p-38 lightning
American World War II piston-engined fighter. Designed at the outset by Lockheed to answer a US Army Air Forces proposal for a high-altitude interceptor, it was also later used in ground attack and reconnaissance roles. It is easily recognizable by its twin-boom, twin-engined construction. Armament included a 20mm cannon, .50-caliber machine guns, rockets, and bombs. Additional payloads included drop tanks and camera packs. One rather odd light bomber variant replaced all the guns with a second crewman operating a bombsight. German pilots who flew against the P-38 nicknamed it "Der Gabelschwanz Teufel" ("The Fork-Tailed Devil").