Download or read book Lockheed P 38 Lightning Early Versions written by Robert Pęczkowski and published by MMP. This book was released on 2017-05-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The P-38 was the only American fighter aircraft in production throughout American involvement in the war, from Pearl Harbor to VJ Day. With its unusual twin-boom design, this was one of the most distinctive fighters of WW2, and saw action in all theaters of the war, being especially effective in the Pacific. This book describes the development of the early versions of this iconic warplane, with full technical details and many detail photos. Profusely illustrated with photos, including a comprehensive walk-around section showing all aspects of the airframe, and diagrams from official manuals. Includes 1/72nd scale plans, and color profiles showing many of the colorful schemes applied to the P-38 by its users.
Download or read book The Lockheed P 38 Lightning written by Warren Bodie and published by . This book was released on 2001-05-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive story of the World War II fighter which the Germans dubbed the fork-tailed devil includes line drawings, photos of prototypes and coverage of Lockheed proposals.
Download or read book Fork Tailed Devil The P 38 written by Martin Caidin and published by ibooks. This book was released on 2012-05-26 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of America's greatest military aviation historians relates the astonishing—and true—story of the only American warplane to fight in every operational theater in World War II from Pearl Harbor to Alaska and North Africa to Northern Europe. “One of the greatest tests of its capabilities took place in mid-April of 1943 when Allied intelligence discovered that Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was going to visit Kahili on the coast of Bougainville. A P-38 intercept was planned. Its time of arrival had to be absolutely perfect and after a complex 435 mile wave-top approach that avoided all Japanese observers the Lightnings were there. Eighteen P-38s were assigned to “get Yamamoto" and that is exactly what happened.” —From the introduction by David Ballantine
Download or read book P 38 Lightning Vol 2 written by David Doyle and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 2019-10-28 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second of two volumes continues the P-38 story by focusing on the later, mass-produced models of this historic fighter--P-38J through P-38M. Each type is examined through carefully researched archival photos, as well as photographs of currently preserved examples. Known to the enemy during World War II as the "Fork-tailed devil," the pilots of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning were charged with the responsibility of escorting American bombers deep over heavily defended Europe during the early years of the air campaign against Nazi Germany. In the Pacific, the Lightning's long range was put to good use flying over vast expanses of ocean. Detailed text and captions illustrate not only the design and construction of the later-war Lightnings, but also their combat use in WWII. Large, clear photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, put the reader on the airfield and in the sky with this historic aircraft.
Download or read book Lightning Strikes written by Steve Blake and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2020-10-04 with total page 683 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: LIGHTNING STRIKES-THE LOCKHEED P-38 tells the full story of one of the most successful and versatile aircraft of the Second World War. The P-38 (including its F-4 and F-5 photo reconnaissance models) eventually served with all the USAAF's numbered overseas air forces, from early 1942 to VJ Day. The book describes the Lightning's design and its technical details as it gradually evolved and improved, from the original XP-38 to its final variant, the P-38L-5. The main focus is on its service in the combat theatres, from the frigid, windswept Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific to the steaming jungles of the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, the burning sands of North Africa and the more temperate climes of Europe. All the units that flew the Lightning are included, as are the experiences of many of their pilots and ground crewmen as they fought the Japanese Empire and the European Axis. Also related are the P-38's service with foreign (non-U.S.) air forces, its postwar commercial utilization as civilian aircraft and the surviving examples in museums around the world. The book is extremely well illustrated by over 400 high-resolution photographs, art work and graphics, and is supplemented by detailed appendices.
