Cockpit Panel for the DCC P-38G-13-LO Lightning
This panel was developed from period P-38G cockpits photos and the USAAF official Pilot Training Manual for the P-38 Lightning, AAF manual 51-127-1. The panel painting and all panel development are mine. The gauges used are repainted and in some cases repurposed to match the actual gauges as installed in the P-38G.
Original gauge designer credits so far as I know go to the Ground Crew, R. L. Clark, Gryphon Aviation, David Copley and of course I used some stock M$ gauges as well. Jean-Pierre Langer created a nice set for FS2004 but they won’t work in CFS2. I was still able to use some of his gauge images for guidance though. I think that’s all but if I missed someone, my thanks go to them as well.
HOW THE PANEL WORKS:
In addition to the main 2D panel, there are four panel sub windows which are selectable for viewing and accessing their functions. Each has a close switch so you can easily close the sub window when desired. (not including the control yoke panel)
Each sub panel needs to have a key assignment to open it. It is necessary to understand that CFS2 has a strange way of numbering the panel sub windows in the Controller Assignments window so you can assign the recommended function keys to the sub panel display command.
Window 0 is the main 2D panel is not listed in the Controller Assignments window (Opened/cycled pressing F3):
This is the default main panel window seen when the airplane initially loads up.
Window 01 hides or displays the main 2D panel (Opened pressing F6) Any sub panels that are open remain visible when the main panel is closed.
Window 02 is labeled as “Display/Hide ECU” instead of being numbered in the Controller Assignments window. (Opened pressing F5): Throttles, props, mixture controls, the flaps, and the main switches panel.
From this panel you can start and control engines separately replicating the real aircraft start procedure. A standard procedure for start is detailed further along in the instructions.
Emergency shut down and feathering of a damaged engine can be controlled from this panel. Coming home on one engine beats not coming home.
The main switch panel contains the switches to open the next three sub windows. Other than the battery, start, and oil radiator flap switches, the electrical switches in the panel are dummies as their functions are not available in CFS2.
1) Main Battery Switch
2) Fuel Mixture Controls
3) Prop RPM Controls
4) Throttle Controls
5) Magneto Controls
6) Engine Start Control Switches
7) Prop Feather Control Switches [engine running]
8) Oil Radiator Cooler Flaps [engine running]
9) Landing Flaps [engine running]
10) Parking Brakes
11) Open/Close Nav and Yoke panels
12) Open/Close Auto Pilot panel
Window 03: Navigation and radio (Opened pressing F7 or from Window 02 panel’s NAV switch)
This panel has a functioning ADF radio and homing gauge. This is authentic for WWII. Dial in the airfield ADF frequency and if you are within 100 miles or so the gauge will give you the course to steer. Most, though not all, CFS2 airfields have an ADF frequency assigned. Check the airfield designer’s scenery packages. If the airfield has an ADF it will be listed in the airbases.dat information.
If you are feeling lazy or don’t care if you are being period accurate, there are also three GPS gauges, one each for the ETO, MTO and PTO.
Window 04: Moving P-38G control yoke (Opened pressing F8 or from Window 02 panel’s YOKE switch)
You can choose to have the control yoke appear or not depending on your preference. To close the window press F8 again.
Window 05: Flight trim controls and an auto pilot (Opened pressing F9 or with window 02 panel’s Trim – A/P switch).
This panel has trim controls for elevator, rudder and ailerons so you can tweak your plane controls for stable flight and take off the stick pressure required to hold for level flight. On long flights, the auto pilot is preferable. From 1944 on, P-38s had a rudimentary auto pilot available. The real thing required some adjusting to get it working right, but his one is simple. Just click the right switches and it will hold altitude, level flight, speed and direction.
P-38G-10/13/15 Operating Instructions
My thanks go to David Copley who originally compiled most of the following information. This closely mimics the real thing.
