Quote:
Originally Posted by GH85Carrera
A P-38 Lightning above the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, 1943.
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svandamme:
I doubt it, no rudder to compensate. assymetric, and still flying relative close formation
probably just coincidence in the distance and camera objective/shutter that the closest prop is captured right and others are not..
or his right prop was just a smidgeon rpm slower...than the right
notice second prop is still aaaalmost visible as well.
Had he really lost an Engine, they would not have been taking pic over sea and would have turned back over land.
They are no Navy pilots you know, wet stuff is scary to land or parachute down on.
The right engine is dead and the prop is feathered, see the shadow of the blade on the cowling.
The P-38 was unique in that it had counter rotating props. The outward rotating props help to mitigate the effects of torque and P-factor during engine out.
Over the Aleutians with miles of open ocean, he may not had the fuel/luxury of flying over land to get back to the closest airfield. P-51s over the Pacific flew hundreds of miles single engine over the Pacific to escort B-29s.