Notes: This Vietnam War veteran was no longer used by the US by the time of the Twilight War, but was still used by Israel as a ground attack aircraft and bomber, and also used by Iran, South Korea, Japan, Egypt, Greece, Spain, and Turkey. It is a basic fighter with some advanced features, but is not known for its dogfighting capability. On most models, the two rear fuselage hardpoints may only carry AIM-7 missiles; the two front fuselage hardpoints may only carry these missiles or electronics pods.

The first production model was the F-4B. It was built as a naval interceptor, and in a controversial decision, was designed without an internal gun. It could attack any target without having to come under ground control, and had computer-controlled air intakes for optimum flow to the engines. It was this aircraft type that scored the first kill of the Vietnam War (though the crew was shot down minutes later by friendly fire).

The F-4C was the first USAF Phantom II; it removed the ECM suite, but added more powerful radar. Controls were added for the weapon system operator in the back seat. It was otherwise almost identical to the F-4B, even retaining the arrestor hook, folding wings, and heavy-duty undercarriage.

The F-4D was an improved F-4C. It was very different internally, however, with miniaturized avionics. The FLIR was deleted, and the F-4D was unable (at first) to use the Sidewinder missile, using the Falcon instead. The F-4D was the first model of the Phantom II that regularly carried a Vulcan cannon pod.

The F-4E was considered one of the supreme dogfighters of the Vietnam War. It was the first Phantom II to receive leading-edge combat slats to improve maneuverability. These slats were not fitted until 1972, and earlier F-4Es use the Maneuverability ratings of the F-4D. From the pilots’ standpoint, one of the best improvements was the addition of an internal Vulcan cannon in the nose. This meant that the large antenna on earlier phantoms could not be fitted, and a new radar set had to be designed to compensate.

The F-4EJ was the Japanese variant of the F-4E. As delivered, they did not have a strike capability or the capability to be refueled in air; however, this was added later. They also did not have the slatted wings. There were many equivalent, but Japanese-built, electronics replacing American-built avionics. These aircraft were later upgraded to the F-4EJ Kai standard; this refurbished most of the avionics with modernized versions. The result is a much less costly aircraft.

The Germans were interested in the F-4E in the early 1970s; however, they simply couldn’t afford the high cost. Therefore a stripped down F-4E was built for them. This was the F-4F. The biggest change was the removal of the ability to fire radar-homing missiles and the associated equipment. The expensive Visual Augmentation System was also removed. The resulting aircraft was lighter and less expensive than the standard F-4E.

The F-4F/ICE is a substantially updated variant of the F-4F used by Germany. Though these were being partially replaced by the interceptor variant of the Tornado, in the Twilight War many were still flying in a ground support role, and many more were recalled to duty during the Twilight War as interceptors to replace Tornado losses. The F-4F/ICE is a great improvement over the previous F-4F, which did not have the capability to use radar homing missiles and did not have as comprehensive an electronics suite. The hardpoint restrictions of the F-4E apply to the F-4F/ICE, except that the F-4F/ICE may use AIM-120 missiles on all its fuselage hardpoints and Flare/Chaff Dispensers on its front fuselage hardpoints in addition to missiles and electronics pods.

The F-4G is a Wild Weasel, used to take down SAM and AAA installations. To this end, the electronic warfare capabilities were greatly increased, as the expense of air-to-air capability. Additional radar and ECM were added.

The F-4J was the second model for the Navy and Marines and addressed many of the deficiencies of the F-4B. The radar set was a powerful one with a range of over 60 kilometers.

The F-4K was a version used by the British. It used different radar to allow the use of Skyflash missiles. The engines were also replaced by more powerful British-made engines. This was to allow safe operation from the smaller British aircraft carriers, but also meant that the fuselage had to be enlarged and reshaped and that there was less room for avionics. The F-4M differed only slightly from the F-4K, primarily in the radar set and navigation gear.

The F-4N is an F-4B that has gone through a refurbishing and modernization program. Avionics were upgraded and equipment modernized.

