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Any increase in one of these areas is generally at the expense of another. The key to balancing these successfully is to bear in mind several other extremely important factors
Finally, and perhaps actually most important of all, the success of a particular type of aircraft depends on the pilots who fly them. A great pilot can do a lot with an 'inferior' aircraft. A poor pilot will be lucky to survive in even the 'greatest' plane. Now, to look at which US fighter was actually the most successful, we have to examine what they accomplished. Let's do that now . . . The F4U Corsair, one of the most recognized fighters of WWII due to its unique bent wing design, had some pretty impressive performance figures on the drawing board. Speed, climb, roll, firepower, armor, range, high altitude performance, etc. Due to its shaky start as a carrier based plane it was assigned to land-based Marine pilots who put it to good use, chalking up a very impressive kill ratio (some estimates are 19:1). Elite and well-trained combat pilots flew it at a time when the Japanese had already suffered some serious strategic and personnel losses. The Japanese were fielding a somewhat less well trained force of pilots in aircraft that had not kept up with the design and manufacturing advances that produced the Corsair. Japan simply was unable to produce equally advanced fighters in sufficient numbers, or to maintain those it built. The Corsair came of age at a very advantageous time. Its success was apparent, and the second highest scoring Marine ace, Pappy Boyington, used the F4U to gain his place in history. (There's a note about Boyington still to come, so don't get all upset yet) The F6F Hellcat of the navy was slower, but more nimble than the Corsair, and was perfectly suited to use by the Fast Carrier Task Forces. In shear numbers of enemy planes destroyed (some estimates exceed 6,000) it was the most successful fighter plane in the Pacific Theatre. It was particularly well suited to its task of protecting the fleet from attacks by torpedo and kamikaze planes, as well as level bombers. The highest scoring Navy ace got nearly all of his victories in the Hellcat. The Hellcat was faster, and more heavily armored, than it's rival Zekes, Bettys, Kates and Jills, and operated in greater numbers and from a position of advantage based on radar vectoring. The P38 Lightning was the tool that gave the Army it's lead in the ace race, by being Dick Bong's ride. He was able to use the complicated machine to become the highest scoring US ace of the war. For Bong, the machine was a perfect fit - although many others were unable to achieve his proficiency with the Lightning, he and his wingman, Lynch, were able to adapt a freewheeling style of changing leads to achieve the utmost advantage from their mounts abilities. The Lightning enjoyed a firepower advantage with its cannons and 50 cal machine guns mounted in the nose, and it had superior high altitude capabilities over the Japanese planes it fought. In the right hands it was capable of some serious maneuvering. Although visibility was a problem, it wasn't as bad in the real aircraft as in AirWarrior (where you can't move your head to look around obstructions), and operating in groups overcame that difficulty. The highly successful Bong was killed tragically, flying a new jet fighter on a routine Stateside hop. It is unknown if his prowess would have translated to the propless combat arena in Korea had he survived. The P51 Mustang was the aircraft used late in the Pacific war to escort the long legged B-29's to Japan, and it performed as well there as in the ETO, even helping a pair of photo recon pilots to shoot down seven Japanese planes in one engagement. My personal favorite of all US fighters, the Mustang didn't get as much action in the Pacific, so it's reputation there isn't quite as glowing as some of the others. However, where it flew, it met with success, using superior speed and high altitude performance to control the combat. The P40 xHawk, whether it be WarHawk or KittyHawk, should get its due honors among the successful fighters of WWII. Although many AirWarrior pilots don't think much of it, the Japanese learned to respect it for its abilities in the right hands. The first Japanese planes shot down by US pilots over Pearl Harbor fell to the guns of Curtis' contribution to the war effort. For kill ratio, no other plane comes close to the numbers posted by the AVG in China (some estimates are almost 40 to 1). It was there that Pappy Boyington got his first victories with the Tigers in early 1942 (and because he was not considered a Marine at the time, he ended up only in the #2 spot). Here again we see that tactical advantages can more than make up for aircraft 'inferiority' in combat. The small AVG group practiced and practiced and practiced before going into battle against supposedly invincible enemies, and used their boom and zoom technique to rip up enemy bomber formations before the Japanese fighters could stop them. They usually enjoyed advanced warning of Japanese attacks, and could then wait above in the sun to pounce. I also happen to think that the properly painted P40 wins the beauty contest - just watched one flying this weekend at a show, and it has to be the best looking bird in the air! The F4F Wildcat was supposed to be vastly inferior to the Japanese Zero, and on paper it certainly was. In December 1941 over Wake it was apparent the Marines hadn't read that paper because they were busy shooting down enemy planes and sinking enemy ships with Wildcats as Wake bravely slowed the Japanese onslaught. At Guadalcanal another Marine, Joe Foss, became the top ace of his service with a Wildcat, as again tactics and intelligence paid off. Foss operated in what can best be termed a 'target rich' environment (odds of ten to one against the Americans were common) as he and the other members of the 'Cactus Airforce' would routinely go where they knew the enemy would be found. Coastwatchers gave ample warning of what was to be expected, and the Wildcats would barge right through the enemy formations, hammering away with their heavy machine guns - when they worked - and taking full advantage of the fact that the enemy had only one place to attack. (Because Foss had all his victories as a Marine, he edged out Boyington for the #1 spot). So, which was the 'most successful' fighter? Do you judge by total number of enemy planes destroyed? Kill ratio? Highest scoring ace? Dominance in a particular geographic area? Contribution to the war effort? Personal tastes? There is no 'right' answer. There were even Jug pilots in the Pacific who thought their mounts were the greatest things to ever leave the ground. I got a chance to ask WWII ace Ben Drew - shot down TWO Me262's with his P51 - what it was like to go from flying the Mustang in the ETO to the P47 in the Pacific. He said the thing he liked about the Jug over the pony was how much of a beating it could take and still bring you home. Remember that getting home is a definite measure of 'success' in any book.
So, take your pick. They pretty much all met with success in one way or another. After all, in the end, they won.
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