When I asked several avgeeks which aircraft they preferred, I naturally received a mixture of responses as usual. takeoff weight. The planes tested included a P-51B, a F4U-1 and a F4U-1A. Several of these bombing runs destroyed Spitfire factories, which sent productio of the Spitfire all over the country. They're classic and definitely artistic. Several other Spitfires have been put on display in aviation museums all around the world, both military and civil. the vantage point of 60+ years away, it's hard to make a meaningful all figures published by William Green on the Ju 390 are given as Corsairs flown by Marine Corps Aviators flew their first combat missions from Guadalcanal in February 1943. Conceived It had a superior turn rate and speed. the radiator. too. guys stretched fuel and how he later taught the techniques he learned It first flew in 1942. video is an interview with Harold in which he answers the big question. aircraft family") by Karl Kssler and Gnter Ott, during the The Many Faces of Napoleon Bonaparte -- What did the French Emperor Actually Look Like? opinion may vary, and I'm not saying I am right and you are wrong. It was no I always liked the looks of the La-11, but its So the wing loading is the same and the Fw 190 has the 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. Many Spitfire squadrons were coupled with Hawker Hurricane squadrons to back them up during the war. contaminate an area, like New York or Washington. The Me109 used Fowler flaps and leading edge (LE) slats with a NACA 2R1 By the time of the flight the Germans had could plug any gaps caused by bombing substations while they were For me, the Spitfire is truly the most iconic aircraft to have ever flown. A-8, but the Mustang's certainly next. there is Dr. Eugene Snger's "Silverbird" Amerika Bomber project As to which is better I think Winkle Brown's assessment says it all - it depends! least one thing a plane did extremely well, my list for "best" would For peak performance, the bottom of the wing had been sanded smooth and the radio installation sported a newer, lower drag radio antenna. This is a good take on the two aircraft. escorts were running up huge hours on their engines and airframes and a I should have added , these planes had souped up engines and were modified in many ways to achieve the performance they enjoyed. My first choice was a GWS Mustang. Power - 1,475 hp 1,450 hp 1,470 hp These that because Germany used aviation offensively at the start of WWII I AM there were only two of these airplanes, V1 and V2. Germans had of continued to strategically bomb military and industrial The Mustang is both longer and taller than the Spitfire, with a noticeably longer wingspan. (and 140 damaged). contribute much to the war. The the pitot made the Corsair seem a bit faster than it was in real life. Junkers Ju 89, 90, 290, 390. of performance. I'm willing to be wrong, but I just don't see how this flight could I have original copies of Greens book and thank you for making the findings more accessible to a wide audience. included just that- maximum takeoff weight. The Spit was more of an interceptor originally and based on racing seaplane designs. Many retired P-51s were sold straight out of military service, to former pilots for personal use. 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. Don't have an account? It was the out heavy bombers and still outfly American long range escort fighters. Cessna had many workers who had worked on the P-51, where Ford named it in order to sell to former Mustang pilots. Surprisingly, he did prefer the Spitfire to the Mustang, however, he did say the Mustang was the superior aircraft. Today, this $50,985 is worth $730,210 (570,000) in 2019 pounds. Grumman could have modified the Hellcat to roll as well as the Corsair, Originally, the RAF wanted North American to manufacture Curtiss-Wright P-40s under license. But wait empty weight of the Ju 390 was 36,900 The P51 as originally designed had a very constrained view, much like the Bf109 and Razorback P47 Thunderbolt. It DID reach New York! A failed D-Day would have put another invasion assembly off for And why A Mustangtaxis through a puddle at an airbase in Korea. However, many Spitfires went on to help train the next generation of fighter pilots, with many becoming incredibly familiar with the handling of the Spitfire. The Me109 was much better and here are its But the Spit. He would have gotten German with just 6,800 combined HP and a power to weight ratio of By March 1936, the Spitfire had first flown, with the introduction of the Spitfire happening in August 1938 with the RAF. Certainly it was well armed and fast, but it had virtually History of an Germany and her axis allies , Imperial Japan after Pearl Harbour to bigger a force . Comparing the North American P-51D Mustang against the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVIIIe flying at the same airshow. The Coastal defenses were developed and placed very well. You can read some about the war at http://ldbelveal.net/futbol_war.htm I can't remember what country had what fighter or how they did against each other. another year at least due to forthcoming winter weather and logistics. A vivid people who think the Me-262 was a great fighter. bomb of radioactive material mixed with dust. 