# Best Sounding WWII Fighter.



## V-1710 (Mar 25, 2006)

My vote would go to either the P-39, P-40, or P-51/51A: any non-turbo Allison with short stacks. The P-38 was too quiet. Water cooled V-12 with long exuast pipes running to the turbo. The props made more noise than the engines did! Merlins had a nice sound too, but not as smooth as the Allison. R-2800 is an earful. Particularly in the P-47, with the turbo whine. Never got a chance to hear the DB in the 109. What did they sound like?


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## loomaluftwaffe (Mar 25, 2006)

damn its rare to actually hear tthat beautiful DB IRL, but hearing it on video just sounds magnificent, it sounds mean and the plane it i in also looks mean... it's easy to identify them as "the bad guys"

sounds great with my speakers, well cause it's got a Sub-woofer

heres a link to a video posted somewhere here http://www.flightlevel350.com/video_streaming.php?id=5194


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## Gnomey (Mar 25, 2006)

Merlin engined Spitfire.


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## Wildcat (Mar 25, 2006)

Well Mustangs and Spits sound great, but I do also like the sound of the Boomerang, with the whistling over the gun ports on top of its Pratt and Whitley Twin Wasp radial.


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## cheddar cheese (Mar 25, 2006)

P-38


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## syscom3 (Mar 25, 2006)

Ive heard lots of aircraft at the Chino airshows.

Best sounding to me was the P38.

The B25 was quite noisey

The P51/Spit/P40 didnt sound anything special

The Seafury sounded like it was a champion...... just at idle it sounded like it meant business.

The B17 and B24 sounded great too.


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## loomaluftwaffe (Mar 25, 2006)

Fighters only dude, please disregard the bombers


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## FLYBOYJ (Mar 25, 2006)

*THEY ALL SOUND GOOD!!!*


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## lesofprimus (Mar 25, 2006)

Hell yea Joe....

Because of my upbringing, I'll always enjoy the sound of the Corsair best of all....


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## syscom3 (Mar 25, 2006)

Flyboy, you ever hear the Grumman S2 tracker? Good god, it sounded horrible. The design of the exhaust collector tended to amplify the harsh frequencies and dampen the more pleasant ones.

It sounded like one of those 60's V8's with holes in the exhaust pipes. Almost like someone snapping a wooden bat in half ever second.


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## FLYBOYJ (Mar 25, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> Flyboy, you ever hear the Grumman S2 tracker? Good god, it sounded horrible. The design of the exhaust collector tended to amplify the harsh frequencies and dampen the more pleasant ones.
> 
> It sounded like one of those 60's V8's with holes in the exhaust pipes. Almost like someone snapping a wooden bat in half ever second.



YEP! Sounds like russian burp gun amplified 100x. Inside it isn't too bad, I'm sitting in the right seat here, we were testing the brakes after a condition inspection....


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Mar 25, 2006)

if you ask me the WWI fighters sounds just as good if not better than the WWII ones, but as far as WWII fighters go it has to be the spit........


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## FLYBOYJ (Mar 25, 2006)

lesofprimus said:


> Hell yea Joe....
> 
> Because of my upbringing, I'll always enjoy the sound of the Corsair best of all....



Yep - I could understand that..

Here's the classic "start up." I get a woody eveytime I hear this.....


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## Nonskimmer (Mar 25, 2006)

FLYBOYJ said:


> syscom3 said:
> 
> 
> > Flyboy, you ever hear the Grumman S2 tracker? Good god, it sounded horrible. The design of the exhaust collector tended to amplify the harsh frequencies and dampen the more pleasant ones.
> ...


When I was growing up, there were Trackers based nearby at CFB Shearwater. You'd hear those things coming forever before you saw one. The sound was unmistakable. Not exactly a stealthy aircraft. 

Nice pic, Joe.


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## FLYBOYJ (Mar 25, 2006)

Nonskimmer said:


> FLYBOYJ said:
> 
> 
> > syscom3 said:
> ...



Used to see them all the time when i was in Canada '83-88'.

PS - welcome back NS!!


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## Nonskimmer (Mar 25, 2006)

Thanks, man.


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## syscom3 (Mar 25, 2006)

Nonskimmer, I flew over your neck of the woods on Thursday, coming back from London. Did you know that in Northern Quebec, between Newfoundland and Hudson bay, the outside air temp was nearly -100F (at 37,000ft)?


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## Nonskimmer (Mar 25, 2006)

Ah, balmy.


