What is a popular misunderstanding about WWII aircraft?

That most aircraft and pilots were lost to enemy action, to air-to-air or flak from ground fire. They weren’t.

(Above: In WWII 538 Corsairs were lost to enemy Japanese fire…922 to accidents.)

(Above: B-17s and other four-engined bombers crashed hard.)

The fact is that most aircraft were lost from mechanical or fuel issues while in the air, weather-and navigational issues and related loses, flying accidents, esp. while landing and taking off…and esp. during training when young pilots are not use to the scale and power of full sized WWII combat aircraft and lost control. During World War II, more than 13,000 American aviators lost their lives in training accidents at home before they ever faced the enemy. And by drying on training and not combat, their equal sacrifice is all but forgotten today. That’s more than all the B-17 bombers manufactured.

The American aircraft that were most deadly in training were the P-47, P-38, F4U Corsair and F6F due to their huge engines/power and usually they had to jump in training from the AT-6 Texan, with only 600 hp. Imagine leaping from a 600 hp trainer to a 2,800 hp P-47 or a 3,200 hp P-38.

That’s like going from a go-kart to an Indy Car. The worst bomber to fly was the B-29, an extremely hard aircraft to fly and add in 8,800 hp.

Here’s a nod to all the pilots that gave their lives…in storms, in accidents, with low fuel, in training, and under fire in combat.