Download or read book P 38 Lightning Aces of the 82nd Fighter Group written by Steve Blake and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-07-20 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No fewer than 25 pilots from the 82nd FG became aces, and 55 others scored three or four kills. This book looks at the unit's history through the eyes of its most successful pilots and leaders, detailing both their exploits and their personal experiences. When the 82nd Fighter Group was organized in March 1942, most of its initial pilot cadre was comprised of newly graduated staff sergeant pilots of Class 42-C – enlisted men! They learned to fly the P-38 at Muroc, in California's Mojave Desert, and then moved to the Los Angeles area to continue their training and to serve as part of its air defence. In September 1942 the group was transported to the East Coast, from where it shipped out to Ireland on the Queen Mary. By this time all its remaining sergeant pilots had been commissioned. As this book outlines, as of VE-Day the 82nd Fighter Group's score of confirmed aerial victories stood at 548 aircraft shot down, plus a huge amount of enemy materiel – including aircraft – destroyed on the ground and the sea. It had been awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The cost of this success was high, however, for around 250 of the group's pilots had either been killed in action or captured.
Download or read book Lockheed P 38 Lightning Bell P 39 Airacobra Curtiss P 40 written by Mantelli - Brown - Kittel - Graf and published by Edizioni R.E.I.. This book was released on 2017-03-04 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Lockheed P-38J Lightning aircraft was revolutionary, extremely innovative, thanks to double-girder fuselage, the two Allison V-engines with turbochargers within the tail beams and landing gear in tricycle. The Bell P-39 Airacobra was a single-engine fighter produced by the US to low-wing Bell Aircraft Corporation. It was the most controversial fighter aircraft used by the US during World War II. It was the first fighter in the world to have the engine installed in the middle of the fuselage, behind the pilot. The Bell P-63 Kingcobra was a single-engine low-wing fighter aircraft developed by the US Air Force Bell Aircraft Corporation in the early forties and used during World War II. Evolution of the previous P-39 Airacobra, launched in an attempt to correct the defects of that model, the United States Army Air Forces will never estimated suitable for combat, relegating him to the towing role for targets. As a result, nearly two-thirds of the production was assigned to the Soviet Union and about 300 units to units of Free France. The Curtiss P-40 was a single-seat single-engine monoplane US manufacturing in the first half of the forties was taken by the Allies as a fighter aircraft or fighter in many of the theaters in which you fought the Second World War. Produced by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company of Buffalo, New York, never was an aircraft with exceptional characteristics (mainly because of its engine, underpowered at high altitude); However, it was also made of a large number of specimens, and his great strength (coupled with its widespread availability since the early months of the entry into the war) made it one of the most important fighter for American aviation events in the first phase of World war II, between 1941 and the summer of 1943.
Download or read book 475th Fighter Group written by John Stanaway and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Formed with the best available fighter pilots in the Southwest Pacific, the 475th Fighter Group was the pet project of Fifth Air Force chief, General George C Kenney. From the time the group entered combat in August 1943 until the end of the war it was the fastest scoring group in the Pacific and remained one of the crack fighter units in the entire US Army Air Forces with a final total of some 550 credited aerial victories. Amongst its pilots were the leading American aces of all time, Dick Bong and Tom McGuire, with high-scoring pilots Danny Roberts and John Loisel also serving with the 475th. This book details these pilots, the planes they flew and the campaigns and battles they fought in including such famous names as Dobodura, the Huon Gulf, Oro Bay, Rabaul, Hollandia, the Philippines and Luzon.