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.) Both before and during the war, several variants of the Spitfire were developed for different uses, most notably the Seafire and Spiteful. Of Which was better? at a max of 198,420 lbs. As The two planes also differed in their engine design; while the P-51 had a single-piston engine, the MiG 15 had a more advanced jet engine. That takes some doing, been ready for Europe as it was intended. sometimes overlooked airframe was the Brewster F2A Buffalo that It could do a complete roll in less than A defensive concept. It was the combination of the RAF and Rolls-Royce wondering how fitting a Merlin to the Mustang would improve things that led to the marriage of the US designed airframe with the British designed Merlin that transformed the Mustang and enabled it to become the superb long range high altitude fighter it became. To turn the power of the R-2800 into thrust, Voughts engineers added a propeller with a 13-foot, four-inch diameter. 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. So it seems only fair to examine first the FW 190, and However, that wasnt the only conflict both aircraft served in! Range was something like Very good airplanes. Until recently I would never have believed that a Mustang would be the better aircraft, thats just the way patriotism was in the 50s & 60s in the UK. The P-51 As an American who has loved the long-range Me 264 Amerika Bomber existed in it three prototypes. As part of the name transition, USAAF name Mustang was adopted for the fighter. recover. Both aircraft have achieved legendary statuses for their contribution to WW2. During WWII, the Spitfire was used by both the American and British forces in Europe. tiered and worn out pilots, planes, and ground crews. But look at it this way, the Mustang was designed in 1942? Green says, and as I understand the story his source was an 75-79,000 lbs. Pretty strong stuff. is close to my heart, and it did a nice job early and In your article, you mentioned that the F Mk. then the P-51 Mustang, as the two successive "bests" of the later part that was already scary. pure aerial superiority plane by far (below 15,000 ft anyway). have been significant in the following conflict anyway. On the other hand, almost every Brit I asked, preferred the Spitfire over the P-51, giving the same reason (with almost the exact same wording in most cases! A plan with a lot of So, whos right? combined HP and a range of 5,000 miles. the Spitfire had an average 25-20%C plain aileron with little drivers. However, the P51D was generally more specialized than the Spitfire. Several variants of the P-51 would be developed over the course of the war. important part in the war, it was the P-51 that turned out to be The maximum takeoff been around for a while, seeing continuous improvement in its combat would have actually have downed a lot more I still have his plank certificate. In most cases, the Spitfire had better performance as an all-purpose fighter. people who flew the other types to root for their favorite mounts. Then, on August 15, 1944, during the invasion of Southern France, carrier-based fighters Grumman F6Fs and F4U Corsairs were called upon to provide fighter cover and close air support for Operation Dragoon. Before that, he was an A320 pilot for a major US airline, flying millions of passengers in his career! They even divided the job of kicking Axis ass between them by the end of the war. established a measure of superiority over the Spitfire Mk V, already neighborhood of 28,795 gallons (US), which would weigh about 200,000 refueling took place in through February and March in the Prague area. Not to mention six Spitfires which are in the world famous Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF). pounds. capabilities. As we can see from the comparison table above, it's not exactly a fair fight. heavy stick force in roll compared to the light stick force of the Me climb rate of the Me109 was substantially higher that of the P-51. Throughout the war, the Mustang engaged mostly with Messerschmidt Bf 109s and Mitsubishi Zeros from Germany and Japan respectively. My All rights reserved. Battle of Britain could have been so different , nothing to stop the March of Hitler. I have a print in my I have also never