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## lesofprimus (Mar 25, 2006)

Yea right...


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## cheddar cheese (Mar 25, 2006)

FLYBOYJ said:


> lesofprimus said:
> 
> 
> > Hell yea Joe....
> ...



I dunno if its because of the quality or what, but to me that sounded like a broken toilet trying to flush...


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## FLYBOYJ (Mar 25, 2006)

cheddar cheese said:


> FLYBOYJ said:
> 
> 
> > lesofprimus said:
> ...



 - actually what you are hearing is the starter engaging and the engine turning several times, then the big radial actually turns over....

Ahhhh - music to my ears!!!


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## lesofprimus (Mar 25, 2006)

Mine too, thanks Joe...


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## wmaxt (Mar 25, 2006)

I like them all, and I've heard most of them. The P-38 sounded smoothest by far and the Tigercat is the most rambunctious! 8) 

wmaxt


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## davparlr (Mar 26, 2006)

Long Island Native guy who wrote-

Because of my upbringing, I'll always enjoy the sound of the Corsair best of all....

I would have thought you would selected an Iron Works plane.


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## lesofprimus (Mar 26, 2006)

Noob ass davpar guy who wrote-



> I would have thought you would selected an Iron Works plane.



Seeing how u havent yet familiarized urself with the Senior Members here, I grew up in the throngs of drunken Black Sheep, as my Grandfather was one of em....


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## HealzDevo (Mar 27, 2006)

I go for the Spitfire as the best sounding WW2 Fighter, especially starting up.


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## [Gavca]CrossBones (Mar 30, 2006)

S!


I agree....Merlin`s Spitfire


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## Hot Space (Mar 30, 2006)

I quite like the sound of a RR Griffon Engine. Sounds like a engine that was made by men for men........if you see what i mean: i.e A real deep, growling sound when at full bore 


That still sounds gay........nevermind lol


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## Nonskimmer (Mar 30, 2006)

Hot Space said:


> That still sounds gay........nevermind lol


What? Never. 

But I agree about the Griffon. The Merlin sounded grand too, but the Griffon...8)


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## Hot Space (Mar 31, 2006)

It just sounds like it's got a lot of grunt to it


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## Nonskimmer (Mar 31, 2006)

A bit like me after good feed of fried pepperoni, only not as stinky.


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## Gnomey (Mar 31, 2006)

That it does HS 8) 

Excuse the crap quality (I took it on my digital camera) but you can really here the sound of the Griffon


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## loomaluftwaffe (Mar 31, 2006)

nice


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## Nonskimmer (Mar 31, 2006)

Ah, the throaty roar of a Griffon.


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## Beni (Mar 31, 2006)

I ereally love the sound of any merlin engine...But I think the sound of the mercedes engine of first series of bf 109 is really elegant


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## loomaluftwaffe (Mar 31, 2006)

and mean...


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## Hot Space (Mar 31, 2006)

Gnomey said:


> That it does HS 8)
> 
> Excuse the crap quality (I took it on my digital camera) but you can really here the sound of the Griffon



M8 I love u. Just can't get enough of hearing the Griffon


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## kamata93 (Aug 10, 2014)

I am amazed that only one said something about the Me 109....So my top 3 are:

1. Me 109
2. FW 190
3. Zero


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## Kryten (Aug 10, 2014)

Mosquito, one Merlin sounds OK, two sound simply wonderfull!


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_-AsgYvF2o_


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## Koopernic (Aug 10, 2014)

Any aircraft with a turbo supercharger would have sounded smooth and silent, the turbine silences the exhaust. That leaves perhaps only the P-47 and P-38 fighters and the American heavy bombers. The Merlin was very noisy in the cockpit, it could be very fatiguing. Even the Me 109 was considerably quitter due to is low exhaust placement from the inverted engines. I believe the sleave valved Bristol Hercules used on the Beaufighter could be distinct due to the absence of poppet valves.


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## rogerwilko (Aug 10, 2014)

Hard to beat the sound of a Sabre engine on full song. Spine tingling! 
_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKq51LdJ-ZU_


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## BiffF15 (Aug 10, 2014)

Q: Which WW2 fighter sounds best?

A: 1. The first one I get to fly. 
2. Merlin powered, Allison turbo powered, R2800 powered.

Cheers,
Biff


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## GrauGeist (Aug 11, 2014)

kamata93 said:


> I am amazed that only one said something about the Me 109....So my top 3 are:
> 
> 1. Me 109
> 2. FW 190
> 3. Zero


The Bf109's Daimler-Benz engine certainly has a unique sound

The Fw190's BMW801 is definitely at the top of my list of favorites, mainly because a radial engine produces music to my ears!

