Nice shot! The caption really fits, "We did it!" Finally the US had a fighter that could stay with the B-17's and 24's as they made their long bomb runs further and further into Germany's heartland. Eventually these runs went all the way to Berlin. It was a great fighter and well capable of holding its own, and then some, against the two key Gerry fighter planes, the 109 and the Wolf.
This is a later edition 51 because it has a bubble canopy. This development was necessary because a common trick was to suck in behind the enemy and fly in on him because he couldn't see you on account of the limited visibility from the older style canopies. Thanks again for the reminder from history and this great pic! Cheers! /irkstl
Oh, and one more comment. Notice the eight little black swastikas on the side of the plane. If this plane actually saw action in WWII then the swastikas meant the pilot had recorded eight kills against the enemy. Cheers! /irkstl