The F-4S is an F-4J that has been modernized. The chief modification was the engines; the engines of previous Phantom IIs tended to smoke heavily at military power, leaving a substantial trail in the sky that enemy aircraft could follow. The F-4S used engines that did not smoke anywhere near as much.

The Kurnass 2000, also known as the F-4-2000, was a modernization project by the Israeli Air Force for the F-4E. Upgrades included a glass cockpit, new refueling gear, better radar, avionics, and computers, a HOTAS system, and new engines.

Notes: This was the best naval fighter of World War 2, literally built around its massive Double Wasp engine and the huge propeller necessary to harness its power. The Corsair has 10 hardpoints, but 8 of these hardpoints are only for air-to-ground rockets, and two of them are for bombs or drop tanks. If even one of the rocket hardpoints on a wing are used, the bomb hardpoint may not be used, or vice versa.

The choice of a Double Wasp engine, and the massive propeller required to properly harness its power, proved to be a problem. The landing gear had to be very long for the propeller to clear the ground. This made it difficult for the pilot to see the ground when landing. Compounding this were the reports that the chosen armament, two .30 caliber machineguns and two .50 caliber machineguns, was too light for modern aerial combat. This meant that the nose-mounted .30 caliber machineguns were replaced with .50 calibers and moved to the wing (two more were added before production began). Most of the wing fuel therefore had to be moved to the fuselage; this meant lengthening the fuselage, moving back the cockpit, making it even harder for the pilot to see over the nose on landing. This meant that the Corsair was not certified for carrier landings for over two years. To help this, the Corsair had the bent gull wings.

The F4U-1 was the first model. The later production versions were significantly different from other F4U-1s, in that the cockpit was raised 18 centimeters to give the pilot better visibility, and the canopy was replaced with a bulged Malcolm Hood. They also had an uprated engine. These were the F-4U-1As. The F4U-1C had the machineguns replaced by four 20mm autocannons, and were used primarily for ground support. The F4U-1D was an F4U-1A with one wet hardpoint on the center fuselage and two on the wings.

The F4U-2 was a night fighter with a radar set under the right wing. One of the machineguns and ammunition were removed from that wing so as to not unbalance the aircraft. This primitive radar could be very fragile, so dogfighting or even tight turning was avoided as much as possible.

The F4U-4 introduced a more powerful engine, giving more speed and better high-altitude performance. The F4U-4B and 4C were version with autocannons substituted for the machineguns.

The first post-World War 2 model was the F4U-5. It continued the trend of increasing engine power. The fuselage was lengthened by 127mm, and the engine was angled down about 2 degrees to increase the stability. The controls were given hydraulic boost, and the cockpit heater was improved. The -5N was a night fighter with the radar under the right wing.

The AU-1 was a ground attack version built for the US Marines. It has greatly increased armor, more ammunition for its cannons, and, unfortunately, more sloppy handling. It was considered distinctly difficult to fly, but capable of wreaking great havoc.

The F-4U-7 was built for the French Navy. The pilot was seated a bit higher for better visibility, but it was otherwise similar to the F4U-4C. They remained in service until 1964, the last Corsairs in active service.

Twilight 2000 Notes: By 2000, some 35 of these planes remained airworthy, and 6 were reactivated during the war, mostly in the US, but there were some French Corsairs flying in Europe, and at least one in El Salvador. These aircraft were either used as reconnaissance and observation aircraft, or rearmed and flown as ground support aircraft, something they excelled at as late as the Korean War.

Notes: This was the predecessor of the F-5E, and was also used by a large amount of world air forces. It differs primarily in its lack of maneuvering slats and less powerful engines, as well as having virtually no modern avionics. It was designed to be cheap and easy to fly while still giving decent performance, and is very much a "no-frills" design. As with the Tiger, the Freedom Fighter’s wingtip hardpoints may only be used for heat-seeking air-to-air missiles, Sidearm antiradar missiles, or small, 350-liter drop tanks. The F-5A may not be refueled in the air; the F-5C adds a refueling probe.

