Contents
P-38M 44-27234 sporting all-black paint scheme.
Contents |
P-38M 44-27234 sporting all-black paint scheme. |
1) Unzip the file P38M_Lightning.zip in FS2002's Aircraft folder. A new folder called P-38M_Lightning will be created. Several sub-folders will be created.
2) From P-38M_Lightning's gauges sub-folder, copy the file xp-38n_diveflaps.gau to FS2002's gauges folder.
If you want to use the dive recovery flaps, DO NOT FORGET STEP TWO.
Notes:
A conversion pack is included for use in CFS2.
Be sure to visit www.kazoku.org/xp-38n for the latest updates, etc.
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was one of the most prominent fighters throughout WWII in
both theaters of operation. P-38s scored the first kills in the Pacific Theater as they
served in the arctic cold of Aleutian Islands. In Europe, they often provided
high-altitude long range escorts for bombers.
The P-38 was originally developed in response to the US Army Air Corps' need for a high
altitude 'interceptor' in the late 1930s. The Air Corps' requirements specified a craft
that could reach an altitude of 20,000 ft in six minutes, attain a top speed of 360 mph
and fly at full throttle for one hour. In addition, it would carry more armament that any
previous fighter.
Lockheed's legendary aeronautical engineer, Kelly Johnson, drew on his past experience
with twin-tail craft such as the Electra and proposed a twin-engine, twin-boom arrangement
with turbo-supercharged engines. (Kelly Johnson went on to design the F-104, the U-2 and
the SR-71.)
The XP-38 was first flown in January 1939. After logging just 11 flight-test hours, it
embarked on a record-breaking cross-country flight that proved the capabilities of the
design, but also lead its demise when it plowed into a golf course just before landing.
The only fighter-craft to remain in production throughout the war, the P-38 proved to be a
very versatile platform for a wide range of operations including long-range escort, photo
reconnaissance, fighter/interceptor, ground attack, and even formation bombing. It evolved
through several variations, each iteration more successful than the last.
Perhaps its strongest asset was its concentrated fire power. Being a twin engine aircraft
allowed it to have four guns and one cannon mounted in the nose. This clustered
arrangement meant that the guns did not have to be sighted to converge at some optimum
target range. In the hands of skilled pilot, the Lightning was a formidable fighter. No
wonder America's top two fighter aces scored their victories in P-38s.
However, it was not without its faults. Early into the European war it gained a reputation
for poor high altitude performance. Even though this was eventually traced to the use of
lower-grade British fuels, the reputation remained. The two liquid-cooled Allison engines
required a lot of attention, and there was trouble with the turbo superchargers as well.
The P-38 was the first aircraft to seriously encounter a potentially fatal phenomenon:
compressibility. During a high-speed dive the wings would lose lift, resulting in loss of
control. The enemy soon began exploiting this weakness to elude the P-38s. The problem was
finally solved when, late in the J series production, dive recovery flaps were added which
gave pilots the freedom to enter into high speed dives with confidence. Early Lightnings
also had poor roll rate and required a lot of muscle to turn. When the dive recovery
flaps were added during the J-25 production block, hydraulically boosted ailerons were
also added. This welcome addition gave pilots "power steering," greatly
increasing the roll rate.
As the need for night fighters increased, Lockheed produced the two-seater M series. The
addition of a radar operator relieved the pilot from radar duties and allowed him to
concentrate on the mission objectives.
Nearly 10,000 P-38s were built, the bulk of which where J and L series. After the end of
the war, the Army Air Force surplused them for $1,200 a piece. Of course you had to
arrange for delivery, which was no trivial task since as many of them were in the south
Pacific. Today, only a handful remains. Only a few are in flying condition.
Nearly 40 mph faster than the larger Northrop P-61 Black Widow nighttime fighter, the "Night Lightning" was to serve as a dedicated radar-equipped night fighter. The Night Lightning had a ASH-type radar scanner mounted in a streamlines housing under the nose. Flash nozzles were installed on the guns and cannon to shield the pilots eyes. Even with the bubble canopy providing more headroom than on the two-seat trainer P-38s ("piggybacks"), the P-38M radar operator had to be somewhat diminutive in size.
Lockheed modified 75 P-38L-5-LO's into this special-purpose two-seater fighter, but they reached the Pacific Theatre just as the war ended. Some sources suggested P-38Ms saw limited combat against enemy night intruders.
Project XP-38N is my on-going effort to model what might have been the next version of the P-38 had the war not ended. My first version was for FS98 and later versions subsequently supported CFS1 and FS2000 and now CFS2 and FS2002. In addition to the XP-38N, I also have made a P-38L-5, P38J-15, P-38J-15 Droop Snoot, a P-38J-20/F-5E-2 Photo Lightning, and this P-38M. Eventually I hope to make all P-38 variants, with XP-38N being my flagship model.
