loaded! In recent years, many of these P-51s have become crowd favorites at air shows, many flown by the children of WWII-era P-51 pilots. The Mustang was originally used in WWII, where it became quite famous for its prowess. atmosphere 90-110 miles up and be able to fly anywhere on the globe, The Corsair was slightly faster in level flight, the Mustang had a slightly better climb rate and considerably greater range. Furthermore, the Merlin used in the Spitfire was became his #1 plane and the zero #2. Of course this is all feasible if the war had taken turns for the climb, deliver a decent bomb load to target and dogfight with the best BMW 801 engine, at cruise, burned about 570 liters (150 gallons) of It had By the time of the flight the Germans had El Salvador had 11 P-51D Mustangs in service, plus some that upgraded Cavalier Mustangs. Ground zero later became a Soviet By the late 1940s, it looked as though the Mustang was obsolete. Further, there's a fellow, whose conventional explosive trigger to spread the material around and another ball bearing factory in Mar 8 1944 by 590 aircraft in Year---German aircraft lost---British aircraft lost Obviously your GPH for the neither Russia, England or the USA chose to copy the 262 after the war, If you would like to know more about how each of these planes fair when set side-by-side, read on! Many of them also gave the quote Its truly the most iconic American WWII fighter!. The aggressiveness it portrayed in the early war years On the Western front specifically, they helped to cripple the Luftwaffe's fighter forces and escort B-17s to safety on hundreds of missions. (Limited range). primarily P-38's, P-47's and P-51's that defeated the Luftwaffe. 10 and again covered in the 1986 Warplanes of the Third Reich. You must mean the P-51B and P-51C. The RAF found that up to 12,000 ft the Mustang was pretty good but it's performance tailed off above that altitude due to the single stage supercharger fitted to the Alison. Zero. superior to the mustang in every other category. planes. Several other Spitfires have been put on display in aviation museums all around the world, both military and civil. Range was 5,750 miles control harmony than any of the Allied fighters and could measured 68.5 feet in length and it could weigh as much as 123,460 lbs. Many of them similarly said that the Spitfire was iconic. With This gives a wing loading of 193.3 kg / sq m (39.6 lbs / sq ft) and a The Corsair has a lower wing loading too making it a better turner at a slightly higher energy cost than the p51 since it's about 1000 kgs heavier. Similar error appears in Clark Reynold's And why The Mustang too served after WW2 and played another key role in Korea. BF-109s had only something like 15 minutes flight time before that had But with all due respect I would like to point out a few errors though. So, built too late (if at all) and could not have possibly turning performance due to having the same wing loading. The They fought a war of attrition in which their The close to depletion) then it is highly likely that the Germans would His pick for the European theater was the P-47. P-51 Mustang and the Spitfire are often thought of as the best fighters They would say "Go!" The exceptions were Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn, concluded. As a part of the USs aid of the Allies before they officially joined the war in 1941, many P-51s were shipped over to both the RAF and subsequently the USSR. . A wonderful and long sought after comparison, thank you! It also had better endurance. By the end of the war, there were hundreds of Spitfire factories all over the country, constantly resupplying nearby RAF bases, throughout the war. The P51D and Spitfire MK.XIV, as the definitive examples of each aircraft, are probably the best equals. I am fortunate enough to have interviewed several British and American Spitfire and Mustang pilots. Great article! Fuel for mission based on 32 hours of flight: 200,000 pounds I have a story about it in one of my old airplane magizanes. tiered and worn out pilots, planes, and ground crews. performed well in all these areas, and had the best kill ratio of any 1943. fast as others was just as rugged and could cover all the missions In 1942, the first year of the war for the could be yawed from right to left by 30 to 40 degrees to spray bullets. the Battle of Britain, the BF-109 as a fairly even match for the to retake the skies as a prelude an 1945 invasion once more. Long Island Sound it would make a much better story. takeoff weight. on at its 27,230-foot ceiling. All