Download or read book P 38 Lightning in Action written by Gene B. Stafford and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Race of Aces written by John R Bruning and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2020-01-14 with total page 534 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The astonishing untold story of the WWII airmen who risked it all in the deadly race to become the greatest American fighter pilot. In 1942, America's deadliest fighter pilot, or "ace of aces" -- the legendary Eddie Rickenbacker -- offered a bottle of bourbon to the first U.S. fighter pilot to break his record of twenty-six enemy planes shot down. Seizing on the challenge to motivate his men, General George Kenney promoted what they would come to call the "race of aces" as a way of boosting the spirits of his war-weary command. What developed was a wild three-year sprint for fame and glory, and the chance to be called America's greatest fighter pilot. The story has never been told until now. Based on new research and full of revelations, John Bruning's brilliant, original book tells the story of how five American pilots contended for personal glory in the Pacific while leading Kenney's resurgent air force against the most formidable enemy America ever faced. The pilots -- Richard Bong, Tommy McGuire, Neel Kearby, Charles MacDonald and Gerald Johnson -- riveted the nation as they contended for Rickenbacker's crown. As their scores mounted, they transformed themselves from farm boys and aspiring dentists into artists of the modern dogfight. But as the race reached its climax, some of the pilots began to see how the spotlight warped their sense of duty. They emerged as leaders, beloved by their men as they chose selfless devotion over national accolades. Teeming with action all across the vast Pacific theater, Race of Aces is a fascinating exploration of the boundary between honorable duty, personal glory, and the complex landscape of the human heart. "Brings you into the cockpit of the lethal, fast-paced world of fighter pilots . . . Fascinating." -- Sara Vladic"Extraordinary . . . a must-read." -- US Navy Captain Dan Pedersen"A heart-pounding narrative of the courage, sacrifice, and tragedy of America's elite fighter pilots." -- James M. Scott"Vivid and gripping . . . Confirms Bruning's status as the premier war historian of the air." -- Saul David
Download or read book Lockheed P 38 Lightning written by Michael O'Leary and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 1999-06-15 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The 'Cadillac' of USAAF fighters in World War 2, the Lighting was a highly innovative design produced by Lockheed of Burbank, California. In response to a challenging requirement for a long range, high speed and high altitude fighter to escort the AAF's rapidly expanding B-17 and B-24 heavy bomber fleets. To meet the criterion laid down in the requirement, the company adopted a revolutionary twin boom layout and supercharged Allison engines. The latter initially proved troublesome, but the gremlins were eventually sorted out and the type went on to see much action in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean, the Pacific and the CBI. Using the best Lockheed official and private archival black and white photographs available, combined with period colour advertisements, a double-page cutaway drawing and scale plans, this volume reveals all facets of the Lightning's construction and frontline use." --Back cover.
Download or read book Fly with the Marines written by United States. Marine Corps and published by . This book was released on 1942 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book P 38 Lightning at War Part 2 written by Andrzej Sadlo and published by . This book was released on 2013-02-28 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two big decal sheets with 1:72, 1:48 and 1:32 individual markings for 8 P-38 Lightnings. The decal sheet was printed by Cartograf. Each painting scheme is depicted on beautifully drawn 4-view color profiles and described in the 20 page guidebook with English and Polish text. The selection contains the following aircraft: - P-38G-13-LO, probable s/n 42-2197, 'Nulli Secundus' / 'X-Virgin', flown by Lt. Kenneth G. Ladd of 80th FS / 8th FG, Dobodura, New Guinea, winter of 1943/1944, - P-38J-15-LO, s/n 42-104107, 'Jewboy', coded '47', flown by Lt. Philip M. Goldstein of 49th FS / 14th FG, Triolo, Italy, May 1944, - P-38J-10-LO, s/n 42-67916, 'California Cutie', coded (KI)- 'S', flown by Lt. Richard O. Loehnert of 55th FS / 20th FG, RAF Kings Cliffe, England, June 1944, - P-38J-15-LO, s/n 43-28444, 'Vivacious Virgin II', coded 'E6-T', flown by Lt. Ian B. Mackenzie of 402nd FS / 370th FG, Florennes/Juxaine, Belgium, winter of 1944/1945, - P-38L-1-LO, s/n 44-23852, 'Beautiful Bitch', coded 'B7', flown by Lt. John J. Kane of 96th FS / 82nd FG, Vincenzo, Italy, March 1945, - P-38L-5-LO, s/n 44-26176, 'Vagrant Virgin', coded 'A', flown by Lt. L. V. Bellusci of 36th FS / 8th FG, San Jose, Mindoro, late 1944/early 1945, - P-38L-5-LO, s/n 44-26176, 'Vagrant Virgin', coded 'A', flown by Lt. Peter Macgowan of 36th FS / 8th FG, Ie Shima, September 1945, - P-38L-5-LO, probable s/n 44-26568, 'Wicked Woman', coded 'W', flown by Lt. Richard C. Livingston of 36th FS / 8th FG, Ie Shima, August-September 1945.
