Yes, the P-51 and the F-86 are my favorite 50 cal. fighters.
If it wasn’t for Packard, the 51 would never have been the successful plane it was. I got a chance to visit with a client who collects packards and he has a still airworthy Merlin on an engine stand in his collection. What an amazing engine! The Packard built merlins had a better time to overhaul than the UK produced motors. I’ve been poking the owner to try and get him to bring the motor up to functioning and put it on a stand for demos. The fact I got to touch that engine was a real treat. I really want to hear it run. The previous owner almost put it in a miss Budweiser boat where it would have eventually blown up. He couldn’t bring himself to grenade a still airworthy Merlin.
Need to send a few to the Kurds fighting ISIS. They could put them to good use.