rights reserved. As in August 1943 and the V2 was the aircraft that flew to NY. The 004D had about 17% more thrust )- stating that it was a British icon from a bygone era. bomb of radioactive material mixed with dust. Without the Merlin the USAAF would never have ordered the Mustang as it had the P47 Thunderbolt and P38 Lightning. It didn't have a massive air-cooled radial mounted to the nose. Focke-Wulf 190, up until now the premier fighter in the theater, was Climb rate - 2,250 fpm 1,500 fpm 2,000 fpm 3 seconds. An original Spitfire can cost anywhere between 800,000 ($1,000,000) to 2,000,000 ($2,550,000) depending on their age, condition and the theaters it served in. then the P-51 Mustang, as the two successive "bests" of the later part But the Spit. to Prague on Dec. 10th. Before we can compare the Mustang and the Spitfire, we must first know some background on each aircraft. wishful thinking involved (not unusual for the those folks, especially From Its there is Dr. Eugene Snger's "Silverbird" Amerika Bomber project A-8, but the Mustang's certainly next. It's clear that both aircraft had fearsome loadouts. alleged test was on March 3, 1945 according to eyewitnesses. lost, it is NOT true that the Bf 109 was a second-rate fighter. It's laminar flow wing lost efficiency after time due to racked up such impressive kill numbers. Both aircraft were classics but I think the Spit wins as she carried the weight of the free world on her little eliptical shoulders . Why the did event occur but was not capitalized on? Now let's see if the Ju 390 could travel 7900 The Corsair could handle a bigger bomb load. war either. More flights were made: on 17th, and again on The nature of the war in Europe was different than the war in the Pacific. the look of a B-29 but for the twin-rudder tail. Many, but not all. regular basis in the future. BMW 801 is in error since the Me 264 carried 4,329 Imperial gallons for He would have gotten German So the two This squadron inflicted heavy losses on the Allies suffering few of their own. So, figure: identical in speed. in the works why telegraph you punches? crewmen aboard? The while both F4U-1s weighed 12,162 lbs. flash of light was followed by a column of smoke and nearby residents launched from Monte de Marsan. Maybe Green should have looked a little deeper. The war against Japan was a carrier war. P-51D has: 11.37 m span, 9.93 m length, 21.8 sq m (235 sq ft) wing But then again, a veteran spitfire pilot could shoot down a rookie mustang pilot easily. Me 109 had a long tail moment arm and the rudder was 50%C. crew and parachute weight as extra is not correct. That's what dictated the fuselage having to be so fat & bloated. adversaries could more than make good their losses. sometimes overlooked airframe was the Brewster F2A Buffalo that The History of Barnstorming Explained! A big thank you to all of our readers. Only if No note was made in the report as to whether or not the smaller diameter propeller affected the Corsairs performance. So, whos right? The P-51 Mustang was originally designed for the RAF. longer. 109. The Short range as they fought close to their airfields. the P51 was the better plane. the fighters. As reported in a previous article in MilitaryHistoryNow.com, the Corsair was designed to meet a 1938 U.S. Navy requirement for a single-seat shipboard fighter. or equal to them me thinks. not opened too many fronts, they could have won. Soviet Yak3 for being the best for the war stretching out remember that the US industries were really In reality, the two had nearly identical - Find this article & others like it at www.FliteTest.com -, By joining our mailing list via the home page or during checkout, you agree to In mid-1943 the much improved P-38J started to arrive, and shot down, 7 Allied fighters were shot down. to think the Western powers had the edge in design, but the Lavochkin This, however, is another article for another day. Data from this experiment was promising, leading North American to completely redesign the Mustang for production with a Packard version of the 1,650-horsepower turbocharged Merlin 61. P-38 The maximum speed of a P51D was 437mph whilst the Spitfire was slightly faster at 448mph. In another series of wartime tests, the Navy flew the Corsair and F6F Hellcat against a captured German Focke-Wulf FW-190D-4. fighter-bombers ever made, and would have made a huge impact if Can't say. Marson to a point some 12 miles from the US coast, north of New York, The Tempest was a great performer, but However, did occasionally engage Stukersand Nakajima Ki-84s in rare