Lockheed P-38F s/n 43-2035 torpedo testing 1943 ..
Sun Jan 19, 2020 6:06 pm
"The Lockheed P-38 Lightning" by Warren Bodie
"The torpedo bombers in World War II were normally large and slow. Images of the Battle of Midway show the sacrifices of the American torpedo pilots made in desperate attempts to launch their torpedoes against Japanese aircraft carriers.
Had the P-38 been carrier based, it would have been arguably the finest torpedo bomber of the war. One Lockheed P-38F sn 43-2035 was configured to carry torpedoes and was successfully tested. Both external fuel tank pylons were configured to each carry a torpedo. Most bombers were only able to carry one torpedo, and were slow and extremely vulnerable. The P-38 that was tested had no problems delivering the dummy torpedoes, and showed only a 16.7% speed loss (300 mph top speed). Equipped with two torpedoes, the maximum range was 1,000 miles. If the P-38 was equipped with one torpedo and one 310-gallon fuel tank, the range was increased to 2,160 miles. With a single drop tank, the speed loss was reduced to 12.6%. The test flight was described as very stable, and jumped slightly when the torpedoes were released. The tests were extremely successful, and the P-38 would be a first class torpedo bomber. However, all these tests were after the Battle of Midway, and the emphasis was beginning to shift away from torpedo bombers in favor of dive-bombers. Also, the P-38 was land based, and the range options were limited when compared to a torpedo bomber on an aircraft carrier which could attack targets not available to land based aircraft. The P-38 never made a combat torpedo attack.
Most properly, it was the initial Model 332-60-04 Lightning II. It is the only RAF designated airplane to have the turbosuperchargers. It's a USAAF P-38F-13-LO numbered as RAF AC43-2035. It was retained by the USAAF and used for the torpedo demonstration by Lockheed. This was only a demonstration, never adopted.
The project was a serious Lockheed response to the pathetic performance of the obsolete USN torpedo bombers that preceded the Grumman TBF/TBM at Coral Sea and Midway. The Navy was looking for any current production aircraft that could deliver a torpedo attack with a reasonable chance of surviving the effort.
To maintain performance with the heavy weapons load, Lockheed stripped the plane of machine guns and suggested they be escorted by regular P-38 fighters for fighter and flak suppression."
"The torpedo bombers in World War II were normally large and slow. Images of the Battle of Midway show the sacrifices of the American torpedo pilots made in desperate attempts to launch their torpedoes against Japanese aircraft carriers.
Had the P-38 been carrier based, it would have been arguably the finest torpedo bomber of the war. One Lockheed P-38F sn 43-2035 was configured to carry torpedoes and was successfully tested. Both external fuel tank pylons were configured to each carry a torpedo. Most bombers were only able to carry one torpedo, and were slow and extremely vulnerable. The P-38 that was tested had no problems delivering the dummy torpedoes, and showed only a 16.7% speed loss (300 mph top speed). Equipped with two torpedoes, the maximum range was 1,000 miles. If the P-38 was equipped with one torpedo and one 310-gallon fuel tank, the range was increased to 2,160 miles. With a single drop tank, the speed loss was reduced to 12.6%. The test flight was described as very stable, and jumped slightly when the torpedoes were released. The tests were extremely successful, and the P-38 would be a first class torpedo bomber. However, all these tests were after the Battle of Midway, and the emphasis was beginning to shift away from torpedo bombers in favor of dive-bombers. Also, the P-38 was land based, and the range options were limited when compared to a torpedo bomber on an aircraft carrier which could attack targets not available to land based aircraft. The P-38 never made a combat torpedo attack.
Most properly, it was the initial Model 332-60-04 Lightning II. It is the only RAF designated airplane to have the turbosuperchargers. It's a USAAF P-38F-13-LO numbered as RAF AC43-2035. It was retained by the USAAF and used for the torpedo demonstration by Lockheed. This was only a demonstration, never adopted.
The project was a serious Lockheed response to the pathetic performance of the obsolete USN torpedo bombers that preceded the Grumman TBF/TBM at Coral Sea and Midway. The Navy was looking for any current production aircraft that could deliver a torpedo attack with a reasonable chance of surviving the effort.
To maintain performance with the heavy weapons load, Lockheed stripped the plane of machine guns and suggested they be escorted by regular P-38 fighters for fighter and flak suppression."
Re: Lockheed P-38F s/n 43-2035 torpedo testing 1943 ..
Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:31 am
That would have been neat to see... 
Phil
Phil
Re: Lockheed P-38F s/n 43-2035 torpedo testing 1943 ..
Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:37 am
Who you calling a "dummy"? 
Very interesting, had never heard of this trial. Quite a robust cruciform tail on the torpedo.
The B-26 was the only USAAF aircraft I had known about that carried torpedoes.
Very interesting, had never heard of this trial. Quite a robust cruciform tail on the torpedo.
The B-26 was the only USAAF aircraft I had known about that carried torpedoes.
Re: Lockheed P-38F s/n 43-2035 torpedo testing 1943 ..
Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:46 am
sandiego89 wrote:Who you calling a "dummy"? ......Quite a robust cruciform tail on the torpedo.
It's notable the dummy fish included the drag increasing feature of "that" tail structure on the dummy fish. I reckon it shows they were interested in as accurate data of the test as possible. That extra tail structure served a purpose, a drag-inducing wooden structure, it was intended slow the speed and reduce the depth of the fish's high speed entry into the water....Tearing away in the process to reveal the standard control surfaces of the torpedo. They arrived at this mod after high speed tests revealed unsavory directional effects on the fish could occur upon water entry.
Re: Lockheed P-38F s/n 43-2035 torpedo testing 1943 ..
Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:04 pm
Apologies Sandiego95, Mark, and all... my previous post was from memory. I forgot to mention the "drag ring" , attached to the nose, which also might have been included in the tests. Unless the drag ring is missing in the photo because they decided to omit it with the P-38? Buried in my notes are links to some informative pages, but I'm running late so if you folks don't mind looking, google Mk 13 Torpedo Drag Ring and Stabilizer OR Wikipedia has some pretty good info in their Mark 13 Torpedo page.