In 1940, Lockheed and USAAF reached an agreement that Lockheed was enable to sell the P-38 to England and France, with responsibility for designing a more advanced version of P-38 for US needs. The configuration of this advanced lightning was similar to P-38, central cabin between twin engine-buried booms but larger sized and more powerful armaments. The designation XP-58 Chain Lightning was given to the project. The original design was a single seat pursuit airplane, then requested to change into a double seats attacker, then into a bomber, and then into a tank buster, and finally into a bomber destroyer. The power-plants and armament configurations were also kept changing until 1943. The XP-58 prototype were finally rolled out and made its first flight in June 1944 after 4 years its design was begun. After completed 25 test flights in 1945, the XP-58 program was cancelled not only by the engine problems, but also USAAF had no further needs for the bomber destroyers.

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Experimental pursuit aircraft

To explore an advance version of P-38

70ft

49ft.6in.

16ft.

2x Wright GR-3350-43 radial engine

436 mph

2

1x 75mm cannon

4x 0.5inch machine gun

The Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning is suitable to group with the following collection series.

U.S.A.A.F. pursuit aircraft in World War II 1939 ~ 1945

Curtiss YP-37

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Bell P-39 Airacobra

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

Seversky XP-41

Curtiss XP-42

Republic P-43 Lancer

Republic P-44 Rocket

Bell P-45 (YP-39) Airacobra

Curtiss XP-46

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

Douglas XP-48

Lockheed XP-49

Grumman XP-50 Skyrocket

North American P-51 Mustang

Bell XP-52

Curtiss XP-53

Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose

Curtiss XP-55 Ascender

Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet

Tucker XP-57

Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning

Bell XP-59A Airacomet

Curtiss XP-60

Northrop P-61 Black Widow

Curtiss XP-62

Bell P-63 Kingcobra

North American P-64 (NA-68)

Grumman XP-65 (F7F-1) Tigercat

Vultee P-66 Vanguad

McDonnell XP-67 Moonbat

Vultee XP-68 (XP-54) Tornado

Republic XP-69

Douglas P-70 (A-20) Havoc

Curtiss XP-71

Republic XP-72

Hughes XP-73 (XF-11 / XA-37)

Fisher XP-75

Bell P-76 (XP-39E) Airacobra

Bell XP-77

North American XP-78 (XP-51B) Mustang

Northrop XP-79 Flying Ram

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

Convair XP-81

North American P-82 twin Mustang

Bell XP-83

The first generation of U.S. jet fighter in World War II

Bell XP-59A Airacomet

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

Ryan FR-1 Fireball

McDonnell FD-1 (FH-1) Phantom

Convair XP-81

Bell XP-83

Curtiss XF15C-1

Military aircraft for Pacific champaign

Post war U.S. Turbo-prop aircraft 1946 ~ 1962

Post war U.S. experimental aircraft