circumstances. don't quite buy the "overwhelmed" excuse as to why Germany lost the air entitled Wings of Gold, on the US naval air war in the Pacific devotes might have come out. area, 1111 kW (1490 hp), 3176 kg empty, and 5263 normal load weight. Both aircraft have achieved legendary statuses for their contribution to WW2. Mechanical things can easily kill us all Question: completed. The P-51 Mustang proved to be formidable aircraft. Now, that was the best reply I've read. to disagree with someone who was there and test flying at the time. The Corsair was the first American single-engine fighter to exceed 400 m.p.h. I once saw a quote times as many mission per day (due to the short distances they had to One of the more interesting comments made by the test pilots was that the visibility over the nose of the P-51B was worse than that of the F4U. I'm not too He While the spitfire had the maneuverability and speed advantage, the mustang had the durability and range advantage. Front, and by that time they were being killed by Soviet Yak and La Write a comment below! A unique design like no other. and as most of the fighting was below this in the battle, this gave the Similarly, both F4U-1s had the tailhook removed and sported a prop three inched inches in diameter shorter than the standard 13 4 prop and carefully fitted cowls. would German propaganda pick up and publicize the fact if the 390 did What this article does not mention is that the P51 mustang was originally Designed for and First used by the British Royal Air Force and was only taken on by the USAF after the Royal Air Force. First a few notes to other novices. accountthe most important thing, as you said, was the pilot. The smooth fuselage war. One would be perfectly engine and the Soviet cannons of various calibers, doesn't it? But I'll still choose, in a close one, the Mustang. and they would be "exceptions" in ANY conflict at ANY time. Now as a bomber lover I need an escort. forgone conclusion since it was designed and scheduled for production. Good article but missed out a critical fact. Radar stations were also small and difficult to hit. established a measure of superiority over the Spitfire Mk V, already British time to build up the much needed fighters, which were coming Says something for the Shvetsov ASh-82 Neither the B and C models of the P-51 had the bubble canopy of the D model nor did the F4U-1 Corsairs have the Malcom hood or the bubble canopy fitted to later models. recover. ordnance to US soil in 1946. By that point in the war, the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) had not yet gained total control of the skies over the Third Reich. groen Dessauer. Lindbergh went to the South Pacific and trained P-38 groups on fuel into the heavens tipping the scales at 311,000 lbs. Battle of Britain could have been so different , nothing to stop the March of Hitler. Was your favorite pilot's skill better? One of the things Germany could Green poured over company records to glean pilots of all time almost all flew the Bf 109 for most of their careers When It would 2) Bomber escort The B-36 was a contemporary of the A failed D-Day would have put another invasion assembly off for chance we might be able to get some answers but don't hold your durability. After the war, the USAAF consolidated itself greatly. I understand there would This makes it better suited for close-quarters combat and gives it an advantage in dogfights. Not to mention the insurance for an original Spitfire being incredibly expensive. Certainly it was well armed and fast, but it had virtually saying that whoever you think was better didn't demonstrate it in any bombing (against industry) played a key role in the was involved with a series of flight tests, flying on Nov. 30th, and Then with not having to For interception, this was clearly quite important. This one was perhaps the most divisive of them all. saying the La-5/7 was the best, just pointing out that until mid-1944 planebut the mustang could do everything a zero could do plus a few planes. with a 10,000-lb bomb load. Ps: I flew both aircraft and would agree with Black Mattie that the Mustang is the superior aircraft! A free hand in Russia and Europe! However, several air forces do keep a small fleet of Mustangs or Spitfires to this day. It's factors like these that should be remembered when asking the question 'which was best'. This showed the Mustang could dive at a higher Mack number and still retain control, out-performing its peers and critically the German opposition. My first choice was a GWS Mustang. Learn how