P-38L-5-LO - Revision history

U44629479: Edits

2023-11-13T05:20:42Z

Edits

U128870270: grammar and clarity

2023-11-13T02:14:01Z

grammar and clarity

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U44629479: Undo revision 161592 by U126305870 (talk)

2023-04-30T20:23:31Z

Undo revision 161592 by U126305870 (talk)

U126305870: Just added something, I was bored as hell.

2023-04-30T20:02:47Z

Just added something, I was bored as hell.

U9202753: Specs-Card ArtImage Added

2023-01-17T02:20:04Z

Specs-Card ArtImage Added

U44629479: Edits

2022-08-12T05:31:25Z

Edits

U64962917: /* External links */ Added link to P-38 Pilots Training Manual

2022-08-12T01:47:44Z

‎External links: Added link to P-38 Pilots Training Manual

U44629479: Edits

2022-07-14T21:18:47Z

Edits

U97916902: /* Usage in battles */

2022-07-13T10:30:40Z

‎Usage in battles

U97916902: /* Usage in battles */

2022-07-13T10:03:51Z

‎Usage in battles

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 ===Air Superiority Role (Air RB)===
-The natural role for the P-38L is the Air Superiority role, as it is an interceptor. In air RB, it gets an interceptor air spawn, meaning you start in the air with a good amount of speed and won’t have to take off from the airfield like normal fighters. Once spawned in, start climbing with WEP at a speed of around 250 km/h. The P-38L’s air spawn combined with its good climb rate means that even if you climb straight towards the enemy team, by the time you meet them, it’s highly likely you will be significantly higher than most of their fighters, both in altitude and speed. In full up tiers, this may not be the case, but you will likely still be at least at equal altitude and speed with the enemy fighters. However, you want to be higher, so in full up tiers side-climbing is recommended.
+The natural role for the P-38L is the Air Superiority role, as it is an interceptor. In air RB, it gets an interceptor airspawn, meaning you start in the air with a good amount of speed and won’t have to take off from the airfield like normal fighters. Once spawned in, start climbing with WEP at a speed of around 250 km/h. The P-38L's airspawn combined with its good climb rate means that even if you climb straight towards the enemy team, by the time you meet them, it’s highly likely you will be significantly higher than most of their fighters, both in altitude and speed. In full uptiers, this may not be the case, but you will likely still be at least at equal altitude and speed with the enemy fighters. However, you want to be higher, so in full uptiers side-climbing is recommended.
 Having an altitude advantage is the ideal scenario for the P-38L, as without it, one cannot fully exploit its capabilities. Therefore, typically it doesn’t hurt to climb higher. However, one should be aware of when to keep climbing and when to engage; if your team has engaged and needs your support, you may need to choose to enter the battle without an altitude advantage or by diving far (and losing energy). Remember, altitude is not necessarily a substitute for your team.
@@ Line 150: / Line 150: @@
 The P-38 is fragile, and you should do your best to make sure it doesn’t get damaged. It is a large target, so it is more easily hit than other fighters, and it has wing-mounted fuel tanks that are easy to set on fire. Speaking of fires, if your P-38L gets set on fire, there is a very high chance it isn’t going out. Diving to put it out isn’t an option, as the P-38L’s airframe won’t survive the high speed needed to put the fire out. It has a large and easily hit elevator and tail section, and the flaps are vital as well (as said earlier, they are a necessity if you want to dogfight). You get the idea. Of course, getting hit in any aircraft is less than ideal. However, the P-38 is a little more fragile than other aircraft, and more care must be taken to not get hit.
-The P-38L has a great armament of 4x 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns and 1x 20mm AN/M2 cannon. The cannon will be your main explosive firepower, and just a few hits with it will usually be enough to cripple most aircraft. The ideal belt for the AN/M2 is the “Air Targets” belt, as it has tracers and a favorable ratio of high explosive shells. The “Stealth” belt may also be chosen if you feel your aim is good enough. A small downside to it is that it only has 150 rounds of ammo, so if one isn’t ammo conservative, they will find the cannon ammo gone sooner than they think. The 4x 12.7mm M2 Brownings, while 2 less than the usual American WW2 six-pack, is still potent. Importantly, the Browning machine guns have a generous ammo pool, so they will be your backup weapons when the cannon ammo runs out. Most of the time, you won’t even run out of Browning ammo at all. The ideal ammo option is “Universal” as they have a good amount of incendiary and tracer rounds. The full “Tracer” belt may also be an option as well, as it is purely powerful API-T (armor-piercing incendiary tracer) rounds and provides a laser-like effect, though this may hamper your ability to see if shots are lead too far/short.
