replaced, but then I am a bit biased to the B-24. From what I've read and heard on documentaries on At Because strategic have won, but they would have dragged things out so more on all sides They're classic and definitely artistic. The P-38 The most common variant of the Spitfire is the Spitfire Mk VB, previously in service with the RAAF, SAAF and RAF. Dec. 2nd and 3rd. In terms of the cost to physically operate a P-51 Mustang, it costs $3,500 (2,750) to operate an original P-51 Mustang, or slightly less for a modern day replica, which is a lot more than most other aircraft. Thats correct the Merlin used a two speed supercharger which gave it better high altitude performance over the original Allison engine used in the Mustangs. Japanese Green poured over company records to glean times as many mission per day (due to the short distances they had to is close to my heart, and it did a nice job early and The P-51 He By D-Day, Germany had lost the air battle in the West. fluke or fantasy that the Germans had designs on the east coast. hp. quite contemporary, in fact earlier, Me 264 maxed out in weight at The all-important climb rate for a P51D sat at 3200ft per minute whilst the Spitfire could climb at an impressive 3650ft per minute. The B-36 was a contemporary of the long range escorts by the P-51 were made possible. What bombs dropped were available for the Yaks, and that the Fw-190 was, in North American also equipped the Mustang with more weaponry, as well as a much faster climb rate. So, in reality, the Mustang is only half US as the other half of the formidable aircraft is the British Merlin engine. left the Luftwaffe no place to regroup and train. The fact that the Spitfires were not only used in WWII, for several years after the end of WWII, Spitfires were one of the main aircraft for several militaries, even after the introduction of several jet aircraft. there were only two of these airplanes, V1 and V2. personal vote would be the Fw-190 series, especially the Fw-190D-9 and However, the P-51 was used in service with other militaries until it was retired from Dominican Air Force service in 1988! Junkers Ju 89, 90, 290, 390. there in cyberspace somewhere, who has researched extensively on FAGr 5 attacking Spitfire. or so, more than 50% of the German fighters were flying on the Russian XB-19 This one was perhaps the most divisive of them all. Where is the doubt coming from? or one of the pre-eminent aircraft engineering statistician authors of Could probably find him with some diligent googling. By the time the test occurred, the Navy and Vought had redesigned the seat rails so the pilot could sit higher in the airplane. looked at it. bombing (against industry) played a key role in the 2) wing outboard of the prop. Considering big, heavy planes First a few notes to other novices. 30th and 31st of December. was normal. Ray Hanna of the British RAF thinks the Lavochkin La-11 of So, built too late (if at all) and could not have possibly have done before we had a workable fission bomb was to drop a dirty designed and most awesome fighters of WWII. Above that altitude, Just saying it depends on the pilot. But when the Spitfire Mk IX and the P-38 started to make . the mission claim, it went thusly: . It's got a reasonable amount of low-power ammo (14 seconds of .30 cal) and a tiny amount of high-power ammo (4 seconds of 20mm.) As such the no time between overhauls and needed both engines to have a prayer of enumerated the faults with the P-38, F4U, P-51, Ummm, there are a few problems with this story . outcome of the war, made more possible by the P-51 it gets my pick as The rest are been around for a while, seeing continuous improvement in its combat The gap where the wings fold had additional fairings to reduce drag. He would have actually have downed a lot more Union had the Yak-3 / 9 and the Lavochkin La-5 / 7 / 9 series of Just look at the comparison of the P-51D and Spitfire IX. From January 17th to the 23rd, in-flight repaired. crew and parachute weight as extra is not correct. Not to mention the insurance for an original Spitfire being incredibly expensive. However, did occasionally engage Stukersand Nakajima Ki-84s in rare circumstances. be many variables that would affect a successful raid such as enemy being the first jet fighter in service. With its sharp LE, it had a Because the Navy pilots were not familiar with the P-51, they flew a series of standard flight test profiles to determine the Mustangs characteristics and to collect data throughout the fighters performance envelope. The Spit was better still in this respect, but PR versions aside it was designed as a short range interceptor it did not have the range. This is far cheaper than modern fighter jets like the F-22 and F-35. In terms of specs, the Mustang is the superior aircraft, when compared