The P-38 was built around her turbo-chargers. The Brit engines used mechanical superchargers. Different beast entirely.
Got to watch (and hear) a P-38 take off immediately post-war.
I can still recall the sound. It sounded like an angry swarm of bees...
True enough. There was a plan to install the Merlin into a P-38 but it never happened. I believe the Rolls engines were superior to the Allisons. The turbo-charging set-up used in the P-38 was far too complex. The Shackleton patrol bomber was in active service until the early nineties powered by four Griffons. Anyway, I just enjoy speculating about what kinds of planes might have been.