Models

Project XP-38N ver. 4 models for FS2004 XP-38, P-38F-1, P-38G-13, P-38H-5, P-38J-15, F-5E-2, P-38L-5, P-38L Racer, P-38M-6, XP-38N Over the years I actively updated these models, they were reviewed by major FS web sites and received several awards, including the FlightSim.com Developer's Award and the AVSIM Freeware Gold Award. In his tribute to FS2004, Avsim writer and award-giver Steve Cartwright said "David C. Copley is the undisputed master of designing the Lockheed P-38 Lightning for Flight Simulator. ... Everything about these FS aircraft models from Mr. Copley is very good, but the sounds (recorded from the real Glacier Girl) are absolutely delicious!" Below are the last public release versions. My favorite is the P-38M Night Lightning, which was also the last one released before I retired from FS.
XP-38 Prototype ver. 2.0 released June 2006
P-38 "Triple Play" (F, G, H) Ver 2.1 & paint kit reelased Jan 2007
P-38 Pair (J, F-5) Ver 2.3 & paint kit released Jan 2008
P-38L-5 The Definitive Lightning Ver 2.4 & paint kit released Dec 2007
P-38L Racer	not available
P-38M-6 Night Lightning Ver 2.2 released Feb 2008
XP-38N Lightning (Fictional) Ver 4.0 & minor bug fix (4.0.1) released Nov 2006
These models were made for FS2004. Some people have been able to port them to FSX with limited success. I still claim the copyright to all copyright-able materials within, but I no longer support these models, so you're on your own. :-)

Fans have written to me asking "why did you retire from FS modeling?" There are so many reasons, no one reason stands out. I will list a few, not as sour grapes, but simply as an explanation for my retirement:

1) I got burned out and needed a change. There are so many little idiosyncrasies in the tools and processes of FS model-making, I just got burned out trying to keep them all in my head. In other words, it became less of a hobby and almost like work. FSX was the proverbial straw that broke this camel's back.

2) My children got to an age where I needed to spend more time with them before they grew up completely and left the house. Plus, I my job became a bit more demanding of my time.

3) Quite frankly, I got tired of all the complainers out there. Few things are worse than sharing something you're passionate about and have spent literally hundreds of hours on only have people look a gift horse in the mouth. One example typifies the kind of freeware fan that I grew so tire of: "Dave – I like your P-38. It flies great! But have you seen [so-and-so’s]? It’s a lot more detailed, .... It’s clearly the best P-38 out there. So maybe instead of making another P-38 you could make [a different plane], since we don’t have one in FS2004 right now. We could really use one …"