[ARC5] Navy Compass on P-38 Flight

[Taigh Ramey]

I would never question the ingenuity of the American service man especially
in the field of battle. I was simply adding speculation to the discussion
based on my knowledge of what was commonly available in aircraft of the time
combined with fitting it into such a space limited airframe like the P-38.

Your example of the field expedient night fighter version of the P-38, like
many other aircraft field mods, became a production model, the P-38M. I was
fortunate to work on one the last surviving P-38M's when it was here in
Stockton many years ago. Unfortunately its rarity was underappreciated and
the radar ops position was removed by the Champlin Fighter Museum to make it
look more like a conventional P-38. The second seat structure went on to a
CAF P-38 that subsequently was severely damaged in a crash. The single seat
M model is presently on display in the Museum of Flight in Seattle. 

The droop Snoot version of the P-38 also fits into this category adding a
glass nose, Norden Bombsight and bombardier in place of the guns and the
cannon. Amazing what all was thought of, developed and put into service in
the few short years of WWII. We went from 30 cal guns with ring and bead
sights to computer controlled and even radar guided turrets three to four
later.

Get the American might rolling and watch out!

Should anyone find out what that compass system was please let me know.

Taigh

Taigh Ramey
Proprietor, Vintage Aircraft
7432 C.E.Dixon Street
Stockton, California 95206
(209) 982-0273
(209) 982-4832 Fax
www.twinbeech.com
KEEP 'EM FLYING...FOR HISTORY!


-----Original Message-----
From: arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of Robert Eleazer
Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2012 6:09 AM
To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [ARC5] Navy Compass on P-38 Flight

By the way, I guess you might wonder if there existed the capability to
install a fluxgate compass in a P-38 on Guadalcanal.

In October 1943 the night fighter people on Guadalcanal gave up on using the
P-70A for interceptions due to its low performance.  They took a couple of
P-38G fighters, relocated the comm radios into a 160 gal drop tank, moved
some of the guns further forward, added an SCR-540 radar, and put a radar
operator position behind the pilot, and thus built themselves a couple of
high performance night fighters.  

So the guys in the field could do quite a lot!

Wayne

______________________________________________________________
ARC5 mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html



-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2012.0.2221 / Virus Database: 2441/5324 - Release Date: 10/11/12