The best and fastest aircraft of World War II

Question: Which was a better aircraft in World War II, a P-51 Mustang or F4U Corsair?

– Craig Bathurst, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Answer: They were designed for totally different purposes. The F4U was designed for operations from an aircraft carrier without the need of very long range. The P-51, especially after being fitted with the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, was the long-range fighter escort for bombers.

While the P-51 is regarded by many as the best fighter of World War II, I think there are some F4U pilots who would argue the point.

Q: A physics question I could never find the answer to: Why can a propeller plane not go faster than Mach 1?

– James Gelow, Denver

A: The propeller produces a very large amount of drag as it approaches Mach 1. There are also control problems that occur at that speed.

During World War II, there were reports of a few fighters exceeding the speed of sound (P-38s, P-51s and P-47s), but these were unconfirmed, and some of the airplanes did not survive.

Q: In many World War II TV shows, we see men turning the prop before the engine is started. Why do they do that?

– Jim Trobaugh, Plano, Texas

A: The radial engines allow some oil to migrate into the lower cylinders when they are not running. The rotating of the propeller prior to start moves that oil out, preventing damage during the starting of the engine.

John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.