The F-5A is just about as basic as a "modern" fighter can get. It cannot be refueled in the air. The F-5C was a model for the Aggressor Squadrons of the USAF and US Navy; they have a refueling probe.

The Canadians had a special version of the F-5A built for them, calling them CF-5s. They had different Canadian engines than their US-built counterparts, engines with more power. They were equipped with a radar warning receiver and a refueling probe. The nose wheel was lengthened slightly; this increased the angle of attack, shortening takeoff and landing distances by 25%.

Eventually, Canada (and especially the Trudeau government) decided that the defense budget needed to be cut. It was also decided that the CF-5 was best used as a transition trainer rather than a combat aircraft, and that Canada would not need nearly as many CF-5s as they thought. Some were kept in service, but many were mothballed or sold. Some of those CF-5s were sold to the Netherlands. The Netherlands refurbished them, updating equipment, correcting fatigue-related deficiencies, and in some cases, adding new equipment. These were the NF-5s. Some of the improvements include flare and chaff dispensers and leading edge combat slats.

Notes: This is possibly the most successful fighter ever produced, used by the US (for its Aggressor squadrons), Botswana, Brazil, Greece, Morocco, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela, Yemen, Bahrain, Chile, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Sudan, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Tunisia. It is a light, no-frills fighter that cannot match more advanced aircraft, but is agile and better than nothing. The pilot has an ejection seat, and it is capable of in-flight refueling. The two wingtip hardpoints may only be used by air-to-air missiles or small, 350-liter maximum drop tanks. The Tiger may not use radar-homing missiles.

Taiwanese F-5Es have a laser designator added.

Notes: The Tomcat was originally designed as a fleet interceptor. It was to carry the large Phoenix air-to-air missile and still is the only aircraft that can carry the Phoenix), and be used to down the heavy maritime bombers of the Russians.

The F-14A was designed almost totally for this role. It is, however, a very agile aircraft for its size, capable of dogfighting with much smaller aircraft. The Tomcat uses a swing wing that is controlled by a computer optimizing the degree of sweep for the speed and tactical situation. It also controls glove vanes above the intakes that further enhance lift and maneuverability. It features what were very advanced avionics and weapon systems for its time (and still is very sophisticated). It does not, however, have the systems required for air-to-ground combat, except for strafing at opportunity targets with its cannon. If the centerline hardpoint is loaded, the hardpoint at the rear of the fuselage, the small centerline hardpoint, and the two hardpoints on the fuselage forward of the tail are not useable (and vice versa). If the two hard points on the fuselage forward of the tail are loaded, the small centerline hardpoint and the rear fuselage hardpoint are not useable (and vice versa). If the two forward outside fuselage hardpoints are loaded with Phoenix missiles, the small centerline fuselage hardpoint is not useable (and vice versa). The Iranians were also sold the F-14A, when they were still ruled by the Shah’s government; however, theirs were not equipped with ECM, nor was the radar as powerful as US F-14As.

From the beginning, it was felt that the F-14A was underpowered. The F-14A+ was re-engined with turbofans taken from the abortive F-14B program, and modified further.

The F-14D, dubbed the Super Tomcat, was a major upgrade for the F-14. The previously analog systems were almost completely replaced by digital electronics. New, more powerful engines were installed. Finally, the Tomcat was given air-to-ground capability, able to carry bombs and air-to-surface missiles.

Notes: The F-15A was one of the few aircraft designed on a computer and then ordered straight off the drawing board, without a prototype having been flown. (It went straight into "YF," or service test status.) The service test period was interesting, including the "Streak Eagle" special edition used to set speed and altitude records, and even an incident in which an Eagle was hit by a live Sidewinder missile and still landed safely! Very few problems were encountered (though the wingtips were reshaped due to flutter problems) and the aircraft passed into active service very quickly. This is when the problems with maintenance, especially of the engines, were discovered; the F-15A required mountains of very meticulous maintenance to keep it in operating order. An upgrade program was quickly placed into operation.