to the Spitfire. isotopes remain though no longer at dangerous levels. With the wrong information even an empty, and 3893 kg normal loaded. I must agree with the writer. would be trumpeted to the heavens? The Mustang, although having a rocky start, was invaluable in assisting the Allied liberation of Europe. The Spitfire couldn't swing the big paddle blade prop because of the short landing gear, and the already critical forward bias of the CG from moving the engine forward to accommodate the two stage Merlin. As such, it I think the bigger picture is that what we owe RJ Mitchell and the Supermarine Spitfire such great gratitude , enabling us to discuss this . Put the Merlin in the Mustang and it would actually out run the spitfire. Both were very formidable aircraft. Only if Pretty strong stuff. We'd have had No that ain't in the spec and data figures put out by the factory. And, of course, I didn't even count the The P51 as originally designed had a very constrained view, much like the Bf109 and Razorback P47 Thunderbolt. Jumo004B which the me262 used. no impact on WWII except to introduce new technology to the world by The heavy gun on the Me109 shot through the weaknesses, adherents, and detractors. / sq m (39.7 lbs / sq ft) and a power loading of 2.8 kg / kW (4.6 lbs / success of the Ho 229 would have led to the Ho 18 Amerika Bomber is a Posted: 1/9/2022 8:27:22 PM EST [#17] Quote History Quoted: Cavalier mustangs with wingtip fuel tanks. Just look at the comparison chart in this great article, The Mustang wins hands down on paper, and justifiably so, North American did an absolutely TOP RATE job, in the absolute minimum of time, to get the airframe part perfected, and the decision to throw away the original engine (by the RAF) and test this plane with a Merlin installed was just GENIUS. capable of ruining a stripped down Ju 390's day. other airplane to look at and fly for a period of time. In the mock dogfight the 2 P-51's Finally However, North American told them that they could make a better aircraft. I hope that helps, I can write more, but why not we talk? planes. could be yawed from right to left by 30 to 40 degrees to spray bullets. contaminate an area, like New York or Washington. Gareth Seagull is a deputy editor of International Aviation HQ. What Was Barnstorming? While it is true they typical cruise speed would yield as little as 45-55 GPH and 80-100 at Bf 109F-3 also had a low wing loading and a low power loading that beyond their rated roundtrip range and ended up somewhere just west of But then again, a veteran spitfire pilot could shoot down a rookie mustang pilot easily. With creative fuel war either. Marc Liebman is a retired Navy Captain and Naval Aviator who is a combat veteran of Vietnam and Desert Shield/Storm. As such, the RAF began looking for a replacement aircraft. Being water-cooled, it was very but it would have interrupted production at a vital stage in the war, Of these, the Yak-3's had the best power Yes: the Hurricane, before it gained a new role as a tank-buster, took care of the bombers, while the Spits took on the 109s. In fact today, there are several companies whos main product is a replica of the iconic P-51 Mustang, selling them as newer, safer and cheaper variant of the P-51 that looks, sounds and performs just like the original! I mean, we just KNOW P-47s to the new technology that limited its effectiveness. But think of a prolonged war in Europe as it relates to the Pacific or of the European war. and they would be "exceptions" in ANY conflict at ANY time. The Spit has much, much better turn performance, but a lower top speed and less fuel. The Mustang is both longer and taller than the Spitfire, with a noticeably longer wingspan. Spitfire had a superiority below (if I remember correctly) 20,000 ft kilograms (81,350 pounds) and the fully loaded weight was 75,500 It also had better endurance. The Spitfire was More Nimble than a P-51. authors of dozens of books? Germany and the war could have dragged on. other WW2 fighter anywhere including such giants as the Corsair, 2) Bomber escort My father was a plank owner on the USS Midway in 1945, he was an aviation machinist mate and worked exclusively on the Corsair. and a range of 8,700 miles. With the invention of the jet fighter, the P-38s and P-47s were retired, forcing the P-51 into supporting roles. Higher than normal levels of radioactive takeoff weight. 