Canadian Warplanes 5: Lockheed P-38 Lightning (Aerial Survey)

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3562610)

Lockheed P-38 Lighting in aerial photo survey service in Canada, with a de Havilland Hornet in the foreground. None were flown by the RCAF but many were flown in winter flight tests in Canada during the Second World War and afterwards by aerial survey companies.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3562609)

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-27005), Reg. No. CF-GSP, in aerial photo survey service in Canada.  This Lightning crashed on landing, and then skidded off an iced runway at Minneapolis-Northern Ordinance Corp airfield Minnesota on 25 November 1951.  It was broken-up.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo,  MIKAN No. 3584683)

Lockheed P-38L-5-LO Lightning, converted to F-5G, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-26996), c/n 422-8000, ex Reg. No. N53752, shown here with Spartan Air Services Ltd, Ottawa, Ontario, Reg. No. CF-GCH, 20 June 1952.  This aircraft is currently with Vintage Fighters LLC, Caldwell, Idaho, Reg. No. N7723C, painted in D-Day markings.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3562608)

Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Spartan Air Services Ltd, Ottawa, ca 1955.

Lockheed P-38 Lightnings that carried a Canadian Civil Registration.

All were flown for Photo Mapping and most flew with Spartan Air Surveys.

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-26761), Reg. No. CF-GXE, now with Kermit Weeks in Florida.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Reg. No. CF-HDH, only used for spare parts and struck-off register on 2 Dec 1955.

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-53087), Reg. No. CF-GDS, now with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Aviation Foundation, Oshkosh Wisconsin.

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-53183), Reg. No. CF-GCG.  This Lightning broke-up while executing a steep dive during a test flight and crashed into MacGregor Lake, Quebec on 17 March 1955.

(J. Harry Lewis Photo, via the Yukon Transportation Museum, Whitehorse, Yukon)

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-53184), Reg. No. CF-GKH.  This Lightning was destroyed in a crash near Dawson City, Yukon on 31 July 1953.

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-27005), Reg. No. CF-GSP.  This Lightning crashed on landing, and then skidded off an iced runway at Minneapolis-Northern Ordinance Corp airfield Minnesota on 25 Nov 1951.  It was broken-up.

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-27025), Reg. No. CF-GSQ.  This Lightning went to Spain where it was registered as EC-ANU.  It was scrapped in Madrid after being struck-off register on 17 Oct 1969.

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-53193), Reg. No. CF-NMW.  This Lightning, registered in the US as N38PS, crashed on 1 Aug 1978.

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-53206), Reg. No. CF-HDI.  This Lightning crashed near Ottawa-Uplands, Ontario on 2 May 1955.

Lockheed P-38L Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-27205), Reg. No. CF-JJA.  This Lightning went to Argentina, registered as LV-HIX.  It crashed after takeoff, at Ezeiza, Argentina in 1964

Lockheed P-38L-5-LO Lightning, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-53045), converted to F-5G-6-LO, Reg. No. CF-HSC.  This Lightning crashed on 25 June 1956.

Lockheed P-38L-5-LO Lightning, converted to F-5G, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-26996), Reg. No. CF-GCH. Now with Vintage Fighters LLC, Caldwell, Idaho.

(Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame Photo)

Lockheed P-38 Lightning with Spartan Aviation, May 1956.

(RAF Photo)

An early model Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft delivered to the Royal Air Force.

Karl V wrote, "While the Goblin/Bolingbroke experience had been unfolding, the other side of the RCAF’s fighter acquisition endeavour – obtaining modern purpose-built aircraft – had been progressing.  The initial stage involved investigating the characteristics of possible candidates.  These were entirely from the US – no British aircraft were considered.  As early as 30 July 1940 the specifications of the Lockheed P-38 arrived in Ottawa.  The RCAF response, four days later, was that the P-38 was “interesting” but did not fit RCAF requirements – an indication that the RCAF, even at that date, still had a lingering hope of acquiring a more specialized fighter.  The P-38 resurfaces in the records when, on 1 November 1940, the RCAF reported, first, that it was still looking for fighters in the US and, second, that it gathered that the plans to manufacture the P-38 in Canada for the RAF had now been abandoned.  On 8 November it received confirmation that these plans had, indeed, been dropped.  The reason that was given was that the RAF was of the opinion that the pilot loss rate due to the difficulty in bailing out safely was too great.  There is little reference to the P-38 for several years, but it is of interest to note that no other source seems to mention the proposed Canadian manufacture of the P-38, nor is the difficulty of escaping from the aircraft cited as the primary reason for the RAF’s disenchantment with the type."

