Lightning P38 Corsair Display, La Ferte Alais, 19 may 2013

Display at La Ferte Alais airshow on 19 may 2013. . The Lockheed P38 Lightning ( Flying Bulls ) was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. Named forktailed devil (der GabelschwanzTeufel) by the Luftwaffe and two planes, one pilot (2飛行機1パイロット Ni hikōki, ippairotto ) by the Japanese, 5 the P38 was used in a number of roles, including dive bombing, level bombing, groundattack, night fighting, photoreconnaissance missions, 6 and extensively as a longrange escort fighter when equipped with drop tanks under its wings. The P38 was used most successfully in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the ChinaBurmaIndia Theater of Operations as the mount of America s top aces, Richard Bong (40 victories) and Thomas M