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The participation of over thirty real Warbird pilots has been invaluable in developing the flight models for FirePower. Interviewing pilots who fly the actual aircraft in question gives you something that simply can’t be done with data from books alone. The people involved are not only pilots; there are several bombardiers, flight engineers, gunners, and other aircrew who provided detailed information about what it was like to fly and fight in these aircraft. These aviators were in the Army Air Forces, United States Navy, RAF, and Luftwaffe. Several of the fighter pilots are aces, a few are double aces, and some achieved “Ace In a Day” status. A number of them were instructors and ferry pilots. These veterans crewed and piloted a vast array of aircraft, ranging from the most basic trainers, like the J-3 Cub and “Vultee Vibrator,” to the hottest aircraft of that era, like the Fw190, F4U Corsair, B-26, Me109, and of course the P-51D Mustang. Bomber and transport pilot’s are also well represented, including pilots of the venerable B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator, B-25, C-47, C-54, and Ju52 transports, the Heinkel 111, Dornier 17 and 217, B-29 Superfortress, and many others.
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