While I'm at it, there was another one, the P47 Thunderbolt. More chopped liver I guess.
Had a friend long passed that had the pleasure (?) of flying both the 38 and 47 in Yurp back in the day. He preferred the Jug, saying the rather large powerplant was far better at moving trees out of the way during unscheduled landings in forested areas. His opinion was one based on experience. He was not too fond of German prison cuisine.
Yamamoto thought the 38 was a POS too.
My point, if any, there is no such thing as an ultimate combat fighter. Some have more eye appeal certainly, but they all had strengths and weaknesses. The sum of their strengths and the wisdom to deploy them properly was key to the favorable conclusion to WW2.
Liquid cooling of the powerplant in the Mustang was one of it's weaknesses though it lent itself to great streamlining. Least little leak from a ding in the radiator meant "mission terminated".
Winners and losers.....