The F-15B is a two-seat trainer version of the F-15A.

The F-15C is the current version of the F-15 air superiority fighter. It is also a capable strike aircraft, though not so much as its cousin, the Strike Eagle. In the Israeli air force, the F-15C has a 40-to-1 kill ratio. The F-15C can carry conformal FAST packs; these packs can carry up to 3214 liters of fuel or the equivalent in sensors, ECM/IRCM devices, or reconnaissance gear.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The F-15C is responsible for more air-to-air kills than any other US aircraft in the Twilight War.

Notes: In Vietnam, US pilots often looked at the nimble aircraft of the North Vietnamese with envy. The US fighter pilots were qualitatively superior, but their aircraft were in most cases not built for dogfighting, but instead for speed and missile-carrying ability. They wanted something that could "turn and burn" with their adversaries; they wanted a flying hot rod. General Dynamics responded with the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The F-16A was designed to be a daylight light fighter. It was meant to be a point defense air superiority fighter. It was quickly discovered that the F-16A was a pretty decent "bomb truck," too, and the F-16 has been used more as an attack aircraft than a fighter by the US Air Force (one general even suggested its designation be changed to F/A-16).

The F-16 was built in "blocks." These are production sets with graduated improvements (most of which have no effect in game terms, and will not be listed). Blocks 1-5 were the original F-16As, and their two-seat counterparts, the F-16Bs. Block 15 introduced track while scan capability, changed the radios for greater range, additional wing strengthening for added carrying capability, and the ability to carry a wider array of ordnance. Block 15 ADF (Air Defense Fighter) was made to some F-16As and Bs to allow better use in air patrols of US cities. The Block 15 ADF is able to carry radar homing missiles (something the F-16A cannot normally do), and also has a spotlight mounted on its nose in a conformal installation. They are equipped with an advanced IFF system that is able to directly probe the OS of a commercial airliner’s computers in order to detect any spoofing of identification. Ammunition for the cannon is slightly decreased by the spotlight installation. The Block 20 introduced radar-homing AAM capability to the F-16A; these F-16As are not used by the US, but are used by many export customers, including most countries using the F-16A in Europe. The Block 20s radar has a 25% greater range.

The F-16C is the updated version of the F-16 fighter-bomber. It is both a very agile air superiority fighter and a good ground attack platform. The F-16C version has larger tail control surfaces for more positive control and better maneuvering characteristics. It also makes the F-16 all-weather capable. The F-16C comes standard with radar-homing AAM capability. The first version of the F-16C (and D, the two-seater) is the Block 25. The Block 30/32 has different, more powerful engines (different in each case). The Block 40/42 is known as the Night Falcon; it is the first Fighting Falcon to address the F-16s deficiencies in night air-to-ground combat. These modifications include LANTIRN pods semi-permanently attached to the chin pylons. Block 50/52 is the current production model; it has a more powerful engine, but does not have the LANTIRN capability of the Block 40/42. However, it does have updated antiradar ability.

The pilot has an ejection seat, and the aircraft is capable of in-flight refueling. The two wingtip pylons and the two fuselage pylons beside the air intakes may only be used for air-to-air missiles. Three of the hardpoints may be used for drop tanks (two wing, one fuselage).

Notes: This was the ultimate evolution of the F-5E Tiger. The Tigershark is a Tiger with a more powerful engine, combat slats, added fuel, and extra avionics. It was a relatively cheap way for many poorer countries to equip themselves with a reasonably modern aircraft. The two wingtip hardpoints may only be used for air-to-air missiles or drop tanks.

Twilight 2000 Notes: production of this aircraft commenced shortly before the Twilight War to equip the air forces of many Third World and some First World countries (such as Taiwan). Production continued during the Twilight War, and many of these aircraft were sent to US Air National Guard units to quickly beef up numbers and replace combat losses.

