Plastic model kit About the actual aircraft The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is a twin-boom twin-engine US Army fighter that first flew in 1939. It features a unique style created in pursuit of high-speed heavy armament, and the engine is equipped with two turbocharged Allison V12 liquid-cooled engines, boasting a maximum speed of 600 km or more. The J type is a type equipped with an electric dive brake with the position of the intercooler changed, and a little less than 3000 aircraft were produced from 1943. From Europe to the Pacific Ocean, the P-38 deployed on each front produced a large number of ace. In Europe, it was also deployed to the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army, and was active in escorting bombers heading for German air raids based on British bases.