Most warbird types are represented today by a handful of examples, usually including a range of marks or models. The exception is the P-51, with well over 200 still airworthy. These figures imply that the Mustang is at least ten times as significant as any other World War Two aircraft. Is it really ten times as important as any other Second World War fighter? I say sheer numbers of one popular type are distorting the historical record for the public. The importance of the Mustang's range in defending the "Mighty Eighth" is an inevitable credit in any mention of the type. But was the Mustang the perfect solution, as we are repeatedly told?
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