aircraft/loadouts YP-38 Lightning

[Alphanoodle 526]

Introduction: The YP-38 Lightning was a pre-production model of the famous P-38 and my god was finding information on this hard since only 13 were made. This thing was very similar to the XP-38 we already have in game but it had larger radiators and more powerful Allison V-1710-27/29 engines with about 1150-HP each as well as different armament.

 

History: The first YP-38 flew in September, 1940, and delivery to the Army took place in Spring, 1941. It never saw combat (judging from my sources). Thats literally the entire history. I didnt lie when i said it was hard to find data.

 

Specifications: as already said, information on this thing is EXTREMELY rare and apart from the armament I couldnt find anything about its flight performance. If you happen to find anything please post it. However you have to cosider that it was basically a XP-38 with more powerful engines and different armament. Since the E version had (again) even more powerful engines than the YP-38, the flight performance should be something in between the XP-38 and P-38E (again feel free to correct me if you have any sources claiming something else).

Armament: 1x 37mm M4 cannon (same as on the P-39 Airacobra)

2x .30cal Browning MGs

2x .50cal M2 Browning MGs

all guns are mounted in the nose as usual but i couldnt find any data on how much ammo each gun carried.

 

Why? We already have 6 versions of the P38 in game (XP, E, G, J, 5LO, K) so why add another one (in particular, one that never saw combat and only saw 13 produced) if there are a lot of iconic american fighters still missing? Well i would love to see this thing as either premium or event vehicle. I mean, a P38 with a 37mm would be interesting right? ;P

 

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_P-38_Lightning#Variants

                http://acepilots.com/planes/p38_lightning.html

                https://weltkrieg2.de/p-38-lightning/ keep in mind this one is german

 

I could find only 1 picture of a YP-38 (the first one) and this one was unarmed as it looks. There is sadly not a single YP-38 that survived. The second picture just shows a regular P38

Thank you very much for reading this. I know that suggesting planes that never saw combat or were produced in very small numbers is always a... lets just say "hot" topic but since it is american and not some kind of captured aircraft, AND since Gaijin gives us planes like the XA-38 Grizzly https://warthunder.com/en/news/4930-development-xa-38-grizzly-packing-a-punch-en i think we could give this thing a try. Sorry if there are minor grammer mistakes, my first language is german :3. Go up and vote on the poll now please.

Edited September 6, 2017 by Alphanoodle

[SAUBER_KH7 3,326]

Open for Discussion.

 

Seeing that it has a 37mm, and is a unique pre production aircraft, I think this would be a great low tier premium.

[sniperNZSAS 1,116]

+1 for low tier premium

[Dan_RAFBC 1,201]

"The first YP-38s were complete by September 1940. The first test flight of a YP-38 came on 17 September, and the aircraft were then delivered to Wright Field, where pilots from the 1st Pursuit Group would carry out a series of service tests. The resulting tests revealed a top speed of 405 mph at 20,000ft, slightly down from the more streamlines XP-38, but still very impressive."

[Mercedes4321 4,695]

I supposed it would make for an interesting premium. How many P-38 variants are left to be added anyway?

[Alphanoodle 526]

4 minutes ago, Mercedes4321 said:

I supposed it would make for an interesting premium. How many P-38 variants are left to be added anyway?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_P-38_Lightning#Variants see for yourself

quite a few apperantly but i think other fighters (different versions of P40s and earlier mustangs in particular) would be more important to add for now

[Mercedes4321 4,695]

3 minutes ago, Alphanoodle said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_P-38_Lightning#Variants see for yourself

quite a few apperantly but i think other fighters (different versions of P40s and earlier mustangs in particular) would be more important to add for now

Good to know. Looks like a bunch of those weren't built/were just for photo reconnaissance though.