Notes: This third-generation stealth aircraft also makes use of advanced maneuvering systems to allow it unprecedented combat capability. The Raptor’s stealth capability in the standard clean configuration (all weapons stored in the weapon bays) makes the aircraft four levels more difficult to detect or guide weapons by radar, and two levels more difficult to detect or guide by IR or thermal means. If the Raptor uses its hardpoints, it is only one level more difficult than normal to detect, or two levels if the Raptor has empty pylons. Its maneuverability is such that it is capable of high-angle of attack maneuvers, including stable level flight at up to 60 degrees off angle. Avionics are some of the most advanced placed in any fighter, rivaling those of the B-2, included integrated air-to-air/air-to-ground attack modes.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The F/A-22 came very late to the scene; one understrength squadron was formed, and it was sent to the Middle East, where it deployed out of Bahrain.

Notes: The Sabre was the premier air superiority fighter of the Korean War, and served until long after that war with various Air Forces around the world. A naval version was also produced under the name FJ-2 Fury. Apart from the UH-1 helicopter, no other aircraft after World War 2 has been produced in such numbers. The fuselage hardpoint may only be used for an external drop tank.

The F-86A (at first known as the P-86A) was known to pilots as the "Sabre-Able." The F-86B and F-86C were experimental models that were not accepted by the Air Force. The F-86D ("Sabre-Dog") was designed solely for shooting down enemy strategic bombers. It had no guns, and was armed with high-speed air-to-air rockets contained in a drop-down tray under the fuselage. (These are equivalent to 2.75" rockets.) They were also equipped with a small radar set, contained within a prominent nose extension over the air intake. The engine had an afterburner.

The F-86F introduced a more powerful engine (but not with an afterburner). The F-86F-40 has the "6-3" wing, larger and equipped with combat slats for increased maneuverability. It also increased the load limit of the aircraft, and was equipped with a radar gunsight. F-86F-40s could also carry heat-seeking AAMs.

The F-86H was designed to be a fighter-bomber. It could carry more ordnance and was armed with autocannons instead of machineguns. The F-86H was capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

The F-86K was basically an F-86D with cannons instead of the FFAR rockets as armament. It was built for export and not used by the US. It was capable of using AAMs.

The F-86L was a D model with updated electronics to integrate it into the Air Defense Command’s SAGE system. Radar and communications equipment were improved, and engine power was increased somewhat.

The FJ-2 Fury was the naval version of the F-86. It was cannon-armed, unlike the F-86E upon which it was based, and used a different engine. It had the slatted wings of the F-86F. A powerful new engine was installed. The FJ-2 was not well-suited as a naval fighter, and few went to sea, or combat. The FJ-3 had more success, but also never fired its weapons in anger. It had 4 additional hardpoints, and could carry more stores. An aerial refueling probe was added to the FJ-3. The FJ-4 featured 50% more fuel, a thinner wing for more speed, and a slightly more powerful engine. The FJ-4B is a version capable of carrying more ordnance.

The CL-13 Series was the Canadian-built version of the Sabre. Mks. 1-4 were basically the F-86A and E built under license with minor changes, but the Mk 5 used the Canadian-made Orenda engine with significantly more power than the engine of the F-86E had. The Mk 6 had a more powerful, yet lighter engine.

The Australian CA-27 is probably the most powerful variant of the F-86, with its Avon engine and 30mm cannons.

Twilight 2000 Notes: Some 25 examples of these aircraft have been sighted over the US in the Twilight War, mainly in the American West and Southwest, though one noteworthy Sabre has been used extensively as a ground support aircraft by a MilGov unit in Central Florida against New America troops. Canada and Germany are also known to be home to some Sabres.

Notes: This post-Korean War jet was known to its pilots as the "Hun." It was one of the first production aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in level flight. Handling problems with early versions of the Super Sabre led to a checkered reputation as a "Widow Maker," but these were quickly rectified by increasing the size of the wing and tail surfaces. These aircraft saw service with the US, France, Turkey, Denmark, and Taiwan, but were retired except as research aircraft by the late 1980s.

