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The main thing the P-51D had going for it was its long range. It was the fighter that took the war to the Germans. That is undisputed.
I too think the P-51D is overated but not because it was not a good plane. It was one hell of a plane. The reason I think it is overated is because when someone says what is the best plane ever buit and automatically the majority of people go "P-51 Mustang!".
You have to look at it this way. Each aircraft had ist point where it was operating at maximum efficiency and ability. Some aircraft that was at high alltitude and some it was at lower alltitudes.
The P-51D would be superior at certain altitudes to other aircraft and not superior at other altitudes.
The P-51D I believe however was superior at the altitudes it needed to operate at and that was where the bombers were. Dont quote me on this though.
Years ago I was at the museum in Mesa, Arizona which had a collection of WWII fighters (These are now at the Museum of Flight in Seattle) which included an FW-190. One of the guides was taking a group of visitors through and he stated that some believe the FW-190 to have been the best fighter of the war.
The quality of piloting was mentioned. It should be remembered that at the outbreak of WWII the P-40 and F4F Wildcat were the best fighters in the US arsenal at that time and were technically inferior to the Japanese Zero and yet these planes in the hands of skilled pilots held their own against the Zero.
One other thing, NUMBERS, there were a heckuva lot of Mustangs flying around, with fairly well-trained pilots, while Germany's numbers of pilots, fuel, and aircraft were dwindling. I think it's a beautiful aircraft though, and it's still my favorite, but "facts is facts".
That particular Fw190 was a 190D-9 and the crown jewel of Doug Champlin's collection at the American Fighter Aces Museum..the only 'flyable' one in the US.
The Fw190D was the first piston engine German fighter that legitimately was the equal (or better) of the P-51 B/C/D at all altitudes.. pilot skill and tactical advantage were keys in which one won a one on one fight.
And it is one of the few WWII planes that is not in the Seattle Museum's Red Barn which is the newer section dedicated to WWII. That FW-190 is in the main area with aircraft from different eras.
If I'm not mistaken when the Museum is Mesa was dedicated among those present were Erich "Hartmann, Adolf Galland and Saburo Sakai, not sure about that though.
When the American Fighter Aces had their first meeting there in 1984 or 5 (CRS) Rall, Galland, Krupinski, Goehrke and maybe Stigler were there. Neither Hartmann nor Sakai were at that particular re-union.. I posted pics of that somewhere in the Aviation section back in August.
Wouldn't it be great to meet and talk with these guys. Their own knowledge and experience would be so interesting to hear.