I know that the F-6 was dubbed as the zero killer, but if memory serves me correctly, the P-51 had a brilliant record for the European theater. How do the planes compare against one another?
2007-04-03 05:30:52 · 14 answers · asked by Wee Bit Naughty 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
I believe the Mustang was around before the F-6, the F-6 had the benefit of more engineering.
That being said, the Mustang packed a punch, 4 50 mm machine guns mounted on the wings. It was great at both air combat and ground support. I would say all around the Mustang was the better plane, but the F-6 was the better dogfighter.
I would kill to fly either one.
2007-04-03 05:37:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
F-6 Hellcat
2016-11-12 08:19:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
While the P-51 (Mustang) was a fantastic aircraft, the F-6 (Hellcat) outperformed and outgunned the P-51 in every aspect. It was faster, more maneuverable had better weapons and had better armor. With comparable quality pilots, the F-6 would run circles around the P-51. The main reason for that is because the F-6 was newer and the Navy/Army learned a lot from the Mustang and incorporated those improvements with the Hellcat.
2007-04-03 05:40:40 · answer #3 · answered by rollinjukebox 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
P-51 mustang baby!!! Kudos to the Hellcat. It was definitely the best fighter in the Pacific, but it doesn't have the same legendary status of the P-51 mustang. Even though both planes shot many enemy planes out of the sky, how many more planes do you think the P-51 saved as a bomber escort than the F-6F Hellcat?
2007-04-03 07:22:55 · answer #4 · answered by danthemanyankeefan 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The mustang can out fly and out run and out range the Hellcat but they shouldn't be compared to one another as one is land based plane and the other a carrier plane. Thus a mustang is worthless to the navy. The navy plane you want to compare to a mustang is the Corsair also known as the F4U-1D. This plane was very comparable to the mustang in all regards except range due to its heavy framing for carrier landings. The Corsair was in production until 1953 while the mustang was relegated to national guard units as the F-51D. Thus the answer to your question is it depends if your an admiral the hellcat is your plane if your a general the mustang is your plane. For me I would scrap them both and go with Corsairs.
2007-04-03 10:14:04 · answer #5 · answered by brian L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
-The p-51 was a much better aircraft. Early versions did have only a slight speed advantage and lower range, but eventual the had a full 70mph advantage and even greater range.
-Armerments were roughly the same, but favored the F6 with 6 x 50cal being the most common on p51s and 4 x 50 cals with 2 x 20mm on the Hell Cat. Greater speed of the p51 more than made up for the differance.
-Now a comparison is in many ways not fair, as they operated in greatly different rolls. The F6 was a carrier based air craft and was designed to be able to operate from a deck, constraints never put on the p51's designers.
-Both were incredible airplanes, but head to head, late model p51s were much the better aircraft.
PS If you asked my what was the best prop fighter of WWII it would the the TA-152. only 60 of these were built, and late in the war. It carried a huge arsenal of one 30mm cannon and two rapid fire 20mm guns. It's speed was equal to the p51, but it had a higher Power to mass ratio and service ceiling.
2007-04-03 05:53:26 · answer #6 · answered by Herodotus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The P-51 was not the latest and greatest fighter plane of WWII. That's not to say many other pilots and aircraft didn't do a magnificant job with what they had to work with, including the F-6Hellcat, but the Mustang was truly a fighting marvel, plus it had range that others did not have !
2007-04-03 05:48:32 · answer #7 · answered by briang731/ bvincent 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The P-51 is a magnificent propeller-driven airplane - the fastest one ever (it took jet engines to go faster), but wasn't used on aircraft carriers. The Hellcats were decent airplanes too, but in a dogfight with equal pilots, the P-51 would probably win because of its superior speed.
2007-04-03 05:39:12 · answer #8 · answered by Paul Hxyz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can only compare an aircraft against its role.
Best comment I ever heard on the dogfight(!?) over the relative merits of the Spitfire and the P-51:
"A P-51 can't do what a Spitfire can. But a P-51 can do it over Berlin."
2007-04-03 08:50:58 · answer #9 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as I understand it the mustang reached production just ion time to provide fighter escort for the b 17 bombers thus saving the european campaign,
so , having said that even if the f 6 was a more robust plane it was noit around to save the day ?
2007-04-03 05:43:03 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