The A6M's Sakai radial is not all that exciting to hear. It just seems to lack that growl that you expect to hear from a radial.

When I was much younger, there was a machinist who learned his trade from the Luftwaffe when he was a teenager in German occupied Czechoslovakia. In the back of his shop, was a Jumo211 on a stand, that he had lovingly restored. When he fired that engine up, it was incredible to hear...one of the most amazing things I have ever heard. To have been able to hear a Stuka in flight must have been awesome!


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## kettbo (Aug 11, 2014)

Not very common these days, the Bf109G


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO9mEv5Ve54_

CRANK IT UP!


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## Thorlifter (Aug 11, 2014)

One heck of a pilot taking that 109 off from an unlevel bouncy grass field. The narrow undercarriage sure doesn't help but you can see why it was not uncommon when 109's crashed on takeoff/landings.


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## Koopernic (Aug 11, 2014)

Thorlifter said:


> One heck of a pilot taking that 109 off from an unlevel bouncy grass field. The narrow undercarriage sure doesn't help but you can see why it was not uncommon when 109's crashed on takeoff/landings.



Landing and take-off accidents were a problem but extra training got it down to the same level as other aircraft types. Once in the air the Me 109's handling was superb: plenty of pre stall buffet, probably the easiest spin recovery of any ww2 aircraft, in fact almost impossible to spin.

Eventually it was discovered that when in the 3 point attitude that prop circulation would cause one wing to stall ahead of the other and caused the ground looping problem. You will find extended tail yokes were fitted in many if not most Me 109G10, quite a few Me 109G14 and a few G6. All K4 had the extended yoke as it was retractable built in part rather than an interchangeable fixture. The higher sitting angle also increased visibility and ground taxing accidents reduced.

Training requirements for the 109 were high and this was a big disadvantage: not only because of the landing/takeoff procedures but because the poor rearward visibility, lack of rear view mirrors, meant very strict paired flying was required. It was a tragedy for the Luftwaffe that it had to rely on this aircraft quite so long. It does sound wonderful though.


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## BiffF15 (Aug 11, 2014)

I concour with Thor, he did well flying that thing out of a lumpy field!


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## tengu1979 (Aug 11, 2014)

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y5LBUVS1T8_

It is really hard to beat that though....

ANd considering engine used La-5 had to sound pretty sick as well


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkWnHma45fk_


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## Clayton Magnet (Aug 11, 2014)

Great videos, thank you for them, but that 190 just doesnt look right with a 4 blade prop


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 11, 2014)

kettbo said:


> Not very common these days, the Bf109G
> 
> 
> _View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO9mEv5Ve54_
> ...




When I got to see the 109 fly at Hahnweide, it was music to my ears.


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## tengu1979 (Aug 12, 2014)

Clayton Magnet said:


> Great videos, thank you for them, but that 190 just doesnt look right with a 4 blade prop



They got the revised 3 bladed props back on on Flugwerks machines now. THe engine is ASz-82 (chinese copy as I remember) so I think the La-5s might have sounded similar. 
And that is pretty sick sound in my case....


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## rogerwilko (Aug 12, 2014)

I'm surprised there's no Sabre fans here? 24 cylinder monster! Maybe I'm a pervert.

Reactions: Bacon Bacon:
1 | Like List reactions


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## Airframes (Aug 12, 2014)

There probably would be Napier Sabre fans, if there were any around. As far as I know, there aren't any running, at least in airworthy form, and any WW2 soundtrack could, at best, be of dubious quality.
I'll admit though, if there was an airworthy Tempest or Typhoon, it would be a heck of a sound to hear !


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## at6 (Aug 12, 2014)

Virtually anything with a radial engine gets my vote.


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## walle (Aug 12, 2014)

The English Spitfire and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 gets my vote.


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## beaupower32 (Aug 12, 2014)

Bf-109 and the Hawker Typhoon/Tempest


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## grampi (Aug 12, 2014)

Merlin P-51s are my favorite sounding fighters, but this sounds pretty damn good IMO...


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CQLpByAbns_


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## GingahNinja (Aug 12, 2014)

109/190 both are a tie in my eyes OR ears!! Corsair and P-47 get another voting tie for myself, BUT if I could only listen to one engine purr for the rest of my life, it'd be the P-51 merlins....ugh just music to my ears.


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