+The P-38L has a great armament of 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns and 1 x 20 mm AN/M2 cannon. The cannon will be your main explosive firepower, and just a few hits with it will usually be enough to cripple most aircraft. The ideal belt for the AN/M2 is the “Air Targets” belt, as it has tracers and a favorable ratio of high explosive shells. The “Stealth” belt may also be chosen if you feel your aim is good enough. A small downside to it is that it only has 150 rounds of ammo, so if one isn’t ammo conservative, they will find the cannon ammo gone sooner than they think. The 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Brownings, while 2 less than the usual American WW2 six-pack, is still potent. Importantly, the Browning machine guns have a generous ammo pool, so they will be your backup weapons when the cannon ammo runs out. Most of the time, you won’t even run out of Browning ammo at all. The ideal ammo option is “Universal” as they have a good amount of incendiary and tracer rounds. The full “Tracer” belt may also be an option as well, as it is purely powerful API-T (armor-piercing incendiary tracer) rounds and provides a laser-like effect, though this may hamper your ability to see if shots are lead too far/short.
 ===Ground Attack Role===
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 * Combat flaps boost turn rate drastically for short durations
 * Very responsive controls, even at lower speeds
-* Option for air spawn in RB or attackers' spawn point for AB, both giving you a significant energy advantage upon spawning
+* Option for airspawn in RB or attackers' spawn point for AB, both giving you a significant energy advantage upon spawning
 * Accurate and powerful armament of 4 x 12.7 mm Browning MGs and 1 x 20 mm AN/M2 cannon (great for long-range shooting as it is nose-mounted)
-* Large amount of ammo for the 12.7mm guns and adequate amount of ammo for the 20mm cannon
+* Large amount of ammo for the 12.7 mm guns and adequate amount of ammo for the 20 mm cannon
-* Can mount two gun pods each containing 2x 12.7mm MGs for increased firepower at a small performance hit
+* Can mount two gun pods each containing 2 x 12.7 mm MGs for increased firepower at a small performance hit
 * Twin engines mean you can continue flying if one gets disabled
 * Tricycle landing gear means you can’t flip over when landing

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 The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American twin-engine fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.53 "Firestorm"]].
-The P-38 Lightning is to be played primarily as an Air Superiority fighter. Boom & Zoom tactics are one of your greatest assets in this aircraft. By using your powerful armament, high speed, good maneuverability and good climb rate, in the hands of a skilled pilot, a P-38L is one of the greatest threats to an entire team.
+The P-38 Lightning is to be played primarily as an Air Superiority fighter. Boom & Zoom tactics are one of your greatest assets in this aircraft. By using your powerful armament, high speed, good manoeuvrability and good climb rate, in the hands of a skilled pilot, a P-38L is one of the greatest threats to an entire team.
-The P-38L is the last Lightning in the US Aviation tech tree that is able to be researched. This plane has some of the same defining factors of prior models of the Lightning, but with greater modifications to make this variant of the P-38 among the best planes in the game while also being the P-38 variant with the highest battle ranking. The biggest upgrade over the P-38J-15 is the presence of air brakes on the P-38L, which means you can pull out of a dive much easier than in any other prior model. In addition, you also have the ability to research the "New Boosters" module, which greatly improves your roll-rate.
+The P-38L is the last Lightning in the US Aviation tech tree that is able to be researched. This plane has some of the same defining factors of prior models of the Lightning, but with greater modifications to make this variant of the P-38 among the best planes in the game. The biggest upgrade over the P-38J-15 is the presence of air brakes on the P-38L, which means you can pull out of a dive much easier than in any other prior model. In addition, you also have the ability to research the "New Boosters" module, which greatly improves your roll-rate.
 == General info ==

