Inside The Cockpit - P-38 Lightning ft. Scat III

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

03:41 - parallel, not perpendicular (obviously) 04:03 - AWAY from the fuselage (in the P-38) **Thank you to the people who spotted these annoying hiccups I didn't catch in the edit**

[@JoeBlow-zr2ru]

Also at 8m24m we get the "other" right-hand boom (at 8m03s it was correctly the left-hand boom). Ignore us who notice these insignificant mis-speaks ... your videos are excellent.

[@MrSpirit99]

As a German, still better than my English and catching your errors always teaches me something new and makes me a little bit proud.

[@amirawadalla5866]

SCAT III was the name of the P-38 that Robin Olds flew back in WW2. Super cool!

[@kilianortmann9979]

Olds would fly an F-4C in Vietnam, named Scat XXVII with four credited kills and likely some uncredited ones (as an official ace the USAF would have likely send him home). He did not allow his pilots to fly with gun pods (although he would have liked an internal gun in the F-4), because he knew that his pilots, trained under a strategic bombing centric doctrine, never practiced dog-fighting and would not be able to use them effectively. His main point was not the lack of a gun, but the lack of gun/dog fight training, that was still necessary to use the early Sidewinder missiles.

[@badcornflakes6374]

One of the greatest pilots of WW2!

[@postflight]

Scat III was the only plane to score a confirmed kill with all engines out! Robin released his drop tanks before switching the selectors to the main tanks, causing fuel starvation moments before firing. He scored the kill, then changed the selection to the mains and restarting the engines and moving to the next BF109.

[@mikepette4422]

@@badcornflakes6374 ok thats a very bold statement lets put his 5 kills up against 100's of men who shot down 5 times, 8 times or even in one guys case 70 times as many or the Dive Bomber/ ground Attack guys who routinely had to go down to the deck where all the AAA was. I think a better statement was one of the greatest Pilots in POST WAR history I doubt many could argue against his thoughts on training the future pilots of the USAF

[@kinglouiev9530]

@@badcornflakes6374 one of the greatest pilots of the Vietnam war as well

[@leftcoaster67]

One of the most beautiful planes ever built.

[@facubeitches1144]

I respectfully disagree. - Isoroku Yamamoto

[@CAP198462]

My grandfather, who flew the P-38 in North Africa and Italy would agree.

[@LindaAllen2129]

@@leftcoaster67 My daddy often said the very same thing, about when he walked out on the field in England and first saw the P38 Lighting. The young men had trained on single engine and had never flown a twin. Several men died trying to learn to fly it as no one wanted to admit it as they were afraid they would not get a chance to fly it.

[@Luis-be9mi]

Germans called this plane “The Forked Tailed Devil”

[@mrvlsmrv]

Definitely a hot plane.

[@michaelkinnett6243]

My father was stationed in Foggia, Italy . He flew the P-38 and came back after the war. He So the farm boy out of H.S. enlisted and ended up flying this aircraft. I am a commercial pilot, thanks to dad. I love the section in the cockpit. Brought back fond memories.

[@TDOBrandano]

One detail worth of note is that the counterrotating props spin in the "wrong" direction when compared to most other twins, which makes it more difficult to fly with one engine out. You normally want the inboard blade to be the downgoing one, because at positive angle of attack it has a coarser pitch relative to the airflow, and therefore it has a bit more thrust, shifting the thrust vector nearer to the centerline. Also, in case of a wheels up landing, if a blade were to detach it would be less likely to hit the fuselage. And even in normal operation, spinning props can pick up pebbles and stuff from the runway and throw it towards the plane. In the case of the P38, however, the propwash interacted badly with the inboard portion of the wing, causing elevator buffeting in cruise, and this configuration was the solution.

[@josephking6515]

*Thank you.* I always wondered why it had the *two* critical engines and surmised it had something to do with elevator authority but could never find anything to confirm my suspicions. Mystery now confirmed and much appreciated. 👍

[@spmadeinusa4594]

My father was one of the original P-38 designers. He attended the College of Engineering's Daniel Guggenheim School of Aeronautics at New York University.. In his fourth year, the Department of the Army directed seniors in his class would graduate immediately so they could work on wartime projects. One of his assignments involved structural analysis of the P-38 fuselage, specifically the tail booms. Back then huge rooms were filled with white shirt black pants, crew cut engineers sitting at steel case desks, who spent hours with slide rules, essentially acting as a human computer. When we heard this we joked that our dad was a college dropout, to which he replied "I guess so, one the Army instructed to design fighters".

