Best aircraft weapon on a plane during WWII

[elmilitaro]

to me the best weapon was a .50 caliber machine gun during a dogfight but a 37 mm or 45 mm cannon during ground attacks.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

That's easy - THE RELIEF TUBE!

 

[cheddar cheese]

I like the MG151/20

 

[evangilder]

There are alot of variables there. Best aircraft weapon for dogfights in fighter vs fighter, fighter vs bomber or ground attack?

 

[plan_D]

I've already answered this somewhere else.

Browning M2 .50 cal for fighter vs. fighter. Hispano Mk. 20mm or Mk.108 30mm for bomber and ground attack.

 

[BombTaxi]

M2 for fighter vs. fighter, MK108 for fighter vs. bomber, and 5" HVAR/1000lb GP bomb for ground attack...after all, the chap did say weapon, not gun!

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

that is true, well why not go for a grand slam in the ground attack role........

 

[mosquitoman]

Hispano for anything that flew, grand slams and cookies for everything else

 

[BombTaxi]

that is true, well why not go for a grand slam in the ground attack role........

Cos its no good for blasting moving targets with

 

[DAVIDICUS]

I think the 20mm Hispano II was probably the best air to air weapon.

The late war M3 .50 cal. with its extremely high rate of fire (approximately 1,200 rpm) was also quite excellent, especially when oufitted in a battery of eight on a P-47. (That's 158 rounds per second!)

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

that is true, well why not go for a grand slam in the ground attack role........

Cos its no good for blasting moving targets with

get it within a mile of the moveing target, noty only will you overturn that vehicle, but ever vehicle in the convoy.........

 

[BombTaxi]

But using a Grand Slam (and the Lanc it has to be mounted on) to attack a convoy is a waste of time and resources when two P47s with HVARS can do the job just as effectively and more efficiently.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

yeah but it's not as spectacular..........

 

[elmilitaro]

The 37 mm cannon was agood weapon for tearing up a bomber but it offered a lower rate of fire than a 20 mm cannon.

 

[plan_D]

I think there's a mass of agreement that the Hispano Mk.II 20mm was an awesome air-to-air and air-to-ground weapon. Especially when there's four!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

that is true, well why not go for a grand slam in the ground attack role........

What about an A Bomb

 

[plan_D]

He's right, just nuke the convoy.

 

[trackend]

The best weapon a plane was the pilot, even with inferior armaments if the plane is in the right place at the right time or puts it in the pickle barrel its Adios Amigo

 

[lesofprimus]

Take a look at the pics below... See all the craters??? How much $$$ did all that damage cost, in material and lives???? The Viaduct was finally taken out with a TallBoy..... One shot, one kill........

The debate over the M2 or the Hispano has raged for years...... I think it usually works out to which side of the pond u live on......

I am in the group that says fighter vs fighter; the M2; bombers Hispano II...

 

[delcyros]

Give me a combination of MK103/30 mm and R-4M and I take any target out. Or just give me a MG 213B/20mm for all purposes. (That´s what I call firepower!)