Emil,
If I have my history and numbers correct, the following is true. The
P51 in it's initial form (smaller engine and no boost) was turned down
by the Brits earlier in the war (and rightfully so, it was a dog). By
adding a decent engine and boost, it became a true performer. One of
the the big reasons why the numbers for the P51 are so great is that the
plane was present in massive numbers and when the hunting was just about
ideal. One cannot argue that it was a great plane, it also didn't hurt
to be in the right place at the right time either.
Another Buff,
Rand E.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emil Pozar wrote:
>
> Barks wrote:
> >
> > I thought that the P51's long range came from drop tanks - which was
> > a new idea for fighters.
>
> Uh, again off topic thread. Well, just a short one: P51 Mustang had a
> lot of fuel because it holds it into wings instead in a fuselage
> (typically between an engine and a cockpit). Drop tanks were by any
> means not new at that time/1943/ (Bf-109, Spitfire, Zero..), but the
> Mustang had them TWO under wings.
>
> Finally they installed one more fuel tank behind a pilot seat and the
> legend was born. This tank made the Mustang almost unstable for flying
> and the first hour or two it actually flew like a brick but by spending
> all the fuel from that tank the stability improved dramatically.
>
> It is not that other allied WW2 fighters were inferior to the Mustang in
> range (last models of P38 Lightning and P47 Thunderbolt were equal or
> even better) but that the Mustang had that range available to the USAAF
> 8AF just when it was most needed (after dramatic beating of unescorted
> bombers over Germany).
>
> Incidentally, given just several more months the 8AF "other" fighter
> escorts might had just as well fill the bill, as both Lightnings and
> Thunderbolts were much improved in both range and overall fighting
> capability. Moreover, the USAAF preferred those because they were both
> "true American" fighters and the Mustang was "British".
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Emil Pozar
> epozar@xxxxxxxxx
> http://www.geocities.com/photoemil
>
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