Yes, SWORDSN, to save an engine-out situation with a P-38 requires: 1) Pilot skill, and 2) Luck. No amount of one without the other will suffice. Even the greatest of pilots, if afflicted with engine-out in an odious power/speed ratio or altitude or position in the sky, or late recognition, will fail.
Second, the most common cause of heartbreak & repair besides engine-out is some kind of landing gear problem.
So, my general philosophy for P-38 models is:
A) make sure both fans keep blowing, and
B) overbuild the landing gear
Obviously, the Devil's in the Details for both of those and blithe statements of intent can never be perfectly executed, but those are the basics
mt