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USAAF EUROPEAN THEATRE FIGHTERS |
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A P-51 Mustang in the European theatre, It became the most famous fighter of WWII because through 1941-1943 the unescorted B-17s took heavy loss's on their attacks on the Schweinfurt Ball Bearing factories because the P-47s and P-38s did not have the range to swart off Luftwaffe defenders. And the new P-51D's came in and took on the task with a range from Berlin and back to escort these B-17s. Relief was felt on their very first sorties. |
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A P-47 Thunderbolt; wasn't one of the greatest fighters but everyone who used it swore they wouldnt use another diff. fighter. It was known for its diving. It could carry a heavy bomb load for a fighter and way a great ground attack aircraft. |
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A P-51 from the Tuskegee Squadron. Most Tuskegee P-51s were known as the redtails because of there aircraft having redtails. Bombers wanted these airmen to escort them because they were some of the best in the skies over Europe. Salute them they were some of the best. |
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Curtus P-40 warhawk/kittyhawk/tigershark:This was one of the 1st new future aircraft of the USAAF in WWII. It performed well at times but didn't really take to the enemy. A famous group that used P-40 warhawks in the Volunteer Chinese Airforce were the "Flying Tigers" which pasted impressive scores of 300-9!!! |
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P-39 Airocobra: This aircraft was one of the first modern USAAF aircraft built for WWII. It wasn't the best but it was all the USAAF had in the Pacific at the time. Later models from this aircraft were the P-63 King cobra. |
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P-61 Black widow: This aircraft was a fighter-bomber-night fighter. Notice its main gun turret on the top of the aircraft that holds Four .30 caliber machine guns which could rip through a aircraft with some aimed rounds. It could also be used as a observational aircraft. Looks like the P-38 Lightning. |
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