Lockheed P-38 Lightning - Journeys End 3D model

cgtrader

The P-38J Lightning, a considerably improved version from earlier models, was introduced in August 1943. It offered better cockpit heating, more efficient engine cooling, a flat bulletproof windscreen, additional fuel in the wings, and increased maneuverability. Combat operations began from England in September 1943, making it the only fighter with the range to escort bombers into Germany. In the Pacific Theater, the P-38 shined as seven of the top eight scoring USAAF aces flew this model, notably on April 18, 1943, when a P-38 ambushed and shot down an aircraft carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto - the planner of Pearl Harbor raid and commander of Imperial Japanese Navy. This model became the standard USAAF fighter in the Pacific Theater until the closing months of WWII.