Beautiful plane and very successful in the Pacific theatre, but curiously not in Europe, where - as a fighter, it did alright as an unarmed reconnaissance plane at high altitudes - it failed to impress Me 109 and Focke Wulf 190 pilots who compared it to the lumbering Me 110 (certainly unfair to the Lightning which was a much better plane and had admirable range and high altitude flying characteristics). Losses were high and it only saw service for as long as the P-47 Thunderbolt did not yet have the range to guard the Flying Fortresses over Germany (exterior belly and wing tanks which could be jettisoned solved that problem). The P-47 wasn't a favorite with German pilots who flew captured specimen either, but it at least got grudging respect. And the Mustang, finally, (deserved) admiration.