Developed in response to the armed forces' February 1937 need for a fighter distinguished by its speed, firepower and range, the P-38 Lightning proved to be a hugely successful design, with some 10,000 produced and giving rise to many American pilot aces. While its design had been steadily developed since its maiden flight in 1939, more powerful engines eventually replaced the P-38's cooling function, and power was limited to 1,250 hp at higher altitudes. In August 1943, there was an answer to this problem: the P-38J, which had intercoolers moved from the leading edge of the wings to the underside of the engines. Better cooling made it possible to use the full 1425 hp even at high altitudes, and the newly gained leading edge space was not wasted and was filled with additional fuel tanks to improve the fighter's range.
Plastic model to be glued together by the Japanese company Tamiya. The kit does not include paint and glue.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer: TAMIYA
- Scale: 1/48
- Product code: 25424
- Tamiya paints: X-1, X-2, X-10, X-11, X-18, X-23, X-25, X-26, X-27, X-31, XF-1, XF-2, XF-3, XF-4, XF-5, XF-7, XF-15, XF-16, XF-25, XF-49, XF-56, XF-57, XF-59, XF-60, XF-64, XF-85