The P-38 was an all-metal, three wheeled, single-seater, twin-engined monoplane fighter with an aerodynamic design rarely seen in WWII. The G variant was created at the end of 1942 and was based on the E and F variants. The G had a more powerful turbocharged Allison V-17 10-51/55 engine. Engine management was significantley more automated than before. The plane carried a formidable armament consisting of 20mm Hispano AN/M2 cannons with 150 rounds and four 12.7mm Colt-Browning M2.5 machine guns with 300 rounds apiece. The P-38G had a reinforced fuselage and could carry two extra 300-gallon (1136-litre) fuel tanks. The G was not equipped to carry rockets and bombs, but was often modified on the field to carry 250-lb or even 500-lb bombs as well as unguided rockets. The P-38G was widley used by the Army Air Force (USAAF) in all theaters of the war. They were often used for shuttle missions over Germany from the airfields of Ukraine. The best known operation in which the P-38G participated was Operation Lightning which changed the war in the Pacific. The mission, which was flown on April 18, 1943, intercepted and shot down a Japanese G4M1 bomber with Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto on board. In addition, the P-38 was the plane of choice of the two most successful American aces: Richard Ira Bong (40 kills) and Thomas McGuire (38 kills). From 1942 to 1943, Lockheed built 1,462 P-38Gs. They were decommissioned in 1949. (Source: Warthunder)