How many of the other fighters could escort bombers at high altitude over 1000 miles, then have the endurance to fight and win their dogfights, then raise hell all the way back to base? Ask anyone who flew B17’s or B24’s and had P 51’a on their wing all the way to the drop and out of hostile airspace what the best fighter of the war was?
Yea, but she was a bit late to the game. And don't get me wrong; I love the Stang. Sleek, curvy, sexy, high performance. But you gotta show proper respect to the ones that did most the heavy lifting. And those were the flying tanks. Sure the Forts loved the Stangs for their endurance, but a lot of guys loved their T-Bolts, Hellcats, and Corsairs' for their durability.
No one force, machine or man, won that war. It was a joint effort across the board, at home and abroad.