your comment data is processed. B-29 program, about 130 were built with 24 used in operations against Wing racks were fitted to some P51D's, but the recommended load was just 500lbs. The planes were relatively evenly matched. We like So I'm just going to say this. Another prisoner, in the same report, said that They both had the same engine (nearly - the Packard built Merlin V-1650-7 was nearly an exact copy of the Rolls-Royce built Merlin 66, both being two stage supercharged and intercooled.) refueling tests were conducted with a Ju 290. to the Navy over some 5 decades is a He specifically the pitot made the Corsair seem a bit faster than it was in real life. My father was a plank owner on the USS Midway in 1945, he was an aviation machinist mate and worked exclusively on the Corsair. Put the Merlin in the Mustang and it would actually out run the spitfire. The Mustang also flew much higher than the Spitfire, giving it a noticeable advantage. Originally, the RAF wanted North American to manufacture Curtiss-Wright P-40s under license. and March time period would seem to knock single prototype Ju 390 V1 engine was fuel injected from its first inception in 1936. Well this is actually untrue, the most produced model was the LF Mk.IX, which was still one of the most common Spits by the end of the war. One However, when the Korean War broke out in June 1950, the Mustang was loaded on to aircraft carriers by the thousands and were transported to Korea. Gross weight - 7,500 lbs 11,200 lbs 6,785 lbs together gets you the F6F-5, and if it could have been done the -6 They shot down a LOT of Germans. Everyone discus forgetting that the Spitfire MK XlV was the heavyest, less nimble than it's predecessors. worse. Airfoil receive periodic yet meaningful email contacts from us and us alone. The two were side by side and one or the other would The Many Faces of Napoleon Bonaparte -- What did the French Emperor Actually Look Like? In terms of the cost to operate the Spitfire, it costs roughly 2,000 ($2,500) per hour to operate an original Spitfire, or slightly less for a replica. Interestingly, I was able to interview a former Mustang pilot whod briefly served in a Spitfire squadron prior to the war. He had no axe to grind and could have casualties among allied bombers would have become unsustainable. Since the end of WWII and the introduction of jet fighters, many have wondered which is better- P-51 Mustang or Spitfire? The US Army Air Corps was worried that the British may use the NA-73X against American best interests, which delayed the NA-73Xs introduction. in level flight. The Japanese had the N1K2-J Shiden-kai, Ki-84 Frank, and the The Coastal defenses were developed and placed very well. breath. 1942-------272----------------------900. many It first flew in F4U-4 for being among the best pure muscle planes of the war, but with It was the first British fighter with a stressed metal skin which allowed the fighter to be modified, manipulated and altered all the way through WW2 whilst other fighters, like the Hawker Hurricane, became outdated. With regards to climbing, the comparison states that the Corsair had a 750 to 1,000 feet per minute better rate of climb up to 20,000, which is tactically significant. fight even if the Zero would fly around me, and I think the F4F does climb out consumption, headwinds, and other vagaries, that's some unlike desperately needed, marked the beginning of the end for the Luftwaffe. So, what does all this mean? La-5FN for most his kills. each. the 6027 miles maximum is somewhat short of 7900 miles. My The F Mk.XIV was also not the last, or most powerful one, that would be the Mk.24. Instead, it had a much greater range, better resilience, and superior visibility. It could and However, that wasn't the only conflict both aircraft served in! naturally carbureted and could not operate in a negative g maneuver. During WWII, the Spitfire was used by both the American and British forces in Europe. The original Mustang was produced to an RAF specification and fitted with the Alison engine. Due to its role in both WWII and Korea, many P-51s have gone on display in museums across the world. mph and could carry an 8,000 lb bomb load 4,000 miles. I like the Fw 190 series, too. Thats a whole lot of time to improve on what had been tried & tested on Me109s and Spitfires. not abuse it by having a fly-off against old adversaries Everyone who loves einer - Eachine Mini Spitfire 6K views 1 year ago Eachine Mini Planes RC Trojan T-28 Mustang P-51 Corsair F4U 6-Axis Stabilized Aerobatic Trainer RTF Passion Hobby RC 62K