Plastic Model Airplane Kits

The P-38 Lightning

As one of the most advanced fighter aircraft of the War the Lockheed P-38 Lightning was second to none. Some the engineering advances included tricycle landing gear, flush-riveted sheet metal on all external surfaces and the first that used twin turbo-charged engines.

Reaching its peak in the in the Pacific with the twin turbo-charged engines proved to be just the safety net needed to bring many pilots home after hard won dog-fights.

The adaptability of the P-38 had no limits. She was used as a dog fighter by day and a bomber by night. Stripped down and filled with all types’ cameras and used for photo reconnaissance, carrying no weapons and armor relying only on her speed to return safely. The Lightning was used as an air ambulance, glider tug and even a torpedo bomber.

The Japanese always said “two planes one pilot.” The German called it “the fork-tailed devil”. The Lockheed P-38 was adored by her pilots and very much respected by her enemies.

The P-38 Lightning by Lockheed was developed for a requirement of the United States Army Air Corps. She had distinctive twin booms and a single central nacelle for armament and the cockpit for a single pilot. She was also used as a dive bomber and ground strafing. When carrying external drop tanks she was an extremely long-range escort fighter. Her most successful use was the Pacific Theater of Operations and the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations.

Some of her top aces were Richard Bong with “40 Victories” and Thomas McGuire with “38 Victories”. The P-38 was the primary long-range fighter aircraft of the United States Army Air Corps until large numbers of the P-51D Mustangs started showing up toward the end of the war.

The P-38 Lightning by Lockheed was the only American fighter aircraft in active production throughout the duration of American involvement in the war, from Pearl Harbor all the way to VJ Day.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

P-38 Lightning Listings

For more than 3 grueling year’s courageous air crews of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress attacked strategic targets. The B-17 was one of the most popular bombers with the American public. The reason was the sheer beauty of Boeing’s Flying Fortress. It was still seen as an elegant aircraft even with the chin turrets and guns.

A lot of the success of the B-17 had to do with its 4 turbo super-charged engines. If the Flying Fortress did not have them it would have meant it would have had to fly at lower altitudes. There it would have been more be more vulnerable to enemy fighter and anti-aircraft attacks.

The very distinguished service of the U.S. 8th Air Force equipped mainly with the Boeing B-17. The 8th Air Force performed precision bombing far and wide over Germany from 1942 to 1945. Whittling away at the Luftwaffe, the B-17 saw some of the biggest and bloodiest air battles of World War II.

The Boeing B-17 developed for the United States Army Air Corps was a 4 engine bomber. Boeing competing against Martin and Douglas in the 1930s for a contract to build 200 bombers, their entry more than outperformed both the competitors. At first Boeing lost the contract because the prototype crashed. But the brass was so impressed with the design that the U.S. Army Air Corps ordered 13 of the B-17s. So successful the B-17 Flying Fortress went on to be the first mass-produced large aircraft in full-scale production.

The United States Army Air Forces employed the B-17 primarily in daylight precision strategic bombing campaign against the German Industrial and military targets. The 8th Army Air Corps based in England and the 15th Air Force was based in Italy served to complement the RAF Bomber command’s nighttime operation called “Operation Pointblank”. This was one of the first big steps in securing air superiority over the battlefields of Western Europe.

The B-17 served some in the War in the Pacific in raids against the Japanese airfields and shipping.

Many great stories exist today about the extensive battle damage the strategic weapon took and was still able to make it back home. These stories took on great mythic proportions and many photos were taken and circulated raising its iconic status. Out of the 1.5 million tons of bombs dropped on Germany 640,000 were from the B-17.

A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress model will enhance any collection with its sheer beauty. We have provided some of the top selections for you pleasure.

B-17 Flying Fortress Listings

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

The Navy and Marine Corps name was R4Q for the American military transport aircraft built by Fairchild as the C-119 Flying Boxcar. The transport aircraft was built to carry troops and cargo that could be delivered by parachute. The first C-119 rolled out in November 1947 and the last one after 1,100 C-119s rolled off the assembly line in 1955.

With exceptional cargo hauling ability and rather unusual appearance the C-119 earned the name “Flying Boxcar”. The C-82 Packet was built for the Air Force Tactical Air Command and had some serious problems in its 9 years of service. So the C-119 was built to address all of the C-82 Packet problems.

The first C-119 was constructed with a much more ridged airframe that was much stronger. The first prototype rolled out in November of 1947 as the XC-82B.

Later Henry J. Kaiser received the contract to build C-119s at the former B-24 Liberator plant in Belleville, Michigan. Kaiser would build the C-119F model that differed in that it had Wright R-3350-85 Duplex Cyclone engines. Fairchild use Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines. The Wright engine was used on the B-29 and was a reliable design but it did not have the superchargers Like the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines. The C-119 performance was almost identical in both versions.

C-119 Flying Boxcar Variants

Two variants of the C-119 were converted into potent weapons the AC-119G Shadow and the AC-119K Stinger. The AC-119G had 4 six barrel 7.62 mini-guns installed with added armor plating, flares, and night flying infrared equipment. The AC-119K Stinger got more potent upgrades with two 20 mm cannons and two GE J85-GE-17 turbojets adding an extra 6,000 lbf of thrust. Two other variants were built the EC-119J for satellite tracking and another prototype with larger wings and tail called the YC-119H.

Another modification was made for civilian use, featured Westinghouse J34 turbojet with an extra 3,400 lbf of thrust. A nacelle was installed above the fuselage in a Jet Pack configuration.

C-119 Flying Boxcar Military Service

The C-119 with the 314th Troop Carrier Group in 1950 served in the Korea War. C-119C including F and G models served in Europe with the U.S. Air Force and the Far East Air Force from 1951 through 1962. The 150 or so aircraft operated from Greenland all the way to India. Another group of as many operated and served in the Pacific and Far East.

C-119 Flying Boxcars saw service with the USAF Strategic Air Command from 1955 all the way to 1973.

For some of the more interesting service for the C-119s was the aerial recovery of some of the high altitude instrument packages carried by balloon. Based in Hawaii some of the aerial recoveries included the Corona Spy Satellite Program. A C-119 had the first successful recovery of film from a spy satellite in August of 1960.

The C-119s saw extensive service in Vietnam that started in 1953 with aircraft that were on loan by the CIA to support French troops. The Boxcars were flown by America CIA pilots with French markings on the planes.

The Indian Government bought C-119s with approval of President Kennedy to be used in the Sine-Indian War of 1962. The C-119s got extensive use to supply the Indian forces.

All the C-119s that were modified to the AC-119G Shadows and AC119K Stingers were transferred to the South Vietnamese when the war ended for the Americans in 1973.

The C-119 Flying Boxcar is such an unusual design aircraft it will be sure to stand out in any model airplane collection.