Lockheed P-38J Droop Snoot
In January 1944, the Eighth Air Force’s Operational Engineering department at Bovingdon came up with the idea of creating an unarmed pathfinder leader for the Eighth Air Force P-38 Group. A wooden mock-up was designed by Cass Hough and armament specialist Col Don Ostrander, who then traveled to Langford Lodge to discuss the concept with the Lockheed Overseas Corporation (LOC) engineers. At that time, James E. Boyce managed LOC, with J.D. ‘Jack’ Hawkins as the chief engineer, and George McCutcheon handling the design work. The mock-up helped confirm the interior layout, leading to the modification of a P-38H-5 (42-67086) with a dummy nose for aerodynamic approval.
The approved design led to a prototype (42-68184) fitted out based on the P-38J-10, the initial ‘production’ aircraft. After testing at Bovingdon, the camouflaged aircraft was stripped of paint and used for bombing trials at Bradwell Range, with Cass Hough piloting and Col Ostrander operating the Norden bombsight.
In realistic tests, the Droop Snoot, equipped with a formation-bombing system, was accompanied by two standard P-38Js. This system lit up a light in the cockpits of the following P-38J fighter-bombers, signaling them to release their bombs simultaneously. Later, the Eighth’s Technical Operations Unit developed a radio-triggered system for all bomb toggles, allowing the lead ship to stay within the formation for added protection.
The Eighth Air Force fighter groups undertook at least twenty Droop Snoot conversions, possibly extending to five more, though precise records are unavailable. The Droop Snoot was a reconfigured P-38 without fixed armament but maintained standard bombing capabilities. A navigator/bombing leader seated in the nose would lead a formation, pinpoint targets, and release bombs using the Norden bombsight, enhancing bombing accuracy.
This setup allowed the Droop Snoot crewman to oversee the entire operation, select targets, and act as the lead bombardier, improving bombing precision compared to individual fighter pilots. On the return trip, the main formation could conduct strafing runs. The element of surprise was also considered, as the enemy might not realize the Droop Snoot was different from a standard Lightning until bombs were dropped. Notably, a P-38 could carry a bomb load similar to a B-17 on short-range missions, but with eight fewer crew members, at least in theory.