Lockheed P-38 Lightning

The P-38 was powered by two Allison V-1720 liquid cooled engines driving Curtiss Electric opposite rotating propellers.  Each engine had a General Electric turbo-supercharger that was recessed in to the top of each tail boom.  The tail booms, unique to the P-38, replaced the central and rear parts of what would normally be the fuselage.  The fuel system consisted of six fuel tanks, four in the centre section of the wing and two in the outer sections of each wing.  Each engine had a separate feed from its own outer wing tank but the four inner wing tanks were interconnected to provide fuel flow to both engine. 

The pilot’s cockpit was positioned in a central nacelle which also contained the armament, one 22mm cannon and four 0.5 machine guns, all of which fired forward with no convergence.  The screen was initially curved but after the model J the centre section had optically flat bullet proof glass fitted.  Armour plating was provided on the front bulkhead, on the back and bottom of the pilot’s seat and behind the pilot’s seat and head.  Armour plate was also located on the inboard side of the turbo-superchargers to protect the pilot from possible fragmentation of the turbo blades.  The nacelle was an all metal structure built of bulkheads and covered with flush riveted smooth metal skin.