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Ruy
As you wish, specifications of types concerned taken from Joe Baugher's site. I have reworked them to allow direct comparison of parameters. I have ommitted P-47M as it appeared in service only in 1945.
Please show me, where is Thunderbolt superiority.
Speed
P-51B-1-NA
388 mph at 5000 feet, 406 mph at 10,000 feet, 427 mph at 20,000 feet, 430 mph at 25,000 feet, 440 mph at 30,000 feet.
P-51C-10-NT
395 mph at 5000 feet, 417 mph at 10,000 feet, 426 mph at 20,000 feet, 439 mph at 25,000 feet, 435 mph at 30,000 feet.
P-51D-25-NA
395 mph at 5000 feet, 416 mph at 10,000 feet, 424 mph at 20,000 feet, 437 mph at 25,000 feet.
P-47D-25-RE
350 mph at sea level, 375 mph at 10,000 feet, 406 mph at 20,000 feet, 429 mph at 30,000 feet.
Range (note speeds!)
P-51B-1-NA
on internal fuel 550 miles at 343 mph at 25,000 feet, 810 miles at 253 mph at 10,000 feet. With maximum external fuel, maximum range was 2200 miles at 244 mph.
P-51C-10-NT
internal fuel 955 miles at 397 mph at 25,000 feet, 1300 miles at 260 mph at 10,000 feet. With maximum external fuel, maximum range was 2440 miles at 249 mph.
P-51D-25-NA
950 miles at 395 mph at 25,000 feet (clean), 2300 miles with maximum fuel (including drop tanks) of 489 US gallons under most economical cruise conditions.
P-47D-25-RE
950 miles at 10,000 feet. Range with maximum external fuel was 1800 miles at 10,000 feet at 195 mph.
Climb and ceiling
P-51B-1-NA
An altitude of 5000 feet could be attained in 1.8 minutes, 10,000 feet in 3.6 minutes, 20,000 feet in 7 minutes. Service ceiling was 42,000 feet.
P-51C-10-NT
An altitude of 5000 feet could be attained in 1.6 minutes, 10,000 feet in 3.1 minutes, 20,000 feet in 6.9 minutes. Service ceiling was 41,900 feet.
P-51D-25-NA
Initial climb rate was 3475 feet per minute.An altitude of 5000 feet could be reached in 1,7 minutes, 10,000 feet in 3.3 minutes, 20,000 feet in 7.3 minutes. Service ceiling was 41,900 feet.
P-47D-25-RE
Initial climb rate was 2780 feet per minute. Climb rate at 30,000 feet was 1575 feet per minute. Service ceiling was 40,000 feet
Weight
P-51B-1-NA
6840 lbs empty, 9200 lbs normal loaded, 11,200 lbs maximum loaded.
P-51C-10-NT
6985 lbs empty, 9800 lbs normal loaded, 11,800 lbs maximum loaded.
P-51D-25-NA
7125 pounds empty, 10,100 pounds normal loaded, 12,100 pounds maximum.
P-47D-25-RE
10,700 lbs empty, 14,600 lbs normal loaded, and 17,500 lbs maximum.
P-51B-1-NA
One 1620 hp Packard Merlin V-1650-3 twelve cylinder Vee liquid-cooled engine. Wing area was 233 square feet.
P-51C-10-NT:
One 1695 hp Packard Merlin V-1650-7 twelve cylinder Vee liquid-cooled engine. Wing area was 233 square feet.
P-51D-25-NA
One 1695 hp Packard Merlin V-1650-7 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled engine. Wing area was 233 square feet.
P-47D-25-RE
One Pratt and Whitney R-2800-59 Double Wasp eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, war emergency power of 2535 hp. Wing area 300 square feet.
And additionally another comment from Il-2 site.
William Whisner: 21 victories (14.5 P-51) 352FG (15.5 WWII and 5.5 Korea)
"We exchanged our Thunderbolts for Mustang B's in Aprill 1944. The P-51 was the better of the two fighters. It was faster, had a smaller turning radius, had better acceleration and rate of climb, far outclassed the P-47 below 25,000', and a longer combat range."
"Even in a dive, for which the Thunderbolt was renown, the Mustang could hold its own. In the initial pushover into the dive the Mustang was faster, and thereafter it could keep up with the heavier Thunderbolt, which fell like a rock. The P-47 did have a better rate of roll, and with its high altitude supercharger was slightly better at altitudes above 25,000'. Although it was more heavily armed with eight .50 cal. machine guns to the Mustang B's four, in aerial combat this was no problem, as most kills were from 10 degrees or less deflection and within 250 yards - can't miss territory."
"Our guns were a continual source of frustration. Anytime we pulled more than 1.5 to 2 Gs they would jam. [We] had to take our chances with the guns whle manuevering in combat, or confine our firing to straight and level flight!"
"The flight characteristics of the Mustang were great. It gave ample warning of a stall, and generally had no sever handling faults.
(After converting to P-51D's)
"The K-14 gunsight, introduced in the fall of 1944, enabled me to shoot down six (actually seven, but my gun camera film ran out) FW-190's on 21 November 1944."
"The D had numerous modifications that made the aircraft heavier without a matching increase in engine power. In my opinion this factor subtly decreased the D's performance compared to the B."
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