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 The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American twin-engine fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.53 "Firestorm"]].
-The P-38 Lightning is to be played primarily as an Air Superiority fighter. Boom & Zoom tactics are one of your greatest assets in this aircraft. By using your powerful armament, high speed, good manoeuvrability and good climb rate, in the hands of a skilled pilot, a P-38L is one of the greatest threats to an entire team.
+The P-38 Lightning is to be played primarily as an Air Superiority fighter. Boom & Zoom tactics are one of your greatest assets in this aircraft. By using your powerful armament, high speed, good maneuverability and good climb rate, in the hands of a skilled pilot, a P-38L is one of the greatest threats to an entire team.
-The P-38L is the last Lightning in the US Aviation tech tree that is able to be researched. This plane has some of the same defining factors of prior models of the Lightning, but with greater modifications to make this variant of the P-38 among the best planes in the game. The biggest upgrade over the P-38J-15 is the presence of air brakes on the P-38L, which means you can pull out of a dive much easier than in any other prior model. In addition, you also have the ability to research the "New Boosters" module, which greatly improves your roll-rate.
+The P-38L is the last Lightning in the US Aviation tech tree that is able to be researched. This plane has some of the same defining factors of prior models of the Lightning, but with greater modifications to make this variant of the P-38 among the best planes in the game while also being the P-38 variant with the highest battle ranking. The biggest upgrade over the P-38J-15 is the presence of air brakes on the P-38L, which means you can pull out of a dive much easier than in any other prior model. In addition, you also have the ability to research the "New Boosters" module, which greatly improves your roll-rate.
 == General info ==

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 {{Specs-Card
 |code=p-38l
-|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
+|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
 |cockpit=cockpit_p-38l.jpg
 }}

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 * [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/272429-lockheed-p-38l-5-lo/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
-* [https://archive.org/details/PilotTrainingManualP38/page/n1/mode/2up/ AAF Manual 51-127-1 - Pilot Training Manual for the Lightening P-38]
+* [https://archive.org/details/PilotTrainingManualP38/page/n1/mode/2up/ AAF Manual 51-127-1 - Pilot Training Manual for the Lightning P-38]
 {{AirManufacturer Lockheed}}
 {{USA twin-engine fighters}}