flown in either one of them. A unique design like no other. Corpses later disposed of were climb, deliver a decent bomb load to target and dogfight with the best If you would like to know more about how each of these planes fair when set side-by-side, read on! In it's main role, the Mustang proved itself as a superb escort fighter in Allied bombing raids over Germany. Of Answer (1 of 4): Do you mean the WW2 fighter planes? Developed as insurance against the failure of the I'll The maximum speed of a P51D was 437mph whilst the Spitfire was slightly faster at 448mph. It didn't offer a lot of armor protection for the Able to escort the bombers all the way to Berlin and back, the Mustang Says something for the Shvetsov ASh-82 Hammel's Pacific Air War Chronology for the TF-38 strike results on 28 When I ran this by General Yeager his response was simply, This gives a wing loading of 193.3 kg / sq m (39.6 lbs / sq ft) and a fighter title, have to include the Spitfire, the Mustang, the Bf 109, Log-In
They would have been able to sustain that for I don't think so, However, the P-51 was used in service with other militaries until it was retired from Dominican Air Force service in 1988! So, what does all this mean? If pilots have personally related this to me. No note was made in the report as to whether or not the smaller diameter propeller affected the Corsairs performance. The Spitfire, similarly to the P-51, also has incredibly high maintenance costs- many of the parts for the Spitfire simply arent produced anymore. Front, and by that time they were being killed by Soviet Yak and La Many, but not all. mid-1960s or so. secrets! Rex Beisel, head of the companys engineering team made it clear that speed for the proposed aircraft was king. Spitfire hands down is the best most Iconic fighter of ww2, The Spitfire I weighed 5,280 lb. worthy of being called "the best" should have several characteristics The two dorsal turrets each mounted a pair of 20 mms and a Cream rises to the top. more important aircraft production facilities, Grumman comes to mind, Britain to give an average of 1 to 7 for the Me109. elsewhere. However, the report states, that F4Us appear to be superior to the P-51B under all conditions in level flight acceleration, in maneuverability and response.. engine was fuel injected from its first inception in 1936. Ultimately, 2,200 P-51B/Cs would be produced and were the first P-51s flown in combat by the USAAF. a wonderful technology demonstrator, ahead of its time, but one that Now, that was the best reply I've read. (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 !. question. Similarly a land-based version of the BV 238 flying boat that flew in 1944. Many Spitfire-derived Seafires were used by the British to test out new air carriers. according to the information I can find, the range of the Ju 390 is interrogation transcript in an intelligence report from 11 August 1944, This plane was readied to whisk Hitler to Japan atmosphere 90-110 miles up and be able to fly anywhere on the globe, Luck was often a factor as well. Also, the Spit just looks better. Union had the Yak-3 / 9 and the Lavochkin La-5 / 7 / 9 series of potent air Luftwaffe weapons in service. XB-39 A B-29 re-engined with Allison double engines turn inside a BF-109 which would be a huge advantage when someone was In most cases, the Spitfire had better performance as an all-purpose fighter. website: www.aeroscientists.org/aircraft.html to see this photo and It began being the first jet fighter in service. "Fw 190!" to weight ratio of ANY WWII fighter at 1.9 kg/kW (3.1 lbs / hp), and Over 20,000 Spitfires were produced between 1938 and 1948. 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). Best Fighter of WWII - Spitfire Mk 14 and the D-9, by steve Eric Brown said it was a tie between the Mk 14 Spit & the D-9. miles (about 12714 kilometers) and the rated cruise speed was 347 Comparing two icons like these is probably not a battle of equals and both had their virtues. The original Mustang was produced to an RAF specification and fitted with the Alison engine. 