The F-100A was designed strictly as an air superiority fighter, but was used primarily as a strike aircraft in Vietnam. It was, as the name suggests, a basic fighter with few bells and whistles. It had a radar warning receiver and a radar gunsight, but no capability for air-to-air refueling. The strike ability was put into the Super Sabre because the new version of the Thunderjet was falling more and more behind schedule.

The F-100C was the first version of the Super Sabre to be manufactured in large numbers. It had a number of modifications and improvements to make it into an effective fighter-bomber, including better hauling ability, more hardpoints, and capability for aerial refueling through a probe mounted under the wing. In addition, fuel tanks were added to the wings to increase the total internal fuel capacity. A new more powerful engine was installed to cope with the increased weight.

The F-100D was the version produced in the most numbers. The idea of the Super Sabre having a secondary air superiority role was abandoned, and for all intents and purposes the F-100D was a strike aircraft. It was a bit more maneuverable. The F-100D was able to use almost all the weapons in the US inventory at the time, and was later modified (while in use by other countries) for other weapons.

The F-100F began as a trainer version of the F-100D. However, at this time, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong antiaircraft ability was becoming more sophisticated, and they were transformed into the first Wild Weasels. They were fitted with the ability to use the various ECM and EW pods that were becoming available, and the rear seat had a special set of threat warning displays. They were also used as FAC aircraft.

Twilight 2000 Notes: A few F-100s remained airworthy, and they were pressed into service late in the Twilight War to replace aircraft losses and provide air support to local forces.

Notes: This is a 1960's interceptor, now used only by Taiwan and Italy as a ground attack aircraft. Italian aircraft were to be replaced by Tornadoes, but the Starfighter was brought back out of retirement in the Twilight War to replace aircraft losses. It is none too maneuverable, and carries a light load, but is fast. The two wingtip hardpoints may loaded only with air-to-air missiles or drop tanks. The internal Vulcan cannon may be removed, and internal fuel increased by 500 liters.

The F-104A was designed purely as an interceptor; it was meant for speed and high climb rate. It had little maneuverability or air-to-ground ability. It was meant to intercept enemy bombers. It had no capability for aerial refueling.

The F-104C was a tactical strike variant of the F-104; and the kinds of strikes envisioned were primarily nuclear. However, it also had decent conventional strike capability. Engine power was increased by enlarging the turbine.

The F-104G was a variant of the F-104C for Germany. Two more hardpoints were fitted beneath the wings, and carrying capacity was increased. Miniaturization of components also allowed for internal fuel to be increased.

The F-104S was one of the last variants of the Starfighter built. It was built for Italy. The F-104S had the ability to use radar-homing AAMs. Unfortunately, this meant that the gun had to go to make room for the avionics. The FLIR was also deleted. It is also fitted with a more powerful engine, primarily to haul more ordnance. Later, avionics allowed the gun position to be restored.

Notes: This aircraft began to replace the A-7 and A-6 in US Navy and Marines service as early as 1991. It is an aircraft able to function effectively as a fighter and ground attack aircraft, and its avionics are able to utilize both air-to-air and air-to ground modes simultaneously. Only the US Navy and Marines use this aircraft from carriers; Australia, Canada, Spain, Kuwait, and Malaysia also use the Hornet, but use them from land bases. One and two-seat versions are available. The pilot has an ejection seat and is capable of in-flight refueling. The two wingtip hardpoints may only be used for air-to-air missiles.

The F/A-18A grew out of the USAF Lightweight Fighter Competition. It was originally known as the YF-17, but lost to the F-16 in that competition. The Navy, and especially the Marines, were very interested, however, and picked it up. It has the ability to switch from air-to-air to air-to-ground mode instantly. It also sported advanced avionics.

The difference between the F/A-18A and F/A-18C are largely in the area of avionics, though later versions also have more powerful engines.