[@dogcat145]

so essentially NOT one of the "original P-38 designers"

[@spmadeinusa4594]

@@dogcat145 Incorrect. Then, as now, a large team designs new aircraft and major weapon systems. New, recently graduated engineers, then as now, perform tasks appropriate to their skill level and experience. Each contribution has intrinsic value, from the system architect to the component designer. So yes, in the vernacular used in our industry (at least according to my own 40 years in aerospace and defense), he was one of the original P-38 designers, one junior aeronautical engineer on a large engineering team.

[@Triple_J.1]

Anyone performing major structural calculations is obviously there at the beginning. Later on, those computations are rarely repeated. The aircraft becomes proven in service, and future variants use the original design.

[@chrisw8417]

One of my relatives flew the P-38 in the 9th AF. He was credited with shooting down and ME-109 after having his left engine shot out by a FW-190 in Aug 44. 367FG 394FS. They traded in the P-38 for the P-47 in Feb of 45. Nice vid of the plane.

[@Nedski42YT]

My father trained on a P-38 during WWII. I still have the book used for training called "Hanger Flying the P-38." I'm not 100% sure of that title. He did not see any combat, he was scheduled to ship out the Pacific in the fall of 1945. Your tour of the cockpit was very informative. You made it seem simple and logical. Thanks.

[@joevanseeters2873]

That P-38 looks like it's in brand new condition like it just rolled off the assembly plant floor. Whomever did that restoration did an excellent job. That has to be one of the best P-38's in existence other than maybe the Red Bull P-38. I was fortunate enough to see a P-38 fly in an airshow in Colorado Springs a few months ago and it was spectacular. Steve Hinton flew that thing like he was in dog fight in WWII flying all kinds of aerobatics and flying alongside an F-22 through several maneuvers. It was amazing to see and hear that P-38 in flight with the unique whistling sound of those superchargers! It's one of the most unique sounding WWII era warbirds. This is my favorite warbird from WWII. That cockpit looks absolutely amazing with that Yoke assembly instead of the stick. Not many of the small fighter planes had Yokes. They almost always had a stick. Due to the twin engine design, the Army Air Forces actually recruited pilots from the bomber command since bomber pilots had experience with operating twin engined rather than single engined aircraft typical of fighters of the day. Some bomber pilots were afforded an opportunity to switch over to becoming a fighter pilot or reconnaissance pilot in the camera equipped model.

[@huffy1949]

My very favorite WW2 aircraft! (although the DO-335 is a close second). Thanks so much for this video - I've already watched it twice.

[@markraciborski4289]

DO-335 thumbs up, have a balsa model of it.

[@feedingravens]

A few weeks ago I saw a P-38 Lightning flyiing over the Munich area. I told my girlfriend "That MUST be a P-38 and it MUST be the one from the Red Bulls in Salzburg" - "How can you know that?" - "The twin booms, the trapeze wings, and I can't imagine that there is another P-38 roaming over Europe other than the Red Bulls"

[@andrewwaller5913]

Correct, it's the only airworthy P-38 in Europe. It was superb at Sywell Airshow in the UK recently, flew with the Red Bull Mustang, Corsair and Mitchell.

[@feedingravens]

@@andrewwaller5913 It is only confusing as it is a true showplane and not a historically accurate rebuild. It is a P-38L, which should have the "chin" radiators housing the turbocharger intercoolers, but it has the streamlined cowlings of that was used up to ca. the P-38F model. That means as now only fly at low levels, they do not need all the equipment for performance at large heights anymore, so they threw out everything in that regard, making the plane lighter and easier to maintain. So the whole turbocharger installation on the upper side of the booms is gone, without the turbocharger you have no heating up of intake air, so need no intercoolers anymore. The complete armament is also gone - granted, armament is not allowed for a private plane in Germany or Austria. . My friend at the Flugwerft Unterschleißheim (airplane collection of the Deutsches Museum Munich) would be very unhappy. They are all for total historicity. They got the "He 111" from the movie "The Battle of Britain" painted in german markings of that time, but the movie was not the historic event that was acceptable. So they completely rebuilt the plane to what it originally was, a CASA.111, a spanish license build, with spanish markings. A funny detail mmy friend he told me about is that due to the completely glazed, very slanted nose in rain visibility could be really bad. Therefore the pilot seat can be raised, so that you can open a large panel on top and a small windscreen folds out and you can poke your head out for landing. Another probably unknown detail is the wing mounting. I would have expected an extremely sturdy construction, the main spar protuding with a overlap and multiple fastenings. Instead, the wing spar ends in two about fist-sized balls top and bottom, that fit inthemispherical sockets at the fuselage. The fastening of the ball is done with w bell-shaped nut (in german you would call it "Überwurfmutter"). That is all for load-bearing. I hope that was interesting. I relish in such details. I find that is what makes things truly interesting, and often opens up the door to understanding of otherwise enigmatic peculiarities "Oh, THAT is the reason for that, because they had just that part, they had to build it that way, and therefore it looks so weird/they had to use it in this way and not that".