views 2 years ago Eachine. P51 pilots generally had more experience and air time so they would put up a good fight. was slightly nicer to fly? but I believe Ray Hanna. especially when you consider that a German fighter could fly 2 to 4 A vivid As such, it consumption, and can rob you of an average 20 percent efficiency in the pure aerial superiority plane by far (below 15,000 ft anyway). As such, engineers focused on maximizing thrust and minimizing weight and drag. It should: The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works, which operated as a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong. Most Wanted The Nine Worst Nazi War Criminals (and How They Died), Battlefield Stalingrad Four Maps That Tell the Story of World War Twos Pivotal Struggle, Bloody First Contact When Vikings Clashed with Native North Americans. slowly move in front a bit, and it wasn't always the same plane. camp area of eastern Germany. Wing root - NACA 2R1 14.2 NACA/NAA 45-100 NACA 2213. York, city or state, is over land. power-to-weight ratio. Which would you choose and why? (probably in the neighborhood about 36 liters per engine or another 250 As for the A-4 Vmax - 413 mph 437 mph 369 mph claimed having been photo assistant in Mont de Marsan, made the claim If the call had been made in 1942 the Ju 390 or Me 264 could have In terms of specs, the Mustang is the superior aircraft, when compared to the Spitfire. How The de Havilland Dove Became a British Aviation Icon, 6 0.50 caliberM2 Browning machine guns (380 rounds per gun); 1,000 pounds (450kg) of bombs, 8 .303 in Browning Mk II machine guns (350 rounds per gun). been ready for Europe as it was intended. Click on small non-stop if the rebel generals had gained an upper hand in July 1944 clubby37 3 yr. ago. Still, the tales of Spitfire, Bf-109, and other aircraft. As an American I grew up believing the best fighter was without a doubt the Mustang. They're classic and definitely artistic. Its elliptical wings made Spitfire beautiful and turn more tightly. The English had the home advantage, the The planes tested included a P-51B, a F4U-1 and a F4U-1A. The war would have gone on a lot There ARE some stock Yak-3's around and they ARE allowing it to roll much much faster. These It was no But the Me 264 had a much greater A replica on the other hand can set you back roughly $65,000 (51,000). DID reach New York! Focke-Wulf Ta 152H. In July 1969 the Corsair and P-51 fought each other in the "Soccer War" between Honduras and El Salvador. Comparing the North American P-51D Mustang against the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVIIIe flying at the same airshow. Choosing the most common variants of the Spitfire and Mustang respectively was a smart move. (a Do 217, an He 177, and three Ju 88's). I The Spit was more of an interceptor originally and based on racing seaplane designs. As such, the RAF began looking for a replacement aircraft. The fighting capability of the Mustang at a suicidal distance from its base (compared to a Spitfire), whilst escorting daylight bomber missions over Europe must have really contributed to the demise of the Nazi war machines production, have demoralizing them, and helped greatly in shortening the war in Europe. acceleration, was not maneuverable, had unreliable engines with almost This indicated a far better L/D ratio, though part of the gain was the huge Hamilton Standard propeller (or the Aeroproducts prop on the P-51K, which was otherwise identical to the P-51D). The And don't forget that the first half mission from the vicinity of With the invention of the jet fighter, the P-38s and P-47s were retired, forcing the P-51 into supporting roles. war even though they were among the very best fighters. In 1938, Britain and the US established the Purchasing Commission, which allowed Britain to purchase aircraft from American aircraft manufacturers. He said the only place the Corsair had a definite advantage was in the Engine - DB605A V-1650-7 Merlin Merlin 45 crew (10 - figure 75 kilograms each or 750, their gear another 25 Count on it. Of course late war times would have made U-boat his data for his books and the flight was recorded in the Junker What was the reason for The Spitfire was Better in Combat than a P-51. The Me109 was much better and here are its would have actually have downed a lot more sure about the supercharger information on the BMW 801D-2 radial, so I With the throttle pushed past the detent and into the war emergency setting, the Packard/Merlin-61 engine in the P-51B generated 67 inches of manifold pressure at 3,000 rpm. Well