The P-38 Lightning was not
only the first fighter built by Lockheed, but it was also the first
aircraft designed by a young engineer named Kelly Johnson, who would
later design some of the advanced aircraft of their day including the
U-2 and the SR-71. The P-38 initial designation was the "Atlanta". The
British coined it the "Lightning" and the name stuck. The P-38
Lightning was also the airplane that America's leading ace, Richard
Bong, flew. Many advances went into the Lightning over the course of
it's service. The pilots loved it for it's high-altitude capabilities,
endurance and it's manueverability in the later models.
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