[@paoloviti6156]

The P-38 was considered one of the best US 🇺🇸 fighter generally speaking but it was expensive to manufacture because of the twinboom configuration . Good job again and again thanks for sharing this very interesting video.

[@rayschoch5882]

Maybe a correction? Chris says the props rotated toward the inner wing section, but I recall reading (I'm not a pilot) that the P-38's counter-rotating props were set up to rotate toward the wingtips rather than the inboard section. What I read was that the inboard wing section provided relatively little lift compared to the outboard wing section, so the prop wash was more of a help aerodynamically if it was directed toward the wingtip. Fagen Fighters is an immaculate facility in a tiny town on the Minnesota prairie. They now have a Navy hangar, which features an F6F-5 (the plane my dad flew in combat from the USS Lexington in 1944); an F4U-4, which was beginning to replace the Hellcat at war's end; and an SB2C Helldiver, one of the very few flying examples of the type. Well worth a visit!

[@briansilcox5720]

@@rayschoch5882 correct!

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Correct, didn't catch this in the edit. Thanks for pointing it out :)

[@budnrobots2968]

@@rayschoch5882 Yeah, you better be polite!!

[@Triple_J.1]

Both are correct. The propellers rotated inward, left hand clockwise, right hand anti-clockwise. This was the original intent to reduce P-factor in engine-out scenarios. The problem was, similar to the F-4U corsair, the up-going blades would stall the outboard wings, and this would cause the aircraft to depart laterally at the stall. It is better to stall the inboard wing first, ad this causes a nose-down moment which is benign and self-correcting. The other issue was maneuverability. By changing the propeller rotation directions, not only was the airplane more stable at the stall, it was also less stable everywhere else, so it could be pitched and rolled more aggressively. This due to many factors, including gyroscopic precession and again p-factor. They gave up the single-engine controllability though, and pilots had to be trained to get more speed on takeoff before they started to climb. (Higher blue-line speed). Else the P-38 with the outboard rotation props would roll over uncontrollably and impact the ground if an engine failed. (And this was twice as likely to happen with two engines).

[@johnnytyler5685]

The P-51 is the most beautiful fighter that the US (or anyone) built during WW2, but the P-38 is definitely the coolest.

[@paddy.7784]

Well put ... couldn't agree more .

[@PhilKelley]

Thank you for an excellent walk-around and guide to the cockpit. If I had to pick one, the P-38 would be my favorite WWII fighter plane, although the P-51 would be a very close second.

[@rand0mn0]

Thanks, again, Fagen Fighters!

[@shootingwithmitch5921]

Thankyou for covering this plane. I think the p38 is often overshadowed by the mustang abd thunderbolt, but for me it's the coolest U.S. fighter of the war. Excellent video!!

[@Bfranklyn731]

I wonder how the corsairs and hellcats would have done against the luftwaffa?

I did not think much of the P-38 up until I read more about the Air War in the Pacific. It is interesting how the same plane can fare differently and be remembered differently on to different theaters in the same war. Nice Video

[@41tl]

Same story with the P-39. American pilots generally disliked the P-39, Soviet pilots loved it. Different combat conditions led to different outcomes.

[@dunbar9finger]

In the Pacific, range was king. The P-38 flew efficiently with its sleek lines and could really stretch the fuel when using a lean mixture. A plane that performs mediocre but at least can reach the enemy is better than one that performs excellently but has bad range so it can only defend an island not attack from it. In Europe you could always build a new forward airfield close to the front when the front moves. In the Pacific you are stuck with the islands that are already there. Close to the front might be wide open ocean.