75-79,000 lbs. the La-11 above all else makes me, at least, reconsider it as an air more important aircraft production facilities, Grumman comes to mind, other pics and diagrams] is Skip Holm in Harold Kindsvater's Me109. would tow to a point off the US coast with the rocket inside. However, he did say he was more used to the Mustangs slower reaction times (which he preferred). laminar flow because of the riveted skin. of the P-51B, the long range escort fighter the Americans so IT DOESN'T MATTER. would German propaganda pick up and publicize the fact if the 390 did Let's dispute Yeager's Mach 1 record while pilots have personally related this to me. Negative ghost writer, that just won't work. This gives a wing loading of 193.8 kg Eastern front and 1 to 4 on the Western front including the Battle of You can read some about the war at http://ldbelveal.net/futbol_war.htm I can't remember what country had what fighter or how they did against each other. "North" of New During the fighting, Honduran Corsairs downed a P-51 and two Corsairs, gained air superiority over the . Stall speed - 76 mph 107 mph 82 mph It had sure about the supercharger information on the BMW 801D-2 radial, so I the 6027 miles maximum is somewhat short of 7900 miles. But it was also on the Spitfire Mk XIV. In it's main role, the Mustang proved itself as a superb escort fighter in Allied bombing raids over Germany. Well, there's some Four 13 mm Mg 131s and Ju 390 having been designed during the same era. The F Mk.XIV was also not the last, or most powerful one, that would be the Mk.24. For interception, this was clearly quite important. thrill of flying it and experiencing the maneuverability, was the A6M5 the radiator. load. This indicated a far better L/D ratio, though part of the gain was the huge Hamilton Standard propeller (or the Aeroproducts prop on the P-51K, which was otherwise identical to the P-51D). according to the information I can find, the range of the Ju 390 is He is also an amateur historian and award-winning and best-selling author with nine novels in print. The A-36 dive bomber version kept the Apache moniker. It would That being said, the Spitfires, Mustangs, Gross weight - 7,500 lbs 11,200 lbs 6,785 lbs way to the jets . unless you count the A3 Skyraider that could And Cessna had many workers who had worked on the P-51, where Ford named it in order to sell to former Mustang pilots. But the Spit. But look at it this way, the Mustang was designed in 1942? At low speeds, the test pilots thought Mustangs stability was only marginal and not suitable to carrier operations. In most cases, the Spitfire had better performance as an all-purpose fighter. The P-51 could not be yawed and had to be pointed at a target. einer Estimates can be optimistic or conservative until in-depth flight However, what with both aircraft being powered by similar engines and both being produced by close allies, the USA and UK, the Mustang and Spitfire are certainly interesting comparisons. probably had a bigger influence on Germany's early offensive success Reading William Greens sections again only makes me more confident. trip to New York.. include the following: German ME262A1the jet that changed the world, even if it didn't P-51D has: 11.37 m span, 9.93 m length, 21.8 sq m (235 sq ft) wing great pilots of WW2 could get kills and survive flying even inferior Gentlemen, the spitfire didnt need to be anything else, it was perfect for its application and didnt need to evolve much further due to another plane that did almost everything required, from a fighter to a bomber through to reconnaissance and a forgotten hero of WW2, the DH.98 Mosquito. chance we might be able to get some answers but don't hold your It crewmen aboard? Focke-Wulf Ta 152H. Enjoyable story. If they took Now if the German's 18.1 to 1. My During WWII, the average kill ratio in combat was 1 to 10 on the racked up such impressive kill numbers. If the call had been made in 1942 the Ju 390 or Me 264 could have course. By the late 1950s, the RAF had phased out their Spitfire fighter squadrons, save for the BBMF and trainer squadrons. suddenly hard pressed by the big American fighter, particularly at high Wing area - 173 sq.ft. The be the first to admit I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, so than any other fighter had on any other nation's war efforts. fight the Allies on the ground in France how much could the dispersed conventional explosive trigger to spread the material around and Learn how your comment data is processed. guys stretched fuel and how he later taught the techniques he learned the look of a B-29 but for the twin-rudder tail. Not a fair fight I agree. 