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BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
[ ] Park Brakes -- TEST and SET
[ ] Electrical Equipment -- OFF
[ ] Landing Gear Lever -- DOWN
[ ] Close Canopy -- Shift + C
[ ] Check/Set fuel level as desired
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ENGINE START
Press E to initiate engine auto-start, or,
LEFT ENGINE
[ ] Propeller Area -- CLEAR
[ ] Battery Switch ON ( 1 in the image)
[ ] Mixture -- Set full RICH ( 2 in the image )
[ ] Propeller -- Set HIGH rpm ( 3 in the image )
[ ] Throttle -- Crack open slightly ( 4 in the image )
[ ] Left Magnetos -- Select both ON ( 5 in the image )
[ ] Hold Left Engine Start Switch -- ON until it catches ( 6 in the image)
Then:
[ ] Throttle -- 1,000 rpm
[ ] Oil Pressure -- CHECK
RIGHT ENGINE
[ ] Propeller Area -- CLEAR
[ ] Battery Switch ON
[ ] Mixture -- Set full RICH
[ ] Propeller -- Set HIGH rpm
[ ] Throttle -- Crack open slightly
[ ] Right Magnetos -- Set both ON
[ ] Hold Right Engine Start Switch -- ON until it catches
Then:
[ ] Throttle -- 1,000 rpm
[ ] Oil Pressure -- CHECK
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BEFORE TAKEOFF
[ ] Park Brakes -- SET
[ ] Flight Controls -- FREE and CORRECT
[ ] Flight Instruments -- CHECK and SET including clock and alt.
[ ] Mixture -- Set levers rich
[ ] Fuel Quantity -- CHECK
[ ] Elevator Trim -- SET for takeoff at 1/2 up
[ ] Rudder Trim -- SET for takeoff at neutral
LEFT ENGINE
[ ] Throttle -- 2,300 rpm
[ ] Magnetos -- Mag drop CHECK - Move magneto selector to R mag, and then to L mag. RPM should not drop more than 1000 RPM. Then move selector handle to BOTH
[ ] Propeller -- CYCLE high rpm/low rpm/high rpm
[ ] Engine Instruments -- CHECK
[ ] Throttle -- reduce to 800-1,000 rpm
RIGHT ENGINE
[ ] Throttle -- 2,300 rpm
[ ] Magnetos -- Mag drop CHECK - Move magneto selector to R mag, and then to L mag. RPM should not drop more than 1000 RPM. Then move selector handle to BOTH
[ ] Propeller -- CYCLE high rpm/low rpm/high rpm
[ ] Engine Instruments -- CHECK
[ ] Throttle -- reduce to 800-1,000 rpm
[ ] Park Brakes -- Release to taxi
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TAXIING
The airplane taxis easily and forward visibility is good. Use differential throttle to save the brakes. There is no danger of nose over or ground loop should it become necessary to turn sharply or to apply full brakes.
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TAKEOFF
Once lined up on the runway, taxi a few feet straight so that the nose wheel will be in line when take-off power is applied. Maximum performance take-offs require holding the airplane with brakes at the end of the runway until engine power reaches desired setting. Because of the tricycle landing gear, there is no tendency for the airplane to take-off by itself, and no feeling of lightness as take-off speed is reached. Start to ease the control column back at about 70 mph, then at 90 or 100 lift the airplane into the air.
[ ] Flaps -- As desired up to 1/3 for short take-off distance
[ ] Throttles -- 46 in. Hg. (if short field use 54 in.)
[ ] Mixtures -- RICH (may be leaned above 3000ft)
[ ] Propellers -- FULL FORWARD
[ ] Brakes -- RELEASE
[ ] Elevator Control -- LIFT NOSE WHEEL at 70-80 mph
[ ] Climb Speed -- 160 mph
[ ] Brakes -- APPLY momentarily when airborne to stop wheels from turning
[ ] Landing Gear -- UP
[ ] Flaps -- RETRACT
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CLIMB
NORMAL CLIMB
[ ] Airspeed -- 160 mph
[ ] Throttle -- 46 in. Hg.
[ ] Propeller -- 2,600 rpm
[ ] Fuel Selector Valve -- MAIN (do not touch)
[ ] Mixture -- Rich (may be leaned above 3,000')
MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE CLIMB
[ ] Airspeed -- 200 mph
[ ] Throttle -- FULL (54 in. Hg.)
[ ] Propeller -- 2,900 rpm
[ ] Mixture -- Rich
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MAXIMUM CRUISE
[ ] Throttles -- 43 in. Hg.
