Best Long Range Fighter of WWII (3 Viewers)

Best long Range Fighter (over a 1,000 miles) of the 1940's


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What syscom said.

BTW, the Ta-152 is said to have great range/radius. That is indeed true, with 2 caveats.
One, it already has a low G limit, 5 G for 4500 kg, while normal take off weight was 5220 kg for the Ta-152H-1 (the one with wing tanks). I'm not sure that anyone in Allied side would ever consider such low G limit on a fighter.
Second is that wing tanks were not self sealing, nor were protected in some other way. Again, nobody in Allied side will consider a fighter with unprotected/non self sealing tanks after 1940.

The G limit for the P-47N was 8, 'light' design weight, for the P-51H was 7.33 for same weight category, 5 was for max take off weight. Basically, the P-51H have had same G limit with drop tanks as the Ta-152H with fuel tanks half empty.
 
The last eleven years has seen a great improvement in the Merlins now we have fixed the oil leaks, also the P47 climb performance has vastly improved. Now if only we could sort out the dreadful take off and landing accidents on the Bf109 we would be making some real progress.

And with Kurfurst banned, we will no longer regard the Spitfire in a negative light...
 
And with Kurfurst banned, we will no longer regard the Spitfire in a negative light...
I read recently that the spitfire would have been transformed by ditching the airframe and replacing it with one from a Bf109, it was a world beater the world overlooked. I didnt know Kurfurst, before my time.
 
The last eleven years has seen a great improvement in the Merlins now we have fixed the oil leaks, also the P47 climb performance has vastly improved. Now if only we could sort out the dreadful take off and landing accidents on the Bf109 we would be making some real progress.

The Finns were working on that issue! :lol:

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I didn't engage in this thread earlier but offer the following:

The P-51B was the most IMPORTANT long range fighter in the war. It was there in December 1943, received the 85 Gallon Fuselage tank modification, launching P-51s to Berlin in March 1944. Between December 1, 1943 and May 31, 1944 they were the sole "deep escort fighter" going to Berlin, Munich, Leipzig, Posnan, Brux, etc. at least 100 miles past the P-38J - and responsible for 60% of the LW losses in the ETO during that time, and virtually all of the P-51 victory credits for the 8th and 9th AF..

Combat radius is a derivative of Gallons of fuel/per engine stored internally, as drop tanks must be punched off when combat ensued. The P-38 has about 15% less and the P-47 (slightly more) but a 50% higher burn rate for the R-2800.

The entry of the P-51B into ETO was first started without pressurized 75 gallon wing tanks, (same as P-47 and P-38 150 gallon ferry tanks). All three were modified with the necessary mods to introduce combat tanks Vs ferry tanks in March 1944.

The P-47N had slightly more combat radius - but more importantly it could not do anything in PTO that P-51D could not, and it was introduced into combat nearly 10 months after VE Day.
 
Short, crisp and to the point :)
BTW - the P-47N was introduced a bit earler than that? It could probably cover all of Japan from Ivo Jima, bar Hokkaido?
 
"The day I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was up." Hermann Goering

I think this quote sums it up pretty well. You have to remember the impact that these aircraft had on morale, and this coming from a high-ranking Luftwaffe officer as Goering shows it.
 
Goering was an idiot, had nothing to do with the p51. He was warned by all his senior Luftwaffe personal from the days of the Condor Legion, but he thought because he had the Pour le Mérite he was above everyone and no one knew more about aviation tactics.
 
Goering was an idiot, had nothing to do with the p51. He was warned by all his senior Luftwaffe personal from the days of the Condor Legion, but he thought because he had the Pour le Mérite he was above everyone and no one knew more about aviation tactics.
That quote shows the effect it had on the morale, seeing them over Berlin.

It doesn't say anything about his personal attributes.
He was a leader from what was, by then a bygone era. Someone who could (or would) not adapt to the times.
 
Góring should have made a similar quote on the 25 August 1940, when the RAF bombed Berlin, without the aid of any fighter escort.
 
The P-47N had a significant advantage above 30000 feet in both speed and climb over the P-51A/B/D/K but not the P-51H which was being readied for PTO in March, 1945 when the P-47N arrived in PTO.

On the other hand, for a small performance advantage - including very small range advantage, the P-47N was 50% more expensive to buy and 50-60% more expensive to operate.
 
The P-47N had a significant advantage above 30000 feet in both speed and climb over the P-51A/B/D/K but not the P-51H which was being readied for PTO in March, 1945 when the P-47N arrived in PTO.

On the other hand, for a small performance advantage - including very small range advantage, the P-47N was 50% more expensive to buy and 50-60% more expensive to operate.[/QUOTE

Aha, thanks for the info.
 
The P-47N had a significant advantage above 30000 feet in both speed and climb over the P-51A/B/D/K but not the P-51H which was being readied for PTO in March, 1945 when the P-47N arrived in PTO.

On the other hand, for a small performance advantage - including very small range advantage, the P-47N was 50% more expensive to buy and 50-60% more expensive to operate.

The advantage in range, P-47N vs. Merlin Mustang was 300 miles, ie. 1000 vs. 700 miles (for 210 mpg IAS, at 25000 ft).
 

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