The CF-18 is the variant used by Canada. It is essentially an F/A-18A, but has a spotlight on the left side of the forward fuselage. It also has a standard Instrument Landing System in place of the Automatic Carrier Landing System of the US Navy/Marine versions, and no catapult launch equipment. They are not called Hornets; the translation of Hornet into French is Frelon, which is already the name of a helicopter that the Canadians use. The Australians use a similar model called the AF/A-18A; these have no spotlight.

The F/A-18E Super Hornet is not, as implied by the designation, simply a variant of the standard F/A-18; it is pretty much a new aircraft. It was designed to provide a large increase in range, load-carrying ability, defensive capabilities, and avionics. The wing and fuselage have both been greatly enlarged. They have leading edge extensions on the wings, granting better maneuverability and even more lifting ability. Much of the aircraft is constructed of radar-absorbent material (RAM), giving enemy radars a -2 deficit when attempting to detect the Super Hornet with radar or guide radar-homing missiles to it. Cockpit instruments have largely been replaced by multifunction displays.

Notes: One of the most important fighters of World War 2, the Lightning was a fast and powerful aircraft responsible for the loss of many an enemy aircraft, and capable of ground attack as well, especially with its powerful internal armament. First conceived in 1937, the Lightning was designed by Lockheed in response to a War Department requirement for a fast, high-altitude interceptor for the Army Air Force. Originally, the engines available were not up to the task, but the twin-engined design helped this problem immensely, and the XP-38 won the contract. However, development and production of the complicated aircraft proved troublesome, and the first production Lightning did not appear until September of 1940.

The original production Lightning, the P-38, was equipped with two supercharged 1150-horsepower engines; the superchargers allowed the high-altitude performance for which the Lightning was famous. The engines were mounted on twin booms, with a fuselage pod between them. The propellers were contra-rotating, to prevent torque. The fuselage pod housed the pilot and the avionics, as well as a plethora of weapons: two .50-caliber machineguns, four .30-caliber machineguns, and a 37mm cannon (with a limited supply of ammunition). 30 of these Lightnings instead had four .50-caliber machineguns, and no .30-calibers, along with the 37mm cannon. There was an armor plate behind the pilot along with an armored fuselage pod, and primitive ballistic glass in the windscreen. These versions were designated P-38A. Use of these versions led to improvements requested by the pilots, such as self-sealing fuel tanks, enhanced armor protection, and a pressurized cockpit; for some reason, the designations "P-38B" and "P-38C" were skipped, and the aircraft with the requested improvements were designated P-38D. The P-38A saw limited combat, but the P-38 and P-38D never did.

The British and French also ordered the Lightning, but they were quite concerned that the superchargers, a new technology at the time, would lead to unacceptable delays. The Lightnings they ordered had no superchargers, and also did not have contra-rotating propellers. Christened the Lightning I, they were delivered in 1942; not surprisingly, they were rejected by pilots; the lack of superchargers severely limited the speed and altitude, and the lack of contra-rotating propellers led to some rather nasty handling characteristics. Pilots referred to the Lightning I as the "Castrated Lightning." The British and French cancelled their order, and these Lightnings were given over to the Army Air Force, who used them as trainers. These aircraft also never actually saw action.

Various other problems came up during testing, including tail flutter, the wing connections to the fuselage pod, and a few other minor problems. However the most difficult problem, never really solved, was to prove to be a problem with other propeller-driven high-speed designs: compressibility stalling. A discussion of compressibility is beyond the scope of this work, aircraft of this type (including the P-47 and P-51), were actually able to approach transonic speeds in steep dives, something for which they were never designed, and it actually caused stalls which were virtually unrecoverable. The only "workaround" was for the pilot to not get into such a situation in the first place.