[@washingtonradio]

One of the issues in WWII was the 8th was originally led by a "Bomber Mafia" die hard while Kinney in the Pacific was much more pragmatic. When Doolittle replace Eaker in Europe was the leadership much more pragmatic. Kinney and Doolittle were more about winning the war doctrine be damned than idiots like Eaker (or should I say traitors like Eaker). The P-38 and P-47 did very well in the Pacific because Kinney was about solving problems and results not doctrine. That meant both birds could show their capabilities much better than under Eaker in the ETO.

[@fernandobrack8114]

Reason for this performance difference between the two theaters was that the P-38 engine superchargers were not very efficient, which posed a weakness when flying at the high altitudes typical of the bomber escorting missions in Europe. In the Pacific, the majority of the missions were at quite lower altitudes (the Zero and other japanese aircraft had no superchargers until late in the war, when the primary USAAF defensive/escorting fighter was the P-51).

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

Why they as well have been flying on another Planet.

[@USSWISCONSIN64]

we have Richard Bong's P-38 Here in Superior WI and love seeing everything time go to the museum too. Glad to see this video about the P-38 :D

[@potroast1794]

@@USSWISCONSIN64 HELL YEAH! DICK BONG, AMERICA'S PILOT

[@potroast1794]

Hell yeah, shoutout to Dick Bong

[@jeremiahrex]

Where’s that at? I’d love to visit on our next visit up there!

[@USSWISCONSIN64]

@@jeremiahrex Superior Wisconsin at the Richard Ira Bong Historical Center. Address is 305 E 2nd St, Superior, WI 54880 :)

[@USSWISCONSIN64]

@@jeremiahrex 305 E 2nd St, Superior, WI 54880 is the Address :D

[@spikestubbs210]

My all-time favorite airplane.

[@martinchorich1621]

My dad flew one of these over Italy before he was old enough to vote. It still blows my mind that the Army Air Force invested in a twenty year old to pilot a front line fighter in combat conditions.

[@Fernwald84]

Two advantages to having "kids" in combat: fast reflexes and belief in one's invulnerability. Older folks know that doing stuff like dive bombing, close ground support, dancing around flak, etc., is hazardous to your health.

[@damadelli3847]

My dad also flew these out of Italy (Foggia) in late ‘44-early ‘45. Lots of stories.

[@anttitheinternetguy3213]

YES, thank you! My father has been building plane models since 70's and flown in finnish air forces in the 80's, and i noticed in war thunder simulator (out of al the places) the mirrors on the engines inner sides. Me and my father were wondering what they were for, he had never known about them. Now i can tell him the right answer

[@lanszoominternet]

As someone who has never flown anything more complicated than a single engine civilian aircraft I am amazed by the demands on the pilot just to fly the aircraft. Then to also handle all the various forms of armaments gets my highest respect for the individuals who flew these aircraft. From a design perspective always one of the most visually arresting aircraft ever, while at the same time being incredibly lethal.

[@SkyhawkSteve]

I've had the pleasure of seeing it fly at Oshkosh... back in 2015? It's nice to get a peek into the cockpit and to learn about some of the more subtle details. Thanks!

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

When ever I see the cockpit of a WWII aircraft I'm always amazed by the sofistication of the instruments and controls. Pilots definitely were highly skilled.

[@LindaAllen2129]

My father flew over 80 missions in P38 Lighting out of England.

[@danilorainone406]

germans called these 'forked tailed devils

[@lambastepirate]

@@danilorainone406 A funny thing the most feared plane for a German soldier to see was the Piper J-3 Cub, the reason why was they knew the artillery was fixing to hit them with heavy fire!

[@LindaAllen2129]

He learned to fly in single engine. When they got to England they were taken out to the field and shown what my Dad called “ The most beautiful plane God ever created. None of the men wanted to admit having never flown a twin engine. Several were killed trying to learn. My Father came home with the D. F. C. The Air Medal with 13 clusters. I ask him once what that ment? He said “Oh that just means I was He also said “ every day, four planes flew out and every day three cam back…………day…..after…..day……after…….day. Think how scrared they must have been…… they still climbed in those planes and finished their mission.

[@ananthxn]

An absolute madlad 😮

[@dandavis4469]

Always been fascinated with this aircraft Very well done tour, especially the cockpit portion. I saw the T 6 Texan. I was lucky to do aerobatics in one in Falorida about 30 years ago as a very low hour pilot - what a kick!I remember doing dives of ~ 1000 ft to build enoughspeed for loops. Thanks

[@Robb-n1t]

Amazing, lovingly restored to near new perfection !

