Subject: Number Thirty-Eight in the Series--Lockheed P-38 Lightning (3 of 11)

From: [email-masked] (Joseph F Baugher)
Date: 20 Nov 92 15:26:31 GMT

>From Joseph F Baugher <[email-masked]>

The P-38G began to roll off the production lines in June of 1942.  It 
was basically similar to the P-38F apart from a change to the Allison 
V-1710-51/55 (F10) engine with increased boost ratings and offering 
1325 hp for takeoff.  However, the engine was limited to 1150 hp at 
27,000 feet due to inadequate cooling.  In addition, the P-38G carried 
a SCR-274N radio and A-9 oxygen equipment.  

Production of the P-38G was divided across six blocks.  There were 708 
US-ordered Model 222-68-12 aircraft.  80 of these were P-38G-1-LOs 
which were generally similar to the P-38F-15-LOs but with the new 
engines, improved oxygen equipment and more reliable radios.  Twelve 
of them were P-38G-3-LOs with B-13 superchargers.  68 were P-38G-5-LOs 
with revised instrumentation and 548 were P-38G-10-LOs which combined 
the improvements introduced in the two previous blocks with 
winterization equipment, provision for carrying 1600 lb bombs 
underneath the wing center section, or a triple cluster of 4.5-inch 
rocket launchers on each side of the central nacelle.  The 374 Model 
322-68-19s (174 P-38G-13-LOs, equivalent to the P-38G-3-LO and 200 
P-38G-15-LOs, corresponding to the P-38G-5-LO) came from the cancelled 
British contract for Lightning IIs which was taken over by the USAAF.  

Unarmed photographic reconnaissance versions of the P-38G were also 
produced under the designation F-5A.  A single F-5A-2-LO (model 
222-62-16) was completed by modifying a P-38E airframe (41-2157) by 
installing V-1719-21/29 engines.  All of the other F-5As (Model 
222-68-16) had P-38G airframes and 1325 hp V-1710-51/55 engines.  
Twenty F-5A-1-LOs, twenty F-5A-3-LOs, and 140 F-5A-10-LOs had the same 
modifications as P-38G variants with corresponding block numbers, and 
came off the production line in parallel with their fighter 
counterparts.  All were unarmed and carried five cameras.  

One F-5A-10-LO (Ser No 42-12975) was modified as an experimental 
two-seat reconnaissance aircraft under the designation XF-5D-LO.  The 
camera operator was located in a glazed nose compartment with two 
forward-firing 0.50-in machine guns.  Three K-17 cameras were 
installed, one underneath the nose and one in each tail boom.  

One P-38G-5-LO (42-12866) was used as a testbed for the proposed XP-49 
armament (two 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-in machine guns).  The USAAF 
also undertook at Wright Field preliminary design for a proposed 
derivative of the P-38G which was to have carried a 75-mm cannon in a 
revised and enlarged central nacelle.  However, this concept never got 
past the initial design stage.  

The P-38G had a loaded wright some 200 pounds less than that of the 
P-38F, and was the most widely-built version of the early Lightnings.  
1082 P-38Gs had been delivered by March of 1943.  181 of these had 
been completed as F-5A photo reconnaissance aircraft and another 200 
had been completed as F-5Bs with camera installations similar to that 
of the F-5A-10-LO but with engines and airframe identical to those of 
the later P-38J-5-LO.  One F-5A-10-LO (Ser No 42-12975) was modified 
as an experimental two-seat reconnaissance aircraft under the 
designation XF-5D-LO.  

Performance of P-38G-1-LO was as follows: 

Maximum speed: 345 mph at 5000 feet, 360 mph at 10,000 feet, 400 mph 
at 25,000 feet.  850 miles range on internal fuel at cruising speed of 
219 mph at 10,000 feet.  1750 miles range at 211 mph at 10,000 feet 
with two 125 Imp. gall. drop tanks.  Climb to 10,000 feet in 3.7 
minutes, climb to 20,000 feet in 8.5 minutes.  Service ceiling of 
39,000 feet.  Weights were 12,200 lbs empty, 15,800 lbs normal 
loaded, 19,800 lbs maximum loaded.  Dimensions were wingspan 52 feet 0 
inches, length 37 feet 10 inches, height 9 feet 10 inches, wing area 
327.5 square feet.  Armed with one 20-mm Hispano M1 cannon with 150 
rounds and four 0.50-in Colt-Browning MG 53-2 machine guns with 500 
rounds per gun.  Could carry two 325, 500, or 1000-lb bombs.  

Serials for the F-5A/P-38G production run were as follows: 

41-2157 	Lockheed F-5A-2-LO Lightning 
42-12667/12686  Lockheed F-5A-1-LO Lightning 
42-12687/12766  Lockheed P-38G-1-LO Lightning 
42-12767/12786  Lockheed F-5A-3-LO Lightning 
42-12787/12798  Lockheed P-38G-3-LO Lightning 
42-12799/12866  Lockheed P-38G-5-LO Lightning 
42-12870/12966  Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning 
42-12967/12986  Lockheed F-5A-10-LO Lightning 
42-12987/13066  Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning 
42-13067/13126  Lockheed F-5A-10-LO Lightning 
42-13127/13266  Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning 
42-13267/13326  Lockheed F-5A-10-LO Lightning 
42-13327/13557  Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning 
43-2185/2358    Lockheed P-38G-13-LO Lightning 
43-2359/2558    Lockheed P-38G-15-LO Lightning 

Sources:

  Lockheed Aircraft Since 1913, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute Press,
  1987

  The P-38J-M Lockheed Lightning, Profile Publications, Le Roy Weber
  Profile Publications, Ltd, 1965.

  War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Four, William Green,
  Doubleday, 1964.

  Famous Fighters of the Second World War, William Green, Doubleday, 1967.

  The American Fighter, Enzo Anguluci and Peter Bowers, Orion Books, 1987.

  Wings of the Weird and Wonderful, Captain Eric Brown, Airlife, 1985.

  United States Military Aircraft since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter 
  M. Bowers, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989.

Joe Baugher       AT&T Bell Laboratories    2000 North Naperville Road 
		  Naperville, Illinois 60566-7033.   (708) 713-4548