19. America’s Best Fighter of WWII
The North American P-51 Mustang was perhaps the only airplane to seriously rival the Spitfire for the title of most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing fighter of the Second World War. When it came to performance, however, the Mustang had no serious rival for the title of best fighter of that conflict. It embodied the pinnacle of propeller driven fighter technology, and proved itself a credible match against all Axis opponents in all of the war’s theaters, even the revolutionary Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.
The Mustang was initially designed for the RAF. The plane that was manufactured in accordance with the British buyers’ specifications, and delivered in October of 1941, was mediocre. Equipped with an underpowered engine, those early Mustangs were poor competition for German fighters at high altitude. As such, the RAF’s Fighter Command saw no use for the plane, and it was relegated to tactical reconnaissance and ground attack duties. In 1943, the US Eighth Air Force joined the bombing campaign against Germany and suffered horrendous losses during raids deep into Reich territory beyond the range of fighter escorts. That was when the Mustang got a second look.
