| "If you wanted to get a picture of yourself on the wing of your plane to show your girl back home what a cool fighter pilot you were, go stand on a P-51 or a Spitfire. But if you were going on a mission, you'd better damned well pray that you were in a P-47." That was from a random P-47 vet I met in the NMUSAF. |
How true, how true!!
The T-bolt might not have been a pretty bird, but it gave you the best chance of surviving combat because of 3 huge advantages: it could out-dive any aircraft of WW2, including the Me-262 (which 'bled off' speed while in a dive, climbing, or turning), it could absorb an amazing amount of damage and still remain aloft, and its 8 .50 cals could obliterate an enemy fighter with a 2 second burst!!
