P-38 or Mosquito?

Erich · 07-10-2004, 05:23 PM

just as an added thought...........anyone of you have the 82nd fighter group history that flew the P-38 and variants ?

curious

Erich ~

Lightning Guy · 07-10-2004, 11:12 PM

Erich, here is a link to their official web site. I imagine it should help you with whatever you are looking for.

http://www.82ndfightergroup.com/

the lancaster kicks ass · 07-11-2004, 06:58 AM

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The P-38F was demonstrated to have a range on internal fuel of 1,300miles

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That would suggest a range over 1,700miles

the B.XVI had a range of 1,485 on internal fuel with a 5,000lb payload, so i still make that one for the mossie

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And the P-38J was also proved to be capable of carrying 5,200lbs

and what would it's range and speed with this load (given that the 5,200 is made of bombs, not fuel)?? and would it need modification, i.e. more underwing hardpoints?? and that payload wasn't normally carried, it just say's it was capible of carrying that, i'm sure you could easily say the mossie "was capible" of carrying more, it just wasn't practical...............

Lightning Guy · 07-11-2004, 11:26 PM

Note: I am not attempting to argue than the P-38 was a better bomber. The Mossie was designed as a bomber and the P-38 as a fighter. The P-38 made a better bomber than the Mossie made fighter.

The 5,200lb load was made up of 2 2,000lb bombs on the standard hardpoints. 4 300lb bombs were carried under the outer-wing. I'm not sure how they were carried and my reference lacks pictures or details. The modifications were done in the field in the Pacific and so I doubt they were very extreme. The P-38's speed with a full bomb-load was impressive. When tested with two torpedoes it's speed loss was only 16%.

Erich · 07-12-2004, 10:56 AM

LG no what I was getting at was do any of you gents have the book ? I do with 10 signatures by pilots of the fg. Also anyone have the book on the 1st fighter group ? I ask this as it may help all of you in your debates covering the Lightinging.....

E ~

the lancaster kicks ass · 07-12-2004, 01:29 PM

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I am not attempting to argue than the P-38 was a better bomber

then it's time you admit then that the mossie was the better, as i have agreed that the P-38 was the better fighter, so take it like a man......................

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The 5,200lb load was made up of 2 2,000lb bombs on the standard hardpoints. 4 300lb bombs were carried under the outer-wing. I'm not sure how they were carried and my reference lacks pictures or details. The modifications were done in the field in the Pacific and so I doubt they were very extreme

so we can agree that while, ok, it was capibile of carrying 5,200lb, this was an uncommon and proberly unnoficail field modification, and that the maximum payload for the J was 3,200lb.................

Lightning Guy · 07-12-2004, 01:34 PM

The Mossie was the better bomber. The P-38 was the better airplane.
The P-38 was an excellent fighter, and a good bomber. The Mossie was an excellent bomber, but only mediocre as a day fighter. Advantage: P-38.

The 3,200lb load was the maximum for the P-38H. Both the P-38J and L regularly carried 2 2000lb bombs.

plan_D · 07-12-2004, 01:36 PM

The Mosquito was the better night fighter.

the lancaster kicks ass · 07-12-2004, 01:41 PM

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The Mossie was the better bomber. The P-38 was the better airplane

how was the P-38 the better aeroplane??

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Both the P-38J and L regularly carried 2 2000lb bombs.

i make that 4,000lb, still short of the 5,000lb mark....................

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The P-38 was an excellent fighter, and a good bomber. The Mossie was an excellent bomber, but only mediocre as a day fighter. Advantage: P-38.

if that's the case then surely the P-38 was a mediocre bomber?? and you have to remember that the mossie was designed as a bomber, and as Plan_D said, the mossie was the better night fighter, i make that advantage mossie...........................

Donnervogel · 07-12-2004, 05:21 PM

P-38 or Mosquito?-what for a silly Question!

You can not compare these two aircrafts! The P-38 was in the first line a fighter with a very good performance and the Mosquito was a bomber which was built of wood so that the aircraft could fly very highly
- higher then the german fighters (12.000m)

Erich · 07-12-2004, 06:04 PM

you forget the Mossie XIX and XXX as the best RAF nachtjäger.

The Mossies were bounced many times by Bf 109G-6/AS single engine Nachtjägers in the late summer-late fall of 44. Again all in my book(s).......

Lightning Guy · 07-12-2004, 11:22 PM

Lanc, you were quoting normal max as 3,200lbs. That's not true. That's the point I was making with the 4,000lb load which could (and was) carried without any modification. The P-38 was shown to be a first rate bomber either visually with the Norden site or through overcast with APS-15 BTO system. The P-38M was probably the best American nightfighter developed during the war. I'm not sure it would have been better than the Mossie but we will never really be able to know.

the lancaster kicks ass · 07-15-2004, 01:39 PM

the mossie's combat record would show it to be the better night fighter...............

and about the P-38 bombing, how far could it carry 4,000lb on internal fuel?? as i have said some marks of the mossie could take 5,000lb 1,485 miles on internal fuel......................

Lightning Guy · 07-15-2004, 01:54 PM

Well, when they tested a P-38F as a torpedo bomber, it carried two torpedoes (slightly more than 4,000lbs) to a range of 1,000 miles. Again, the J and L had the benefit of leading-edge takes which increased internal fuel by about 33% so I would estimate a range for these later Lightnings of 1,300 miles or so. Granted, that is inferior to the Mossie but better than any other wartime fighter could manage (few could even carry 4,000lbs!) and in comparable to the range of most medium bombers.

dead parrot · 07-15-2004, 10:21 PM

I don't think anyone is going to convince LG that the Lightning wasn't the better plane

, but just to sort things out for myself, if nothing else...

It's an interesting idea to compare each aircraft's role, but to others of the class rather than to each other. (I tried to base these at least partly on the discussion above.)

Bomber
Mossie: One of the greatest bombers of WW2
P-38: Apparently possible and certainly good enough to be comparable with some medium bombers, but not really known for it.
Winner: Mossie

Day Fighter:
Mossie: Successful in some roles, such as interceptor, but there were many better
P-38: Excellent, but few claim it was the best in the war. Probably surpassed in most roles by planes such as the Mustang, Spit, Fw190
Winner: P-38

Night Fighter
Mossie: Excellent, with demonstrated performance to prove it. Best allied nightfighter, possibly best in war...
P-38: Probably excellent, but without anywhere near the record of the Mossie
Winner: Mossie

Recce Plane
Mossie: Famously good, probably the best Allied recce plane
P-38: Excellent--but the US bought Mossies for this role, too
Winner: Mossie

High speed transport
Mossie: Very effective
P-38: Not really

Tagline
Mossie: Flew really cool pinpoint commando-raids-in-the-sky against Nazi installations just like in the movies
P-38: Shot down lots of Japanese planes
Winner: Mossie

Overall: Mossie

The P-38 was without doubt an amazing plane, but for me, the Mossie was in a class of it's own...