[Rockingham]

Amen. The P-51 Mustang was an exceptional fighter with clean lines and high speed and maneuverability. When equipped with drop tanks, it had long enough range and fuel reserves to serve as a comprehensive bomber escort. At the decisive moment, the P-51 thereby assured US aerial superiority in Europe and made D-Day and the eventual defeat of Germany possible.

The P-51 should be on the best of list in place of the Me-262, which was an extraordinary aircraft but with disabling faults: inadequate fuel, no air brakes, and with engines prone to flameouts and cursed by minimal service life. As it was, P-51s and P-47s shut down the Me-262 threat by attacking them when they were on take-off or landing.

Meanwhile, for lack of serviceable engines, Me-262 hulls accumulated uselessly at German airfields and depots. The high-temperature alloys and technicians desperately needed for Me-262 engines were instead devoted to the V-2 program.

[JerryBlackwell]

The most likely “what if” scenario I read indicated if enough ME262 fighters were deployed to make a difference the response would be a) swarms of P51s on each ME262 like we did Shermans on Tigers and b) a mushroom cloud over a German city. War still ends the same way just take a bit longer.

[jamaksin]

Lest we forget ... Dornier 335 (Arrow) ... an interesting design.