Did German pilots fear the Spitfire?
The P-47 Thunderbolt was feared by the Luftwaffe just as much as those 2 legends! If you were attacking an allied formation, your worst fear was a mustang. If you were escorting a bomber formation over an allied field or city, your worst fear was a spitfire while the bomber pilot’s worst fear was a hurricane. Basically, while the Spitfire was the dogfighter of the European theatre, the P-51 Mustang was able to hold its own against German fighters and had a number of advantages over the Spitfire. If you wanted one fighter plane to fight WWII with, you would choose the P-51.Unlike its opposite number, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Spitfire had no fuel injection.
What is the difference between the Spitfire mk22 and Mk 24?
The Mk 24 was largely similar to the previous Mk 22, with the exception of having two rear fuselage fuel tanks installed as well as different rocket mountings allowing for installation of up to eight RP-3 rockets as opposed to six on the Mk 22. The final Spitfire variant, the Mk 24, was similar to the Mk 22 except that it had an increased fuel capacity over its predecessors, with two fuel tanks of 33 gal (150 L) each installed in the rear fuselage. There were also zero-point fittings for rocket projectiles under the wings.
Was the P-51 better than the Spitfire?
The Spitfire is often considered the more maneuverable of the two, able to twist and turn with incredible grace, but it lacked the long range needed for deep escort missions. The P-51, with its sleek lines and low drag, could fly farther and faster, making it ideal for long-range bomber escort. Among them, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 is frequently highlighted for its performance particularly during the war’s early years. Other aircraft, such as the Supermarine Spitfire, Grumman F6F Hellcat, Messerschmitt, Bf 109,etc.What did American pilots think of the British Spitfire when they encountered it for the first time in WWII? They loved it. Light, lavish, agile, it could hold its own with the Bf 109, it was a 1300 hp dream after the 600 hp T-6 trainer. They initially had a hard time giving it up for the huge American P-38s and P-47s.The Spitfire is often considered the more maneuverable of the two, able to twist and turn with incredible grace, but it lacked the long range needed for deep escort missions. The P-51, with its sleek lines and low drag, could fly farther and faster, making it ideal for long-range bomber escort.The new fighter outperformed the Spitfire Mk. V, the then top-of-the-line RAF fighter, in all aspects except turning radius. The Fw 190 was considerably better in firepower, rate of roll, and straight-line speed at low altitude.