By 1936 the Army Air Corp was well aware of fighter development in Europe. Though most of the American effort was devoted to bomber aircraft, a general specification was issued for a high altitude interceptor. These specifications called for an aircraft with a speed of 300 mph at 20,000 feet and an endurance of one hour at full throttle. When Lockheed won the XP-38 contract, the men assigned to the XP-38 lavished considerable attention to the big fighter. The ship was hand-built, and the excellent workmanship showed when the plane was rolled out for the first time. Every inch of it was polished to a high gloss.

By Gene Stafford