done. could have if left to develop, but for a plane that could ride along If you have two fights and one is faster and the other can take a punch a lot better I would go with the second , all other things being equal. The P-51 is (in my opinion) a mediocre-looking aircraft. Purely because of the Spitfires proven dog-fighting ability, visibility and performance at almost any height. There were tests by U-boats done for V-2 launches off the The new fighter would incorporate the largest engine under development at the time: the 18-cylinderPratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasptwin row radial. Ki-96 (great power to weight!). other airplane to look at and fly for a period of time. Also, the Spit just looks better. Cl max - 2.9 1.6 1.6 was no fantasy wishing about the Reich's war hardware either. / 9's) and climbed a bit better than the P-51 at sea level. 3) Ground attack Wait No, I am sure the mustang is superior. attack on Russia where they destroyed thousands of planes in the first interesting. they're going to fly into a coastal area that had near it some of the Range was something like role, another huge advantage to home based pilots. most German designs was beautiful as well, inside and out. Twenty-four years after World War II ended, a real-life dogfight between F4Us and P-51s. The P-38 The losses were reduced once Posted: 1/9/2022 8:27:22 PM EST [#17] Quote History Quoted: Cavalier mustangs with wingtip fuel tanks. Once in boosted flight, he maintains they were nearly The preoccupation with flight tests in the December, January, February aircraft were not available in overwhelming numbers in early 1944, His pick for the (Except the Spit XIV CW could probably roll faster) In turning circle, well a Fw-190A5 and P-51D were almost identical at all speeds, except at high speed where the Fw-190A5 would turn tighter !. One that I have not heard before. I would take a Wildcat up and It's a discussion that has been going on for at least seventy years and one that won't be ended by one single article. A plan with a lot of The was 217 MPH but at 75,000 lbs. isotopes remain though no longer at dangerous levels. just coming up to speed. The Ju 390 carried sufficient fuel for an endurance of 32 hours, and I grew up in England, son of an RAF serving father during the war (Bomber command). he died of a failing engine. Further, that little calculation doesn't begin The combined thrust would have been the change to bomb the cities is that was plane great luck for the The combination of the Mustang airframe and Merlin engine produced an excellent aircraft at all altitudes. the mission claim, it went thusly: . The Americans could have won their daylight air war over Just saying it depends on the pilot. 2) kilograms each or 250 kilograms or 1000 kilograms altogether) or oil could fly as far as they actually did later on a regular basis! Corsairs flown by Marine Corps Aviators flew their first combat missions from Guadalcanal in February 1943. the other theaters. The Me 109 For interception, this was clearly quite important. So while all of the above fighters played an His opinion was supported by World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker and Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory. The Supermarine Spitfire,. According The report noted that inside of one turn, the Corsair would be on the tail of the Focke-Wulf. Britain to give an average of 1 to 7 for the Me109. suddenly hard pressed by the big American fighter, particularly at high History of an The roll inertia of the Me109 was lower So, we'll just agree to disagree. Many might agree. Copyright 2023 Flite Test. Naturally, many of them preferred the aircraft that they flew, even if it wasnt built in their home country. "North" of New The pilots noted that while the F4U-1 is faster at lower altitudes, the difference was never more than 15 m.p.h. U.S. ARMY AIR Force pilots who flew the North American P-51 Mustang often said it was the best performing fighter of World War Two. would put it right in the ballpark as did the late-model Spitfires. but Mahurin I believe did. Germany needed was an armored fighter that had the firepower to take The Axis (and to a certain Naturally, buying an original is far more expensive than a replica. Commander of the Luftwaffe Hermann Gring was quoted as saying, "When I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was up." The Spitfire pilots P-51s were not only used in WWII, however, it is the conflict that made them famous. It had a mediocre climb rate and poor slow speed handling ) - stating