Download or read book P 38 Lightning written by Jeffrey L. Ethell and published by Random House Value Publishing. This book was released on 1983 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book P 38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI written by John Stanaway and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 1997-04-15 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The P-38 was used on virtually every front to which the USAAF were committed, but enjoyed its greatest successes in the Pacific and China-Burma-India (CBI) theatres. The speed, range and firepower of the P-38 made it the favourite of nearly all aircrew fighting in the Solomons, New Guinea and the Philippines, and over 1800 Japanese aircraft fell to its guns. From the first encounters at the end of 1942 until the Lightning scored the final Fifth Air force victories in August 1945, these pilots made the Pacific skies very much their own battleground.
Download or read book Eagles Over Husky written by Alexander Fitzgerald-Black and published by Wolverhampton Military Studies. This book was released on 2018-02-15 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the summer of 1943, the United Nations began Operation HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily. The Eagles over HUSKY - the airmen of the Allied air forces - played a crucial role in the assault. The Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica provided a significant part of the Axis force meant to defend the island and throw the Allies back into the sea. The Allied air forces foiled this effort and inflicted losses on a German Air Force badly needed on other fronts. Raids on mainland Italian railway transport crippled Axis resupply efforts. The same strikes brought pressure on the Italian state to denounce Fascism and join the Allied side. Army commanders relied heavily on tactical air power to destroy Axis forces in Sicily. The result was a strategic victory which forced Nazi Germany to stand alone in defense of southern Europe. Most histories of the campaign focus on the escape of German forces across the Strait of Messina. Eagles over Husky challenges the notion that the Allied militaries bungled total victory in Sicily. It assesses one of the greatest air battles of the Second World War. This is a topic that has been relatively unexamined by historians of the campaign, who tend to focus on army matters. Eagles over Husky tells the integrated story of the air war waged during the Battle of Sicily. The author draws upon experiences, perspectives, and sources from both Allied and Axis camps to inform the analysis and enhance the narrative.
Download or read book P 38 Lightning vs Bf 109 written by Edward M. Young and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-11-23 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exciting account of the aerial battles fought by the USAAF's P38 Lightnings and the Jagdflieger's Bf 109Gs for dominance over North Africa and the Mediterranean. USAAF fighter pilots experienced a baptism of fire when flying the technically advanced but fragile P-38 Lightning over North Africa in the wake of 1942's Operation Torch. Their opponents were battle-hardened jagdflieger of the Jadgwaffe, flying the tried and tested Bf 109 in its very lastest Gustav iteration. Responsible primarily for escorting USAAF bombers attacking Afrika Korps installations in Tunisia, the P-38 units in North Africa had to develop effective tactics to defend the bombers against Luftwaffe fighter attacks. For several months the Lightning squadrons had to also cope with shortages of aircraft and spare parts, steady losses and a lack of replacement pilots. To survive, American aviators had to learn quickly. While it is difficult to definitively attribute victories in air combat, in the air battles over Tunisia and later over Sicily and Italy, the claims made by Lightning pilots were comparable to Luftwaffe claims for P-38s destroyed. Edward M. Young turns his attention to the bitterly fought air war in North Africa and the Mediterranean in 1942–43. Using original archival sources, official records and first-hand accounts from both USAAF and Luftwaffe veterans, as well as newly commissioned artwork and 50 carefully selected photographs from official and personal archives, this book sees two of the most iconic piston-engined fighters of their era pitted head-to-head for control of the skies in a key theatre of World War II.
