Lockheed 322 Lightning Mk.I

01/31/2017. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "In April 1940 the Anglo-French Purchasing Committee placed a contract for 667 aircraft of the Model 322, the export version of the P-38, thus lending a hefty boost to the program as, up to then, and including the prototype and service test aircraft, the USAAC had ordered only eighty P-38s.

The two versions ordered by the European allies were respectively designated Models 322-61-03 (or 322-F) for France and 322-61-04 (or 322-B) for Britain and were to be powered by Allison V-171O-C15s rated at 1,090 hp at 14,000 ft (4,265 m), with the French version to be fitted with French instruments, radio and armament, and to have the engine throttles operating in the opposite direction. The selection of the unsupercharged version of the Allison engine was carefully arrived at by the Anglo-French Purchasing Committee in order to standardize on the same power plant as used on the Curtiss H-81A – the P-40 version for the Armée de l'Air and the RAF – and to optimize performance for medium-altitude combat as was then taking place in Europe. With these engines, guaranteed top speed was 400 mph at 16,900 ft (644 kmh at 5,150m).

After the fall of France in June 1940, the entire contract for Model 322s was taken over by Britain and the type was named Lightning. Based on experience gathered in the Battle of Britain, the War Ministry had cause to reconsider their earlier aircraft specifications by June 1941. On August 5, 1941 the contract was amended to provide for the delivery of 143 Lightning Mk.Is (British military serials AE978 to AE999 and AF100 to AF220) with the originally specified V-1710-C15 engines, and the remaining 524 aircraft (AF221 to AF744) to be Lightning Mk.IIs (Model 322-60-04) with turbocharged V-1710-F5Ls and -F5Rs boosting guaranteed top speed to 415 mph at 20,000 ft (668 kmh at 6,095 m).

(AE978, AE979) (Ray Crupi Collection)

Later that summer, the War Ministry cancelled all but the first three (AE978, AE979, AE980) of the 143 Lightning Mk.Is in consequence of an RAF test pilot reporting from Burbank Lockheeds poor assessment of the 'tail flutter' and other aerodynamic problems noticed on the USAAF's YP-38s. Lockheed reviewed their contracts and decided to hold the British to the original order, subsequent negotiations stalled.

However, when the USA became involved in WW II on December 7, 1941, the US government seized some 40 of the Model 322s for defense of the West Coast defense, and subsequently all British Lightning Mk.Is were sent to Dallas, Texas for modification and subsequently delivered to the USAAF starting in January 1942. Nineteen retained their V-1710-C15 engines (USAAF designation V-1710-33) and were designated RP-322-I ('R' for 'Restricted', due to non-contra-rotating props, P for pursuit and 322 for the Lockheed Model designation). The remaining 121 were fitted with contra-rotating engines (V-1710-27 and -29 without turbo-superchargers), designated P-322-II these were used as operational trainers with reduced armament. All aircraft kept their British serials.

(AF106) (Johan Visschedijk Collection)

The USAAF loaned the RAF three of the aircraft which were shipped to the UK for evaluation in March 1942, AF105 was sent to the Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft Limited at Swaythling, Southampton, AF106 to the A&AEE at Boscombe Down and AF107 to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. One of the three aircraft was returned to the USAAF in December 1942, the other two in July 1943.

P-38F-13 Lightning (AF221) (Dan Shumaker Collection)

Of the 524 Lightning Mk.IIs ordered by the RAF, only one was completed, AF221 c/n 322-3144. Allotted USAAF markings and designation P-38F-13-LO, and for administration purposes the serial 43-2035, it was used by Lockheed (still wearing the RAF serial AF221) for testing smoke-laying canisters on racks between the booms and the nacelle, and for air dropping of two torpedoes from the same racks.

The remaining 523 British-ordered aircraft were completed for the USAAF, 28 also as P-38F-13-LOs (43-2036 to 2063 c/n 322-3145 to 3172), 121 as P-38F-15-LOs (43-2064 to 2184, c/n 322-3173 to 3293), 174 as P-38G-13-LOs (43-2185 to 2358, c/n 322-3294 to 3467) and 200 as P-38G-15-LOs (43-2359 to 2558, c/n 322-3468 to 322-36670).

Photographed during an early test flight, the Lightning pictured on top of the page was the second aircraft of the British order, although accepted it was never delivered to the UK.