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 Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the comparatively complex and …

Lockheed began developing the P-38 Lightning in 1937 as the company’s first venture into the military airplane market at a time when the U.S. military was modernizing its air forces in response to developments in Europe.

Explore the Legacy of the P-38 Lightning, the iconic twin-tailed fighter aircraft that redefined aviation with its speed, innovation, and unmatched versatility.

Introduced in 1937, and designed specifically for the German army, the Walther P-38 was one of the finest side arms used during WWII.

Apr 10, 2025 · Of the three outstanding Army fighters of the war (the others being the P-47 Thunderbolt and the P-51 Mustang), the P-38 was the first to fly by almost two and a half years. Built by the Lockheed Aircraft Company, it was designed to a 1937 specification calling for a high-altitude interceptor with heavy armament and a high rate of climb.

Apr 5, 2024 · If you’re a fan of double-action/single-action 9mm service pistols, you owe a lot to the Walther P38. The Walther P38 was the Wehrmacht’s less expensive replacement for the iconic P08 Luger pistol.

What would become one of the best fighters in World War II was created more by happenstance than by design. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was originally designed as a bomber-interceptor and was never intended to be a fighter.

On April 18, 1943, the long range of the P-38 enabled USAAF pilots to ambush and shoot down an aircraft carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who was the planner of the Pearl Harbor raid and the commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The P-38 became the standard USAAF fighter in the Pacific theater until the closing months of WWII.

In total, 1,800 Japanese planes were destroyed by P-38s in the Pacific. The P-38 was designed by a Lockheed Aircraft team that included famous aircraft designer “Kelly” Johnson. It was the only American front-line fighter in production from the beginning of WWII until the end.