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....the truly British Spit, or the all American Mustang....
REPORT NUMBER 88-0500For the 31 FG, March would be the last month flying Spitfires. On the 11th, Colonel McCorkle and Lieutenant Meador brought in the first two P-51B aircraft. During a mock dogfight over the field on the 14th, Colonel McCorkel in a P-51 paired up against Lieutenant Williams in a Spitfire IX. The Spitfire completely outmaneuvered the new Mustang.
Up to 15-20k ft performance in climb and speed are roughly equivalent between the P-51D and the Spit XIV. Performance of the P-51B is slightly better than the P-51D. Above 20k the Spitfire has a definite advantage...
The question was specifically which was the better dogfighter. The answer to that particular question is the Spitfire.
Some of you are trying to decide which was the better aircraft overall. That is a much more difficult question and dependant on many more factors.
Cheers
Steve
Depends on whether you want to dogfight over Berlin, Stettin, Munich (or Tokyo) versus over London, Paris or Amsterdam.
Not really,a dogfight is a dogfight and I'll take the Spifire for that. Whether the Spitfire could actually get to the dogfight is a different question!
If the question had been "which of these two aircraft was the better long range escort?" then the answer would have been the P-51.
Cheers
Steve
By lethality are you referring to firepower Bill?I do also - Flt Lt Warren Peglar had 290 combat missions in combined Spit IX, Tempest, 42 missions in a Mustang. Was and exchange pilot from RCAF to 355th FG late July through mid September.
4 air to air kills in P-51, 1 ground. 4 Ground in Tempest, zero air. Zero air, zero ground in Mk IX. preferred MkIX for manueverabilty, Mustang for lethality.