Your own WWII Fighter? Which one?
 

Which American fighter would you have most liked to have flown during WWII.

I chose the F6F Hellcat because of its outstanding record and, especially, the survivability rate.

The following is from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F6F_Hellcat

Navy and Marine F6Fs flew 66,530 combat sorties (45% of all fighter sorties of the war, 62,386 sorties were flown from aircraft carriers[12]) and destroyed 5,163 enemy aircraft (56% of all Naval/Marine air victories of the war) at a cost of 270 Hellcats (an overall kill-to-loss ratio of 19:1).[13]

Here are good links to the history and information of each:
http://www.acepilots.com/planes/f4u_corsair.html
http://www.acepilots.com/planes/p38_lightning.html
http://www.acepilots.com/planes/f6f_hellcat.html
http://www.acepilots.com/planes/p47_thunderbolt.html
http://www.acepilots.com/planes/p51_mustang.html

P-51B Mustang, 357th Fighter Group

Mustang....hands down

Wouldn't you had rather mowed down Jap planes instead of escorting bombers all the time...well, at least most the time?

Well while shooting Japanese pilots , most barely flightworthy
in planes that lit up faster than Shermans has its potential highspots.
In Europe when your flight was over you got to head for a nice English
or later French pub for a nightcap and then most likely slept on sheets in a soft
bed, possibly with a nice 2legged 2 breasted bedwarmer. In the pacific you came home (if you could find the flyspeck of an Island) to torrential malarial rains and all kinds of multilegged creatures that want to share your bed.
To me the answer is pretty straight forward. =)

I picked the Corsair for reasons summarized in a recent thread comparing it with the Mustang. The Hellcat was a fine carrier plane and had the greatest record. But its relatively late entrance and concentration against a decimated IJN air fleet was certainly a factor in setting the 19:1 kill ratio it enjoyed. This selection also has the bonus of assured combat with those delightful folks who attacked Pearl Harbor.

Carrier Pilots didn't have it so bad, and there's always port.

I really do like the Corsair, it was a tough pick.
The Hellcat (In my limited reading) was the fighter that
turned the tables in the pacific and is deserving of problably
the most Well earned Respect.
I have just been a big Mustang fan (hence my 2 cars) my entire life.

Yea, that and the golden rivet.........