Military
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The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, originally designed to meet the 1937 Army Air Corps requirement for a high altitude interceptor, became one of the most versatile fighters of World War II and saw action in every American theater of operations during the war. It was first employed operationally as a fighter in the Aleutian Islands, where it achieved its first aerial victory. A total of 10,038 were built, including 1,082 G models. Approximately 24 survive today, including the only remaining G model, displayed in the markings of Lieutenant Nesmith's P-38. The P-38G had two turbo charged 1,325-horse power Allison V-1710-51/455 engines, four Browning 50-caliber machine guns with 500 rounds each, and one Hispano-Suba 20-millimeter cannon with 150 rounds. Its maximum range was 2,400 miles, service ceiling 30,000 feet, maximum speed 400 miles per hour at 25,000 feet, cruising speed 340 miles per hour, weight 12,200 pounds empty and 19,800 pounds gross, with a wingspan of 52 feet, length of 37 feet 10 inches, and height of 9 feet 10 inches.
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