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New page: The '''P-38 Lightning''' was an American long-range fighter-bomber in World War II, which served notably in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. == Design == The P-38 had an unus...
The '''P-38 Lightning''' was an American long-range fighter-bomber in [[World War II]], which served notably in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres.
== Design ==
The P-38 had an unusual "twin-boom" design and two engines. Although the first prototype flew in early 1940, the first production aircraft were not delivered until October 1941, because its unorthodox design provided many design problems.
== Service ==
The British were the first to order the P-38, although they were only used for training purposes. The P-38F was the first to be used--it was used extensively in North Africa and the Southern Pacific. The P-38G and H also served notably as bomber escorts in Europe, although with the development of the P-51 Mustang and the P-47 Thunderbolt they were almost phased out. Throughout the Pacific theatre they were used, as their long range, bomb capacity, and speed made them superb choices for land-based aircraft.
[[Category: aircraft]]
== Design ==
The P-38 had an unusual "twin-boom" design and two engines. Although the first prototype flew in early 1940, the first production aircraft were not delivered until October 1941, because its unorthodox design provided many design problems.
== Service ==
The British were the first to order the P-38, although they were only used for training purposes. The P-38F was the first to be used--it was used extensively in North Africa and the Southern Pacific. The P-38G and H also served notably as bomber escorts in Europe, although with the development of the P-51 Mustang and the P-47 Thunderbolt they were almost phased out. Throughout the Pacific theatre they were used, as their long range, bomb capacity, and speed made them superb choices for land-based aircraft.
[[Category: aircraft]]