Wingspan: 12.50"
Model length: 9.08"
Code: PW07009

Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. The aircraft was used in a number of different roles, including dive bombing, level bombing, ground strafing, photo reconnaissance missions,and extensively as a long-range escort fighter when equipped with droppable fuel tanks under its wings. The P-38 was used most extensively and successfully in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, where it was flown by the American pilots with the highest number of aerial victories to this date. America's top ace Richard Bong earned 40 victories (in a Lightning he called Marge), and Thomas McGuire (in Pudgy) scored 38. In the South West Pacific theater, it was a primary fighter of United States Army Air Forces until the appearance of large numbers of P-51D Mustangs toward the end of the war.

The P-38 was the only American fighter aircraft in active production throughout the duration of American involvement in the war, from Pearl Harbor to VJ Day.

Armament 

• 1× Hispano M2(C) 20 mm cannon with 150 rounds (2 AP, 2 tracer and 2 HE ammo belt composition) and 4× Colt-Browning MG53-2 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. The rate of fire was about 650 rounds per minute for the 20×110 mm cannon round (130 g shell) at a muzzle velocity of about Template:Convert/LoffAyesDbSoff/s, and for the .50 in MGs (43–48 g), about 850 rpm at Template:Convert/LoffAyesDbSoff/s velocity.
   
• 4× M10 three-tube 4.5 in (112 mm) rocket launchers or:
   
• 10× 5 in (127 mm) HVARs (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket) and/or:
   
• either 2× 2,000 lb (907 kg) or 2× 1,000 lb (454 kg), 4× 500 lb (227 kg) or 4× 250 lb (113 kg) bombs  

Craftsmen with over 30 years of experience gave life to the P-38G Lightning through this meticulously hand-carved mahogany wood desktop model plane. Scaled from an exact blueprint, this work of art was lavishly hand-painted with great concern for details and accuracy. A wood base and a brief history plate go with this desktop model plane.