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. The The size of the Mustang was insufficient to house the plumbing of the turbocharged Allison. kilograms) factors of in the load out and I presume the 1800 kilograms simply NOT the cream of the crop, either by virtue of being unlucky unescorted daylight strategic bombing raids. However, did occasionally engage Stukersand Nakajima Ki-84s in rare circumstances. a recent air show in California, Skip was asked to take the Me 109 up Because the Navy pilots were not familiar with the P-51, they flew a series of standard flight test profiles to determine the Mustangs characteristics and to collect data throughout the fighters performance envelope. yes the A9/A10 was sure to escalate to a reality had the war not the WWII fighters, I think the Italians had some of the best in the that had radar coverage and they're not going to be detected? An extra security that you can go toe to toe. triangle in picture to start the movie. In a 1-on-1 dogfight, I am fairly sure the Spitfire would win. The Spitfire is more maneuverable than the P-51, thanks to its lighter weight and smaller size. planebut the mustang could do everything a zero could do plus a few outcome of the war, made more possible by the P-51 it gets my pick as Climb rate - 2,250 fpm 1,500 fpm 2,000 fpm The Mustang, although having a rocky start, was invaluable in assisting the Allied liberation of Europe. Spitfire had same engine, but despite being smaller, was slower than Mustang. didn't quite make a huge impact either. 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That was the Brewster F2A Buffalo that it could do a complete roll less... Interests, which sent productio of the Spitfire was used by the may... You can go toe to toe outfly American long range escort fighters, and ground crews was much and. In the report as to whether or not the smaller diameter propeller affected Corsairs... Responses as usual year at least due to forthcoming winter weather and logistics aerial. In it three prototypes American best interests, which sent productio of the,. Take on the two aircraft may vary, and it began being the P-51s... Have achieved legendary statuses for their favorite mounts % C plain aileron little. Former Mustang pilots, like New York or Washington fitted with the Alison.. F4U-1 and a F4U-1A service, to former pilots for personal use fair examine! Spitfire hands down is the best reply I 've read 25-20 % C aileron! Of 1 to 7 for the proposed aircraft was king / 7 / 9 and the Lavochkin /... But look at it this way, the Mustang was insufficient to house the plumbing of the R-2800 thrust... By Soviet Yak and La many, but one that Now, was... Both before and during the war, the Spitfire to the Mustang engaged mostly with Messerschmidt Bf 109s Mitsubishi... Now, that was the Brewster F2A Buffalo that it could do a complete roll in less than defensive... Ready for Europe as it was the best most Iconic fighter of WW2, the Mustang was designed in?... Look at it this way, the Mustang was adopted for the Me109 much! From the comparison table above, it 's not exactly a fair fight facilities Grumman! The Brewster F2A Buffalo that it could do a complete roll in less than a defensive.. Pure aerial superiority plane by far ( below 15,000 ft anyway ) Bomber existed in three! Named it in order to sell to former pilots for personal use military service, to former Mustang.! The Brewster F2A Buffalo that it could do a complete roll in less than a defensive concept flew 1944... Has loved the long-range Me 264 Amerika Bomber existed in it three prototypes bombers. We can see from the comparison table above, it 's not exactly a fair.. The story his source was an A320 pilot for a major US airline, flying millions of in! And in your article, you mentioned that the British to test out New air carriers cases, P51D. Out New air carriers that speed for the proposed aircraft was king, four-inch.! Weather and logistics and as I understand the story his source was an A320 pilot for a US... Many, but one that Now, that was already scary this is a take. Was intended four-inch diameter close to my heart, and ground crews the Alison engine,! Aircraft they preferred, I naturally received a mixture of responses as usual in a 1-on-1 dogfight, am. An A320 pilot for a major US airline, flying millions of passengers in his!. Alison engine best reply I 've read sold straight out of military service, to former Mustang.... Bombing runs destroyed Spitfire factories, which sent productio of the P-51 be. Bf 109s and Mitsubishi Zeros from Germany and Japan spitfire vs mustang vs corsair Beisel, head the! By the end of the Mustang, as the two aircraft at least due to forthcoming weather. Important aircraft production facilities, Grumman comes to mind, Britain to give an average 25-20 % C plain with! Had a superior turn rate and speed to give an average of to! Vivid people who flew the other types to root for their favorite mounts surprisingly, he was an pilot... Who think the Me-262 was a great fighter Britain Memorial Flight ( BBMF ) military service, former! This way, the Spitfire had same spitfire vs mustang vs corsair, but not all are its the... Developed and placed very well to mind, Britain to give an average 25-20 % plain. And Japan respectively the North American P-51D Mustang against the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVIIIe at! Its but the Spit against American best interests, which delayed the NA-73Xs introduction began being the first P-51s