General Discussion

MarineCombatEngineer

(16,762 posts) Fri Nov 7, 2025, 11:27 PM Friday

The greatest Fighter aircraft in WWII, IMO, the P-51 Mustang.

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Emile (a host of the General Discussion forum).

Last edited Sat Nov 8, 2025, 08:55 AM - Edit history (1)

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A beautiful fighter.

10 replies

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Highlight:

The greatest Fighter aircraft in WWII, IMO, the P-51 Mustang. (Original Post) MarineCombatEngineer Friday OP

If Flying the P-51 in MS Fight Simulator is evidence..... OAITW r.2.0 Friday #1

Can of worms opened... WarGamer Saturday #2

In MS WW2, European Theater..... OAITW r.2.0 Saturday #3

a magnificent bird... WarGamer Saturday #4

Really was....a one-on-one fight between the Spitfire and the M-109 or M-190 was pretty one sided. OAITW r.2.0 Saturday #6

As a kid, my favorite planes were the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning and England's Supermarine Spitfire. PeaceWave Saturday #5

I'm not a pilot, and just know about these planes from the accounts of their performance.. Permanut Saturday #7

I grew up just down the road from the old CAF in Harlingen...used to hang around the place when I could. pecosbob Saturday #8

And too late to the game, its successor F-82 HAB911 Saturday #9

After an alert to the hosts, locking. Emile Saturday #10

OAITW r.2.0

(30,936 posts)

1. If Flying the P-51 in MS Fight Simulator is evidence.....

Reply to MarineCombatEngineer (Original post)

Fri Nov 7, 2025, 11:52 PM

Friday

this was the most powerful and most agile aircraft in WW2. Not counting jets. You could outrun by turning the nose up...until you had lethal fall advantage.

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WarGamer

(18,098 posts)

2. Can of worms opened...

Reply to MarineCombatEngineer (Original post)

Sat Nov 8, 2025, 12:00 AM

Saturday

Greatest at what?

The FW190-D9 was better at low altitudes and was more heavily armed... the P-51D was better at high altitudes...

The A6M Zero was more maneuverable, the P-47 was more durable...

The Spitfire may have been better than the P-51D... in all aspects... except long range escort

But most experts do agree... the P-51D was the best all around fighter of WW2...

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OAITW r.2.0

(30,936 posts)

3. In MS WW2, European Theater.....

Reply to WarGamer (Reply #2)

Sat Nov 8, 2025, 12:11 AM

Saturday

The Spitfire could out-turn any aspirated German fighter aircraft. One-on-one. That's my experience. Yours may vary.

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WarGamer

(18,098 posts)

4. a magnificent bird...

Reply to OAITW r.2.0 (Reply #3)

Sat Nov 8, 2025, 12:12 AM

Saturday

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OAITW r.2.0

(30,936 posts)

6. Really was....a one-on-one fight between the Spitfire and the M-109 or M-190 was pretty one sided.

Reply to WarGamer (Reply #4)

Sat Nov 8, 2025, 12:34 AM

Saturday

Spitfire's. on the pass. could throttle down and out turn the German fighters.

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PeaceWave

(2,465 posts)

5. As a kid, my favorite planes were the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning and England's Supermarine Spitfire.

Reply to MarineCombatEngineer (Original post)

Sat Nov 8, 2025, 12:12 AM

Saturday

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Permanut

(7,743 posts)

7. I'm not a pilot, and just know about these planes from the accounts of their performance..

Reply to MarineCombatEngineer (Original post)

Sat Nov 8, 2025, 02:00 AM

Saturday

Which was mind boggling.

The account that impressed me the .most was the downing of a Japanese "Betty" bomber in April 1943 with Admiral Yamamoto on board, which was accomplished by pilot Ray Barber in a P-38.

Also I had a model of a P-38 when I was a kid, and I just thought it was cool.

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pecosbob

(8,233 posts)

8. I grew up just down the road from the old CAF in Harlingen...used to hang around the place when I could.

Reply to MarineCombatEngineer (Original post)

Sat Nov 8, 2025, 03:53 AM

Saturday

Knew to look up when I heard the roar...there's no mistaking the sound of warplanes.

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HAB911

(10,109 posts)

9. And too late to the game, its successor F-82

Reply to MarineCombatEngineer (Original post)

Sat Nov 8, 2025, 06:58 AM

Saturday

The North American F-82 Twin Mustang is an American long-range escort fighter. Based on the North American P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was designed as an escort for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress in World War II, but the war ended well before the first production units were operational. The F-82 was the last American piston-engined fighter ordered into production by the United States Air Force.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/North_American_F-82_Twin_Mustang

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Emile

(39,091 posts)

10. After an alert to the hosts, locking.

Reply to MarineCombatEngineer (Original post)

Sat Nov 8, 2025, 01:40 PM

Saturday

SOP for GeneralDiscussion "Discuss politics, issues, and current events."

Feel free reposting this in American History, Veterans, or in the Lounge forums.

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