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Author
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Topic: P-38 vs. P-51?
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Flash Gordon
Pilot
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posted 07-04- 12:53 AM
   
I was searching around the web for information regarding Luftwaffe operations in North Africa during WWII and found an article about the P-38. I can dig up the URL for those of you who are interested.Anyway, this article asserts that the P-38 was superior to the P-51 and the only reason why it was replaced was because it was more expensive and more time consuming to maintain? Is this true? I seem to recall reading somewhere that the P-38 experienced problems in the European Theater because it's engine couldn't operate that efficiently in the cold weather or something like that. Anyway, just curious. Flash IP: Logged |
semmern
Pilot
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posted 07-04- 02:47 AM
Might have been because the P-38 was a better ground-attack plane. Same with the P-40. It was outclassed in Europe, but was used extensively in North Africa, both as a fighter and as a fighter-bomber.IP: Logged |
Tailslide
Pilot
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posted 07-04- 02:57 AM
FWIW, I've also read the p38 was outclassed by most german fighters. TS
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Mirthain
Pilot
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posted 07-15- 11:21 PM
Actually, the P-38 was superior at anything less than about 15K. At the higher altitudes, the wing loading and cold(Inadequate heaters) mad the 38 really tough to fly. Also, until the combat flaps were released you couldn't dive a 38 becuase of the compressibility problems. The L was a great fighter, more than a match for any plane, allied or axis at almost any alt. But she arrived too late and by that time in Europe she was suffering from those problems plus some nasty engine problems. But remember she was the darling of Africa, and the pacific. I do not believe the germans had a plane that would beat her down low. But up high, she was too difficult in the early models to compete with the german planes.
Mirthain=FC=IP: Logged |
Tailslide
Pilot
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posted 07-16- 12:06 AM
"The lockheed p-38 lightning was a strange twin-engine,twin booom design.Very fast at altitude, it was generally outmatched by the German single-seaters in one-versus-one combat. Fortunately for its pilots, one-versus-one combats rarely occured, and teamwork compensated for many of its shortcomings." - Mike Spick translation: The germans were badly outnumbered. TS [This message has been edited by Tailslide (edited 07-16-2000).] IP: Logged |
Mirthain
Pilot
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posted 07-17- 09:13 PM
Yeah, but that was the 8th's general attitude towards the 38. The 15th and other Med and pacific units wouldn't give it up for anything and they were all reporting out turning everything in the ETO at low alts. The 8th with escort duties brought the early 38's up to high altitudes with big problems with the superchargers and engines, the 8th hated her at first.
By the time they got to the J's the early 51's and 47's were coming onto the scene, but the 38J's and L's were head and shoulders above the early models of the 38. with the manuever flap at altitude, she could turn with anyone, she could split S which she couldn't do before the flaps because of compressibility, and superchargers and cabin heat that actually worked..... all those fixed the problems that most 8th pilots had with the 38. I firmly believe the 38 was a much more advanced, flyable and deadly weapon than the 51. Top speed of the L was only 20 MPH(roughly) slower than the 51.
To be fair though, the 51 was an excellent escort plane, and did a fantastic job in that role. She was an excellent dogfighter with few troubles.(comparably)
But between the 2? I would take a 38L over the 51D any day of the week and twice on sunday.
Personal opinion of:
Mirthain=FC=IP: Logged |
Tailslide
Pilot
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posted 07-19- 03:05 PM
FYI, it wasn't a quote from the 8th it was a quote from a historian who's written about 30 books on air combat. He may be wrong I don't know.. I don't have access to all the information a historian would so I just read and try to figure out who's reliable and who's not. TS IP: Logged | |
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