P-38 Lightning

[ysi_maniac]

Ive been thinking about P38s with Merlins, mainly as I've a few left over from various Mosquitos.

If you've got any Mosquito wings left over, how about also converting the P-38 to leading edge radiators like th Mosquito?

... or in a conventional twin, as it was considered in early stages of its design/development.

[Sauragnmon]

Leading Edge Rads would look very interesting on the Lightning.  Definately would be something to see.

As to my Saber Lightning concept, if it was, then it would make an interesting modification for, say, the Droop Snoot, use it as a high speed low altitude strike/support bird.  Alternately, retaining the superchargers for the forced air intakes you could likely raise the Saber's high altitude performance.  I was simply thinking on the aspect of exactly how much power you could crank out of a Lightning fitted with a pair of Sabers.  And thankyou for reminding me of that, the Saber was the one that won out in the end against the Rolls Royce Vulture, another twinblock engine design.

[kitnut617]

I think you would end up with something like this, the engines are about the same size:

[kitnut617]

I've been remiss and not posted the photos from the IPMS-Seattle Spring Show this past April.
Anyhow here are three shots of the R-2800 powered P-38 that won the Best What-If? award.

Jon

Now that is something, love it.

[jcf]

Leading Edge Rads would look very interesting on the Lightning.  Definately would be something to see.

As to my Saber Lightning concept, if it was, then it would make an interesting modification for, say, the Droop Snoot, use it as a high speed low altitude strike/support bird.  Alternately, retaining the superchargers for the forced air intakes you could likely raise the Saber's high altitude performance.  I was simply thinking on the aspect of exactly how much power you could crank out of a Lightning fitted with a pair of Sabers.  And thankyou for reminding me of that, the Saber was the one that won out in the end against the Rolls Royce Vulture, another twinblock engine design.

The Napier Sabre was a two-speed supercharged engine and was not a 'twin-block' engine, it had a single block with twin crankshafts and four banks of cylinders arranged in a horizontal 'H' pattern. Vulture used four banks of cylinders arranged in an 'X'.
Multi-bank and multi-block engines are not the same thing.

In order to use the external turbo-superchargers as used on the P-38 (the Allison used on the P-38 had an engine mounted single-stage centrifugal supercharger, the turbo-charger was an external second stage supercharger), the Sabre induction system would require modification.
The bigger issue is the extreme difference in weight, the Sabre was a 1,000 lbs heavier.

Jon

[jcf]

I think you would end up with something like this, the engines are about the same size:

Weights are similar but the Sabre was dimensionally smaller than the V-3420.

Jon

[kitnut617]

Weights are similar but the Sabre was dimensionally smaller than the V-3420.

Jon

Good to know    I think if I was going to do a Sabre engined Lightning, I would start off with this airframe, but change the center pod along the lines of the Northrop F-15 Reporter which in it's original guise, was a competitor to the P/F-82 for the long range fighter requirement.

[GTX]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Griffon powered contra-props.

A very rough and quickly done (so forgive gross errors please) Griffon Lightning:



Regards,

Greg

[kitnut617]

FYI, here's a pic of the Vulture nacelle from the 1/72 Planet Models Manchester kit, the squares on the background paper are 1/4" or 6mm

[ChernayaAkula]

A very rough and quickly done (so forgive gross errors please) Griffon Lightning:

Yeah! Now that's cool! 

[Sauragnmon]

Hey, I've got a 1/72 P-38, and I'm thinking of a serious case of heresy - DB-601/5/3's in a P-38?  I'm thinking it gets captured by the Germans, who evaluate and then turn the P-38 around and push it into operation to replace the 110 as an escort fighter.

Yeah, I'm a heretic, I'm going to hell.

[GTX]

Hey, I've got a 1/72 P-38, and I'm thinking of a serious case of heresy - DB-601/5/3's in a P-38?  I'm thinking it gets captured by the Germans, who evaluate and then turn the P-38 around and push it into operation to replace the 110 as an escort fighter.

Yeah, I'm a heretic, I'm going to hell.

What variant of P-38?  What engines would you like - I'll do a drawing for you.

Regards,

Greg

[Sauragnmon]

The Lightning I have is the F/H by Airfix, so we'll go with that.

Lemme see it with the 601, and the 603.  I dunno where I'm going to get the engines, just yet, but I think I can think of something.  I'll have to figure it out as I go, but I like the idea in my head.  I might go for broke and think up a nice Belkan Airforce colour scheme, or else put it in Luftwaffe markings and colours.  I'm not entirely sure right now.

[GTX]

Crude I'll admit, but how's this:



Regards,

Greg

[Taiidantomcat]

Nice very subtle