- Yes
- No
Hello everybody. I’d like to re-introduce and suggest the Lockheed P-38H Lightning for War Thunder. The P-38H was an interim variant with an airframe of the late-block P-38G and more powerful engines of the P-38J. The P-38H-5 was introduced in mid-1943 as the final production batch of Lightnings with the original ‘sweptback’ engine cowling configuration.
Key Characteristics
- Heavy fighter and interceptor
- Turbo-supercharged Allison V-1710-89/-91 (1,425 hp each) powerplants
- New 20-mm M2(c) cannon
- New automatic cooling system
- More underwing racks capable of carrying 3,200 lb of suspended armament
History
The P-38H Lightning was an improved variant of the P-38G, featuring a new 20-mm M2(c) cannon instead of the old M1 cannon and more underwing racks to carry a 3,200 lb payload. It was powered by 1425-hp Allison V-1710-89/91 engines with new coolant shutters, turbo superchargers, and automatic oil radiator flaps as the solution to the overheating problems.
The P-38H was the standard version of the Lightning during the second half of 1943. It was a stopgap for the P-38G, while the near-definitive P-38J would eventually appear later and replace the early Lightning models. 601 P-38Hs were built with two production blocks: 226 H-1s and 375 H-5s.
Both P-38H-1-LOs and P-38H-5-LOs had different versions of their turbo-superchargers. The P-38H-5-LO was fitted with newer B-33 turbo-superchargers instead of the older B-13, improving high-altitude performance.
The first of 226 P-38H-1-LOs went into service in May of 1943, and these P-38Hs debuted their first operational service in England in September 1943 to escort the B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 8th Air Force. These P-38Hs belonged to the 55th Fighter Group and regularly performed escort missions with the B-17 raids over Europe. Sometimes, they flew on intruder missions where they could cruise much further into Germany enough to reach Berlin to intercept anything within their sight.
The P-38Hs of the 8th Air Force were discovered to have reliability issues with their turbo-superchargers in high-altitude and cold-weather operations. The engines of the P-38H were subjected to detonation if they were operated at high power for extended periods, and the intercooler system integral to the wing leading edges restricted the P-38H from reaching their potential performance. These issues were seen in P-38Gs. Therefore, the decision was made to restrict P-38Hs to operate at continuous 1,240 horsepower, a total loss of 370 hp, 160 hp less than the P-38G. Instantly, the P-38Hs were more unpopular with the pilots and senior officers. Nevertheless, the P-38H was reportedly two mph faster than the P-38G.
Consequently, the restricted performance of P-38H did not allow the maneuvering flap to be used at high altitudes for dog-fighting battles. Those problems were solved when the intercoolers were
moved from the leading edges of the wings to scoops under the engine nacelles on the subsequent P-38J that would replace P-38Gs and P-38Hs in the 8th Air Force by August 1943.
Specifications
Lockheed P-38H-5-LO LightningGeneral Characteristics
- Crew: 1 (Pilot)
- Length: 37 ft 10 in (11.5 m)
- Height: 9 ft 9.75 in (2.99 m)
- Span: 52 ft (15.85 m)
- Wing area: 327.5 sq ft (30.42 sq m)
- Propellers: 2 x 3-bladed constant-speed propellers
- Powerplants: 2 x turbo-supercharged piston engines, Allison V-1710-89(Right)/-91(Left)
→ 2,850 hp @ (2,096 kW)- Internal Fuel: 300 US gal. (1,135 L)
- Oil Tankage: 26 US gal. (98.4 L)
- Empty Weight: 12,380 lb (5,615 kg)
- Gross Weight: 16,300 lb (7,394 kg)
Engine Ratings
Take-Off (Sea Level):
- 1,425 hp @ 3,000 rpm @ 54.0” hg
War Emergency (S.L. - 15,000 ft):
- 1,600 hp @ 3,000 rpm @ 60.0” hg
Maximum Continuous (S.L. - 28,000 ft):
- 1,000 hp @ 2,600 rpm @ 44.0” hg
Performance
- Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.175 hp/lb (0.28 kW/kg)
- Critical Altitude Speed: 402 mph @ 25,000 ft (647 km/h @ 7,620 m)
- Wing Loading: 49.8 lb/sq ft (243.1 kg/sq m)
- Time to Altitude: 6.5 minutes to 20,000 ft (6,096 m)
- Service Ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,192 m)
- Max. Range: 2,400 miles (3,862 km)
Armament
Guns:
- 1 x 20-mm M2(C) cannon (150 Rounds)
- 4 x .50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns (2,000 Rounds)
Bombs:
- 2 x 1000-lb bombs
- 2 x 500-lb bombs
- 4 x 250-lb bombs
Rockets:
- 6 x M8 rockets
Drop Tanks:
- 2 x 150-gal drop tanks
Conclusion | Why it should be in the game
I made this suggestion to request more World War II-era vehicles for War Thunder. This P-38H would make a welcoming addition to the P-38 Lightning family in War Thunder. The P-38H could be a great addition to a folder with P-38G in the tech tree for anyone, and the P-38H would enjoy upgrades over the P-38G with an improved 20mm cannon, slightly better performance, and more bombs.
See Also
- PILOT’S FLIGHT OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ARMY MODELS P-38H Series, P-38J Series, P-38L-1 L-5, and F-5B AIRPLANES (25 September 1943)
- P-38 Lightning in Action Aircraft In Action 1109 (1990)
- P-38 Lightning in detail & scale: XP-38 through P-38H Part 1 (1998)
- https://acepilots.com/planes/p38_lightning.html
- https://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_P-38H.html
- Lockheed P-38H Lightning
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning - Wikipedia
Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