P-38 Lightning in Service The versatile Lightning performed many different missions during World War II, including dive bombing, level bombing, bombing through clouds, strafing, photo reconnaissance and long range escort. It first went into large-scale service during the North African campaign in November 1942, where the German pilots named it Der Gabelschwanz Teufel ("The Forked-Tail Devil"). When the Lightning began combat operations from England in September 1943, it was the only fighter with

The P-38 Lightning flies higher, faster... it's simply COOLER! ⚡️😍 📺 See more of the Flying Bulls on Red Bull TV 👉 win.gs/flyingbullsuk | Red Bull Motorsports

Germans Never Expected P 38 Dive Recovery Flaps To Out Dive Their Messerschmitts Discover how ⚙️✈️ a small piece of engineering genius changed the skies over Europe in 1944. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, once feared as unstable in high-speed dives, was reborn after American engineers developed dive recovery flaps — a seemingly simple fix that transformed air combat. Before this innovation, German Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s could escape by diving steeply, knowing P-38 pilots risk