Would you like to see this in-game?
Lockheed P-38L-1-LO (44-24649) Lightning
Hey everybody. I’d like to suggest a very bizarre modified Lockheed P-38L Lightning P-38L-1-LO, serial number 44-24649, for the US tree in War Thunder. This particular Lightning was experimentally fitted with eight .50-cal machine guns in the nose and four additional .50-cal machine guns housed in two underwing gunpods.
History
The P-38L was the final production variant of the Lightning and represented a refined development of the P-38J. The major improvement came in the form of new powerplants, as the P-38L was equipped with 1,600 hp Allison V-1710-111 and -113 engines. The P-38L also introduced dive brakes, rocket launcher “trees” for five-inch HVARs, and an AN/APS-13 tail warning radar. Production was divided into two blocks: the P-38L-1-LO (1,290 aircraft) and the P-38L-5-LO (2,520 aircraft). The L-1 block was broadly similar to the P-38J-25-LO apart from the upgraded engines, while the L-5 introduced tank-mounted fuel booster pumps housed in small fairings beneath the wings. The P-38L entered service around June 1944 and became the most numerous Lightning variant produced.
One particularly unusual armament experiment was conducted at Wright Field, Ohio. The goal was to create a specialized ground-strafing version of the Lightning by dramatically increasing its forward firepower. A P-38L-1-LO, serial number 44-24649, was modified with eight .50-cal machine guns mounted in the nose. To accommodate the extra weapons, the standard 20 mm cannon was removed. Additionally, the aircraft carried two more .50-cal machine guns in each of a pair of underwing gunpods mounted outboard of the engine nacelles, resulting in a total armament of twelve .50-cal machine guns.
This gave the aircraft a level of forward firepower comparable to the strafing-configured B-25J Mitchell gunship equipped with solid gun noses. The configuration was officially tested and would likely have made the Lightning an extremely potent ground-attack aircraft in certain operational theaters. However, the concept never progressed beyond the experimental stage and was ultimately abandoned without further development.
The underwing gunpods themselves had also been evaluated separately on unarmed reconnaissance derivatives such as the F-5 Lightning in an effort to give reconnaissance pilots some defensive capability when intercepted by enemy fighters. These experiments likewise failed to proceed into operational use, likely because the gunpods performed poorly and were never formally adopted.
There are no surviving details regarding the ultimate fate of P-38L-1-LO serial 44-24649 after the conclusion of the experiments. It may have been returned to standard configuration and shipped overseas for operational service, or it may simply have remained within the United States until the end of the war.
Specifications
Lockheed P-38L-1-LO (44-24649) Lightning
General Characteristics
Crew: 1 (Pilot)
Dimensions:
Length: 37 ft 9.9375 in (11.5 m)
Height: 12 ft 10.125 in (3.9 m)
Wingspan: 52 ft (15.8 m)
Wing Area: 328.5 ft sq (30.5 sq m)
Propeller:
Type: 2 x 3-bladed, electric full-feathering selective pitch propellers
Diameter: 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m)
Powerplant: turbosupercharged Allison V-1710-111/-113
Weight:
Empty: 12,800 lb (5,806 kg)
Gross: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)
Max. Takeoff: 22,000 lb (9,979 kg)
Flight Performance
Wing Loading: 53.3 lb/sq ft (260.2 kg/sq m)
Max Speed: 414 mph (666 km/h) @ 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
Time to Altitude: 7 minutes to 20,000 ft (6,096 m)
Service Ceiling: 44,000 ft (13,411 m)
Armament
Guns:
8 x 0.50-cal machine guns (500 rpg; 4,000 rds)
Bombs:
2 x 2,000 lb
4 x 1,000 lb
6 x 500 lb
Rockets:
Other:
Sources
Erection and Maintenance Instructions for Airplane Army Model P-38L-1, -5 (25 August 1945)
Profile Publications Number 106: The P-38J-M Lockheed Lightning P-38 Lightning in Action - Aircraft Number 109 (1990)
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Definitive Story of Lockheed’s P-38 Fighter (1991)
Crowood Aviation Series - Lockheed P-38 Lightning (2006)
P-38 Lightning in Detail & Scale, Part 2: P-38J Through P-38M Variants (Also Covers the F-5B, F-5E, F-5F, & F-5G Photographic Reconnaissance Variants) (2024)
Lockheed P-38L Lightning
Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃
1 Like
+1, but probably as a modification to the P-38 already in game
Twice the pride, Double the Fall
Anyway good post but firepower is not everything its about how you use it 😉 - Every A6M player
