my use of "combat ready" it's different from USAAF, a delivery of a plane (not talking of a new version of same plane already in use) a combat unit not come the plane combat ready the pilots need fly on it before so need time for take the combat readiness (at example AFAIK 354th FG need ~4 weeks), in war time a combat ready plane fly combat missions.
Saw that actual use in US of "combat ready" terminology was different from my intentions, and for exclude terminology confusion, i change it with "ready for war" and this come when the planes flying war missions (or in peacetime flying operational mission like air defence patrols or intercept alert)
V - it is your thread so you may define Combat ready any way you choose.
My father had less than 4 hours in a P-51 before his first day of combat. He shot his first airplane down on his first mission (D-Day) three days later. He shot down two Me 109s plus a probable two weeks later. By your definition he could not possibly be 'combat ready' in a P-51 Mustang?
If one month of training (i.e 354FG) in a brand new airplane (A-36 P-51B) with no prior combat experience relative to the airframe the guns, the radios, the coolant system, new placement of carbs, etc , was inadequate - why did the 354th fly their first P-51B combat mission after less than 30 ndays of P-51B training? Were they operationally ready? Was the P-51B operationally ready?
Using that standard (either way) what does 3 to 4 months of training and experience in a YP-80 moving to P-80 mean?
Remember also, the 354th like the 357th FG both trained in P-39s and had basically zero Mustang time (of any type) before receiving a new and greatly modified P-51B (from A-36/P-51A) for operations - yet attained operational status within a month of starting the familiarization. Each of the processes were handicapped by not having a fully equipped complement of P-51B's when training started.
The 4th FG had Mustangs (a few-less than 10) starting on February 24, 1944 but not enough for full complement of pilots. On last day of february, through March 4, the 4th received loaned Mustangs from 355th FG who had just received their first on February 28th. The 4th had 50% of their pilots on the Berlin Mission of March 4 and March 6 learn to fly the Mustang on the way to the target.
The 355th flew one squadron on March 6 in the new Mustang, received their loaned ships back from 4th after the March 6, 1944 mission and flew their first "all Mustang Mission" on March 8 with two squadrons learning on the way to the target.
What constitutes Operational Readiness from your perspective? Was the 4th FG and 355th Not Operationally ready despite inflicting severe losses on the LW in their first couple of missions? Were they Ready for War?
The 8th AF in its infinite wisdom declared all four to be operationally ready despite training that ranged from 8 days to 30 days in a completely new and previously untested (operationally) airframe.
So, was the Mustang Operationally ready in December 1943. Did the Mustang have more previous experience and learning opportunity than the first Operational P-80 wings say in April, 1945? Why or why not would the P-80 be considered Ready for War by April, 1945 if the 8th AF decided they needed them. What would be different from experiences with first P-51B's