Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning

History

The XP-58 "Chain Lightning" was originally envisioned as a larger two-armed version of the successful Lockheed P-38 Lightning, capable of taking down swarms of enemy bomber formations at once. The fear that hung over parts of the country during World War II led these swarms of long-range bombers to destroy American cities.

Therefore, this "bomber killer" was developed at high altitudes. However, the result was far from that, as developmental problems and unpredictable army leadership eventually settled the project.

The XP-58 was envisioned as a two-man, two-armed design with powerful weapons and a more powerful engine. The system will have the pilot in front, control the aircraft and fire an impressive array of 4 x 37mm cannons, initially just a pair of .50 caliber machine guns. Later designs actually considered a massive 75mm gun instead of a quad mount.

In the rear, the gunner sat to operate two rear-facing shells. A 50 caliber heavy machine gun was mounted on the boom to repel enemy fighters approaching from behind. Engine power will be provided by an untested powerplant, such as one developed by Continental.

The development of the engine was already in jeopardy after many back-and-forth discussions between the Army and Continental regarding specifications and capabilities. Even though the Pratt & Whitney engine was chosen to replace the Continental's design, Pratt & Whitney's resources were allocated elsewhere for the radial design, allowing Lockheed to radially mount the Wright R-2160 Tornado to their fuselage tanks middle.

While the Tornado was a very powerful engine, the Tornado forced Lockheed engineers to rework nearly every internal system on the XP-58, further delaying the project, but unfortunately the U.S. Army has Satisfied with Wright's ability - the engine.

With the increase in power, both the Army and Lockheed are now starting to covet the additional weapon capabilities of the XP-58's ever-increasing power. Hence the original twins. The nose-mounted 50 caliber made way for the aforementioned 4 x 37 mm gun arrangement. Another twin. 50 caliber machine gun mounts can be added to the upper and lower turret assemblies, increasing forward fire damage by 10x.

The system becomes very capable of taking down bombers or fighters with one shot!

As with any high altitude aircraft, cabin pressurization has been resolved. Combine the weight of this system with the weight of the additional artillery armament and new engine, and the XP-58's weight starts to soar to new heights (no pun intended).

When it became apparent that swarms of enemy bomber formations had infiltrated the skies over the United States, the US Army returned to Lockheed and ordered the XP-58 Chain Lightning to be reclassified as a close support attack aircraft . The 37mm gun fits this bill nicely, but the aircraft's significantly increased size makes it an attractive target for low-flying flight. The complex substructure is also said to be very fragile, meaning the slightest damage from small arms fire or anti-aircraft guns could easily kill the ship and its pilot.

As a result, the XP-58 was again renamed the Bomber Killer. Further development and production delays doomed the Tornado engine, and an Allison V-3420 (two V-1710 connected) liquid-cooled radial engine was installed. On D-Day itself, the XP-58 Chain Lightning made its maiden flight over California. According to all reports, the system proved to be quite stable in use. However, complex inner workings, delayed production and development, and a trend toward turbocharger combustion put the massive project on hold.

After nearly 20 such flights, the XP-58 died.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes