soc.history.war.world-war-ii

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> .... Having two
> engines was an advantage over those with one.....did it make the P-38
> better? No, but it was something to consider. Kind of like how a P-47
> could take more damage than a P-51....then we'd have to argue which
> was more likely to take damage.

I think this is the real crux of the matter. What planes are most
likely to complete the mission and bring the pilot home alive?
Having a second engine might help with engine reliability but hurt
with respect to maneuverability or acceleration in combat.

I believe that most pilots wanted the best _fighter_ they could
get, ., the one most likely to win in combat. German pilots,
for example, were willing to put up with the unsafe, temperamental,
and not yet fully developed Me-262 because its high speed gave
them an edge in combat.

The one pilot I knew who had flown both preferred the P-51 to the
P-38 for that reason.