bronzewhaler82
Senior Airman
- 661
- Feb 19, 2004
I strongly agree! 8)
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what i wanna know is why in the bottom left it says "P-51D"?
What I don't like is when people say that it is unfair to compare certain types of aircraft because one had a better/ more powerful engine than the other. Surely this is irrelevant? The debate is about whether or or not one aircraft (engine and all) was better than another - so having a smaller engine is no excuse...
For my two-penneth, I consider the Mustang as the best all-round fighter of the war - hence the number of airforces that purchased it post-war to fulfil a variety of roles (sorry HS). On the other hand, had a Mustang and a Spitfire XIV (or even *shudder* an F.Mk XXI) ever got into a dogfight, there can be no doubt (assuming comparable pilot skill) as to the outcome. Unless the P-51 started with, and maintained, a huge energy advantage, it would get chewed up by the Spit's greater turn-rate, acceleration, climb-rate and overall speed. Similar things can be said about the Tempest - again only inferior to the Mustang in terms of range.
You have to specify what you want a fighter to do before you judge which is the best one, and since there were so many roles for single-engined fighter aircraft in WWII there can never be one that can claim to be the best.
For example, if you were a small country post-war, looking to buy a few excess fighters from the big participants, what would you buy? If your main concern was escorting a few bombers hundreds of miles into enemy territory, then the Mustang wins hands down. If you just want to defend a few important positions/ settlements from enemy incursions, then I personally would go for a mix of Spit XIV/ XVIIIs and some Ta 152s as well. For low level ground support, Tempests and Yak-3s would be my choice, and for firepower and economy (in terms of losing as few as possible shot down) I'd go for the Jug. But if you want something to perform equally well in all these capacities, I'm afraid the P-51 just about clinches it in my book...
(Sorry, rather more than tuppence there - oh well)
Est-que tu est Francais Batgirl? Ou est-que c'est ta francais ... ta francais... 'de l'ecole' (?)
Je suis desole, ma francais n'est pas bien...
Ah non je ne suis pas français, je suis anglais, mais parler un petit
jj1982 said:A brief history of RAF Mustang Operations..
The Mustang's achievements in WW2 with the USAAF tend to overshadow its work with the RAF, who of course took the aircraft in to combat before the Americans ever did. RAF operations can be grouped in to three types:
a. Army Co-operation including low level recce, naval strike using Allison engined P51A's or Mustang 1/ll's. Some also acted as low level interceptors against low flying German raiders.
b. Long range escort missions for coastal strike and bomber operations using Mustang lll's and lV's.
c. Ground attack and general fighter support using Mustang lll's and lV's.
a. The RAF loved the early Mustangs and it was very much missed when the production line closed in favour of the Merlin engined B's and C's. As a low level fighter the P51A had few equals in speed and range, even if its agility was exceeded by the low altitude cropped wing Spitfire Mk V's. Mustangs saw action all over Western Europe including Dieppe flying in ones and twos at ranges Spitfire's could only dream about in their armed versions. Mustangs had the standard day scheme of green/brown uppers and sky undersides later replaced by the green/Ocean Grey/Medium Sea Grey scheme. Markings were a standard mix of B roundels on the upper wings and C and C1's on the under sides of the wings and fuselage sides (A's on the green/Dark Earth versions). The RAF also had some of the 20mm cannon armed aircraft designated 1a's. The last Mustang 1/ll squadron kept their aircraft until 1945. All others having been replaced by other types or Merlin Mustang versions.
b. As North American ceased production of the Allison engined versions the RAF reequiped some of the squadrons with less well suited types such as the Spitfire Mk V. While the Spitfire is still the best fighter of WW2 in this role the early Mustangs were certainly the better aircraft as their long range and rugged construction were very useful operating at these altitudes and mission profiles. The RAF then shifted attention to the Merlin engined Mk lll's (the US B/C). The B/C were the same aircraft made by different factories with tiny differences between them, hence the RAF's use of the same designation. By late 1944 this version had established itself as a competent performer capable of doing all that was asked of it. RAF modifications gave the aircraft a bulged Malcolm canopy for improved visibility and cockpit access and the US modification to the ammunition feed resulted in an end to the gun jamming problems that beset the aircraft when it first entered service. Some authorities believe the Malcolm hooded C with the modified ammunition feeds to be better than the later P 51D due to the loss of lateral stability that resulted from removing the fuselage side area. These Mustangs roamed far and wide over Europe escorting RAF bombers as Bomber Command increasingly turned day light precision raids such as those carried out by 617 and 9 Squadron's using Tallboys and Grandslam earthquake bombs. Mustangs also carried out escorts for Mosquitoes and Beaufighters as far away as Norway for anti shipping strikes. Leonard Cheshire even used a Mustang for experimental target marking for 617 Squadron in place of the Mosquito he normally used. Almost all examples were green/Ocean Grey/Medium Sea Grey. Polish units often had colourful markings and large kill boards, 19 Squadron was quite well marked and its post war examples such as the well known Dooly Bird were almost gaudy. These Mustangs took part in the anti Diver patrols against the V1 and were very successful, even if the Tempest had the speed edge on the Mustang.
c. Most notably in Italy the RAF employed the Mustang in the lll and lV versions for ground support work and general fighter escort, but in Italy the Luftwaffe was virtually absent by the beginning of 1945, so the main role became ground attack including missions over the Balkans, where the Mustangs superior range was put to good use. In this region Silver painted Mustangs first appeared in some numbers, (later in NW Europe), but most aircraft retained normal RAF camouflage of green/Ocean Grey/Medium Sea Grey. It should be noted that most late RAF Mustangs were the K version with a different propeller to the D's. The best looking Mustangs were used by 112 squadron, who in many case's applied their well known sharks mouth nose decoration. It makes a Mustang look really evil! Post war under the terms of lend lease the Mustang did not survive long in RAF service as late Spitfires and Tempests along with Meteors and Vampires became the standard RAF fighters.