The Lockheed P-38 “Lightning” was one of the great aircraft of World War II. The P-38 was a radical departure from conventional fighter aircraft; superior to other U.S. fighters when first flown, continually improved variants of the Lightning were used in front-line operations for the entire war. From the P-38-LO of 1941 through the P-38M of 1945, over 10,000 Lightnings were built. The P-38L of 1944 had a wingspan of 52', a length of 37' 10" and stood 9' 10" high. This definitive variant weighed 12,800 pounds empty, with a maximum takeoff weight of 21,600 pounds.
Beginning its Air Corps service in 1941, the Lightning was the most advanced fighter in America's front-line fighter squadrons when the U.S. entered WWII. In addition to fighter and ground attack duties, variants of the P-38 were highly successful in performing photo-reconnaissance and “pathfinder” work. Although it possessed some drawbacks as a high-altitude fighter, the Lightning had many advantageous features that allowed it to hold its own with other fighters, particularly in the Pacific theatre. One of the most recognizable aircraft of all time, the P-38 Lightning has the distinction of having been the aircraft flown by the two top-scoring American aces of all time, Major Richard Bong and Major Thomas McGuire.