P-38 Lightning Pathfinder

P-38 Variations

The P‑38 had several variations which made it all the more versatile for use in combat. In addition to being able to switch out the tanks on the bottom (large fuel tanks for long-range missions OR 500-lb bombs over shorter distances), special P‑38s were built:

"Photo Joes" were gigantic flying cameras, used to take pre-mission target and surveillance photos.

"Night Fighters" (AKA "Night Lightning") guns had special blast shields on the muzzles to prevent blinding the pilots when they were fired.

"Droopsnoots" were converted P‑38Js with a complete bombardier's station located in the nose

"Pathfinders" had special ground-mapping radar.

P‑38 Pathfinder

The Pathfinder was yet another unique variation of the P‑38. It was a P‑38J (or L) modified with special ground-mapping radar and served as the lead plane for P‑38 formations who were bombing through cloud-covered targets.

It could often pick out targets and checkpoints which would otherwise be obscured by weather. The operator was housed in the forward part of the gondola with a large side window, but did not have any forward visibility, which a Droop Snoot bombardier would have. Very few P‑38s were modified as Pathfinders.

This model was found on the BritModeller website and shows a great close-up of this configuration. (They have since removed the pix.)

You can order your own Academy Pathfinder model here.