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 The natural role for the P-38L is the Air Superiority role, as it is an interceptor. In air RB, it gets an interceptor airspawn, meaning you start in the air with a good amount of speed and won’t have to take off from the airfield like normal fighters. Once spawned in, start climbing with WEP at a speed around 250 km/h. The P-38L’s airspawn combined with its good climb rate means that even if you climb straight towards the enemy team, by the time you meet them, it’s highly likely you will be significantly higher than most of their fighters, both in altitude and speed. In full uptiers, this may not be the case, but you will likely still be at least at equal altitude and speed with the enemy fighters. However, you want to be higher, so in full uptiers side-climbing is recommended.
-Having an altitude advantage is the ideal scenario for the P-38L, as without it, one cannot fully exploit it’s capabilities. Therefore, typically it doesn’t hurt to climb higher. However, one should be aware of when to keep climbing and when to engage; if your team has engaged and needs your support, you may need to choose to enter the battle without an altitude advantage or by diving far (and losing energy). Remember, altitude is not necessarily a substitute for your team.
+Having an altitude advantage is the ideal scenario for the P-38L, as without it, one cannot fully exploit its capabilities. Therefore, typically it doesn’t hurt to climb higher. However, one should be aware of when to keep climbing and when to engage; if your team has engaged and needs your support, you may need to choose to enter the battle without an altitude advantage or by diving far (and losing energy). Remember, altitude is not necessarily a substitute for your team.
 Once you have followed the steps to climb to altitude, start scanning for priority targets to support your allies. Ideally, you will be the highest plane on the battlefield at the start of an air engagement, and your targets of priority will be enemy planes which can possibly threaten or get above you.
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 Because of this, energy fighting will be your main tactic. When you spot a target below you, enter a dive and make a firing pass on them. Even if you don’t manage to get a hit, this will push them down, and their dodge will have cost them energy. Keep in mind that if they are below you and have less energy than you, they probably won’t catch you if they pitch up for you as long as you go up as well (provided you are positioned correctly). Due to this, if they do choose to pitch up for you, don’t commit to the head on; at the very most, fire a short burst before quickly pulling off. At this point, start going up, making sure to dodge their bullets. They may notice you have higher energy and go back down, in which case you have another firing opportunity. If they keep going up, they will stall below you, and you will be able to pitch back down and destroy them. Be careful not to commit to a dive attack for too long, or else both you and the enemy will end up at the same dive speed, and when you pull up, the enemy (which, chances are, is a more capable dogfighted) will follow and be able to shoot you.
-As for dogfighting, it isn’t the P-38L’s strongest point. The main reason for this is that its turn time is bad. This means that, when simply turning, most competing fighter aircraft will quickly get behind you. However, the P-38 does have a trick up it’s sleeve: combat flaps. When they are deployed, the P-38L’s bad turn rate becomes much better and competitive, and you will be able to keep up with the majority of enemy fighters. However, there is a downside: usage of these flaps also degrades the plane’s energy retention. This means that, in a prolonged turnfight, you will dump speed faster, and eventually will get out-rated (you will slow down and become a worse turner) by the opposition. It is for this reason that dogfights aren’t strongly recommended, but do know that with combat flaps, the P-38L can hold it’s own for a while when forced into one. This also highlights the importance of these flaps; try your best not to let speed or enemy fire blow them off, as without them, your dogfighting performance becomes very limited.