FSDS 1.6 was used to build the model. Using the full-featured XP-38N model, modifications were made to include the radar, radar operator and second canopy.
CFS2 only: In addition to the primary model, there is a coarser sub-model embedded within the mdl file -- a multi-resolution model for use in Quick Combat and on missions containing multiple instances of the P-38M.
AA 1.3 was used to animate the parts. Animation features include:
- Asynchronous landing gear deployment/retraction
- moving control surfaces (ailerons, elevator, rudders, Fowler flaps, dive flaps)
- counter-rotating, textured propellers
- moving control wheel
- moving nose wheel (via rudder-control*)
- landing gear and gear doors
- shining landing light
- tail strobe lights, navigation and identification lights
*There was no control of the nose wheel on the real aircraft. Steering was accomplished with differential braking and differential thrust. The nose wheel was a caster, and simply moved like a shopping cart's front wheels. XP-38N has rudder-control steering, and I left this feature in the P-38M model because... well, because I wanted to. :-)
The textures correspond to S/N 44-27234, shown in the photo above.
The basic textures were derived from scanned images obtained from several scale-modeling books on the P-38 (see References below). I am not a graphic artist, and I gave up on trying to make it look like glossy black. For me, painting the model is the most difficult and tedious part of the entire project.
The panel has been arranged to represent the rough layout of the P-38L/M panel. To do so, I made some coarse changes to the stock P-38F panel bitmap. I have included my XP-38N dive recovery flap gauge (which is really a repaint of a FS98 stock spoiler gauge).
The previous version had a static panel in the virtual cockpit. I've upgraded it to a dynamic panel. I hope to refine it a bit over time, but it is doubtful I will ever produce a masterpiece.
I readily admit that I am not a pilot. Ironically, I actually hate real-life flying and avoid it whenever possible. But I can spend hours and hours flying my P-38!!! (I even flew it around the virtual world!) Of all the modeling elements, the flight model is the most important to me, and has thus been the focus of most of my effort.
This flight model was developed as part of my ongoing XP-38N project. The first versions of XP-38N's AIR file were based on FS98 AIR files. I spent hundreds of hours developing that AIR file and I didn't want to give it up. For version XP-38N 3.0, I successfully transferred many of the old parameters to a CFS2-based AIR file. To refine the flight characteristics even more I then began studying P-38 videos and printed references. I also had help from someone who actually flew the plane. I have had the privilege of corresponding with a former P-38 pilot, Lt. Col. (ret) William C. Sharpsteen II, who flew with the 339th FS/ 347th FG in the South Pacific. Mr. Sharpsteen has taught me much about the handling of the P-38, in the air and on the ground, and about the differences between the earlier G model, which he spent quite a bit of time in, and the late J-25/L, which he also flew.
For version XP-38N 3.x, I used FSEdit to transfer the primary flight model parameters to the aircraft.cfg file, as per FS2002's new approach. I also overcame one of the major limitations in previous versions: propeller torque effects. Not until CFS2 could counter-rotating propellers (and the resultant zero net torque) be modeled properly. This major improvement is now implemented in this P-38M. Also, I have recently discovered how to model compressibility.
The flight model was designed and tested in both CFS2 and FS2002, with the difficulty level set to "Hard," or 100%. During certain maneuvers above 420 mph the plane will buffet a bit. This is intentional. While the actual plane may not have buffeted exactly like this, I am trying to simulate the fact that it did have a tendency to buffet at high speeds as indicated in the actual flight manual. As stated in the manual, use the dive recovery flaps to stop the buffeting. You will also note that it rolls well at high speeds and, at most speeds, it is very difficult to stall, which was apparently true of the actual airplane.
I do not claim this to be the best or the most accurate flight dynamics model for a P-38, as AIR file/flight dynamics modeling is still somewhat of an art. However, I do believe I have captured the essence of the P-38M.
Flying HintsBest taxi speed is below 50 mph. Use differential braking (F11 and F12), differential thrust or the nosewheel for steering. For best results, use a combination. For tight turns, slow down to just a few mph.
Rotation occurs about just above 100 mph with flaps at first notch, 110 mph with no flaps (full fuel). From a complete stop, the plane should take only 1,000 ft to be airborne (just like the real P-38). Retract gear as soon as you can. If you take off from near sea level, you’ll find it really wants to climb! It likes to cruise between 270 and 300 mph IAS, depending on altitude. All those horses really like to climb so use trim liberally for level flight. Also, all those horses like to drink, so be sure to cut back on the fuel mixture if you want to fly for any great distances. Max speed is about 410-420 mph, though you may be probably push it a past that in a dive before buffeting begins. Max distance is about 1,400 miles. For longer flights, you can edit the aircraft.cfg and 'enable' external tanks -- though FS2002 won't show them.