[ ] Propellers -- 2,600 rpm
[ ] Mixtures -- Lean as needed to maintain power appropriate for speed maintenance
[ ] Elevator Trim -- ADJUST
[ ] Rudder Trim -- ADJUST
[ ] Max. normal engine cruise speed 2,600 rpm
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LONG RANGE CRUISE
[ ] Throttles -- 22 in. Hg.
[ ] Propellers -- 2,000 rpm
[ ] Elevator Trim -- ADJUST
[ ] Rudder Trim -- ADJUST
[ ] Mixtures -- Lean until engine power drops off noticeably then enrich mixture slightly
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DIVING
[ ] Wing Flaps -- UP
[ ] Propellers -- 2400 rpm or less
[ ] Mixtures – Enrich
[ ] Throttles -- SLIGHTLY OPEN
[ ] Airspeed -- Max. mph (indicated air speed)
340 @ 10,000 ft
300 @ 20,000 ft
245 @ 30,000 FT
During dive
Manifold pressure must be kept above 20 in. Hg.
Engine speed must not exceed 3,120 rpm
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SINGLE ENGINE OPERATIONS
[ ] Dead engine -- Feather the propeller (7 in the image)
[ ] Use caution to not feather the good engine by mistake.
[ ] Dead engine -- Throttle, Prop RPM, and Mixture moved to full cut off.
[ ] Good Engine -- Throttle -- 45 in. Hg.
[ ] Good Engine -- Propeller -- 3,000 rpm
[ ] Airspeed -- 165 mph
[ ] Mixture -- Keep rich enough to maintain engine power
[ ] Do not use full power on the live engine below 120 mph
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DESCENT
[ ] Throttle -- AS DESIRED
[ ] Propeller -- AS DESIRED
[ ] Mixture -- Rich
Carburetor heat is automatically provided by turbochargers
[ ] Flaps -- AS DESIRED WITHIN PLACARD LIMITS -- (See Below)
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BEFORE LANDING
[ ] Airspeed -- 120 mph
[ ] Landing Gear -- DOWN (below 175 mph)
[ ] Flaps -- Up to 1/3 down (below 175 mph)
[ ] Mixtures -- Rich
[ ] Propellers -- 2800 rpm
[ ] Trim -- ADJUST TO NEUTRAL
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LANDING
[ ] Flaps -- 2/3 or FULL DOWN (below 150 mph)
[ ] Airspeed -- 105-110 mph (flaps DOWN)
[ ] Flare to make contact at about 70-80 mph
[ ] Touchdown -- MAIN WHEELS FIRST
[ ] Landing Roll -- LOWER NOSE WHEEL GENTLY
[ ] Braking -- MINIMUM REQUIRED
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AFTER LANDING
[ ] Flaps -- UP
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BELLY LANDINGS and
WATER LANDINGS (DITCHING)
[ ] Landing Gear -- UP
[ ] Landing Flaps -- DOWN
[ ] Shoulder Harness -- LOCKED
[ ] Canopy -- OPEN (shift + C)
PRIOR TO CONTACT WITH GROUND OR WATER
[ ] Switches -- OFF
[ ] Fuel Selector OFF
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BAILING OUT
[ ] Airspeed -- REDUCE as much as possible
[ ] Canopy -- OPEN
[ ] Abandon airplane
CAUTION: To avoid colliding with the tail plane either crawl onto wing and slide off or roll the aircraft onto its back and fall out. High speed bail out should be avoided unless in an extreme emergency.
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SECURING AIRPLANE
[ ] Brakes -- SET
Right Engine
[ ] Throttle -- IDLE
[ ] Propeller -- HIGH rpm
[ ] Mixture -- IDLE CUT-OFF
[ ] Ignition Switch -- OFF
Left Engine
[ ] Throttle -- IDLE
[ ] Propeller -- HIGH rpm
[ ] Mixture -- IDLE CUTOFF
[ ] Ignition Switch -- OFF
[ ] Master Battery Switch – OFF
Have fun flying your P-38G Lightning and go shoot some bad guys.
Cheers,
Captain Kurt
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