Just curious.

[Steve]

In terms of the game the p47 is a much better all around aircraft.

[BnZ]

In-game, at typical MA altitudes, the N can perform about as well as the Pony...for five minutes. The others can't even do that. Jug is an E-fighter compared to most planes. Pony is an E-fighter compared to most planes. Pony can build energy quicker and sustain it longer though.

[CAP1]

I know alot of pilot's go on what they see, view, and heard about on TV about the WW2 planes. But as far as the P51D goes compared to the P47D in sheer terms of versatility wouldn't you think the obvious choice would be the Jug?

A perfect example was this past MoM rook raid. There were over 40 P51D escorts compared to 15-25 P47Ds. Everyone was briefed that we were escorting 2 bomber wings to target and enemy opposition was highly expected at altitudes exceeding 25k. Majority of the P51D pilots from reports from the AAR proved that the P51Ds sustained little over 50% more casualties than the P47s and we had nearly a 50% differential in total airplane force. 

Now i know the P51D is advertised as the "best" American Escort fighter of WW2. I'm not going to denounce the P51 because it's a truly amazing aircraft but at those altitudes the obvious choice was infact the P47. The P47 has 33% more firepower than the P51D, more than enough to do your fair share of shooting at those alts and still have ammo left over. Better high alt performance than a P51D above 25k and is on just about equal terms with the P51D at 15-20k. Better armor that helps out against taking a few shells without having to bail out away from the mission. And Is not Prone To Radiator damage like the P51D.

Just my $0.02 cents. 

the pony got the credit in rl, i think, A)because it was the first fightr to go ll the way to berlin with the bombers, and B) because it's pretty.

 the jug, i recall being told by a fighter pilot that was in our r/c club(he flew both. all were named "dottie" for his wife), that the 47 was much more durable than the pony.

[CAP1]

No single aircraft, or even air force, won the air war in Europe.  <edit for clarification> The claims that one aircraft did it all are just idiotic.

i think the 8th air force was a MAJOR contributer to the winning of the war though. if i recall, they never ever refused a mission, or allowed themselves to be forced to turn back. even in the face of severe, and unacceptable losses, they always got their missions done.
 true heros they all were/are.

<<S>>

[CAP1]

This is a good one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGm5ZobgpBw&feature=related

hows about this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhreZIk07pI&feature=related
pay attention to the music too

[PFactorDave]

Strange...  I could be wrong, but I don't think I can remember reading a of a single instance where a fighter pilot who had been flying a JUG was transitioned to a Pony and then complained about it.

Just saying...

[Steve]

In-game, at typical MA altitudes, the N can perform about as well as the Pony...for five minutes. The others can't even do that. Jug is an E-fighter compared to most planes. Pony is an E-fighter compared to most planes. Pony can build energy quicker and sustain it longer though.

Jug accelerates as well as a pony.

[Anaxogoras]

Jug accelerates as well as a pony.

The N Jug does, not the D.

[Guppy35]

Smacks every last one of ya that claims 51s were the first Allied fighters over Berlin.

Jack Jenkins and the 38Js of the 55th FG claimed that distinction on March 3, 1944.

And I really wish folks would do just a little bit of reading before they throw every last History Channel 'fact' they can find.

[Chalenge]

I dont like the Thunderbolt and I would take a P51D even if it performed worse in AH then it does. I will stubbornly insist that it has been undermodelled whether I have any evidence of it or not and I will never accept your opinion to the contrary. 

Corsairs arent airplanes their UFOs/helicopters and yet we shoot them down regularly.

I believe they results of your 'experiment' online has to do with the experience level of your P51 pilots and not much more.

[uptown]

I took a pony up because that's what I fly the most, know the best and be the most good to the mission. Oh, and every kill I got (including AKdream in a P47), was a plane that performs better at that altitude than mine. Sometimes it's not always about how the plane flys, but how the plane is flown. Fighting @ 25K in anything is a whole different ball game than fighting @ 5000 feet.
It'd be my guess that many in the P-51 flight had never fought at that alt before. Because the P-51 performs better then the P-47 down low, they made the assumption that it would at those heights.
From a couple of the films I've seen already situational awareness and target fixation were a problem for some in the pony flight. Command of the pony flight was pretty lax also. All these factors IMO is what caused the high death rates for our mission pony pilots.
I kept my eye on one guy I know is a regular pony pilot (forker) and he did very well. I don't know how he ended up, but when I had to rtb for fuel he had a couple of kills and was still going.
It was a great mission and I'm still learning from it and training for the next one. Some 38s in the next one would be icing on the cake.

[Delirium]

Some 38s in the next one would be icing on the cake.

Interesting you mention that, the biggest group of several P38 squads is discussing the possibility of offering to escort next run.

[uptown]

that would be awesome......gitter doneeeeeeeee 

[ooKUsh]

No single aircraft, or even air force, won the air war in Europe.  <edit for clarification> The claims that one aircraft did it all are just idiotic.

The RAF certainly kicked the Luftwaffer`s arse in 1940

[Bino]

I know alot of pilot's go on what they see, view, and heard about on TV about the WW2 planes...

The one and only reason those shows are broadcast is to SELL ADVERTISING. That's all. An old friend of mine worked for many years at the History Channel main office in NYC. That type of series is cobbled together just as cheaply as possible. Fact-checking is a very low priority, and accorded a negligible budget.

BTW, "the suits" just hated it whenever anyone called it "the Hitler Channel". So of course, everyone who worked there always did.