New and improved Lockheed P-38L Lightning. Quite possibly the best lightning out there at this point. Improvements from last version: Visual additions such as gas caps on the wings, tailplane mass weights, landing lights (AG4), more rounded tailends, rotated and correctly placed nosewheel, better-designed cockpit. Scaled down the missile to look more like HVARs. Set recognition lights to AG3 to turn on and off. XML modified the center gun to behave more like a 20mm autocannon for added realism. And lastly, added trailing-edge flaps controlled by VTOL slider! Remember, AG1 drops the fuel tanks, and AG2 dumps the rocket racks.
EDIT (CHANGE THIS WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD IT): Move up the horsepower on the engines to get more realistic performance. The added weight and drag had an effect. With the fuel tanks and rockets jettisoned, you want to be able to go about 414 mph at sea-level. Also, the green light on the left wing should be red. Probably did a last-minute mirror job, and failed to notice. Also, after reviewing even more diagrams and blueprints, I noticed the flaps on the inboard wings should be one notch thinner for added accuracy.
UPDATE!: How to fly (based on authentic pilot's manual)
TAKEOFF: set flaps to half, throttle to maximum, plane will lift off on its own. Retract landing gear around 170 MPH, and retract flaps around 250 MPH.
CRUISE: 50-75% throttle depending on altitude, set trim for level flight (or engage autopilot, you casuals)
COMBAT: Jettison fuel tanks (AG1), throttle to maximum. (optionally dump missile for historic accuracy (AG2))
APPROACH and LANDING: Throttle to 10%, lower flaps one quarter at 300 MPH, ease throttle to 5% as you near runway, at 250 MPH set flaps to half, at 200 MPH set flaps to 3 quarters, at 170 MPH, extend landing gear, at 150 MPH set flaps to full down (do not advance past half flaps with fuel tanks attached). Use maximum trim and light pitching to touch down gently on the runway, main wheels first, cut power, then brake to a stop.
Now you're a Lightning pilot!
Specifications
General Characteristics
- Created On Windows
- Wingspan 52.7ft (16.1m)
- Length 36.9ft (11.3m)
- Height 12.8ft (3.9m)
- Empty Weight 11,178lbs (5,070kg)
- Loaded Weight 15,012lbs (6,809kg)
Performance
- Horse Power/Weight Ratio 0.273
- Wing Loading 36.7lbs/ft2 (179.4kg/m2)
- Wing Area 408.6ft2 (38.0m2)
- Drag Points 6126
Parts
- Number of Parts 138
- Control Surfaces 15
- Performance Cost 574
@Bryan7885 Thanks again!
@DragonAerotech I'm a sucker for twin-booms myself. I can't resist the urge to upvote them.
@Sunnyskies lol I like twin boom designs too so I can't fault you. The Lightning is top, the Fokker G.I Reaper is second, the Fw-189 is third and the SAAB J.21 comes in as a distant fourth. After that we get into Venoms, Vampires and Vixens. ^_~ I have a twin boom heavy bomber in the works but it's meant for the RP build I'm in and it might be ending. lol
@DragonAerotech I would make a variant, but I've published enough Lightnings as it is. lol
In these colors, strip her of the arms and you'd have a Lockheed F-5 Lightning Photo-Recon plane on your' hands with the addition of a couple of camera ports. ;-)
@SHCow I've heard timing is key. Uploading when more people are active and such. Some people advertise planes with forum posts, but that's a little vain. Usually it's just luck. It all really depends on who is looking at the newest planes before yours disappears beneath the flood of newer uploads.
@General360 @Liquidfox Thank you both!