Subject: Number Thirty-Eight in the Series--Lockheed P-38 Lightning (8 of 11)

From: [email-masked] (Joseph F Baugher)
Date: 1 Dec 92 17:29:00 GMT

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

Early in 1943, at least two unidentified P-38Fs were modified in the 
field by the Fifth Air Force as single-seat night fighters by fitting 
an SCR540 radar with yagi antennae on the nose on both sides of the 
central nacelle, and above and below the wings.  In order to make room 
for the radar, two of the 0.50-inch machine guns and their ammunition 
boxes had to be moved forward.  Three P-38Js were also modified in the 
field as experimental night fighters.  

However, these modifications were all single seaters, and it was found 
that the flying of the plane and the operation of the radar was too 
much of a job for just one person.  Consequently, Lockheed attempted 
to adapt the P-38L as a two-seat night fighter.  In 1944, Lockheed 
converted P-83L-5-LO Ser No 44-25237 as a two-seat night fighter, with 
the radar operator sitting aft of the pilot under a raised section of 
the canopy.  The aircraft was fitted with an AN/APS-6 radar in an 
external radome underneath the nose, relocated radio equipment and 
anti-flash gun muzzles.  

This modification was successful, and provided the USAAF with a night 
fighter having a top speed of 406 mph at 15,000 feet as compared to 
only 369 mph at 20,000 feet for the Northrop P-61A Black Widow.  
Consequently, the Army issued a contract change calling for the 
Lockheed Modification Center in Dallas to convert 75 additional 
P-38L-5-LOs into P-38M twin-seat night fighters.  They were painted 
glossy black overall.  These were just entering service when the war 
ended.  The P-38M saw operational service in the Pacific in the last 
few days of the war.  It was an effective night fighter with very 
little performance penalty over the standard single-seat Lightning.  

Flash eliminators were fitted to all guns, mainly to aid the pilot in 
retaining night vision when they were fired.  Experiments were 
conducted with the object of shielding the turbosupercharger exhaust, 
but the entire exhaust system was so hot that it glowed at night, 
making the small reduction of visibility possible with the shielding 
of the actual efflux relatively pointless.  Consequently, no 
modifications of the exhaust system were undertaken on "production" 
P-38Ms.  Initial climb rate was 3075 feet per minute, and an altitude 
of 20,000 feet could be attained in 8.7 minutes.  

Serials of P-38Ls converted to P-38M configuration were as follows: 
44-26831, 26863, 26865, 26892, 26951, 26997, 26999/27000, 27018, 
27233, 27234, 27236/27238, 27245, 27249/27252, 27254, 27256/27258, 
53011/53017, 53019/53020, 53022/53023, 53025, 53029/53032, 
53034/53035, 53042, 53050, 53052, 53056, 53062/53063, 53066/53069, 
53073/53074, 53076/53077, 53079, 53080, 53082/53090, 53092/53098, 
53100/53101, 53106/53107, 53019/53110, 53112.  

There is a P-38M on display at the Champlin Fighter Museum at Falcon 
Field, Mesa, Arizona.  It no longer has its radome slung under the 
nose, but the two-seat configuration is still retained.  That radar 
operator in the rear must have been REALLY cramped! 

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.

  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