[quote]He’s flown some 7,700 hours in Silver Stars[/quote]
Jesus. His back must hurt like hell.
Kelly Johnson
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Colonel
- Posts: 3450
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 10:31 am
I didn't know that there were only 10 P-38's still flying in the world today.
I guess it's not surprising, given their complexity (and two V-12 engines!)
but it's still kind of sad.
Given their fowler flaps and nosewheel, the ground handling should not
be challenging as long as the shimmy dampers are maintained. I
remember reading Tony's account of nosewheel shimmy on the -104
and it was incredibly violent.
PS Compressibility flaps look a lot like speed brakes aka boards. You
know what happens at mach 0.80 in the L39? The boards automatically
come out!
I guess it's not surprising, given their complexity (and two V-12 engines!)
but it's still kind of sad.
Given their fowler flaps and nosewheel, the ground handling should not
be challenging as long as the shimmy dampers are maintained. I
remember reading Tony's account of nosewheel shimmy on the -104
and it was incredibly violent.
PS Compressibility flaps look a lot like speed brakes aka boards. You
know what happens at mach 0.80 in the L39? The boards automatically
come out!
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Connor
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:21 pm
http://www.historynet.com/p-38-flunked-europe.htm
Interesting article on the P-38. Like most Lockheed airframes it was probably never utilized to its full potential. The F-35 is a fuck up no matter how you look at it. It seems Lockheed has unlearned every thing it has done in the past. They have already built a multinational single seat , single engine strike fighter it was called the F-104.
Interesting article on the P-38. Like most Lockheed airframes it was probably never utilized to its full potential. The F-35 is a fuck up no matter how you look at it. It seems Lockheed has unlearned every thing it has done in the past. They have already built a multinational single seat , single engine strike fighter it was called the F-104.
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Colonel
- Posts: 3450
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 10:31 am
[quote]Robin Olds recalled:
“The fact is, the P-38 Lightning was too much airplane for a new kid and a full-time job for even a mature and experienced fighter pilot.[/quote]
Pretty much Kelly's signature. Interesting that the pilots
in the Pacific made it work. Maybe they were more experienced
than the pilots in Europe.
“The fact is, the P-38 Lightning was too much airplane for a new kid and a full-time job for even a mature and experienced fighter pilot.[/quote]
Pretty much Kelly's signature. Interesting that the pilots
in the Pacific made it work. Maybe they were more experienced
than the pilots in Europe.
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Tailwind W10
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Fri May 22, 2015 5:39 pm
One reason the Pacific squadrons got more out of the airplane was Charles Lindbergh touring and teaching them better engine management...
Lindbergh was given permission by Colonel Robert Morrissey to travel to Nadzah, New Guinea, and become familiar with the P-38. On June 15, 1944, Lindbergh arrived, and was soon spending time behind a P-38. His first flight was rather interesting because once he landed, a brake malfunction resulted in a blown tire, but there was no damage. Soon Lindbergh felt comfortable with the aircraft, and on June 26, he took off to join up with the 475th Fighter Group. He flew along combat missions as an observer, and quickly calculated that the combat radius could be extended by 30%. A standard technique at the time was cruising at 2200 - 2400 rpm's in auto-rich at low manifold pressure. Lindbergh called for only 1600 rpm in an auto-lean mixture with a high manifold pressure. This reduced fuel consumption to 70 gallons per hour, and resulted in a cruising speed of 185 mph. By comparison, in July 1944, P-38s would fly a five-hour mission and come back on fumes, but after taking Lindbergh's advice, Colonel Jack Jenkins landed with over 160 gallons of fuel.
http://www.456fis.org/P-38_STORIES.htm
Sounds an awful lot like running a radial (or flat) engine lean of peak.
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I don't know where I read it, but I seem to remember reading about Lindbergh doing demo flights for squadrons. There were more than a few who were downright terrified of the P-38 and what would happen if an engine quit. Lindbergh would do an aerobatic routine with one feathered to get they're attention. Just good 'ol energy management. The story probably came from Kelly Johnson's "More Than My Share Of It All".[/font]
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Gerry[/font]
Lindbergh was given permission by Colonel Robert Morrissey to travel to Nadzah, New Guinea, and become familiar with the P-38. On June 15, 1944, Lindbergh arrived, and was soon spending time behind a P-38. His first flight was rather interesting because once he landed, a brake malfunction resulted in a blown tire, but there was no damage. Soon Lindbergh felt comfortable with the aircraft, and on June 26, he took off to join up with the 475th Fighter Group. He flew along combat missions as an observer, and quickly calculated that the combat radius could be extended by 30%. A standard technique at the time was cruising at 2200 - 2400 rpm's in auto-rich at low manifold pressure. Lindbergh called for only 1600 rpm in an auto-lean mixture with a high manifold pressure. This reduced fuel consumption to 70 gallons per hour, and resulted in a cruising speed of 185 mph. By comparison, in July 1944, P-38s would fly a five-hour mission and come back on fumes, but after taking Lindbergh's advice, Colonel Jack Jenkins landed with over 160 gallons of fuel.
http://www.456fis.org/P-38_STORIES.htm
Sounds an awful lot like running a radial (or flat) engine lean of peak.
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I don't know where I read it, but I seem to remember reading about Lindbergh doing demo flights for squadrons. There were more than a few who were downright terrified of the P-38 and what would happen if an engine quit. Lindbergh would do an aerobatic routine with one feathered to get they're attention. Just good 'ol energy management. The story probably came from Kelly Johnson's "More Than My Share Of It All".[/font]
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Gerry[/font]
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