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If I can be pedantic (and believe me, I can) when was the F8FB-1, the cannon armed Bearcat, introduced? If it was after 1946 the Bearcats claim as the best is somewhat compromised by realatively weak armament. I wonder what the rationale about going 'backwards' to 4x.50s was anyway? Lightly armoured japanese opposition, unrelaible US built cannon, weight saving or all three, perhaps
The most important mission for 1946 fighter was to get a nuclear weapon carrying bomber to the target. Only the P-47N and P-51H fits the combination of range and performance.
I had a really hard time deciding, there are a lot of considerations.
If the priority was long range escort fighter, the P-51H and P-47N would take it, with a nod to the P-38L as well. I prefer the good ol' Jug out of this trio but the Mustang was no slouch by any means. Was considering the P-82B on here as well but I don't think that was in operation by '46.
The first flight was April 1945, the first twenty were produced by October 1945 but the order for 500 P-82B's was cancelled and replaced by an order for 100 P-82E's in December 1945.
If you want a fighter with excellent multirole capability it would be a real scuffle between the F4U-5, Sea Hornet, Sea Fury, F7F, P-47N (again) and maybe the Tempest as well. Out of that lot I give it to the Sea Fury after the bombs are dropped but the Corsair is REALLY close, and was the better attack aircraft. Both managed to take down at LEAST one MiG-15 during Korea, a testament to good design (and good pilots).
Best dogfighters? Spitfire, F8F, Yak, La-9, the latter two being almost unmatched under 14,000 feet (typical Eastern front conditions). Yak-9U being mostly hamstrung by its crappy armament.
I settled on Grumman's hot rod out of sheer raw performance and (I'm a superficial bastard) brutish good looks. While a good pilot in any of these planes would be able to give the Bearcat a run--some had better agility, some had better top speed, a lot had better range, better firepower/payload etc. etc.--the F8F with its explosive climb rate (in excess of some early jets) and acceleration gives it a huge advantage in most flight regimes. Couple it with four 20mm cannon in later marks and you had the ultimate piston-powered interceptor--and quite fittingly the ultimate Reno racer, though Sea Fury pilots I'm sure have something to say about that.
And the CA-15
I would think that an equally important role for a fighter in 1946 is to intercept the atomic bomb carrying plane if you happened to be on the other side form the atomic bomb owner.
Might explain the LA-9 with 4 23mm guns and a short firing time. Lousy escort---good bomber interceptor??
I always thought the Martin-Baker MB-5 deserved more of a shot at production, but it was just too late, no chance against jets.
B-3650 were delivered in 1948. B-29 cruiser ceiling would be a bit less of 35k
Thank you,
While it would be nice to see a later P-47 plotted on the chart this chart is also of interest to the best fighter engine of 1942 thread. It took a while for the two stage Griffon to get into service from the test stand but the claim that it was best fighter engine in the world in 1942 (under going test?) at least has some validity.