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The B-17G was bristling with weapons. The Chin turret was devastating and destroyed german fighters. The usaf dream of a Flying Fortress was finally realized. P-51 pilots learned real quick don’t fly through a B-17 formation. The gunners will shoot your ass out of the sky before you can start to think WTF. German pilots where terrified attacking B-17s late in the war.

The B-17G was bristling with weapons. The Chin turret was devastating and destroyed german fighters. The usaf dream of a Flying Fortress was finally realized. P-51 pilots learned real quick don’t fly through a B-17 formation. The gunners will shoot your ass out of the sky before you can start to think WTF. German pilots where terrified attacking B-17s late in the war.

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[–] • 0 pt

It had half the range as the p51 and didn't handle well that high up. It was a terrible escort for half the distance. The p51 made all the difference.

[–] • 0 pt

P-47s and P-38s where perfectly capable of escorting B-17s to Germany and back. Unfortunately USAAF staff believed in the Flying Fortress concept and did not want to waste very expensive fighter aircraft defending B-17s that could defend themselves. 1943 proved them wrong very very wrong.

[–] • 0 pt

The performance data clearly says otherwise. They did okay for half the distance. The mustang did excellent for the whole trip.

[–] • 1 pt

Not going to argue with that. The P-51 was the game changer, a well designed, high performance fighter. It did well, fought well, over Germany and Japan. It’s also one of the most beautiful piston era fighters ever made, Spad XIII comes in a close second.