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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;scottishmoney, post: 7761792, member: 12789&quot;][USER=101796]@Martha Lynn[/USER] The P-40 was a mediocre fighter that the USAAF largely passed over and instead shipped off to the allies - some to Britain, France fell before they got theirs, and then Russia.&nbsp; It was one of those fighters that really nobody liked.&nbsp; The AVG airmen were mostly highly experienced and handpicked pilots that Claire Chennault found.&nbsp; They were a rough and tumble and motley collection of pilots.&nbsp; Sheer pilot skill was their advantage because the A6M Zero was generally better at flight characteristics but lousy with armor protection for the aircraft and the pilot.</p><p><br /></p><p>One of my favourite shows when I was a kid was &quot;Baa Baa, Black Sheep&quot; which was a TV series loosely based on Pappy Boyington and his US Marine squadron.&nbsp; The F-4U Corsair the Marines flew was a much better aircraft than the P-40.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have a Russian book on Lend Lease Aircraft used in the USSR during WWII.&nbsp; The Soviets had a lousy opinion of the P-40, and the British Spitfire.&nbsp; They had great opinions of the P-39 which flew well at low altitudes vs. German recon and bomber aircraft.&nbsp; They were never openly afforded the P-51, but some came via the Operation Frantic missions where some were damaged in a German air raid at Poltava and the USAAF left them at Poltava.&nbsp; The Soviets had a good opinion of the P-51.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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