[@tootired76]

It's a very cool museum on the Minnesota prairie. The Fagens built it to honor their dad who actually stormed Omaha beach. I saw this P 38 fly during their airshow in 2018 before they matched Robin Old's color scheme. Granite Falls is approx. 3 hours west of Minneapolis.

[@MattL0228]

I live in Granite Falls and have seen this plane fly over my house.

[@SarlaccSurvivor]

Absolutely love the p-38, even as a kid i remember thinking how cool the twin engine airframe looked. Always reminded me of the tailspin show 😅

[@connell212]

Nice detail about the mirror on side of the engine nascel so pilot could check position of the landing gear.

[@Talefromthehangar]

One of the most beautiful planes ever built. Thank you well done

[@tedferkin]

Definitely my favourite USAAF aircraft of WW2, up in my top 5 overall. Such a beast of a plane.

[@camrsr5463]

P-38 is my favorite warplane. I first saw one at the WPAFB with the scouts back in 93 or 94.

[@PalleRasmussen]

That is such a beautiful and lethal plane. And the Mustang behind... war-turner.

[@ClaraBells-u8z]

@@PalleRasmussen hi palle

[@PalleRasmussen]

@@ClaraBells-u8z hej Clara.

[@ClaraBells-u8z]

@@PalleRasmussen Where ya from ? Howdy from d states..

[@michaelguerin56]

Thank you Christoph and Fagen’s Fighters. Beautiful aeroplane and setting.

[@cannonfodder4376]

Saw a P-38 fly in 2022. Truly a great sight and I must admit that seeing you dwarfed by it is surprising. A truly big bird compared to its single engine contemporaries. A beautiful bird in fantastic shape. An excellent Inside The Cockpit episode.

[@coldisle]

War is a horrific thing, but the magnificent planes that were designed and built in order to win wars are a thing of absolute beauty. The Lightning is my all time favorite plane and I bet even our enemies…just before getting shot down…would think..” I’m screwed but what an incredible looking plane!” Imagining Richard Bong’s legendary expertise in flying and fighting with his P38 is just remarkable.

[@kevinkern2149]

The P-38 is my favorite WWII fighter, with the Me-262 as a close second (I like the symmetry of twin engine designs). Possibly controversial personal take: I much prefer the post J-variant intercooler arrangement to the initial design, the "chin" intakes looking more purposeful and aggressive than the subtler "nostrils" of the A-thru-Hs. Thanks for giving us an up close look at the cockpit; you picked a stunning example.

[@BogeyTheBear]

Lockheed drew up the P-38 as the Model 22, and every variant in the family had a prefix number. The single XP-38 prototype was the Model 22. The production prototypes and earliest models were the Model 122. The P-38E through P-38H were the Model 222. The P-38J and later models were the Model 422. The Model 322 was the export variant which didn't go anywhere. France fell before they could get theirs, and the British didn't like what they were going to get and so they cancelled the order.

[@brennus57]

Thank you very, very much, Chris. Even after that brief tour I can really see why the P-38 was such a handful and a challenge to fly. Your technical quality, both audio and visual has really come a long way. Exceptionally professional.

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Thanks a lot! Though I will say that the more recently shot videos (which will come out later this year) are much better in video quality. Looking forward to sharing those!

[@brennus57]

​@@MilitaryAviationHistoryWow!!! The specifications for the new, multi-barrel, rotary video camera and flush riveted, supercharged microphone are very impressive. 😊 I'm looking forward to seeing the enhanced speed, roll rate, and firepower that these improved technologies bring to your presentations.

[@JCLampee-t3f]

I remember growing up in England during the war and watching P-38's It was my favorite plane, still is

[@AHSoulyss]

The pre-J variant 38 is the most beautiful piston engine aircraft ever.

[@СусаннаСергеевна]

The P-63 would like a word with you.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Is that because of the change in engine intake?

[@BogeyTheBear]

@@WALTERBROADDUSThe front of the engine houses the oil coolers. In the J version and later, a third intake scoop is added as an air cooler (in earlier version these air coolers were in the wings). The actual air intake for the motors is that teardrop scoop on the side of the boom underneath the wing. Air is scooped there, compressed by the turbocharger that it's connected to, and the pressurised air is piped forward to blow past the carburetor.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@BogeyTheBear I believe you misunderstand the nature of my comment? It's the original poster who apparently does not like the Cosmetics of the front intakes. It's not a matter of their particular function.

