P-38 Lightning or de Havilland Mosquito?
Discussion
Herman Goering said:
In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft, but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy. The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that? There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops. After the war's over I'm going to buy a British radio set - then at least I'll own something that has always worked.
Can't argue with that.The P-38 was a good aircraft. The Mosquito was absolutely brilliant in every sense of the word.
Top wiki trumps
Engines:
Mossie: 2× Rolls-Royce Merlin 21/21 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,480 hp (21 & 23) (1,103 kW) each
P-38: 2× Allison V-1710-111/113 V-12 piston engine, 1,725 hp [84] (1,194 kW) each
Max Speed:
Mossie: 318 kn (366 mph, 610 km/h) at 21,400 ft
P-38: 443 mph (712 km/h) on War Emergency Power at 28,000 ft
Range:
Mossie: 782 nmi (900 mi, 1,500 km) with 410 gal (1,864 litre) fuel load at 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
P-38: 1,300 mi combat (1,770 km / 3,640 km)
Bombs:
Mossie: 4,000 lb (1 800 kg)
P-38: 2× 2,000 lb (907 kg) bombs
Guns:
Mossie: 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk II cannon (fuselage) and 4 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns (nose)
P-38: 1× Hispano M2(C) 20 mm cannon with 150 rounds and 4× Browning MG53-2 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns with 500 rpg.
Engines:
Mossie: 2× Rolls-Royce Merlin 21/21 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,480 hp (21 & 23) (1,103 kW) each
P-38: 2× Allison V-1710-111/113 V-12 piston engine, 1,725 hp [84] (1,194 kW) each
Max Speed:
Mossie: 318 kn (366 mph, 610 km/h) at 21,400 ft
P-38: 443 mph (712 km/h) on War Emergency Power at 28,000 ft
Range:
Mossie: 782 nmi (900 mi, 1,500 km) with 410 gal (1,864 litre) fuel load at 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
P-38: 1,300 mi combat (1,770 km / 3,640 km)
Bombs:
Mossie: 4,000 lb (1 800 kg)
P-38: 2× 2,000 lb (907 kg) bombs
Guns:
Mossie: 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk II cannon (fuselage) and 4 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns (nose)
P-38: 1× Hispano M2(C) 20 mm cannon with 150 rounds and 4× Browning MG53-2 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns with 500 rpg.
There was also the FXVIII "Tsetse" Mosquito which was fitted with a 57mm 6 pounder for anti submarine patrols.
The mossie was a far better design than the P38. The P38 had severe commpressibilty issues and turbo-charger icing problems so much so that they had the nick name of "Ice Maidens"
Like all the great aircraft the Mosquitos' original airframe was made to do things far beyond the designers wildest dreams and did them well.The only real drawback to the Mosquito was in the Far East where they would get eaten by termites.
The mossie was a far better design than the P38. The P38 had severe commpressibilty issues and turbo-charger icing problems so much so that they had the nick name of "Ice Maidens"
Like all the great aircraft the Mosquitos' original airframe was made to do things far beyond the designers wildest dreams and did them well.The only real drawback to the Mosquito was in the Far East where they would get eaten by termites.
I love beautiful aircraft
I'd have to look very hard to find a de Havilland aircraft that didn't fit my criteria
The P38 was a damned fine but fairly fugly kite IMO
Mossie was simply lovely
and a damned fine aircraft in practically every role the War Office found for her
even the target tug looks great
I'd have to look very hard to find a de Havilland aircraft that didn't fit my criteria
The P38 was a damned fine but fairly fugly kite IMO
Mossie was simply lovely
and a damned fine aircraft in practically every role the War Office found for her
even the target tug looks great
Tango13 said:
There was also the FXVIII "Tsetse" Mosquito which was fitted with a 57mm 6 pounder for anti submarine patrols.
The mossie was a far better design than the P38. The P38 had severe commpressibilty issues and turbo-charger icing problems so much so that they had the nick name of "Ice Maidens"
Like all the great aircraft the Mosquitos' original airframe was made to do things far beyond the designers wildest dreams and did them well.The only real drawback to the Mosquito was in the Far East where they would get eaten by termites.
Would the P-38 have had compressibility issues at Mosquito speeds though?The mossie was a far better design than the P38. The P38 had severe commpressibilty issues and turbo-charger icing problems so much so that they had the nick name of "Ice Maidens"
Like all the great aircraft the Mosquitos' original airframe was made to do things far beyond the designers wildest dreams and did them well.The only real drawback to the Mosquito was in the Far East where they would get eaten by termites.
Heck, went looking for the raid the Mosquito took part in on that jail and got side tracked on a youtube poster called "bomberguy"
Anyway, raid on the jail
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=23496
Other stuff with a Mosquito.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Bomberguy#p/u/68/AZzgD...
Last one should be in the low flying thread....
Anyway, raid on the jail
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=23496
Other stuff with a Mosquito.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Bomberguy#p/u/68/AZzgD...
Last one should be in the low flying thread....
Eric Mc said:
The P-38 was very fast in a dive and I think I'm right in saying it had the highest mach Number in a dive of any US WW2 aircraft.
Seems it had the same compressibility problems as the P-47 and P-51, but hit them faster. Olds nearly ended up in a smoking hole in the ground after he dove to rescue another US plane below him. Controls lock; all you can do is throttle back and wait for the denser air to work... you couldn't catch planes escaping from you, nor get away from those diving after you.They fitted a flap under the fuselage to stop the nose from tucking under at speeds close to Mach.80.
The P-38 was actually a pre-war design so lacked a bit of the knowledge that could be put into later designs.
However, in the right theatre, it could be outstanding. Don't forget the reconnaiasance F-5 version either.
The P-38 was actually a pre-war design so lacked a bit of the knowledge that could be put into later designs.
However, in the right theatre, it could be outstanding. Don't forget the reconnaiasance F-5 version either.
The Mossie was capable of almost every role bar cargo/troop carrying. They were almost impervious on bombing raids as teh Luftwaffe had nothing fast enough to intercept them until they introduced jets at the end of the war. I think I read that they could set off on a raid with the biggest, slowest of the heavies, bomb the target, return, refuel & rearm and be back over the target in time for the heavies to arrive. Such a clever, simple design; something that the technocrats Germans or the unlimited resources Americans would never think of, Necessity being the mother of all inventions.
The P38 did perform admirably as a long range fighter and recorded the most kills of allied planes in WW2 I beleive, although most were in the Pacific theatre
The P38 did perform admirably as a long range fighter and recorded the most kills of allied planes in WW2 I beleive, although most were in the Pacific theatre
Edited by TEKNOPUG on Wednesday 31st March 13:52
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff