P-38 Lightning Vol. 1: Lockheed's XP-38 to P-38H in World War II

When, as a young modeler, I started to get interested in World War II aircraft, the P-38 Lightning was an early favorite. The exotic twin-boom design and the rounded shapes were like catnip, and I built several of them. And I’m sure I’m not alone in having a fondness for Lockheed graceful and deadly fighter. If you are as struck by the Lightning as I am, you’ll want to add David Doyle’s books on the type to your reference library.

The first, P-38 Lightning, Vol. 1: Lockheed’s XP-38 to P-38H in World War II covers the early types before the engine nacelles were redesigned. Each chapter in the 112-page hardcover focuses on one of the variants starting with the XP- and YP-38 prototypes. Short sections cover the P-38 (sometimes called the P-38-LO), the export P-332, P-38D and E, and the reconnaissance F-4 and F-5A. The bulk of the image-laden volume covers the major early-production variants, the P-38F, G, and H.

The well-printed photos include contemporary factory and operational Lightnings as well as a bunch of detail photos of Glacier Girl, the P-38F recovered from the ice in Greenland after 50 years. The final 33-page section shows the aircraft in combat operations with dozens of large wartime images, several color, that reveal markings and weathering details.

-FineScale Modeler Editor, Aaron Skinner