Best Fighter

[plan_D]

I was saying you should have included the Soviet planes in your 'in from the start list'. The Spitfire XIV was the best dogfighter, and it beat the P-51D Mustang on everything except range...American and British pilots that had flown the Mustang and the Spitfire perfered the Spitfire.

The Spitfire could handle itself against anything in a dogfight, and that was all the way through the war. So from your list it's the best. Since the title is Best Fighter not Best Fighter in 1941, the thread holds more discussion.

 

[Maestro]

I was saying you should have included the Soviet planes in your 'in from the start list'. The Spitfire XIV was the best dogfighter, and it beat the P-51D Mustang on everything except range...American and British pilots that had flown the Mustang and the Spitfire perfered the Spitfire.

The Spitfire could handle itself against anything in a dogfight, and that was all the way through the war. So from your list it's the best. Since the title is Best Fighter not Best Fighter in 1941, the thread holds more discussion.

Once again, I agree with Plan_D.

I have a book in wich a pilot compare the Spitfire Mk. IX (came out in 1942) to the P-51B (came out in 1944). I translated it from French, so I apologize for any mistake. It's says:

"The comparison of those two plane is weird, because they had the same engine. [...]

The Mustang had a greater range than the Spitfire. Their fuel consumption were the same, but the P-51 was 32 km/h faster. With their engine "pushed at the limit", their speed was the same between 10,000 and 15,000 feet, and between 25,000 and 32,000 feet.

However, the Spitfire had a better climb rate, even against the P-51B at full trottle. But the Mustang needed less power to climb after diving.

In diving, the Mustang could desengage very quickly. With the same engine adjustments, the Spitfire needed more power to stay in formation. An other advantage of the Spitfire was that it was easy to handle in the curves. It was always turning faster than the P-51B, even when using the flaps. The Mustang couldn't spin as fast as the Spitfire Mk. IX at normal speed. But the spin performances were identical at 350 km/h. Finaly, the Mustang's four Browning machine guns were greatly inferior to the Spitfire Mk. IX's two 20 mm cannons and four Browning 303."

It was the P-51B compared to the Spitfire Mk. IX. So we can see that those two craft were almost equivalent and that the preference of one rather to the other was a question of personnal taste. But think about the Mk. XIV. With all the improvements, the Mk. XIV was better than the Mustang, no matter if it was a P-51B or a P-51D.

But once again, I must say that I like the Mk. IX. 8)

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i think it would be very interesting to compare the meteor (my favourite fighter) and the 262, could anyone find any accounts comparing them, i realise they never saw combat with each other, but perhaps if the allies flew one after the war........................

 

[cheddar cheese]

i dont, i think the 262 would just blitz the meteor

 

[Lightning Guy]

I think the Meteor would have had trouble overcoming the speed advantage of the 262.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

it depends what mark of meteor you were in.................

 

[cheddar cheese]

in a mark 1 or 2, the meteor would have a very tough time trying to beat the 262 8) might be a bit more even in a mark 3 though

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i wanna F.8, that would beat it hands down.................

 

[cheddar cheese]

hmmmm, im not sure, i still think the 262 would have an advantage

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

the F.8 could hit 600+ mph, and could carry more bombs and had a better range..................

 

[cheddar cheese]

yes but wasnt that after the war.... 600 mph whasnt broken until after the war in a meteor, i aint sure whether that mark actually saw service 8)

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

you're right, it didn't see sevice in WWII, but who said we had to limmit it to the war marks?...........

 

[cheddar cheese]

because it would actually have been feasible how could you have had a dogfight between a 262 and a currently non-existent mark of meteor?

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

what about the a 262 that was used after the war, the checks used them after the war................

 

[Lightning Guy]

Isn't this a WWII aircraft forem? If it is, I've got to say the Me-262 was the best jet fighter. If we are bringing up Post-war planes, why not just get to the heart of the matter and choose the F/A-22 Raptor?

 

[kiwimac]

Me 262 would have creamed the Mk I and II Meteor's. The He 280 would have held its own even against a Mark III.

Kiwimac

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

Me 262 would have creamed the Mk I and II Meteor's. The He 280 would have held its own even against a Mark III.

Kiwimac

a Ta-152H-1 would be able to at high altitudes and so would a Dora-9 and Kurfurst-4. Attached are pictures of these planes and the Kurfurst-4 is my Siggy

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

it's close to call between the jets, it terms of achievement, the 262 was a great intercepter, where as the meteor was great at chasing V-1s...........

 

[Lightning Guy]

Isn't that basically the same role?

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

not really, a V-1 is considderably faster than a B-17, as most planes were................