MAQUETTE À MONTER - Lockheed P-38J Droopsnoot Academy | N° 2158 | 1:48 **LIKE NEW INSIDE UNOPENED**
Prix régulier 30,00 € TTC 6%
Characteristics
| Condition | Like New Inside Unopened - Intérieur non ouvert |
| Scale | 1/48th scale |
| Manufacturer | ACADEMY |
| Size of the box | 40 x 26 x 6 cm |
| EAN | 6035500215889 |
Description
Once it was discovered that the P-38 could carry the same bomb load as a B-17, but much faster, it was not long before the fighter-bomber abilities of the Lightning were put to work. Colonels Cass Hough and Don Ostrander of the 8th Air Force developed the idea of using the P-38 as a strategic bomber. By adding a bombardier-navigator and a Norden bomb sight, a single modified P-38 could lead a flight of normal Lightnings on bombing raids deep into Europe. Their advantages were obvious when compared to the B-17 or B-24. The Lightning could carry the same bomb weight, but at much faster speeds, needed no fighter protection and used only one tenth of the crew required for a heavy bomber. First flown in February 1944, the Air Force gingerly tested the concept with three aircraft. Quickly fifteen more were added; then Lockheed was commissioned to manufacture conversion kits for field installation. Altogether, it is estimated that about 100 Droopsnoot aircraft were assembled. There appears to be considerable debate over the bomb or fuel load carried by the Droopsnoot. It is likely the Droopsnoot aircraft carried a reduced load of bombs or drop tanks since it already had the added weight of a second crew member and the equipment required for precision bombing and navigation. Photographs of fully loaded droopsnoots are extremely rare; consequently, you can assemble your Droopsnoot model with as many or as few bombs and tanks as you may wish. It is known that the Droopsnoots did not carry rockets.
More to read about the KIT here, thanks to scalemates, a Belgian Scale modeling database