[sniperNZSAS 1,116]

If my Night Raid game mode suggestion ever gets traction then the P-38M night fighter would be an awesome plane to stick in the game

 

Edited September 3, 2017 by sniperNZSAS

[Alphanoodle 526]

Also i found this VERY long URL: https://books.google.at/books?id=NB9UCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&dq=yp-38+pre+production+lightning&source=bl&ots=AhwcuKbx65&sig=G7aUmLeLHlArx5UmoJd0b1iSAOw&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOiYWVpZDWAhUMsBQKHU7uAgkQ6AEISDAH#v=onepage&q=yp-38 pre production lightning&f=false if you want to read a bit more about the YP-38 just press CTRL and F and search for YP-38

its quite interesting

[Querulous1 3,276]

Good find. It would be a good event plane.

[igeticsu 3,400]

was actually considering starting a suggestion on this myself :P I would love to see it!

[OFW_Schroedinger 804]

+1

[Z3r0_ 4,128]

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if this replaced the XP-38G, which I might add is a fictional aircraft (there was never an airframe with that designation at all, it's just a P-38G with different paint job).

[Milocat 4,857]

This would be a good plane to see.  +1.

[Draco_Argentum 1,504]

I'm down for any of the P-38s with a 37mm.

[Dugout_Doug 24]

I mean no disrespect when I say that you didn't really put any effort into looking into more sources and such. There is much more to learn about this plane and I'd be more than happy to share my research into the YP-38's stats and such with you all: 

 

 

Spoiler

 

Fuel Stats:

Internal Fuel Load: 230 Gallons

Internal Fuel Weight: 1,920 lb

 

Engine Statistics:

Allison V-1710 27/29 (F2R/F2L)

Turbo-Supercharger: B-2

Cooling: Liquid Cooled

Normal Power: 1000 HP @ 2600 RPM

Take-Off power: 1150 HP @ 3000 RPM

 

Overall Characteristics of Aircraft:

 

Max Speed: 401 MPH @ Max Altitude

Service Ceiling: 27000ft

Rate of Climb: 3016 ft/min

Takeoff Run: 1500 ft

Maximum Speed before Ripping: 514 mph

 

Take-Off @ Landing Statistics:

 

No Flaps: 1675 ft

Half Extended Flaps: 1500 ft

Landing Distance with Full Flaps: 1700 ft

 

Weight Statistics:

 

Empty Weight:11,171 lb

Maximum Take-Off Weight: 14,348 lb

Gross Weight (Combat Weight): 13,500 lb

 

Speed Characteristics (Gross Weight 13,500 lb):

 

Full Military Power (3000 RPM, 1150 BHP/Engine):

345 mph @ 5000ft above SL

-----

393 mph @ 20,000ft above SL

 

Lowest Speed (2000 RPM, 500 BHP/Engine):

262 mph @ 5000ft above SL

-----

308 mph @ 20,000ft above SL

 

Climbing Characteristics (Gross Weight 13,500 lb):

 

3016 ft/min with Full Military Power

 

Dimensions:

Length: 37' 10" ( 11.53M)

Height: 12' 10" ( 3.91M)

Wingspan: 52' 0" ( 15.85M)

Wing area: 328.00 Sq Ft ( 30.47Sq M)

 

Armament:

2x Browning .50-inch (200 rounds per gun, 400 total)

2x Browning .30-inch (500 rounds per gun, 1000 total)

1x Browning M9 37mm cannon (15 rounds total)

 

And for my sources:

http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/p-38/YP-38_39-689_PHQ-M-19-1191-A.pdf

 

https://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/crgis/images/9/9f/1942-03-31_Investigation_of_Buffering_and_Diving_Tendencies_of_the_YP-38_Airplane.pdf

 

http://www.americancombatplanes.com/p38_1.html

 

http://www.winthrop.dk/p38specs.html

 

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p38_2.html

 

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/allison-v-1710-27/

 

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_P-38_develop.html

 

https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a604401.pdf

Edited June 15, 2019 by Dugout_Doug

[PrussianOwl 442]

Would be either a good premium or good tech tree fighter, +1

[seadogpirate@psn 888]

standard tree.

[leroyonly 4,311]

As the YP-38 has been added as per update 1.101 Raining Fire,

 

Moved to Implemented Suggestions.