The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twin-boom design with a central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament.

The P‑38M, known as the “Night Fighter,” (or Night Lightning) were modified P‑38Ls which were equipped with a state-of-the-art radar system, (an AN/APS-4 AI radar pod mounted under the nose on a modified bomb pylon).

There is a P-38M on display at the Champlin Fighter Museum at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. It no longer has its radome slung under the nose, but the two-seat configuration is still retained. That radar operator in the rear must have been REALLY cramped!

Sep 10, 2024 · The P-38M "Night Lightning" was a specialized night fighter variant of the Lockheed P-38 developed toward the end of World War II. Recognizing the need for effective night operations, the U.S. military adapted the P-38's stable twin-engine platform for …

Somewhat more successful, but equally obscure was the P-38M, a dedicated night fighter derivative of the P-38L. The P-38M Night Lightnings were a factory design which followed a number of successful field conversions in New Guinea and Guadalcanal, where P-38Fs were fitted with SCR-540 or APS-4 search radar.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lightning played one of the most significant operations in the Pacific theater. On April 18th, 1943, a P-38 intercepted and shot down the aircraft Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was on.

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was an American heavy fighter aircraft that was deployed in World War II. The P-38 has an unusual design, the fuselage consists of two engine nacelles, each topped with a rudder and connected by an elevator.

Jan 29, 2016 · The mysterious-looking, all-black P-38M was a converted P-38L model with ASH radar for the night-fighting mission, its tandem seat arrangement made more practical with a raised hood and roomier cockpit for the second crewman.

Lockheed P-38M Lightning (Serial No. 44-27234) night fighter with radar, 1945. The P‑38M, known as the “Night Fighter,” (or Night Lightning) were modified P‑38Ls which were equipped with a state-of-the-art radar system, (an AN/APS-4 AI radar pod mounted under the nose on a modified bomb pylon).

Mar 9, 2011 · P-38M (a.k.a "Night Lightning") Nearly 40 mph faster than the larger Northrop P-61 Black Widow nighttime fighter, the P-38M "Night Lightning" was to serve as a dedicated radar-equipped night fighter. The Night Lightning had a ASH-type radar scanner mounted in a streamlined housing under the nose.