Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning

[FLYBOYJ]

Boy, that nose gear has "Connie" written all over it. (I know appearances only.)

Actually there's a possibility that there were common components.

Lockheed subcontracted some design and production to Menasco Mfg. which was also located in Burbank CA. The partnership between these two companies lasted into the 1990s and as far as I know still exists today. Manasco helped design and manufacture landing gear for almost every Lockheed aircraft produced from the late 1930s.

While employed at Lockheed I knew someone who worked on the XP-58. In his words "it was a maintenance nightmare."

 

[Capt. Vick]

Anybody have pictures of the rear gunners area?

 

[Gnomey]

Nice shots!

 

[fubar57]

No pictures yet............

​

 

[Capt. Vick]

Saw a scrap book for sale once that had a hand drawn sketch of the inside, looking to the rear, but it had sold already and my prompting of the auctioneer to put me in contact with the buyer came to naught. Would have liked to have know whose it was.

 

[GrauGeist]

Anybody have pictures of the rear gunners area?

I've never seen any clean rear or interior shots of the XP-58, to be honest.

This short film is about as good as it gets, I think

 

[Capt. Vick]

Oh I have some. Got them from Edwards AFB. Just none of the back gunners compartment. There was a second ad-hoc seat behind the pilot, for a total of at least 3 in the testing configuration. Also there was some kind of skull painted on the tip of the nose at one time.

 

[johnbr]

The XP-58 Chain Lightning, intended as an advanced two-place version of the Lockheed P-38 (the tail of a P-38J can be seen at left), went through a prolonged development effort marked by multiple engine, armament, and mission changes brought on both by circumstances and Army Air Forces requirements changes. The end result was a heavy aircraft with somewhat less-than-expected performance. Only one prototype was built. First flight came at Burbank, California, on 6 June 1944, the same day as the D-Day invasion of France. The Chain Lightning was flown about twenty-five times before it was flown to Wright Field, near Dayton, Ohio, for service evaluation. The XP-58 was never flown again and ended its brief career as a ground trainer.
Spotlighted Photos | Code One Magazine Original design book for Lockheed P-38 and XP-58 "Chain Lightning" aircrafts - Price Estimate: $1500 - $2500

 

[Capt. Vick]

That's the one!

 

[MIflyer]

Its just looks massive because it is. Ironically, the V-3420 probably was the very best of all the "double" engines developed, but saw the least use. Applications included the XP-58, XB-39, and XB-42.

 

[GrauGeist]

...Applications included the XP-58, XB-39, and XB-42.

Also used on the XB-19.

 

[Snautzer01]

Also used on the XB-19.

Did it have the same problems as its german counterpart?

 

[MIflyer]

The V-3420 seemed to be much more reliable than did the German or British "Twinned" engines, although it probably saw less a lot flight time than the others, which were operational. It was also used on the XP-75.

 

[swampyankee]

Did it have the same problems as its german counterpart?

Most of the articles I've read have stated that it was pretty trouble-free, although there were some problems with mixture distribution (Allison V-3420 24-Cylinder Aircraft Engine). One engine was used on an unlimited hydroplane (Scooter Too – Henry J. Kaiser's monster speedboat) and another in a pulling tractor (https://thekneeslider.com/images/2012/05/ej-potter-double-ugly.jpg)

The V-3420 seems to have been less problematic (although likely significantly more expensive) than the R-3350.

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[wuzak]

Its just looks massive because it is. Ironically, the V-3420 probably was the very best of all the "double" engines developed, but saw the least use. Applications included the XP-58, XB-39, and XB-42.

The XB-42 used two V-1710s, not a single V-3420.

The V-3420 was slightly wider than an R-3350, but a bit over 1/2 the height. It was longer, of course, being an in-line.

 

[wuzak]

The V-3420 seemed to be much more reliable than did the German or British "Twinned" engines, although it probably saw less a lot flight time than the others, which were operational. It was also used on the XP-75.

Which British "twinned" engines would that be?

 

[MIflyer]

Vulture. Aptly named.

 

[wuzak]

Vulture. Aptly named.

The Vulture wasn't a twinned anything.

I suppose you could say the Napier Rapier, Dagger and Sabre were twinned engines, though they were designed as twin crank engines from the outset.

 

[wuzak]

According to Wiki:

The Vulture used the unusual "X-24" configuration, whereby four cylinder blocks derived from the Rolls-Royce Peregrine were joined by a common crankshaft supported by a single crankcase.

Except that the bore spacing was around the same as the Merlin's, about 1/2" longer than the Peregrine's, and the Vulture ran about a year before the Peregrine did.