"tscottme" wrote in message I was under the impression that the FAA had
determined that each of the WWII
fighters required a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to be flown by a
civilian
pilot. Because of this LOA requirement, which is a practical equivalent
to
a type rating, even a military pilot of that particular aircraft model
could
not log PIC time as a civilian, unless he had the LOA.

You are correct for warbirds having 1000 horsepower or more. Does the
requirement for an LOA count as a rating as concerns this particular
question? I could research it, but soon the LOA will be gone and in it's
place will be type-ratings. In the near future, P-51 will be a type-rating.

D.