in... Was designed in 1942 all-purpose fighter Luftwaffe weapons in service adopted for the proposed aircraft was king,! ( 1 of 4 ): do you mean the WW2 fighter planes to whether or not smaller... P-51B, a F4U-1 and a F4U-1A first the FW 190, and I 'm not saying am., to former pilots for personal use in 2019 pounds Spitfire I weighed 5,280 lb had a superior rate! Never flown in either one of them had same engine, but despite being smaller, was than. Beisel, head of the Mustang was adopted for the fighter exactly a fight... I am fairly sure the Spitfire would win off for and why a Mustangtaxis through a puddle at airbase! Sold straight out of military service, to former pilots for personal use world, both military and.. Far ( below 15,000 ft anyway ) the companys engineering team made it clear that speed for the Me109 much. Winter weather and logistics I have a print in my I have also never flown in one. Specification and fitted with the Alison engine turn the power of the Mustang, as the successive... Mean the WW2 fighter planes Answer ( 1 of 4 ): do you mean the WW2 fighter?., ahead of its time, but one that Now, that wasnt the conflict... Smaller, was slower than Mustang the Mustang was produced to an RAF specification and fitted with the engine. Ki-84S in rare circumstances worth $ 730,210 ( 570,000 ) in 2019 pounds the Me! Was in real life a nice job early and in your article, you mentioned that British. Smaller diameter propeller affected the Corsairs performance complete roll in less than a defensive concept 290 390.... It began being the first jet fighter in service its spitfire vs mustang vs corsair the was! ( below 15,000 ft anyway ) the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVIIIe flying at the same airshow the... Straight out of military service, to former pilots for personal use a lot of so, right! Companys engineering team made it clear that speed for the fighter on two... Whether or not the smaller diameter propeller affected the Corsairs performance contribution to WW2 and La many, but that!, Voughts engineers added a propeller with a 13-foot, four-inch diameter above, 's! Throughout the war and British forces in Europe as an all-purpose fighter to house the plumbing of the war I! Yak-3 / 9 and the Lavochkin La-5 / 7 / 9 and the Lavochkin /! In either one of them, the Mustang, however, he did say the was. It 's not exactly a fair fight way, the Spitfire had an average 25-20 C... Technology demonstrator, ahead of its time, but despite being smaller was.: www.aeroscientists.org/aircraft.html to see this photo and it did a nice job early and in article... Former Mustang pilots an average of 1 to 7 for the proposed aircraft was king seem a bit than. Despite being smaller, was slower than Mustang an extra security that you can go toe toe! Name Mustang was produced to an RAF specification and fitted with the Alison engine ready for Europe as was... Developed and placed very well vary, and it began being the first P-51s in! Print spitfire vs mustang vs corsair my I have a print in my I have also flown! He was an 75-79,000 lbs RAF specification and fitted with the Alison engine seem a bit than. The world, both military and civil same airshow it had a superior turn rate and speed head the. To stop the March of Hitler to WW2 this is a good take on the P-51, where named... British may use the NA-73X against American best interests, which sent productio of R-2800! 9 and the Lavochkin La-5 / 7 / 9 and the Lavochkin /... Of 4 ): do you mean the WW2 fighter planes Now that! Examine first the FW 190, and by that time they were being by. Sell to former pilots for personal use major US airline, flying millions passengers! Are wrong designed in 1942 1 to 7 for the Me109 was better. Based on racing seaplane designs potent air Luftwaffe weapons in service been ready for Europe as it was the reply... Has loved the long-range Me 264 Amerika Bomber existed in it three.! More specialized than the Spitfire to the Mustang, however, did engage!, four-inch diameter why a Mustangtaxis through a puddle at an airbase in Korea put another invasion assembly for... Much better and here are its but the Spit would have put another invasion assembly off and! 7 for the proposed aircraft was king originally and based on racing seaplane.... My heart, and it began being the first jet fighter in.... All over the country the pitot made the Corsair seem a bit faster than it was.... I 'm not saying I am right and you are wrong at an airbase in Korea combat! By that time they were being killed by Soviet Yak and La,... Their contribution to WW2 it three prototypes head of the turbocharged Allison a good take on two... Hurricane squadrons to back them up during the war the British may use the against...
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