Use the dive recovery flaps to mitigate overspeed, and to prevent compressibility especially in dives from high altitude. Roll rate and recovery is fairly quick. Sharp turning at high speed may result in loss of control. Be sure to land gently, at no more than 130 mph. On approach with throttle back, once you extend full flaps and lower landing gear you will find yourself piloting a gliding rock. You may need some throttle to keep on your glide slope. Don’t use the dive flaps during final approach unless you absolutely need to slow down, and even then I would not recommend deploying them until you’re very close to the runway.
Since there isn't any combat in FS2002, the need for speed bursts isn't as crucial. But, if you're racing or just out for a joy ride and want maximum power, use the WEP switch to engage WAR EMERGENCY POWER. WEP can only be engaged when at full throttle (COMBAT POWER). Also, if you run at WEP for too long (a few minutes) you risk damaging the engines.
FS2002 only uses certain sections of the DP.
CFS2: The damage profile (DP) is based heavily on the stock P-38F's DP file. Visually, some slight adjustments to the hardpoints were made so the loadouts would to fit up with my model. I also added a new rocket loadout that will launch all 10 rockets with one trigger push. I have corrected the ammunitions section with the proper ammunition count, speeds, firing rates and weights, as per the references below. I have also adjusted the firing angles slightly.
Gauges
WEP gauge programming by Mike Wagner (MoparMike)
the remaining gauges are either stock or modified from stock gauges
Resources / Influences / Other
714th Research Center - for their methods and AirEd.ini file. While I did not employ their "Assembly Line" process, I admire their methodical and scientific approach and have learned much from their work.
CFS2 Online and Combat Flight Center, AVSIM, FlightSim, and all the great PC-aviators that contribute to the forums.
Special thanks to my family for putting up with my P-38 obsession!
- P-38 Lightning in Detail and Scale Part 1: XP-38 through P-38H, Bert Kinzey. Squadron/Signal Publications, 1998.
- P-38 Lightning in Detail and Scale Part 2: P-38J through P-38M, Bert Kinzey. Squadron/Signal Publications, 1998.
- P-38 Lightning in Action, Larry Davis, et. al. Squadron/Signal Publications, 1990
- P-38 Lightning in World War II Color, Jeffrey L. Ethell. Motorbooks International, 1994.
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning (Warbird Tech Series), Frederick A. Johnson. Specialty Press, 1996.
- Peter Three Eight The Pilots Story, John Stanaway. Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, 1986.
- P-38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO, John Stanaway. Osprey Publishing, 1998.
- P-38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI, John Stanaway. Osprey Publishing, 1997.
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning (Production Line to Frontline Series), Michael O'Leary. Osprey Publishing, 1999.
- Pilots Manual for Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Lockheed/US Army circa 1944. republished by Aviation Publications sometime in the mid 1970s.
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Steve Pace. Motorbooks International, 1996.
- America's Hundred Thousand, Francis H. Dean, Shiffer Publishing, 1997.
- Fork Tailed Devil, Martin Caidin, iBooks, 2001 (original printing 1972).
- The P-38J-M Lockheed Lightning, Profile Publications no. 106, 1966.
- The P-38 Lightning, Pamela Reynolds and the P-38 National Convention, Turner Publishing Co., 1989.
- The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Warren M. Bodie, Widewing Publications, 2001 (first printing 1991).
- The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Edward T. Maloney, Aero Publications, 1968.
- Comouflage & Markings: Lockheed P-38, F-4 & F-5 Lightning USAAF ETO & MTO 1942 - 1945, Ducimus Books Ltd
- Great Planes, Series 1, Volume 10 (P-38), Aeroco, Inc. 1989.
- Warbird Checkout No.1 "P-38 Flight Characteristics", (and other period films), Historic Aviation,
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Program Power Entertainment, 1997.
- P-38 Inspection, (USAAF period film for mechanics), EAA Paul Harvey A/V Center.
This model is released as FREEWARE. If Freeware can be copyrighted, then I claim Copyright © 1998-2001 David C. Copley. This package, including each and every file, may NOT be included in a commercial package.
I grant permission to repaint the visual model and/or modify the flight dynamics so long as such derivative works are released only as FREEWARE and include proper credits for all respective authors.
As explained above, this model is really a subset of Project XP-38N. But here is it's own version history.
14 September 2002 - P-38M
9 Sep 2001 - P-38M ver. 1.0.1 - minor corrections to exterior model
11 Aug 2001 - P-38M ver. 1.0.0
By day I am an acoustical engineer for a major industrial company. By night (when I'm not spending time with my family or engaged in other real-life activities) I am a P-38 nut. I am also a musician, so my 'free' time is split between flying/making P-38s and making music.
You may contact me at db@kazoku.org, or visit my web site www.kazoku.org/xp-38n.