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NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft were the only U.S. fighter planes produced throughout World War II.
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning gained fame in the hands of Major Richard Bong. Major Bong became the highest scoring American ace of World War II with 40 victories.
In 1939, during an attempt to set a transcontinental speed record from California to New York, Lt. Ben Kelsey made an emergency landing in his Lockheed P-38 Lightning, just short of its final destination. The engines had quit on final approach to the airport due to carburetor icing. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft was destroyed, however Kelsey escaped with minor injuries. Despite the accident, the Army contracted with Lockheed to begin production of Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft.
To try to cure high speed elevator flutter, Lockheed affixed mass balances to the middle of the elevator of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning . This dampened, but did not cure the flutter.
Although it was later found out that the flutter of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning was due to the disturbance of air coming from the joint of the root of the wing and the center fuselage section, the balances continued to be installed on all Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft.
During high speed dives, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning controls would become unmovable at higher altitudes. This was known as "compressibility stall."
If a pilot had the nerve to stay with the Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft, without bailing out, until it reached the denser air of lower altitudes, the problem would usually right itself. Eventually a number of aerodynamic changes made to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning would cure the problem, primarily putting dive flaps on the bottom centerline of the wings.
If the Lockheed P-38 Lightning lost an engine on takeoff, the torque of the working propeller would roll the aircraft towards it. This is just the opposite of aircraft with both propellers rotating in the same direction.
To compensate for losing an engine during take off, the pilot of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning had to feather the propeller of the non-running engine, cut the power of the working one, and then gradually apply power until the plane was flying straight.
Machine guns in the nose of early Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft tended to jam due to crooked belt feeds. Newer models had their machine gun muzzles sticking out of the nose in a staggered manner, thus having straight belt feeds and curing the problem.
A total of 9,942 Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft of all types were manufactured, with the final Lockheed P-38 Lightning delivered in September of 1945.
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Specifications
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Primary Function:
Crew:
Engines:
Horsepower:
Weight Empty:
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Internal Fuel:
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Cannons:
Machine Guns:
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fighter
one
Allison V-1710-27/29
2- V 1,425 hp ea.
12,780 lbs.
21,600 lbs.
2,496 lbs.
4,000 lbs.
1- 20 mm
4- .50 cal.
ten
37' 10"
52' 0"
186 mph
414 mph
2,460 fpm
44,000 feet
2,260 miles
1/26/39
1941
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RC Airplane from Uncle Willies Plans.
Radio Control Airplanes:
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Pictured above is the RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane built from Uncle Willies Plans. The radio control airplane has a 94" wing span. Propelling the RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane are 2 x .60 - 2c engines.
Pictured immediately below is Ray Harris and his Lockheed P-38 Lightning radio control airplane from Nick Ziroli Plans. The RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane has a 114" w/s. Suggested power for the radio control airplane comes from 2 x 38 - 52 cc gas engines.
In the next picture down is a RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane ARF from Raidentech. Wing Span of the radio control airplane is 90" and suggested power for the RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane can be 2 x .52 - 2c or 2 x .61 - 4c engines.
Kondor Model Products has a Lockheed P-38 Lightning radio control airplane kit. The RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane has a 86" wing span. Suggested power comes from 2 x .58 - 2c or 2 x .70 4c engines for the radio control airplane.
Yellow Aircraft also has a RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane kit. Wing span for he Yellow radio control airplane is 80". Suggested power for the RC airplane can be two Supertiger 3000's, Moki 1.8's or 2.1's, or two O.S. BGX engines.
There are a number of Lockheed P-38 Lightning radio control airplanes for everyone. There are RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane slope soarers, electric power small park flyer radio control airplanes, all the way up to RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane giant scale models.
If you have have a favorite Lockheed P-38 Lightning radio control airplane, please email us us about it.
We would also appreciate hearing from you about any additional RC Lockheed P-38 Lightning airplane plans, kits, or ARF's that you would like to recommend.
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Radio Control Airplane |
RC Airplane built by Ray Harris.
Radio Control Airplane
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RC Airplane from Raidentech.
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