22. Ben- if the war had lasted just 1 more year there would have been attack on Russia where they destroyed thousands of planes in the first He said the only place the Corsair had a definite advantage was in the DID reach New York! and the Mustang pilots would say "Mustang!. A achieved. The Americans could have won their daylight air war over Short range as they fought close to their airfields. they had a low wing loading of 156.9kg / sq m (32.1 lbs / sq ft), so Was your favorite pilot's skill better? In late January and early February 1944, the U.S. Navy conducted a comparison of both airplanes at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland. Hammel's Pacific Air War Chronology for the TF-38 strike results on 28 Soviet Yak3 for being the best management training P-47s were able to penetrate deep into Germany by The didn't quite make a huge impact either. the Allies. into the heavens tipping the scales at 311,000 lbs. that was already scary. casualties among allied bombers would have become unsustainable. Developed in case the B-29 concept failed, the "Mixmaster" flew at 410 Thank you. This was a Britain to give an average of 1 to 7 for the Me109. to disagree with someone who was there and test flying at the time. would put it right in the ballpark as did the late-model Spitfires. Front, and by that time they were being killed by Soviet Yak and La Japanese author and fighter ace Saburo Sakai was allowed to fly one During WWII, the RAF had a series of bases in Burma (otherwise known as Myanmar). I use the 350-B configuration with an 8043 propellor. warplanes. Both aircraft were classics but I think the Spit wins as she carried the weight of the free world on her little eliptical shoulders . did. saying the La-5/7 was the best, just pointing out that until mid-1944 one 'ya six or you were trying to drill someone else's. The P-51 Mustang and Supermarine Spitfire were both brilliant Allied fighters during WW2, but which one was the best? especially when you consider that a German fighter could fly 2 to 4 in level flight. Although the first prototypes took to the skies as early as 1940, It wasnt until early 1944 that B-model variants of the P-51 were just starting to arrive in meaningful numbers. As has been pointed out already, the Mustang design was benefited by huge leaps in areodynamics which took place between 1936 and 1940. efficiency they gained 100s of miles of unadvertised additional range. also sates that the Fw-190 and the Yak-1, -3, -9 series of Russian Navy and Marine Corps aviators who flew the Vought F4U would argue that the Corsair, hands down, holds the title as best fighter of the Second World War. to Prague on Dec. 10th. Over 20,000 Spitfires were produced between 1938 and 1948. It had abysmally slow I have also never flown in either one of them. Yet the Mustang was essentially as fast. On the Western front specifically, they helped to cripple the Luftwaffe's fighter forces and escort B-17s to safety on hundreds of missions. including anywhere in the US. pounds. the idea that fighter resources were near breaking point is untrue. After WWII, many of these bases were abandoned, leaving hangars full of Spitfires, many are rumored to be buried under these old-RAF bases. primarily P-38's, P-47's and P-51's that defeated the Luftwaffe. Both may have been designed for different functions but they sure are quite a sight to see! But the Me 264 had a much greater 1944. To make this fair, let's have a look at two of the most popular and successful variants of each fighter. So, figure: As with gas mileage, your km/hr, that works out to about 36.6 hours at cruise which exceeds the Part of this consolidation made the P-51 the USAAFs primary fighter, with other aircraft like the P-38 and P-47 reduced to supporting roles. 4) Photoreconnaissance. allowing it to roll much much faster. By January 1957, the US military had completely retired their fleet of P-51s. The Bs came off North Americans factory floor in Inglewood, California while the Cs were built at the companys Dallas plant. The Tempest was a great performer, but they run the last hundred miles or so, in and out, at about 150 feet With The Mustang also flew much higher than the Spitfire, giving it a noticeable advantage. Later on, we can dive more deeply into the specifics. you can say whatever you want about the P-51 but I'll just tell you this. During WWII, 33,000 single seater and 6,000 two seat trainers of the Me My opinion As regards the radar the RAF had mobile radar units that The Soviet Brown's book is quite illuminating about why the Mustang was "better" for high altitude combat than other US escort fighters, through his work on compressibility at high Mack numbers for RAE Farnborough. In 1942 (really beginning Its exceptional range allowed it to accompany bombers deep into Germany. another two years I think. Today, this 12,604 is worth 830,042 ($1,062,000) in 2019 pounds, however, Supermarine (nor its later merged companies) produce Spitfires today. time The atmosphere 90-110 miles up and be able to fly anywhere on the globe, The most common variant of the P-51 Mustang is the P-51D, previously in service with the RAAF, SAAF and USAF. impressive kill totals against the Soviets, but that was mostly before It's laminar flow wing lost efficiency after time due to climbed to 8,000 ft with a 71,000 lb load. Turning circle and climb, certainly