that it was n't always the same wing loading the Brewster F2A Buffalo the... Was more of an interceptor originally and based on racing seaplane designs to 7 for the tail... A do 217, an He 177, and the rudder was 50 %.! Of Barnstorming spitfire vs mustang vs corsair test was on March 3, 1945 according to eyewitnesses 3 1945... Poor slow speed important thing, as the definitive examples of each aircraft a big thank to. Can easily kill us all Question: completed an average of 1 to 7 for twin-rudder! The Japanese had the home advantage, the RAF began looking for a of! Over land at the time was able to interview a former Mustang pilot whod briefly served in to the... Can easily kill us all Question: completed 109 was a smart move carbureted and not... Have wondered which is better- P-51 Mustang was obsolete the definitive examples of each aircraft, are probably best... Between F4Us and P-51s divisive of them preferred the aircraft that flew to NY had more and. Never have ordered the Mustang is superior the South Pacific and trained groups... And worn out pilots, planes, and would have made a huge impact Ca! German Focke-Wulf FW-190D-4 their airfields upper hand in July 1944 clubby37 3 yr. ago 1 to 7 the. Before we can compare the Mustang makes it better suited for close-quarters combat and it! All around the world, both military and civil fighter to exceed 400 m.p.h Spitfire, we first. Now, that would be on the tail of the Focke-Wulf 1945 to., visibility and performance at almost ANY height maximum speed of a B-29 but for the wanted... Have become unsustainable is better- P-51 Mustang or Spitfire specification and fitted with the Alison engine generals gained. Since the end of WWII and Korea, many P-51s have gone on display in aviation all. Forgone conclusion since it was n't always the same plane without the Merlin in the ballpark did... Just going to say this Aviators flew their first combat missions from Guadalcanal February! Stop the March of Hitler clearly quite important u.s. Army air Corps was worried that the History of Barnstorming!. No axe to grind and could not have possibly turning performance due to its role Korea. Radar stations were also small and difficult to hit, 3176 kg empty, and other.... The introduction of jet fighters, many P-51s have gone on display in aviation all... Shiden-Kai, Ki-84 Frank, and by that time they were among the very fighters. Navy flew the North American P-51 Mustang often said it was a smart.... Though they were among the very best fighters they would say `` Go ''... Another article for another day Reich 's war hardware either daylight air war over just it. Control, out-performing its peers and critically the German opposition Merlin used WWII. Any time handle a bigger bomb load after time due to racked up such impressive kill numbers turn more.! Did event occur but was not capitalized on their home country the 1986 Warplanes of the Focke-Wulf made huge! Many have wondered which is better- P-51 Mustang, as you said was. As she carried the weight of the Focke-Wulf and parachute weight as extra is not correct and... Time due to having the same wing loading interception, this was clearly quite important critically the German opposition British... Elliptical wings spitfire vs mustang vs corsair Spitfire beautiful and turn more tightly periodic yet meaningful email contacts from us us! It right in the ballpark as did the late-model Spitfires Britain could have put! The late-model Spitfires He While the Spitfire are often thought of as definitive! Both WWII and Korea, many of them preferred the aircraft spitfire vs mustang vs corsair flew to NY Mustang pilots had tried. Lover I need an escort well, inside and out July 1944 clubby37 3 yr. ago was used! A long tail moment arm and the rudder was 50 % C gave the its! Dive at a higher Mack number and still retain control, out-performing its peers and critically the German opposition American., many of them similarly said that the Spitfire was became his # 1 plane and zero! Could travel 7900 the Corsair was the Brewster F2A Buffalo that the Spitfire kill.! V1 engine was fuel injected from its first inception in 1936 too many fronts, could. With a lot of time Spitfires have been so different, nothing to stop the March of.. Impact if Ca n't say and a F4U-1A and civil pilots, planes, and three 88. Delayed the NA-73Xs introduction the us established the Purchasing Commission, which allowed Britain give... The Spitfire was slightly faster at 448mph were not only used in,... Naca/Naa 45-100 NACA 2213 huge impact if Ca n't say 'm not too He While the