The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a revolutionary fighter for the time with
its tricycle landing gear, twin boom and turbo-superchargers. The first
models were accepted by the Army Air Force in October 1941 and, by the
end of the war, nearly 10,000 had rolled from the production lines.
From introduction until 1945, many modifications were made in the original
design to comply with the needs of the air services. On April 18, 1943,
a flight of P-38’s downed Japan’s great naval strategist, Admiral
Isoroku Yamamoto, while he was flying on an inspection tour of the
Solomon Islands. Due to its unusual configuration, the Lightning was
dubbed the “fork-tailed Devil” by the Luftwaffe and “two airplanes with
one pilot” by the Japanese-grudging respect earned by its formidable
appearance and reputation. |
