ACADEMY H. M. K. : REF : AC12208 : 1:48 : US : LOCKHEED : P-38F ("Glacier Girl")
ACADEMY REF :
12586NL
Fabricant
ACADEMY HOBBY MODEL KITS.
ISBN : 0603550122088.
Scale :
1:48
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The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is a World War II military aircraft designed by Hall Hibbard and Clarence Johnson for the American aircraft manufacturer Lockheed. Featuring an unusual silhouette due to its twin-boom, twin-engine design with a central nacelle housing the cockpit and armament, it was developed as a long-range interceptor and used during the global conflict for fighter duties, long-range bomber escort, ground attack, and aerial photography. A version was developed for night fighting.
A prototype of the P-38 made its first flight on January 27, 1939, piloted by Benjamin Kelsey. The aircraft entered active service in 1942 and was deployed in all theaters of operation. It remained the only twin-boom aircraft in the U.S. armed forces until the arrival of the Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter.
The American aces with the most victories in the Pacific Theater achieved them in this aircraft: Richard Bong (40 victories), Thomas McGuire (38 victories), and Charles H. MacDonald (27 victories). During a reconnaissance mission aboard an F-5B Lightning, a derivative of the P-38 Lightning, the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry disappeared on July 31, 1944.
The P-38 continued its service for about twenty years after the end of World War II, serving with several armed forces.
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Sources : Wikipedia.