Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American twin-engine multipurpose long-range fighter of a two-beam design with a three-wheel chassis and an all-metal construction. One of the most important American fighters of World War II. Already in 1939, when the first prototype of the KhR-38 was lifted into the air, it was clear that the future of fighter aviation would belong to this aircraft. At a time when a maximum speed of more than 500 km/h was considered a truly remarkable result, almost 650 km/h achieved by the P-38 became a real shock for everyone. In the early stages of the Second World War, the Lightning suffered from various childhood diseases, but later all problems were gradually solved and subsequent versions of the aircraft became more and more deadly for their opponents. acquiring at the same time the quality of a trusted P-38 with various specific tasks: from escorting bombers through photo reconnaissance to independent bombing. Due to the many tasks, the P-38 was produced in at least a dozen modifications. The first R-38 and R-38D were not used in combat, but were a kind of "improvement platforms". The P-38E was the first serial fighter. The P-38F variant was very similar to it, only with much more powerful turbocharged engines. In 1943, a version of the P-38J was created, improvements were made to it, including a change to the turbocharged steering system, engine cooling, and the nose profile of the fuselage, all of which significantly affected the characteristics of the machine. One of the latest modifications of the fighter-bomber was the P-38L version with powerful Allison V-1710-111/113 engines with a maximum power of 1620 hp. There were also reconnaissance versions (F4 and F5). Technical data: length: 11.53 m, wingspan: 15.85 m, height: 3.91 m, maximum speed: 712 km/h, rate of climb: 24.1 m/s, maximum range: 2100 km, practical ceiling: 13,000 m, armament: stationary - 4 12.7-mm M2 machine guns, 1 20-mm Hispano gun, suspended - up to 1800 kg payload.