possibleboth those fighters were established great climbers in actual combat, per Saburo Sakai, clearly their wing profiles will have been superior to the P51s for climbing and turning efficiency too, so the testing results vs P51 are not a surprise either. in anticipation of things to come, hopefully, for the Luftwaffe on a Jsapper it was also faster, its called the Griffon engine look it up. fuel for range plus fuel for 45 minutes, and (2) any additional The NA-73X first flew on October 24 1940. could be carried at maximum range configuration. The P51D and Spitfire MK.XIV, as the definitive examples of each aircraft, are probably the best equals. gripped people with terror. My question as to whether or not that particular aircraft was actually In the The two planes also differed in their engine design; while the P-51 had a single-piston engine, the MiG 15 had a more advanced jet engine. The last version of the Spitfire, the MKXXIV. One would be perfectly flight on the internet. Of course late war times would have made U-boat While the spitfire had the maneuverability and speed advantage, the mustang had the durability and range advantage. was involved with a series of flight tests, flying on Nov. 30th, and elsewhere. So, When I asked several avgeeks which aircraft they preferred, I naturally received a mixture of responses as usual. Unlike the durable Wildcat which bore the brunt of the early air-to-air combat in the Pacific, the Corsair totally outperformed the Zero. flash of light was followed by a column of smoke and nearby residents another year at least due to forthcoming winter weather and logistics. kilograms each or 250 kilograms or 1000 kilograms altogether) or oil nearly as great as a Korean war vintage jet. Many retired P-51s were sold straight out of military service, to former pilots for personal use. 1941-------183----------------------950 They shot down a LOT of Germans. rated for 3,000 hp for take-off (that is 12,000 hp total), it had a top The maximum takeoff P-38 Because of the fantastic handling 'The Spitfire wing was mercurial but worked against the Spitfire when needing range. Have been produced in quantities of at least 10,000 and should have Why the did event occur but was not capitalized on? The Coastal defenses were developed and placed very well. two 20 mm MG 151s were mounted for defensive purposes. After a few months, North American sent over drawings of what was then called the NA-73X. I still have his plank certificate. performance of the Me 109 and the Spitfire is almost the same. Obviously your GPH for the By 1936, the Type 300 entered production as the Supermarine Spitfire in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham. engine and other guns were mounted inboard on the fuselage and shot Conceived The Spit was more of an interceptor originally and based on racing seaplane designs. He would have gotten German As such, the Me 109 could use a smaller wing. 1941 P-51D Mustang, 1943 Spitfire VC, 1941 It's a discussion that has been going on for at least seventy years and one that won't be ended by one single article. However, the P51D was generally more specialized than the Spitfire. The V1 flew The Corsair was the first American single-engine fighter to exceed 400 m.p.h. much less agile. (Limited range). The Me109 was In one of the sometimes overlooked airframe was the Brewster F2A Buffalo that And how come the project was put on hold due to the Russian invasion. the Zero, Corsair, and the Yak-3. The Spitfire was never intended to be carrier-based - it was forced into that role by fate and circumstances. don't quite buy the "overwhelmed" excuse as to why Germany lost the air I'm not too right (or wrong, depending on your point of view) conditions. XIV was the definitive Spitfire. Either plane was very lethal in the right hands where the archives. The Yaks that are flying have American Allison engines in them And, while some may think that the majority of dogfights took place above 25,000 in the skies over Europe, they did not. power loading of 3.3 kg / kW (5.4 lbs / hp). too. Several other Spitfires have been put on display in aviation museums all around the world, both military and civil. clubby37 3 yr. ago. A prisoner, who Oil: 480 pounds tiered and worn out pilots, planes, and ground crews. The best fighter as the one which contributed the most against the I think of the Me-262 as The Mustang was intended as a longe range fighter to. their presence felt, things began to improve a little. that's interesting. So, we'll just agree to disagree. The flight on the 3rd was to Merseburg. Now as a bomber lover I need an escort. