Best All-Around Fighter of World War II

Email Me When A New Comment Is Made
Show Only Poster Name and Title Newest to Oldest

Pages: PREV 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 NEXT

rooster 10/13/2009 11:11:26 PM

Best? ME-262, most significant When? Early war P-40, Bf-109, Hurricane, Zero, F4f? Mid war? P-38, F6F, P-47, Fw-190, Spit, Yak? Late? P-51, 262, F4U? Lets have some nominations, overall? 38-41, 41-43, 44-end? If you could build any one plane between 38-45 what would it be? P-51 = performance and numbers.

Quote Reply

rooster 10/13/2009 11:15:01 PM

Quote Reply

Beryoza 10/14/2009 2:34:09 AM

Bf-109s might have lost their dogfighting edge by the G-6 model, but they were still highly potent, especially the late Gs and K-4, which could more or less outclimb and out accellerate any other piston engine fighter except perhaps the Bearcat and Pfeil.

Quote Reply

lightningrod 10/14/2009 10:09:23 AM

I've always thought that the P-51 and Spitfire received far to much love do to the fact that they were just so damn pretty and the F-4U and P-47 didn't get enough because they were not. I remember being in a museum in Seattle a few years back looking at a Spitfire and Corsair side by side. There was no denying the Spitfire just having a look of grace it was meant to fly. In contrast the Corsair was huge and intimidating looking. I have really never given any credit to the Soviet Planes but really the Yak-3 and La-7 were very good.

One down side to my favorite plane that I didn't know until recently was that the Corsair was fairly maintenance intensive. I'm not sure how that compares to the other contenders but no matter how great the plane can be if it is in the shop and not in the air it isn't of much value.

Quote Reply

sentinel28a 10/14/2009 2:53:18 PM

My problem with the Bf-109 was that by 1943 it was really hitting the end of its useful life. It had a damn fine engine and could still turn pretty well, with decent armament. But it also had poor vision from the cockpit, and by 1943 was steadily being outclassed by newer designs; that narrow-track landing gear was also notorious for failing and causing groundloops. Hartmann's success was due more to his own skill and the Russians' lack of it than any particular advantage of the 109. IMHO, the Fw-190 was far and away the better aircraft--though interestingly the Dora still couldn't touch a P-47 above 15,000 feet.

I go for the P-51 (specifically, the P-51D) for several reasons: range, manueverability (only the Ki-61 could turn inside of it), speed, good visibility from the cockpit (in the D model), and decent armament. It's only real weakness was the liquid-cooled engine, which meant one shot into the glycol tank and it's all over.

If I had to do strafing, though...definitely I'd take a P-47. Anything that can come home with 62 20mm cannon hits or a train whistle stuck in its engine has to be doing something right.

Quote Reply

LB F4U Corsair 10/14/2009 4:38:20 PM

There really is no comparison. The Corsair was first flown in 1940 and was in production till 1952. The F4U-4 was faster with a much better rate of climb than the P-51D. It was great air to air as well as air ground and only got better in that role through Korea; moreover, it was versatile enough to fly from land bases as well as large and small carriers. After WWII the Thompson trophy was awarded 4 times for piston engine aircraft- the Corsair won twice.

Corsair aside I do have a soft spot for the P-47. Colonel Huber Zemke was the only man to command P-38, P-47, and P-51 fighter groups in the ETO and while he considered the P-51 the best air to air fighter of the three below 25,000 ft he preferred the P-47 for it's ruggedness, firepower, and better high altitude performance. Obviously the Jug was the superior ground attack and thus better "all around" fighter.

For honorable mention I'd note the FW190. Certainly not short range fighters like the Spitfire or 109 neither of which were great "all around" aircraft. Great pilots make mediocre aircraft look better than they are- the Bf109 did not exactly age well by late war.

Quote Reply

rooster 10/14/2009 6:19:25 PM

Quote Reply

VelocityVector 10/14/2009 7:26:26 PM

Looking back in time, for a piston aircraft I would want a platform that would 1) survive a surprise encounter at disadvantage and get me into the fight then home, 2) initiate a surprise encounter with advantage and firepower for swift kill, and 3) flip air and ground roles when called-for without compromising either. It had is limitations, but skillfully employed, your best all-around bet for mission accomplishment and survival may have been the late model Jug/P-47, except of course you couldn't stick one onto a carrier. Now I've done it, finally entered a "best" discussion. Blech.

v^2

Quote Reply

neiyold I can imagine the abuse coming... 10/14/2009 9:11:39 PM

...but my *favorite* WWII fighter has always been the P-38. Way sexier and meaner looking than the P-51 (its why I like the Beagle and Raptor better than the Viper and L2). Twin engines, fast climb rate, great range. Whats not to like. But then, I also like the Widow Maker, and Jug over the P-51...

Best is always hard to define in a broad way, certainly no one claims Brewsters Buffalo, but it worked for some. Was the ME-262 the best, it could be argued to some degree. Although, was it really a WWII fighter in the commonly understood sense, I would say not. We think of V's and Radials when it comes to WWII.

Rocky Mountain Climber has me appreciating the P-40 better, which I always did like, with a start on the other topic. That was a very good thread btw. Also, while all around the Spitfire was probably better, I liked the Mosquito and Typhoon better (no claims, only preference by looks and typical configuration).

Quote Reply

neiyold I can imagine the abuse coming... 10/14/2009 9:13:31 PM

My comment regarding the BB was that it was the best for those who needed a cheap and easily maintained fighter. There are times when a Chevette may be *better* than the Corvette. Oh crap, did I just say that out loud....

Quote Reply

PREV 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 NEXT