Posted on 09/21/2016 8:36:24 AM PDT by C19fan
Over the last century of military aviation, several fighters have earned the nickname “flying coffin.” Military aviation inherently pushes up against the limits of technology and human endurance, particularly where fighter and pursuit aviation are concerned. Flying a fighter is remarkably dangerous, even when no one is trying to shoot you down. Engineering a capable fighter plane is also a struggle. Relatively small changes in engine, armament and airframe design can transform a clunker into an elite fighting machine. Many of the best fighters in history were initially viewed askance by their pilots.
(Excerpt) Read more at warisboring.com ...
When that happened, the pilot of the P-40 usually got peppered with bullet strikes on the armor plate behind his seat — which the wise took as a clue to dive to safety.
Another reason why the P-38 was rather unpopular in Europe. AA Gunners would see approaching twin engine fighters and open fire, the front profile of the 110 and P-38 were too similar.
Self-ping.
Among other things, Bong, McGuire and others knew how to use ‘differential throttling’ to make the P-38 turn faster, they would retard the throttle on one engine and advance it on the other to make it turn faster. As a result, the P-38 could turn a lot faster than Japs expected.
Lindbergh also helped P-38 pilots development methods of extending range. He bagged a few Japs, too, even though he was a civilian.
Quite true. And the Zero proved to be fragile and combustible due to lightweight construction and lack of armor and self-sealing gas tanks. The Zero’s maneuverability came at a price that frequently proved lethal in the second half of WW II when matched against the F6F Hellcat, an especially powerful and robust model from the Grumman “Ironworks” that became the USN’s primary fighter aircraft.
Lindbergh also helped Marines with the Corsair teaching techniques that allowed it to carry a heavier bomb load.
He wasn't popular with combat squadrons because he insisted on going on combat missions with them and nobody wanted the publicity that would go with being the guy that got Lindbergh killed.
He officially shot down a Japanese Ki-51 Sonia, a single engine light bomber, although there are rumors of others.
The Japanese home defense air squadrons were so amazed by the P-38's dogfighting skills they nicknamed it the "Fork-Tailed Devil."
That is so very British an approach, taking ideas from abroad and then spending blood and treasure to prove that they do not work.
The Lockheed publicity was that was the nickname the Germans had for the P-38 although that doesn't appear to actually be true. German aces thought the rather sluggish early models of the P-38 one of the easier USAAF fighters to knock down.
The Japanese sometimes referred to it as 'silent death' because thanks to its exhaust passing through turbosuperchargers, it was a very quiet airplane.
But, Snoopy never beat the Red Baron! His dog house just did not have the aerodynamics to keep up with the Triplane...
http://lapsedhistorian.com/long-way-round-part-1/
Brits were and are notorious for that.
An American Pan Am Clipper flying boat that was stranded by New Zealand when the Japanese attacked took the long way back to the US via Australia, Africa, South America and finally New York City.
They spotted a Japanese submarine in the Indian Ocean and reported it to the Brits. They ignored it telling the crew they had no idea what they were talking about and that submarine sunk several ships that the British certainly needed in 42’.
The first Japanese home defense fighters that went up against the P-38 thought they were intercepting an unmaneuverable bomber, and got a rude surprise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdExM7pwCAs
Snoopy’s dog house might have made a decent observational aircraft, but the stupid dog tried to make a fighter out of it.
It was a poor maneuverer. It's high speed zoom climb though was unmatched by anything the Japanese had so it would dive, shoot, and climb away.
Experienced pilots wouldn't lose any energy trying to turn and just try again if they were noticed and the Japanese turned out of the P-38's way.
P-38's were very quiet though and Japanese aircraft had lousy radios to warn each other when they even had them so P-38 aces piled up the highest scores of the war.
I had never heard of that incident. Thanks for mentioning it.
“...Flying a fighter is remarkably dangerous, even when no one is trying to shoot you down.
Engineering a capable fighter plane is also a struggle. ...”
(from author Farley’s original article at The National Interest blog).
First, forum members ought to ask: who is Robert Farley, and why should anyone take his assertions seriously? His author profile page at TNI calls him a “senior lecturer” at U of Kentucky. In law, military doctrine, “national security,” and maritime affairs.
Second, historical analysis cannot look at “fighter planes” in the abstract, as author Farley does. Doing so completely misses the central fact that fighters were (and are) weapons, employed by specific users in the armed forces of specific nations at specific points in time, against specific adversaries for specific durations.
Each of those items affects the outcome as much as any other aspect: a researcher attempting to rank one fighter as “better” or “worse” than any other has no overarching attributes to look at. Fighter forces - all forces - go into action as an undifferentiated whole.
Fighter aviation developed ad hoc, driven by battlefield imperatives from 1915 onward. It was never a deliberately developed military capability, dreamed about in isolation, imagined in advance, built up to satisfy preconceived purposes.
Building best-worst lists is diverting, but cannot shed light on the topic.
That was what he was credited with.
Interestingly, it was Charles Lindbergh who as a tech rep for Lockheed, who went out to the Pacific and taught pilots how to get the most out of a P-38. He even flew a number of combat missions as a civilian and was credited with several kills.
The F-35 comes to mind, so I hope it will mature into a winner.
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