[@laserdad]

Great job identifying each of the gauges and controls. I really like the white box visuals, which made it clear what item you were discussing.

[@bobbressi5414]

Seeing all of the controls and dials in that cockpit I have to remind myself that these combat pilots were 19 or 20 on average. 25 was considered old for most fighter pilots of the time. I am humbled by these men.

[@Davie-jx4rh]

One of my favorite ww2 planes, and my favorite plane to fly in simulators (12.5:1 K/D) Easy landings, good speed, solid maneuverability for a twin boom, amazing armament, solid roll rate, and excellent flaps It’s amazing how survivable it is, too, limped back to base on a single engine many times

[@postflight]

Just a quick clarification: Yes, the P38 did have counter rotating props; however, unlike most twin engine planes they have the downward (descending) blades out board. This makes it more nimble when both engines are operating, but gives more asymmetrical thrust when one engine fails. Thanks for the great video on Scat III!

[@Robb-n1t]

Fantastic !! My absolute favorite plane ever !!

[@peterstickney7608]

Excellent as always, Chris! A little but of expansion on a point- The P-38 didn't get Dive Brakes added - they were Dive Recovery Flaps. The P-38, and P-47 had wing airfoils that gave low drag at subsonic speeds - up to about 400-420 mph (650 km/h, more or less), but the flow started going transonic a little bit after that, and at about 470 mph (750 km/h) - Mach 0.68 - the supersonic airflow over the wings and tail would make give a nose tuck (Nose-down pitch) that couldn't be countered. All WW 2 era fast airplanes operating in those speed ranges would d this, but at somewhat higher speeds (around Mach 0.75 - 525 mph / 845 km/hr) With level flight speeds around 400 mph (Typical speeds in combat, not necessarily the airplane's max speed) it didn't take much of a dive to get a P-38 or P-47 in trouble. At best they'd dive out of the fight, recovering somewhere below 10,000' (3000 m) above sea level, and at worst breaking up on recovery or flying straight into the ground. The U.S. and U.K. put a lot of effort into understanding and dealing with the problem. In the Spring of 1944, they came up with yjr Dive Recovery Flap. The difference is that instead of adding drag, they changed the pitching moment of the wing to create a nose up pitch, which would allow the pilot to pull out while in the Transonic region. One P-38 problem that never got fixed was Cockpit Heating. It was pretty much impossible to seal up the nose and cockpit bulkheads, so the -45 degree (F or C, it's the same) outside air was always leaking in. With the engines out on the wings, instead of keeping the pilot's feet warm, severe frostbite was a common problem.

[@ronforister8374]

Correct, however the mechanism is at or near the spar on the underside of the wing outboard of the nacelles. So, more of a reverse spoiler.

[@ronaldbyrne3320]

You’re a lucky so and so for getting to sit in that cockpit. 😁👍🏻 Love this series. Many thanks.

[@daveschneider4723]

P-38s are always worth a visit!

[@BruceMusto]

I think this is probably the first video of yours that I've watched. I enjoyed it very much. I'm a boomer, born in '58, so WWII airplanes were a big part of the models I built growing up and the P-38 was one of my favorites. Such a cool looking airplane. I like the way you moved around the plane, pointing out and explaining all the features and some differences you might find between variants. I really enjoyed the way you outlined and explained the controls in the cockpit. I spent 20 yrs in the USN in a technical rating and that kind of stuff just fascinates me. All in all. Great video. Am going to subscribe and check out some more. Thanks.

[@Ray-jk9gq]

My grandfather was a mechanic in wwll he never worked on p38 but he loved the p47 he call it a flying tank

[@nocloo6829]

Brilliant stuff as always, Chris! Thanks for sharing and keep them coming!

[@fittobetiedyed5315]

Outstanding walkaround. I'm currently building a series of 1:48 scale Lightnings, so I found this quite helpful. I would have liked to have also seen the pilot seat and radio compartment, but am very pleased with what you have shown here.

[@americanpatriot2422]

Always an Outstanding video and presentation.

[@americanpatriot2422]

@MrLBPug He does have some very well explained and detail walk around videos.

[@ZX7KIRK]

what a fantastic video, very informative and well presented. great work, thank you for your contribution.

[@spudskie3907]

Another great video as always.