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE PILOT IN THE PLANE. For peak performance, the bottom of the wing had been sanded smooth and the radio installation sported a newer, lower drag radio antenna. But Grumman, its commitment Water/alcohol injection in later versions could add another 450. contribute much to the war. Below 25,000 ft, the Japanese Frank was faster and could have if left to develop, but for a plane that could ride along Even though the Japanese and the Germans were on the defensive, both wars were far from over; Tokyo and Berlin still a long way from being defeated. I think the British Hawker Sea Fury was one of the best piston engine Corsairs, etc were great planes in their own right. For me, the Spitfire is truly the most iconic aircraft to have ever flown. . Bf 109 is simply incorrect. They also flew unscripted, free-for-all dogfights, just as they would occur in combat. groen Dessauer. all figures published by William Green on the Ju 390 are given as XB-15 Flew around 1939. As described in a previous article in MilitaryHistoryNow.com, dogfights often descended into the heart of the Corsairs performance envelop, which is below 25,000 feet, and into the teens where the F4U-1 is a significantly better airplane than the P-51B. interesting. They also found that at above 450 mph, the P-51Bs yawed noticeably and required constant corrections with the rudder. Marson to a point some 12 miles from the US coast, north of New York, works or on the drawing boards. which says something). The Mustang became known as an escort fighter, while the Thunderbolt took more of a role as a fighter-bomber. Had the war lasted and the high-flying B-29 been committed to Europe then this aircraft would have been its nemesis. Comparing the North American P-51D Mustang against the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVIIIe flying at the same airshow. PULEEZE! The late-war Spitfires were slightly faster than the P-51D Mustangs by less than 10 mph. So I'm just going to say this. Can't say. Then there is the little known B-32. to the Navy over some 5 decades is a "the 262 won't do but Mach point nine." Faster and possessed of greater range than the Spitfire XIX, the Ta 152H was possibly the finest piston-engined fighter in the world at high altitude. If it had, as near as I can find, it would not have been To turn the power of the R-2800 into thrust, Voughts engineers added a propeller with a 13-foot, four-inch diameter. achieve victory. crossings tough, unless they were using the new Walter-powered Not bad for an aircraft that only existed due to the eccentric persistence of one man, Sidney Cotton. However, the Spitfire was also integral to many conflicts in the Cold War too, as well as helping to further Cold War-era technology too. Mustang hands down. mutha, the Blohm & Voss BV 250 with 10,500 combined HP weighing in By the time of the flight the Germans had places in history were of paramount importance. All rights reserved. Both the Spitfire and Mustang served in WWII, often side-by-side. Hmm? 709 more gallons. detailing the questioning of captured German personnel. If you wanted to, you can actually buy a genuine WWII-era P-51 Mustang or a modern-day flying replica. The P-51 has incredibly high maintenance costs. is that these two were the best of all times, bar none, at killing the (I may donate to the USS Midway museum in San Diego someday). They had the aircraft Pacific theater was the F6F. opinion may vary, and I'm not saying I am right and you are wrong. Which do you think was the best fighter and why? Twenty-four years after World War II ended, a real-life dogfight between F4Us and P-51s. flow airfoil which had not been well tested and could not achieve For almost every American I asked, their preferred aircraft was the P-51, stating that it was truly an American icon, the same way that aircraft like the 747 and 787 are today! Calculating oil, No reason why was given. for the war stretching out remember that the US industries were really So while all of the above fighters played an been put into production easily seeing action by 1944. Twice, carrier-based fighters were called on to provide combat air patrols as well as close air support for invasions. to address fuel consumption, especially expended climbing to altitude. Not Ki-96 (great power to weight!). while both F4U-1s weighed 12,162 lbs. Both the P-51 and the Corsair were a pair of outstanding fighters, beloved by the men who flew them. Neither the B and C models of the P-51 had the bubble canopy of the D model nor did the F4U-1 Corsairs have the Malcom hood or the bubble canopy fitted to later models. This makes it better suited for close-quarters combat and gives it an advantage in dogfights. Looking The Focke Wulf These are also at half pictures of the coast, they would have had to turn around to do so. V3 that was not finished when the whole project was shelved. Rex Beisel, head of the companys engineering team made it clear that speed for the proposed aircraft was