Italeri 1/72 P-38J Lightning (1446)

The Lockheed P-38J Lightning was the definitive production variant of one of the most distinctive fighters of the Second World War — a twin-engine, twin-boom design unlike anything else in the USAAF inventory, capable of escorting bombers to Berlin and hunting Japanese aircraft over the Pacific with equal effectiveness. The J model introduced improved fuel capacity, better cockpit heating to address the notorious cold-weather problems of earlier marks, and a revised intercooler arrangement that significantly improved high-altitude performance. In USAAF service the P-38J became the mount of America's two highest-scoring aces — Richard Bong and Thomas McGuire — and it was a P-38 that intercepted and shot down Admiral Yamamoto's transport over Bougainville in one of the war's most audacious long-range missions. Italeri's 1/72 kit captures the J variant's distinctive silhouette with accurate twin-boom layout, counter-rotating propellers, and marking options covering both European and Pacific theatres.