[@jstephenallington8431]

The P-38 was one of the first in a long line of highly successful Clarence Leonard “Kelly” Johnson's airframe designs. He started with Lockheed right out of engineering school and went from the big P-38 to the P-80, the U-2, the renowned SR-71 Blackbird and even the F-117 Nighthawk. Quite the storied career!

[@gerhardris]

Great that you could visit a still flying P38 and jump into the cockpit to boot! Kelly Jhonsons engineers at Lockheed were no doubt inspired by the Fokker G1 prototype as displayed at the Airsalon in Paris with a twintailboom desighn fighter bomber with counter rotating props and a hefty frontal armament of two 2mm Madson cannon and two machine guns. BTW a picture from the front of the monocoque wooden disign of the G1 might you think it a Mosquito. The tricicle landing gear of the Fokker D23 also shown at the Paris Salon. 15:08

[@WilliamJohnson-g6z]

The p-38 has always been my favorite airplane over world war II. Such a cool airplane.

[@AyKBSBt]

I hoped since long time ago to see the P-38 in this serie ! I love this plane ! Thank you so much for inside the cockpit and special thanks for this épisode !! If I have something to add, it will be cool to have the start up process

[@davidhernandez9985]

Obsessed with all of Col-Robin Olds warbirds, especially P-51D Mustang Scat-VII!

[@markzed66]

Beautiful aircraft. Great video. 👍

[@edgaraquino2324]

Good video! I believe the P-38 is the only WW II fighter which uses a yoke instead of a stick...I like that alot...there is to me more control as a result...fyi, the Mossie fighter-bomber uses a stick, not a yoke...:(( The unarmed bomber version uses the yoke...thanks for outlining the controls & guages as you talk about them... subbed...😊

[@chrisgray4786]

Being a tricycle gear aircraft with counter rotating propellers it seems to me that it would be pretty straightforward to fly. Always thought it was one of the best designed fighters of WW2 and seems like you could concentrate on fighting instead of flying. If I were a WW2 fighter pilot this is the plane I wish they would have assigned me to, along with possibly the F6F Hellcat.

[@MrSpinteractive]

I'm really impressed with how sleek but purposeful the aircraft looks even by today's standards. Many thanks to you and your videographer for this excellent video!

[@sniddley]

Excellent presentation, thank you.

[@BaumannJA]

In Memory of Robin Olds. July 14th 1922. Fagan Fighters is one of the Very Best museum/collections in the entire U.S.. A visit there is something you will never regret.

[@funscalemodels9782]

Excellent walk around and cockpit review!

[@bassplayersayer]

Great video Biz!!!!!

[@AD13]

This is probably my favorite ww2 fighter ever. Hard to pick between this and the mustang, but this one just edges out the mustang for me. But not by alot..

[@RossD8]

Very informative, well done!

[@johnhanley9946]

I enjoyed this video, the P-38 is my favorite WWII warbird.

[@dalanbronnenberg]

Shockingly complex set of controls! Man, that is a LOT to keep in mind and handle while getting shot at.

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

There was a large car museum just outside Reno, NV, back in the 1980s. They also had at least a dozen P-38s ! I believe that museum changed ownership, and the collection somewhat redistributed.

[@TheKevintegra19]

Great tour, always wondered about all the intakes and radiators for air, oil, turbo and superchargers...

[@coldisle]

Such a magnificent looking plane. A Highly functional work of art….beautiful and lethal.

[@iatsechannel5255]

The most American thing was the built in ladder for pilots to mount their ships. Such a degree of finish and detail is a touch of understated genius.

[@mike-barnes]

The P-38 (with super/turbo chargers) was a beautiful and magnificent aircraft.

[@ralach]

A very distinctive, and (imo) beautiful, aircraft: Cheers for making your videos, Chris, always looking forward to these :)

[@monstrok]

I am impressed with the Lightning's instrument panel layout. It reminds me of the Me262 with the flight instruments to the left and the engine instruments clustered logically to the right. The yoke control certainly makes sense for the early P-38 models without boosted control surfaces. This make me wonder if the P-38L, with its hydraulically boosted controls, could have been redesigned with a center stick.

[@ClaraBells-u8z]

Hi 👋

[@gordtulk]

Excellent work!!

[@WilliamBarnitz]

Nice job. Fully feathering propeller....actually the blades parallel the airflow when they are feathered.

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Yes, misspoke!

[@pedrodiaz5540]

Beautiful great video

[@Mors_Inimicis]

An excellent tour and kudos to you for remembering the facts and figures from memory with no notes ! It was an excellent design just a shame it struggled a bit in the European climate . I must build another model of one of these beauties!