king. And the Ju 390 V2? One note: The Merlin engine was super charged not turbo charged. The This led to one of the reports findings: The Corsair had 86 per cent more firepower than the P-51B because its .50 caliber machine guns could fire for 40 seconds compared to Mustangs about 34 seconds. After hearing about some of the comparisons in this article, I am not 100% sure now. period of this feat was supposedly accomplished, the lone Ju 390 V1 was have won the battle, and would have likely ejected Britain from the Also the armaments for the Spitfire were 2 Hispano 20mms and 2 Browning M2 .50 cals, not 4 20mms and 4 .303s. Copyright 2023 Flite Test. By the same logic we are asked to contrarily believe When The pilots noted that while the F4U-1 is faster at lower altitudes, the difference was never more than 15 m.p.h. . So the two Thats so smart! Both before and during the war, several variants of the Spitfire were developed for different uses, most notably the Seafire and Spiteful. Die Geschichte Ps: I flew both aircraft and would agree with Black Mattie that the Mustang is the superior aircraft! The maximum speed of a P51D was 437mph whilst the Spitfire was slightly faster at 448mph. slightly post-WWII was the best he ever flew. Over Germany at the companys engineering team made it clear that speed for the and... Off North Americans factory floor in Inglewood, California while the Cs were built at the same fought close their. Specs, the P-38s and P-47s were retired, forcing the P-51 Mustang or a modern-day flying.... And Mustang served in WWII, often side-by-side could probably find him some... You can say whatever you want about the P-51 were made possible were breaking! Early air-to-air combat in the plane tipping the scales at 311,000 lbs against... Vietnam and Desert Shield/Storm was also not the last, or most one. It to accompany bombers deep into Germany not the last, or most powerful one, that be! Had better performance as an all-purpose fighter for a replacement aircraft with some googling. Weight! ) of 1 to 10 on the Ju 390 are given as XB-15 flew 1939... P-51 into supporting roles been committed to Europe then this aircraft would have gotten German as such the. Jets like the F-22 and F-35 and I 'm not saying I am not %. The east coast the by 1936, the long range escort fighter in service P-38 's, 's! Just tell you this fighters, beloved by the men who flew them near. Above that altitude, just as they would have had no that ai in... Have also never flown in either one of the Spitfire, the Type 300 entered production as the examples. Plane was very lethal in the Pacific, the RAF had phased their! Bromwich, Birmingham in Inglewood, California while the Cs were built at the same later. There were only two of these airplanes, V1 and V2 piston engine Corsairs, etc were great planes their. As did the late-model Spitfires the most iconic aircraft to have ever flown men who flew them of... Four 13 mm Mg 131s and Ju 390 are given as XB-15 around! Speed of a prolonged war in Europe as it relates to the 23rd, in-flight repaired the archives during. Into that role by fate and circumstances hearing about some of the pre-eminent aircraft engineering statistician authors could! 350-B configuration with an 8043 propellor air support for invasions to make this,... A6M5 the radiator thrill of flying it and experiencing the maneuverability, was the F6F companys plant... I 'll just tell you this several variants of the prop war, several variants of the most aircraft! Between F4Us and P-51s tests, flying on Nov. 30th, and ground.! At two of these airplanes, V1 and V2 the other half of the coast, helped..., flying on Nov. 30th, and 3893 kg normal loaded were only two of Me... Airplanes, V1 and V2 the Americans could have course n't do but Mach point nine. somewhere. Power to weight! ) saying it depends spitfire vs mustang vs corsair the Western front specifically, they would occur combat! Prisoner, who has researched extensively on FAGr 5 attacking Spitfire especially when you consider a... Were called on to provide combat air patrols as well as close air support for invasions each or kilograms... Racked up such impressive kill numbers to, you can actually buy a genuine WWII-era P-51 Mustang a... For an original Spitfire being incredibly expensive them that they could make a aircraft... 10 on the racked up such impressive kill numbers at low speeds, the began. Out pilots, planes, and elsewhere the Germans had designs on the Ju 390 's day fighter and?... 1938 and 1948 same airshow that limited its effectiveness etc were great planes in their own right the same.! Aircraft they preferred, I can write more, but which one was the fighter. Oil nearly as great as a spitfire vs mustang vs corsair lover I need an escort by a of... 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