Production. Lockheed P-38 pursuit planes. A Lockheed P-38 pursuit ship, just returned from flight tests, is checked and reconditioned in the test hangar of a large Western aircraft plant. After these operations, the ship will be ready for delivery to the Army. The P-38 has performed brilliantly in action, notably in the Aleutians. Its long range and great firepower give it real promise as an escort for high-altitude bombers. At its best altitude, the P-38 is one of the world's fastest fighting planes