The first major version of the Lightning to go to war was the P-38E. This aircraft was largely similar to the P-38 and P-38A, but had improved cockpit instrumentation, hydraulic systems, and electrical systems. Except on early P-88Es (which had hollow steel propellers), the P-38E sported new propellers made from duraluminum. A new longer-ranged radio was installed, and the rather unreliable 37mm Oldsmobile cannon was replaced by a 20mm Hispano-Suiza 20mm, along with a larger amount of cannon armament. The arrangement of the four .50-caliber machineguns was changed to reduce the number of jams; while the original symmetrical arrangement looked good, the new non-symmetrical arrangement (where two of the guns stuck further out of the nose than the other two), allowed a better feed chute arrangement. The P-38E was quickly followed by the P-38F; this version had more powerful 1325-horsepower engines, better radios, and hardpoints between the fuselage pod and engines for drop tanks or bombs. Some of these were modified into two seat-trainers by removing the radios and putting in a second seat; however, the instructor’s position was so uncomfortable that training flights were short! Another modified P-38E, the F-4, was a photo-reconnaissance model with the armament replaced by four cameras. The F-4A was the photo-reconnaissance counterpart of the P-38F.

The next variant of the P-38 was the P-38G; this was a minor upgrade of the P-38F with some technical improvements to the engines to make them more reliable. They were also capable to carrying triple-tube "bazooka-type" launchers for M-8 rockets on their hardpoints or on either side of the nose (though the nose mounting was not used much). The next variant was the P-38H, with further uprated 1425-horsepower engines and an improved cannon. In addition, the capacity of the hardpoints was increased. As with earlier models, an F-5A reconnaissance version was based on the P-38G, and an F-5C reconnaissance version was based on the P-38H.

The P-38I designation was never used (to avoid confusion in paperwork with a non-existent P-381), so the next model was the P-38J. The P-38J redesigned the twin booms (which were designed more for looks than functionality anyway), and the coolant reservoirs in the wings were vulnerable to combat damage. Radiators were placed under the front part of the engines, giving the engines a "bearded" appearance setting them apart from earlier models. The space in the wings formerly occupied by coolant reservoirs was now used to carry more fuel. The engines were happier, as were the pilots. A subset of the P-38J, the P-38J-10, had a reshaped armored windscreen for better visibility, and automatic dive brakes to slow the Lightning when approaching the speed at which compressibility would be a problem, and assist in recovery from compressibility stalls if they did occur. One of these models was actually dived to 970 kph and recovered in one piece. The P-38J-25 featured power-assisted ailerons, the first combat aircraft that had them, further increasing stability and somewhat increasing maneuverability. An F-5B reconnaissance version was also built.

The P-38K had disappointing results, so the P-38L was introduced. This version had 1475-horsepower engines, and became the most common version of the Lightning. This version had hardpoints under the outer wings for racks carrying ten 5-inch HVAR rockets under each wing, as well as retaining the two inner wing hardpoints. As such, it was a formidable ground-attack aircraft as well as a powerful fighter. An F-5F reconnaissance version was built, as well as the F-5G; the F-5G has a distinctive bulbous nose housing a more powerful (and larger) camera setup. TP-38L trainers were also built, with that uncomfortable back seat.

There were other stranger variants of the Lightning. The P-38J and P-38L Droop Snoot versions were used as pathfinders for bombers in Europe; they had a glazed nose from which the armament was removed, and a second crewmember was placed (lying down). This crewmember spotted the target through a modified bombsight, and then when the Droop Snoot dropped his bombs, everyone else did as well. This design was superseded by the P-38J and P-38L Mickey designs, which had a rather crude (by modern-day standards) target-finding radar replacing the nose armament, and housed in a larger-than normal nose.

Some 75 P-38Ls were slated to be converted to the P-38M night fighter configuration, known as the Night Lightning; as it was, only four such conversions made it to combat before the end of hostilities. These versions were painted flat black, they had flash cones on their guns, an AN/APS-6 radar pod beneath the nose, and a raised canopy behind the pilot for a radar operator. (This cockpit was still of limited size, and a radar operator of short stature was practically a requirement.) Other such conversions were made, but they were scrapped after World War 2.

Currently, there are only eight known P-38 Lightnings still airworthy, all in the US.  These include the variants TP-38J, P-38L, P-38M, and F-5G.