38 Lightning bomber shot down?

He was killed on Bougainville Island when his converted Mitsubishi G4M1 “Betty” bomber was shot down by USAAF P-38s operating from Kukum Field on Guadalcanal. The P-38 mission entailed flying 600 miles (965 km) at wave top level with a return trip of 400 miles (644 km).

How big is the wing span of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning?

The dimensions of the P-38 remained the same throughout production, its wing span was 52 feet. At 17,500 pounds gross, the P-38 was the largest, heaviest, and fastest “P” type to date.

How long did the Lockheed YP-38 take to crash?

Despite the crash, the Army felt the aircraft showed promise and Lockheed received a contract for thirteen YP-38s along with the usual list of improvements. The XP-38 crashed after only 16 days with an airtime of 11 hours and 50 minutes.

Why was the P-38 Lightning given the name Lightning?

Without a supercharger, the P-38 was far less impressive. RAF test pilots concluded that it was underpowered and so the RAF canceled its order. The planes being assembled for export instead went to the American armed forces. They took with them the name the British had given the plane, and which was already gaining wider traction – the Lightning.