What is your best WW2 AirCraft?

[Fandu]

1) B-17 Flying Fortress (Becaues they were a kickass heavy bomber, and packed a helluva lot of anti-air craft guns.)

2) B-27(?) Superfortress (What could possibly be better than a better B-17? )

O-ya, also because Canada produced 1/2 of the allied B-17's used in WWII

 

[Windogg]

The Superfortress was the B-29. Funny enough the B-32 Domininator (its failed rival) dropped the last bombs of the war after the truce.

Windogg

 

[pen^2]

dick bong? whahahah what a name

 

[Specialist]

ARE YOU ALL KIDDING ME???????????????????
GERMANY HAD THE BEST AIRPLAINS OF ALL!!!!!!!!
DID YOU FORGET THE ME 262?
AND SO ON
GERMANY WAS WAY OVER EVERYBODY'S HEAD!
THEY HAD DEFINETLY THE BEST AIRPLAINS.
LUFTWAFFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ME 262 ME 109

 

[Ausm]

The ME 262 was alright but they had VERY limited range and also the engines where subject to explosion

They also had real sluggish mobility and a seasoned P51 pilot could blow them out of the sky.


Ausm

 

[chansen]

Wait a minute, Screaming Boy has a point. Beyond the ME262, the ME109 was a formidable opponent, again with variants that lasted the war. Aesthetically homely, it remained very simple to produce and highly effective. Better still was the FW 190, truly feared by the Spit pilots.

Though I can empathize with those arguing in favour of the P38 and P47 (Thunderbolt and Razorback variants), I don't agree. The P38, with exceptional range, firepower and climbing ability, was in serious trouble when it came to maneuverability. It was also the second-best look aircraft of the war. The Jug was not. In fact, the P47 was one of the most pugnacious looking planes you'll find that were not manufactured by Grumman. 500lb. bombs, rockets, .50 cal guns - the thing was armed to the teeth, but again, lacking in the ability to dogfight. Zoom-and-boom, definitely.

I give more credence to the P51. With range that allowed for fighter protection for the American daylight bombing groups for the first time, and a tremendous record, it still looks to me like a plane that was thrown together. Indeed it was, in nine months as I recall.

Really, with the exception of the P38 and some facets of the P51 and Corsair, the Americans produced some of the worst-looking aircraft of the war. Look at the P39 Airacobra. Hideous.

Still, for it's longevity, ability and appeal, the best aircraft of the was was the Spitfire.

Regards,
Craig

 

[Aquaman]

I personally like the Super Marine Spitfire, FW 190 and the F4U Corsair (sp?)

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Rankor]

"Of course, Chuck Yeager was able to blast one out of the sky in his slow p-51"

Actually, he took it out while it was on landing approach, but hey...war's war, right?

Greatest plane of WWII?

Depends on classification: Air Superiority Fighter, Interdiction, Bomber...

I've really gotta give kudos to Germany and Japan at onset of the War. They had the planes. Later on, Allied forces caught up with their arsenals.

Choices are sorted in category and from their respective countries in this order: US (AAF/Navy/USMCA), Brit, Ger, Jpn. (AF, Navy)

There are notable Russian planes, but the only one I can recommend is the Yak-9 w/c I think was a Ground Attack. I think the Mig-3 was their air superiority fighter but couldn't compete w/Germany's fighters.


Air Superiority: North American P-51D/Chance Vought F4U-1 Corsair/Chance Vought F4U-1 Corsair, Supermarine Spitfire Mark XIV, FW-190D-9, Ki-83 Frank/A6M5 Zero

Interdiction/Ground Attack: Republic P-47 Jug/SBD "Speedy D" Dauntless/SBD "Speedy D" Dauntless, Hawker Tempest, FW-190F, Ki-45 Nick/D4Y Judy

Heavy Bomber: Boeing B-29A SuperFortress, Lancaster

Medium Bomber: B-26 Marauder "Widow-Maker", Junkers 88, Ki-21 Sally

To choose w/c plane is awfully tough. Being up there in the rat race is pretty harrowing. I prefer to go down on the deck and interdict (AND) be able to fly off even with damage.

B/c of this, I choose the Republic P-47D "Jug". Who or what on the ground can withstand (8) .50s, and 10" rockets?

 

[Rankor]

"...Look at the P39 Airacobra. Hideous..."

I actually like the design and look of Bell's P-39D Aircobra; probably one of the few planes at the time w/tricycle landing gear.

If looks could only kill, though. It was initially deployed as an interceptor. (The P-39) failed in that.

"The Iron Dog" was slow and unyielding above 15,000 ft b/c of the lack of a supercharger.

It was a decent ground attack plane w/(4).30 cal, (2).50 cal, and (1) 37 mm. The 37 mm was inaccurate and unreliable b/c it would jam after a couple of shots.

 

[SuperTool]

Ilyushin IL2
The most produced aircraft ever at 36163. Destroyed thousands of german tanks, and helped win the war on the Eastern front. It's the T-34 of airplanes.

 

[Androck99]

B-17 Flying Fortress all the way!!!!!!!!

 

[SuperGroove]

The Me-262 guzzled fuel so fast, that P-47s would chase them back to their base and chalk up kills there. The Me-262 had very poor loiter time. All jet planes back then did. You can't win the air battle, if youc an't stay up in the air.

My favorite WWII planes would be:

1)B-17F Flying Fortress
2)P-47D Thunderbolt
3)F4U Corsair
4)P-51D Mustang

EDIT: How could I forget the A-26 Invader

 

[burnedout]

So many to choose from..............

1. P47 series - tough, heavily armed and quick
2. FW 190 series - maneuverable and well designed
3. B29 Superfortress - well armed with a heavy payload. Remote control gun turrets? can't recall
4. Ju87 Stuka series - although slow, employment of this aircraft revolutionized close air support doctrine
5. Douglas C47 - not glamourous or exciting. Just solid intratheater transport in the Atlantic and Pacific. Played a big role in the Berlin Airlift after the war.

What's with all the WWII nostaligia?

 

[Fandu]

I forgot to mention the Lancaster Bomber. If I remember correctly, it was the most used bomber in the war. Of course they were blown to bits by the swarms of german fighters, but we just kept building more and more of em.

 

[The Wildcard]

P-38 Warhawk, beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

 

[etech]

For all around fighter, the P51.
I like the P-38 also and suggest The Fork Tailed Devil by Martin Caiden for further reading.

I believe the A20 Havoc should also get an honorable mention. I saw on "Wings"(the show on the Discovery channel) that they were still used into the 60's and some after an extensive refit flew in VietNam.
edit-My mistake it was the Douglas A26 Invader that flew from WWII to VietNam
A26


Wildcard, I think you'r mixing designator and names. P38 was the Lightning. The Warhawk a late model P40.


List of airplanes

 

[Pacfanweb]

<<P-38 Warhawk, beautiful, absolutely beautiful.>>

I believe you mean P-40 Warhawk. P-40 was also known as Tomahawk.
P-38 was the Lightning.

 

[The Wildcard]

I feel like an absolute idiot....and the funy part is my friend corrected me on that this afernoon...