1942: the best fighter

[tomo pauk]

How about a crisp short thread that would resolve the issue: what was the best fighter plane available to air forces in 1942? That would be land based fighter, thank you; carrier suitability yields zero points here Also, no prototypes.
If the plane can do jobs for air forces other than ones it was designed for, that one receives bonus points.

 

[woljags]

the one and only Mosquito

 

[Shortround6]

When in 1942 and in what numbers?

Jan or Dec makes a big difference as does 12 vs 500 available?

 

[DonL]

FW 190A hands down.

 

[Vincenzo]

When in 1942 and in what numbers?

Jan or Dec makes a big difference as does 12 vs 500 available?

agree
and that available in front line or elsewhere, combat proved or not?

 

[Shortround6]

That is sort of the point, The F4U was available in 1942.........or was it???

2 delivered in July, 9 in Aug and 13 in Sept, deliveries got better but none were sent to a combat zone until early 1943 when around 300 had been built total.

Combat proven is a little tougher. A lot of planes combat debuts were not particularly successful but had little to do with the actual capabilities of the aircraft.

 

[tomo pauk]

Okay. In the thread qualifies a design that was available at least in quantity of 100, in combat service, prior 1943.

 

[riacrato]

Fw 190 A

 

[tomo pauk]

So far only the 190 gets real votes.
Was it better than Spit IX of 1942? Would it be of better use than Ki-43 in IJA service?

 

[Vincenzo]

my poker of candidates Fw 190A, Bf 109G, Spit IX, Zero-32

 

[Thorlifter]

I gotta side with the Fw190 over the Ki-43, but only because it was more rugged and the survivability rate. The Oscar was a fine aircraft, arguably the best of the war, but suffered from typical IJAAF shortcomings of no armor or self sealing fuel tanks.

 

[davebender]

As capable as a Fw-190A but the Corsair carried a lot more internal fuel. Consequently the Corsair could project combat power twice as far as a Fw-190 and it could loiter longer when assigned to CAP. Like most U.S. fighter aircraft the F4U was armed with .50cal MGs rather then 20mm cannon. Otherwise it was close to perfect.

 

[tomo pauk]

I was trying to point out that typical European fighter (that is, conceived between Atlantic and Ural) was of of limited use for projection of power at everyday distances of Asia/Pacific. Even in MTO, or above Northern Atlantic?
And, particularly for Fw-190 (A3?), why would we consider it better than Spit IX, both for 1942?

 

[oldcrowcv63]

I'm thinking in terms of historical dominance as well as sheer performance:

I'll go with the FW-190A-3 as an interceptor-fghter, and Mitsubishi A6M-21/32 as an offensive air superiority fighter that cleared the air of all allied opposition enabling the subsequent conquest of South East Asia. I don't think the two american contenders P-38F and F4U-1 were quite as effective at this stage of the war although both showed great promise eventually fulfilled.

 

[Shortround6]

As capable as a Fw-190A but the Corsair carried a lot more internal fuel. Consequently the Corsair could project combat power twice as far as a Fw-190 and it could loiter longer when assigned to CAP. Like most U.S. fighter aircraft the F4U was armed with .50cal MGs rather then 20mm cannon. Otherwise it was close to perfect.

Except it was not available for combat in 1942. Available for initial training of squadrons yes.

 

[Gixxerman]

Spitfirte mk9, Focke Wulf 190 A4 .......and nobody interested in a Russian type?

Surely the Yak 9 deserves a mention?

 

[tomo pauk]

In raw speed, the Bf-109F-4/G-2, Fw-190A (A3 as the latest in 1942, if someone could confirm?), Spitfire Mk.VII/VIII/IX, P-38F/G, Mustang I are in top class. 109 and Spit are good climbers. Well armed are 190, Spit, P-38 (109F/G need gondola cannons to compete here, slightly loosing in performance). P-38 has clear edge in combat range, followed by Mustang,with Spit VIII in 3rd place. P-38 is the most expensive to purchase mantain.
Perhaps someone could add other significant categories?
Soviet types look strictly short-burn light armed, IJA types lack punch ruggedness, Italian ones don't come close.

 

[drgondog]

I have a tendency to lean to 'offense' and the ability to capture the air over the other guy's airspace. I lean to the A6M, recognizing it would have its hands full above 25K against the Spit IX and Me 109 and have its hands full below 20K with all of them - but it would be a battle with strategic implications over the other guy's airspace.

 

[tomo pauk]

Wouldn't the P-38 even better suited your needs? Or even the Mustang I?

 

[Vincenzo]

afaik Spit VIII VII not full the requirements (combat service in '42) i want remember the Spit IX with merlin 61 was the right for '42.
afaik also190A-4 was in combat service in '42
afaik only 38F was in combat service in '42
macchi 202 is a '41 plane and compare bad with the top of '42, luckily for their there were not many in medit in '42.
La-5 was not a bad fighter but i rated (generally) him under 190A, on V-12 soviet fighters idk maybe there were some good yak but they are slow (probably not slow in low altitude).
for japanese i rated the Zero-32 over the Ki-43 I, Ki-44 is a interessant plane but too slow comparate to western production and not so nimble like the previous