Business End of the P-38

Business End of the P-38 Lightning

During the development of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Armament went from two .30 caliber machine guns, two .50 caliber machine guns and one 37mm cannon in the nose of the YP-38 to four .50 caliber machine guns and one 20mm cannon in the nose of production P-38's. The central location of the Lightning's weapons gave it a powerful concentration of fire. The effect was often fatal for enemy planes caught in the P-38's gun sights.

At right is P-38J "Bambi", on the tarmac of the 381st Bomb Group, Ridgewell, England, Sept. 6, 1944. Markings on the nose of the P-38 indicate the completion of over 50 missions. At left, a ground crewman loads belted .50 caliber ammunition into the gun bay of a P-38 on an airfield in 1942.

The finished piece measures 12 3/4" x 25 1/2". It is matted in blue-gray. The frame is Gunmetal (other colors are available. Contact us for info). Please see the "Frame Info" tab for complete information on how we frame our artwork. Item price includes ground shipping to the continental U.S.