subject: Illustrious P-38 Lightning Pudgy Model Available On Warplanes [print this page] The P-38 Lightning is one of the most significant aircraft during the World War II. It was involved in every war effort from the Pearl Harbor to the Victory in Japan. Manufactured by Lockheed, the P-38 Lightning is a heavy fighter designed with distinctive twin booms and a single central nacelle that contains the cockpit and armament. It performed a wide range of roles such as dive and level bombing, ground attack, reconnaissance missions, and long-range escort missions.
Lockheed engineer Clarence Kelly Johnson designed the P-38 as a response to the US Army specification for a twin-engine, high-altitude interceptor. Johnson came up with a very radical design. It broke away from the conventional aircraft design, power, and armament. It had twice the power and almost twice the size of airplane fighters at that time. Unlike most aircraft, all of P-38 fire power is clustered on its nose. But its .50 cal machine guns and 20 mm cannon have the power to sink ships. Its tricycle landing gear and twin boom configuration make the P-38 even more unique.
It is surprising that the P-38's unconventional design passed through the testing stage. In fact, the P-38 proved became the US Army's dream plane. Because of the P-38's fierceness, Germans called it the Der Gabelschwanz Teufel meaning the fork-tailed devil. The P-38 was very active during World War II but it showed its brilliance in the Pacific theater where it destroyed more Japanese airplanes than any other US fighter. Maj. Thomas McGuire piloted the P-38 Lightning Pudgy, one of the famous P-38 models. It racked up 38 kills just in the Pacific theater alone, making Maj. McGuire the second highest ace in American history. The Lightning Pudgy was nicknamed after his wife. The P-38 Lightning Pudgy was part of the 431st fighter squadron. Nicknamed The Red Devils, it was the best squadron in the air force. The P-38 Lightning Pudgy received top-notch aircraft maintenance and was always in perfect flying condition.
The P-38 Lightning Pudgy is one of the most enthralling aircraft of all time. Its unique design and heroic accomplishments have cemented its place in history. Get your own piece of history with a P-38 model from Warplanes. Warplanes is a maker of airplane replica models. The P-38 model is made from the finest materials like mahogany, resulting in a museum-quality mahogany airplane models.
