# P-51 Mustang vs North Korean MIG (Who won)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/p-51-mustang-vs-north-korean-mig-who-won/245939>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 19, 2004, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/p-51-mustang-vs-north-korean-mig-who-won/245939 "2004-05-19T10:24:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Starguard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Starguard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starguard)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/p-51-mustang-vs-north-korean-mig-who-won/245939/1 "2004-05-19T10:24:27Z")

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During the very early days of the Korean war, the U.S. used many Fighter planes for defense. Planes ranging anywhere from the F-9F Panther to the F-86 Sabre. but before these planes were developed and deployed in large numbers. The U.S. was still dependant on using the P-51 Mustang as a front line fighter. How well did the Mustang do against the North Korean fighters (including the Mig)?

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/p-51-mustang-vs-north-korean-mig-who-won/245939/2 "2004-05-19T12:47:26Z")

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Usually, poorly.

The Mustang was clearly outperformed by the jet.

Outgunned, too.

But there were experienced aces among the Mustang pilots, & the MIG pilots weren’t very good, mostly.

So it wasn’t one-sided, & the Mustang boys _did_ destroy some MIGs.

But the handwriting was on the wall–Fighter planes must be jet-powered to survive.

Other types of planes, maybe not.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/p-51-mustang-vs-north-korean-mig-who-won/245939/3 "2004-05-19T13:11:35Z")

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I haven’t found anything on Korea, but I thought this was interesting:

> [@](#):
>
> In 1968, NAS Jacksonville-based VA-176 became the last Navy squadron to retire the A-1 Skyraider. The piston-driven plane had shot down three of four attacking Soviet MIG jets in one air fight in the skies of Vietnam, the only such time a propeller driven aircraft shot down a jet.

They must be talking only about Vietnam, as piston aircraft certainly shot down jets in WWII and Korea.

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**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/p-51-mustang-vs-north-korean-mig-who-won/245939/4 "2004-05-19T13:34:07Z")

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Well, I don’t know about the P-51s, but the first American air victories of the war were scored by F-82 “Twin Mustangs”. This plane was basicly two P-51s spliced together.

[http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air\_power/ap34.htm](http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap34.htm)

```
 I know that against earilier jets (the ME-262) the P-51 often did well, if only because if the 262 pilot tried to engage in a dogfight, he lost his speed advantage and was at the mercy of the Mustang's maneuverability. If the 262 stuck to "boom and zoom" tactics the Mustang was toast.
```