[@itowmyhome797]

Thank you

[@fazole]

I can't imagine flying in IFR with that panel, the instruments are all over the place. The cockpit layout really adds to the complexity as compared to the logical layout of the P-51.

[@BogeyTheBear]

Flight instruments on the left/center, engine instruments on the right.

[@AlanRoehrich9651]

Actually, the J model had 1750HP per engine at War Emergency Power. The Allison V-1710 had a two stage centrifugal supercharger, but it was not two speed. That's why it used the General Electric B series turbocharger.

[@ubroberts5541]

I have an original blueprint for a J model. The blueprint is dated 11-18-42. I got it from someone who worked at Lockheed in Burbank, Ca during production.

[@Eyes-of-Horus]

When I was in high school many year ago I recall reading about the P-38 in one of the books for English class. The story told about it being one of the 2 prop planes that was able to break the sound barrier in a dive. The other was the P-47. I mentioned this to my cousin who is a retired Air Force officer and a former fighter pilot and he confirmed this. So, the Bell X-1 and the X-15 weren't the first to break the sound barrier. The were the first to break the sound barrier in level flight. This never gets corrected when the breaking of the sound barrier is discussed. Besides, the X series planes were rocket powered.

[@BogeyTheBear]

The P-38 (nor the P-47) could never break the sound barrier. The airspeed gauge on the P-38 goes up to 700 mph for some reason, and in one dive a pilot reported the needle hitting that 700 mark. What really happened was the developing shock waves were messing up the pitot-static balance on the instrument in the dive. The claim of the Bell X-1 being the first plane to go supersonic in level flight but _not the first_ to break the sound barrier is all because of George Welch claiming to break the sound barrier in an F-86 Sabre while in a dive. Bear in mind, the whole point of the X-1 was to determine if an airplane flying beyond the sound barrier could still generate lift (i.e. if it could still fly at all) rather than do its best impersonation of a lawn dart.

[@lawrencequave7361]

Outstanding museum, beautiful aircraft (all), and excellent narration on the P-38. (This was my first intro to this a/c.) A complex aircraft that HAD to hold up in all sorts of dirty, dusty conditions--right? From WAY down South, regretfully, it's very unlikely I'll ever get to visit your museum. Keep 'em flying.

[@notmenotme614]

I’m surprised how big the P-38 is. When Chris was stood at the back between the 2 tail booms, it puts it into perspective.

[@ClaraBells-u8z]

Hi

[@mandowarrior123]

Its tiny to be honest, for a twin engine aircraft. Takes up a lot of space, though, for sure.

[@ClaraBells-u8z]

@@mandowarrior123 Where ya from?Howdy from d states..

[@scottbruner9266]

9:00 I know he said “pitot tube”, but my brain heard “Pikachu” 😂

[@martensjd]

That looks like a great museum collection.

[@carguy1979]

I beat you to the museum but not by much. Although I have a home court advantage since it’s close by! They do have a nice collection. Love the P-38. Theirs is in beautiful condition like much of their collection.

[@TurboMcAwesome]

Great stuff as always😀

[@4shink]

I am a retire private SEL pilot with 780 hours. The mechanical complexity of all single piston engine aircraft require a substantial portion of pilot attention...add a 2x factor for the second engine systems, plus navigation, plus formation attention while in flight I am always astounded that combat pilots of all nations actually had time to fight.

[@Rammstein0963.]

The P-38 due to its armament, actually made the head-on pass an extremely easy duel to win for our pilots, if they had the sack to attempt it, just so much firepower concentrated in so small an area. It definitely earned respect from both sides.

[@edwardcaseyjr5490]

Awesome video keep up the great work 👍 👍 👏

[@chuckhillier4153]

Thanks

[@stevesp38]

The P-38 Lightning and the F-15 Eagle, in my opinion, are the two best fighters and most beautiful airplanes every built. Sorry for submitting this correction, but the propellers on the P-38 do not rotate inboard toward the fuselage. They rotate outboard toward the wingtips.

[@ClaraBells-u8z]

Hi Steve 👋

[@stevesp38]

Hello Clara

[@ClaraBells-u8z]

@@stevesp38 Where ya from ? Howdy from d states..

[@stevesp38]

I am originally from Kentucky but I currently live in Georgia

[@stevesp38]

Where U Clara