Further to the discussion concerning the ‘birth pangs’ of the Anglo American P51 long range fighter.  Page 123 of Paul Kennedy’s ‘Engineers of Victory’ writes quote: “Then, inexplicably to Freeman (Sir Wilfred) the scheme (to build the Mustang in America) founded.  Sheer obstructionism on the American side now slowed down the mass production of the Merlin powered Mustang”.

“What was less understandable was the sheer relentless anti Britishness of key members of the all powerful Air Production Board under the stiff necked Major General Oliver Echols.  Harry Hopkins (Roosevelt special adviser) was only half joking when he told Wilfred Freeman that many Americans believed they naturally flew better than the British and always built better planes than the British”.

Essentially the American attitude was,  “not invented here”.  The more restrained official historians merely point out ” the story of the P51 came close to representing the costliest mistake made by the U.S Airforce in WW2.