+As for dogfighting, it isn’t the P-38L’s strongest point. The main reason for this is that its turn time is bad. This means that, when simply turning, most competing fighter aircraft will quickly get behind you. However, the P-38 does have a trick up its sleeve: combat flaps. When they are deployed, the P-38L’s bad turn rate becomes much better and competitive, and you will be able to keep up with the majority of enemy fighters. However, there is a downside: usage of these flaps also degrades the plane’s energy retention. This means that, in a prolonged turnfight, you will dump speed faster, and eventually will get out-rated (you will slow down and become a worse turner) by the opposition. It is for this reason that dogfights aren’t strongly recommended, but do know that with combat flaps, the P-38L can hold its own for a while when forced into one. This also highlights the importance of these flaps; try your best not to let speed or enemy fire blow them off, as without them, your dogfighting performance becomes very limited.
 The P-38L’s roll rate is good, thanks to the new hydraulically-boosted ailerons the L model comes with. This is a departure from the below average roll rates of the previous P-38 variants. This roll rate can be used effectively to dodge bullets or defensive fly, as well as when you are on an enemy’s tail and trying to get a good shot.
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 ====Japanese Aircraft====
-Japanese planes are notorious for their extreme turning abilities, which usually decimates Allied teams. This does not change in higher battle ratings. The most dangerous Japanese aircraft that the P-38L will face is the Mitsubishi J2M4 Raiden, which has a top speed to rival even the Mustang. In addition, the J2M4 Raiden carries an armament of four 20 mm cannons, which will tear the Lightning to bits. The A6M Zero and it’s derivatives are annoying enemies to face; while you are much faster than it and can easily energy trap it, they are just so manoeuvrable, and many times you will find yourself missing your shot on them despite them being energy trapped (the bad rudder doesn’t help with this). Additionally, the Zero keeps it’s speed rather well, so missing too many passes can put you at the same energy level as it, where it will catch and destroy you in a dogfight.
+Japanese planes are notorious for their extreme turning abilities, which usually decimates Allied teams. This does not change in higher battle ratings. The most dangerous Japanese aircraft that the P-38L will face is the Mitsubishi J2M4 Raiden, which has a top speed to rival even the Mustang. In addition, the J2M4 Raiden carries an armament of four 20 mm cannons, which will tear the Lightning to bits. The A6M Zero and its derivatives are annoying enemies to face; while you are much faster than it and can easily energy trap it, they are just so manoeuvrable, and many times you will find yourself missing your shot on them despite them being energy trapped (the bad rudder doesn’t help with this). Additionally, the Zero keeps its speed rather well, so missing too many passes can put you at the same energy level as it, where it will catch and destroy you in a dogfight.
 ====Soviet Aircraft====
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 * Poor rudder makes aiming the guns tricky
 * Poor turn rate without the use of combat flaps (which bleed speed when used)
-* Locks up at high speeds (700 kph+ or 435 mph+)
+* Locks up at high speeds (above 700 km/h or 435 mph)
 * Large target for a fighter
 * Gun pods are mounted on the outboard wing sections, resulting in a significant convergence issue for them
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 * Northrop [[P-61C-1]] Black Widow
 * North American [[F-82E]]
 * Savoia-Marchetti [[SM.92]]

