The P-51 is nowhere near being over-rated. The P-51 was a marvel of an aircraft! It may not have been the best turning machine of World War 2 - it may not have been the most durable aircraft of the war either but it did the job extremely well.
The P-51 entered a fight at high speed and high altitude - the perfect situation for any pouncing action. As previously mentioned most aircraft shot down never saw their attacker - the P-51 therefore didn't need to be quick on the turn. It needed to be fast at cruising while going all the way with the bombers - the majority of P-47s couldn't go all the way from Britain to Berlin and back, the P-51 however could.
The P-51 was a stable platform and six M2 .50 cal are certainly enough to bring down any interceptor. It was also an easy aircraft to fly - and more importantly an easy aircraft to mass produce! The mass numbers of P-51s roaming the sky is something to credit to the P-51s design - the simple design was something that allowed the U.S to produce it in such numbers to allow that many in the sky.
And what was cheaper out of the P-51, P-47 and P-38? The P-51. What was easier to produce? The P-51. What would be better for a country at war with the need for a lot of good aircraft, very quickly and at a cheap price? The P-51.
War isn't about perfection - it's about above-average product in vast quantities and cheap cost. The P-51 served a wars purpose better than both the P-47 and the P-38.
From a pilots point of view - you could take any three of them and praise them to high heaven. But when it comes down to winning a war - you want the most # from the least $ which can do the job - and what better than a P-51?
The P-51 entered a fight at high speed and high altitude - the perfect situation for any pouncing action. As previously mentioned most aircraft shot down never saw their attacker - the P-51 therefore didn't need to be quick on the turn. It needed to be fast at cruising while going all the way with the bombers - the majority of P-47s couldn't go all the way from Britain to Berlin and back, the P-51 however could.
The P-51 was a stable platform and six M2 .50 cal are certainly enough to bring down any interceptor. It was also an easy aircraft to fly - and more importantly an easy aircraft to mass produce! The mass numbers of P-51s roaming the sky is something to credit to the P-51s design - the simple design was something that allowed the U.S to produce it in such numbers to allow that many in the sky.
And what was cheaper out of the P-51, P-47 and P-38? The P-51. What was easier to produce? The P-51. What would be better for a country at war with the need for a lot of good aircraft, very quickly and at a cheap price? The P-51.
War isn't about perfection - it's about above-average product in vast quantities and cheap cost. The P-51 served a wars purpose better than both the P-47 and the P-38.
From a pilots point of view - you could take any three of them and praise them to high heaven. But when it comes down to winning a war - you want the most # from the least $ which can do the job - and what better than a P-51?