# P-38 Lightning

Twin-engine fighter. Fuel beyond the wing.

Object · Fictionalized · Established

Stable ID: `margin-aces-aircraft-p38` · Revision 2 · Updated 2026-10-30

Context: [Margin Aces](/field-guide/collections/margin-aces/)

[Web page](/field-guide/entities/margin-aces-aircraft-p38/) · [JSON record](/field-guide/entities/margin-aces-aircraft-p38/record.json)

## At a glance

- Twin booms frame a focused cannon stream. Line up two targets to make every shot count. In this notebook its specialty is concentrated nose guns. All twelve aircraft are available from the hangar; the selection is a playful comparison of handling, not a reconstruction of historical opposing forces.

- Real aircraft design · fictional arcade handling and matchups.

## Appearances

- [Margin Aces encyclopedia](/gamelab/projects/marginaces/) (context: [Margin Aces](/field-guide/collections/margin-aces/))

## Dated changes

- 2026-10-30: Added from the named source to the Field Guide.

## Open questions

- How can extra fuel change an aircraft’s role? Drop tanks extend operating reach. The Lightning’s escort and reconnaissance work shows why endurance can be as important as armament.

## Sources

- [Margin Aces encyclopedia](/gamelab/projects/marginaces/)

## Reference library

### Source reference

![P-38 Lightning, from the Margin Aces aircraft sprite.](/field-guide/assets/references/margin-aces-aircraft-p38/01-notebook-aircraft-v1-1200.webp)

P-38 Lightning, from the Margin Aces aircraft sprite.

[Download full-size image](/field-guide/assets/references/margin-aces-aircraft-p38/01-notebook-aircraft-v1.webp) · [Original project image](/gamelab/marginaces.html) · v1 · SHA-256: `cacb1759fc6ffb456335fff6dad87d032584abc94680b71c3ac53653f28d1fce`