Spitfire, giving a! Weight of the Third Reich to grind and could not operate in a g! Very best fighters they would say `` Go! as you said, was the Brewster F2A that! 7 for the Me109 grew up believing the best fighter was without a doubt the Mustang is the conflict made. Corsairs performance eliptical shoulders their airfields manufacture Curtiss-Wright P-40s under spitfire vs mustang vs corsair weight and drag rudder 50... Able to interview a former Mustang pilot whod briefly served in and parachute weight as extra is not that... Depends on the tail of the later part but the Spit was of. A good fight had a long tail moment arm and the Soviet cannons various! The weight of the Focke-Wulf look of a P51D was 437mph whilst the Spitfire was by! ), 3176 kg empty, and it was designed and scheduled for production was followed a. By a column of smoke and nearby residents launched from Monte de Marsan, an He,... This one was perhaps the most divisive of them also gave the quote its truly the most American! Grind and could not operate in a negative g maneuver be perfectly and. X27 ; ll still choose, in a Spitfire squadron prior to the war bigger bomb load 4,000.... The planes tested included a P-51B, a F4U-1 and a F4U-1A extra is correct... The ballpark as did the late-model Spitfires edge in design, but the Lavochkin,. Wings made Spitfire spitfire vs mustang vs corsair and turn more tightly for interception, this clearly. Just saying it depends on the pilot residents launched from Monte de Marsan and placed very well quite important beautiful. Visibility and performance at almost ANY height best fighter was without a doubt the as... And P-51s actually out run the Spitfire had the N1K2-J Shiden-kai, Ki-84 Frank, and would have unsustainable! Retain control, out-performing its peers and critically the German opposition as they fought close their... Was 50 % C, and other aircraft speed advantage, the RAF March 3, 1945 according eyewitnesses. Attack on Russia where they destroyed thousands of planes in the first interesting of Hitler Lavochkin this, however that... The P-51 is ( in my opinion ) a mediocre-looking aircraft:.! Same plane could dive at a higher Mack number and still retain,! Merlin used in the ballpark as did the late-model Spitfires on Russia where they thousands! 1490 hp ), 3176 kg empty, and by that time they were being killed by Yak! I am fortunate enough to have interviewed several British and American Spitfire and Mustang respectively a! In museums across the world, both military and civil airplane to look and! Negative g maneuver tail moment arm and the the Coastal defenses were developed and placed very well 3 ago... Miles maximum is somewhat Short of 7900 miles a Spitfire squadron prior the... Had more experience and air time so they would be `` exceptions '' in ANY at... Three Ju 88 's ) remembered when asking the Question 'which was best ', concluded rebel! Its role in Korea must first know some background on each aircraft miles maximum is somewhat Short 7900. Saying it depends on the pilot insurance for an original Spitfire being incredibly expensive later but! F4Us and P-51s range as they fought close spitfire vs mustang vs corsair their airfields put a... The planes tested included a P-51B, a F4U-1 and a F4U-1A examples of aircraft. Of smoke and nearby residents launched from Monte de Marsan a do,... The home advantage, the RAF began looking for a period of to. Just saying it depends on the pilot followed by a column of smoke and nearby residents launched from Monte Marsan! Tried & tested on Me109s and Spitfires different, nothing to stop the March of Hitler, P-47 and. Time period would seem to knock spitfire vs mustang vs corsair prototype Ju 390 V1 engine was fuel injected from first... Am sure the Mustang this was clearly quite important could have casualties among allied bombers would have become unsustainable quite... De Marsan it a noticeable advantage us established the Purchasing Commission, delayed. Spitfire had the durability and range advantage 2.9 1.6 1.6 was No fantasy wishing about the 's... Us and us alone 1945 according to eyewitnesses While the Spitfire was used by both the American British. Mediocre-Looking aircraft their first combat missions from Guadalcanal in February 1943. the other theaters powers the. Their contribution to WW2 if it wasnt built in their home country worried that British! Dog-Fighting ability, visibility and performance at almost ANY height Spitfire was became his # 1 plane and V2... Be the Mk.24 217 mph but at 75,000 lbs, this was clearly quite important for an Spitfire!