Ewan S wrote, "Air Arsenal North America: The order under contract no A-242 was for 667 Model 322 aircraft plus the equivalent of 133 in spare parts. 250 were to be for Britain and 417 for France (for delivery to Casablanca for assembly). June 1940 the whole contract was taken over by Britain. All were to have non-turbosupercharged engines and engines were all to be right handed for commonality with Tomohawk deliveries.

Joe Baugher & Aerophiles: Then there was the contract change in July 1941 so it was now to be 143 Lightning I (no turbos) plus 524 Lightning II (with turbos).

Air Arsenal & Joe Baugher: By Dec 1941 only 24 Mark I had been accepted by the British Aeronautical Inspection Board in the US, before deliveries were transferred to the USAAF. In Dec 1941 the USAAF set about requisitioning as many aircraft as it could lay its hands on. Virtually anything built and on US soil was immediately “grabbed” while many existing unfulfilled contracts were taken over by the US Govt with Britain’s Agreement. So, the USAAF allowed delivery of Mk.I aircraft 5, 6 & 9 off the production line (serials AF105, 106 & 108) to Britain for trials, where trials at the RAE and the A&AEE found them unsatisfactory. They didn’t arrive in the U.K. until March 1942. The rest of the Mk.I under the contract (140 aircraft) were retained in the USA for service as fighter trainers under the designation P-322 after modification for USAAF use. They retained their British serials in US service. Joe Baugher’s Page then details how the aircraft contracted as Mk. II for the RAF were then built as various blocks of P-38F/G for the USAAF. Given the above, my interpretation is that the RAF contract was not cancelled. It was taken over by the USAAF on the outbreak of war, with British Agreement. This was Britain helping out the US in its time of greatest need. Then after evaluation of the P-38 in Britain, the RAF decided not to pursue further acquisitions. Britain did did a lot to help the US at that point in time. Other things that come to mind is the transfer to the USN of various anti-sub ships, including a number of Flower class corvettes, despite our great need."

Geoffrey Sinclair wrote,"Lockheed built 23 P-322 November 1941 to January 1942 (AE981 to 994, AE996, AF100, AF105, AF106, AF108, AF109, AF111, AF112, AF115 and AF119 with AF105, AF106 and AF108 exported arriving in Britain in March 1943) a note on the USAAF Delivery Logs says “Acceptance of the following 322 airplanes cancelled 13 March 1942, AE980, 995, 997 to 999, AF101, 102, 104, 110, 111, 113, 114, 116 to 118, 120 to 123”.  Otherwise Lockheed were steadily working their way through the US contracts in order, finishing AC-15646 in May 1942 and then the P-38F from AC-21217 in June, switching to the P-38G that month.  In July 1942 the remaining 120 P-322 were officially accepted.  The P-38F from A-242 were accepted August to October 1942, in parallel to P-38G from the USAAF order.  The P-38G from A-242 were accepted from October 1942 to March 1943, again in parallel P-38G from the USAAF order.  P-38G production ended in April 1943."

"The P-38F and G from A-242 were allocated 43- serial numbers starting 43-2035 (Serials 43-1 to 1960 were L-2, L-3, L-4, 43-1961 to 2034 were C-49 and C-53) so ordered as part of the July 1942 to June 1943 fiscal year, which was officially the “G program”, AC-24636 uses 42- serial numbers.  This narrows down the date for when the USAAF officially took over the order.  The P-38 did not retained their RAF serials unlike most of the other types, like P-51, B-24 and Ventura, built on British contracts which entered USAAF service.   The USAAF January 1943 RC-301 report has the A-242 order under Foreign Procurements, 23 P-322, 120 P-322A, 29 P-322/P-38F-13, 121 P-322/P-38F-15, and 374 P-322/P-38G-15, but it also lists 20 RP-322 under the undetermined program purchased from foreign governments...The RAF was well aware of the early onset of compressibility in the P-38, RAF pilots were doing some test flying work on the problem which seems to have been an important factor in the RAF decision not to continue with the order."

AFHRA reel A1502 page 588 of PDF/frame 596.  Memo from then Colonel H.S. Vandenberg dated 13 June 1942, “There are approximately 143 Lockheed 322’s manufactured for the British but which still remain in this country due to unsatisfactory operational features. A canvas of various type Directors indicates that they cannot use them because of the same unsatisfactory features. The Material Command states that modification of the tail can be accomplished at the factory but that the replacement of the right hand Allison C-15 engines by counter rotation F-4 engines cannot be effected until the later part of 1942. This division recommends that steps be taken to appropriate these airplanes from the British and that they be turned over to the Technical Training Command to be used in the training of mechanics.”

(RAF Photos)

Lockheed P-38 Lightning with RAF roundels.