The Spit Mk XIVe is quoted at 451 mph here, but the P-51H clocked 487 mph (although it never saw combat).
I’m not sure how many of these figures and models represent main-line combat fighters versus late-war variants produced in small numbers. My sense of things is that some late-war Spits were faster than line P-51s but greatly outnumbered by them.
In defense of my favorite, the P-38L could do 443 mph on emergency power. Some of the late-model Lightnings were competitive in every way with the best piston fighters.
I’ve heard the story, possibly apocryphal, of one Lightning getting jumped by a pair of FW 190s while traveling at high speed. The P-38 initiated a turning fight, to the presumable amazement of the Germans, who reflexively turned sharply to follow the big twin-boom American – and lost their wings from extreme g-forces the Lightning withstood. Supposedly the American pilot inquired whether this counted as kill credits.
There was a Bob Stevens cartoon that showed a front view of a Bf-109, with the pilot saying, ‘Aha! I have lost ze shtoopid Amerikaner pilot!’ The P-38 was inverted below him.
Another Bob Stevens cartoon had a Bf-109 shooting at a P-47 from behind, and the bullets were bouncing off. The Jug pilot is saying, ‘He ought to run out of ammo soon. Of course, there’s always the possibility he’ll run into one of his own ricochets.’
I think that was Captain Robin Olds, who later went on to become General Robin Olds in the Vietnam war, the history channel did one of their animations on it.
Which reminds me… anyone planning to go to Oshkosh this year? July 27-Aug 2. I think I’ll go up there for at least one day – I have a new camera to play with.
You can see several FB-111s make low-level passes in the Michael Caine/Pierce Brosnan Cold War thriller The Fourth Protocol. Wiki says that the Brits and the Australians are the only folks still flying them, and the Brits will retire 'em next year.
Always liked the Mosquito. Something about the idea that all you new fangled metal skinned and metal framed planes being churned out. Well I’m going to make a highly effective combat aircraft from Balsa Wood!!
And by the way it’s not stretching the category, The Mossie was very much used in a fighter role.
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