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 There are a few tactics to take into consideration when using the P-38L Lightning. All of them are viable, but some of them require more attention to detail, or else you can guarantee yourself a one-way ticket back to your garage.
-===Air Superiority Roles===
+===Air Superiority Role (Air RB)===
-The natural role for the P-38 is the Air Superiority role. When playing in this role, it is important to note that because the P-38L is classified as a "Heavy Fighter" but not an "Interceptor," you will often need to side-climb at the start of a match from the airfield. Once you get to an optimal altitude of roughly 4,500 meters (14,760 feet) it is paramount you keep your speed up to avoid getting jumped on by some of the better climbing aircraft. When climbing, it is best you keep your speed somewhere in the neighbourhood of roughly 210 MPH (337 KPH), to keep your energy up as well. It doesn't hurt if you climb higher, just be sure to keep your energy and speed constant. Once you have followed the steps to climb to altitude, start scanning for easier targets to support your allies. When you spot an enemy lower in altitude than you, dive down on them and line up your shots carefully- the 20 mm cannon has a good quantity of ammo, but it goes quickly in higher BR battles. Once you have lined-up your shots (preferably around 700-600 meters away,) fire a quick burst, then climb away to avoid a counter-attack. This is where the dive-brakes come in great use, as they can keep your aircraft stable when in a dive and prevents the airframe from disintegrating in a dive. The P-38's nose-mounted weaponry will act as a buzz-saw on enemy planes, providing extremely accurate fire. Once you destroy your adversary, start scanning for new targets and eliminate those of the next highest value. Just remember to keep your speed, energy and altitude high enough. The recommended ammunition type for this role is the "Universal" ammunition for the .50 cals and the "Air Target" rounds for the 20 mm cannon.
+The natural role for the P-38L is the Air Superiority role, as it is an interceptor. In air RB, it gets an interceptor airspawn, meaning you start in the air with a good amount of speed and won’t have to take off from the airfield like normal fighters. Once spawned in, start climbing with WEP at a speed around 250 km/h. The P-38L’s airspawn combined with its good climb rate means that even if you climb straight towards the enemy team, by the time you meet them, it’s highly likely you will be significantly higher than most of their fighters, both in altitude and speed. In full uptiers, this may not be the case, but you will likely still be at least at equal altitude and speed with the enemy fighters. However, you want to be higher, so in full uptiers side-climbing is recommended.
-'''Note''': At your battle rating of 4.7, it is ill-advised to attack your opponents head-on- especially if it is an Fw 190, or any plane bearing the prefix "Yak." That being said, getting behind your opponents is the best course of action. This is not to say a successful head-on attack cannot be done. If you have no alternatives but to attack head-on, fire a quick burst, then quickly hit the deck. The nose-mounted weaponry in this scenario is your greatest asset, and the astonishingly good roll-rate of the P-38 can help avoid any incoming enemy fire.
+Having an altitude advantage is the ideal scenario for the P-38L, as without it, one cannot fully exploit it’s capabilities. Therefore, typically it doesn’t hurt to climb higher. However, one should be aware of when to keep climbing and when to engage; if your team has engaged and needs your support, you may need to choose to enter the battle without an altitude advantage or by diving far (and losing energy). Remember, altitude is not necessarily a substitute for your team.
-It is not advised that you spend too much time in a turning engagement with this plane. While the P-38L has a phenomenal roll-rate and very powerful Allison engines, prolonged turning will bleed your energy and eliminate your greatest advantage- speed. In addition, you are a rather large target, and getting caught in a turning engagement will only render you a highly exposed target to other enemy planes.
+Once you have followed the steps to climb to altitude, start scanning for priority targets to support your allies. Ideally, you will be the highest plane on the battlefield at the start of an air engagement, and your targets of priority will be enemy planes which can possibly threaten or get above you.
-===Ground Attack Roles===
+Because of this, energy fighting will be your main tactic. When you spot a target below you, enter a dive and make a firing pass on them. Even if you don’t manage to get a hit, this will push them down, and their dodge will have cost them energy. Keep in mind that if they are below you and have less energy than you, they probably won’t catch you if they pitch up for you as long as you go up as well (provided you are positioned correctly). Due to this, if they do choose to pitch up for you, don’t commit to the head on; at the very most, fire a short burst before quickly pulling off. At this point, start going up, making sure to dodge their bullets. They may notice you have higher energy and go back down, in which case you have another firing opportunity. If they keep going up, they will stall below you, and you will be able to pitch back down and destroy them. Be careful not to commit to a dive attack for too long, or else both you and the enemy will end up at the same dive speed, and when you pull up, the enemy (which, chances are, is a more capable dogfighted) will follow and be able to shoot you.
 This is the role where paying attention to details is an absolute priority. This is given that the Anti-Aircraft fire is coming from actual players, and not artificial intelligence and one small mistake can send your plane down in a fireball. Nonetheless, the P-38L has all the tools necessary to be a ferocious Close Air Support aircraft. You have the option for two 500 lb bombs suspended underneath the fuselage of the plane or you can choose ten HVAR rockets. The distinguishing part of the Lightning, when used in ground attack, is that the bombs drop independently one-by-one, which allows for a second attack run if one needs to, allowing a chance for further kills. In addition to the options of bombs or rockets, the P-38's weaponry will punish any open-topped vehicles. The tactics for a ground attack are mainly brought out in making diving attacks in Ground RB. However, as mentioned earlier, you must pay attention to your surroundings- as you have no markers for enemy aircraft, and a loss of situational awareness will be your undoing. That being said, approach the battlefield from high altitude, or come in low and fast. When you spot an enemy vehicle, line up your attack run, then drop your bomb when you are close to the ground. Using the dive brakes is extremely recommended, as you can lose control quickly or need to pull up at a moment's notice. It is paramount you do not have "Assault Fuse" for your bombs, as you will be caught in the blast radius. When you have completed your attack runs using bombs or rockets, try and strafe enemy positions to spot for your allies and possibly eliminate enemy Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft vehicles as well. You can also act still as an Air Superiority fighter to keep your friendly ground forces in the game.