Best Fleet Air Arm (Royal Navy) Aircraft of WW2

[bronzewhaler82]

The Firefly was the best the FAA had to offer during WW2 - the best all round aircraft 8)

No-one has come up with a convincing argument against that fact which is a bit disappointing actually - i was hoping for a debate...

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well what are you gonna say was better than it, as far as naval fighters go, the brits didn't exactily exell ourselfs....................

 

[bronzewhaler82]

I have to admit you're correct - the Americans AND the Japanese both had much better naval planes than us...ironic though isn't it? an island nation such as ourselves didn't have a better naval airforce?

I still think the Japanese had the right idea 8)

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

they had a better approach than the americans, i would rather fly a light, manouverable plane, that a plane whit a huge engine that made it hard to land..............

 

[bronzewhaler82]

The best Japanese naval fighter of the war was the Zero and it gave the american navy/airforce a hard time during the first years of the war but it had no armour and so was easy to shoot down...if earlier models of the Zero had armour the americans would have had even more trouble with them...perhaps they wouldn't have won...who knows?

 

[cheddar cheese]

makes you think...

ive always been a fan of the zero though 8)

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

yeah, sure as hell gave the americans a suprise, i mean it could turn circles around the wildcat.............

 

[Andrew]

bronzewhaler82 Wrote

No-one has come up with a convincing argument against that fact which is a bit disappointing actually - i was hoping for a debate...

Well lets put it this way , I think most aircraft that Fairey produced were not very good , they were all seriously underpowered , even the much vaunted Fairey Firefly considering it had a Rolls Royce Griffon as it's powerplant , was not quick off the mark , the only aircaft they produced which were any good was the Swordfish , followed by the Albcore which was basically a Swordfish with a bigger engine , and the height of luxury an enclosed cockpit .

 

[nutter]

the firefly was hardly a decent fighter it was originally designed as a reconisance aircraft. it entered service in1943 but didn't shoot anything down until 1945, on jan 3nd leut D.Levaitt shot down a Ki-83. It served well in the pacific but in europe it was not very effective.
The swordfish was a much better all round naval aircraft and was did more use for britain than the firefly

 

[cheddar cheese]

Well lets put it this way , I think most aircraft that Fairey produced were not very good , they were all seriously underpowered , even the much vaunted Fairey Firefly considering it had a Rolls Royce Griffon as it's powerplant , was not quick off the mark , the only aircaft they produced which were any good was the Swordfish , followed by the Albcore which was basically a Swordfish with a bigger engine , and the height of luxury an enclosed cockpit .

there could be some reasons for that

Firstly, Fairey tended to make only naval aircraft, which already restricts what you can do to a plane. And, saying the swordfish was the only plane they made which was any good is a bit silly, as bronzewhaler has put across some verry good points for the firefly, which have pretty much convinced me, and convincing me takes a lot of effort 8)

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

but you still gotta say the swordfish was better..............

 

[cheddar cheese]

why? it clearly wasnt 8)

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

name something memorable a firefly did?

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

improper use of punctuations abounds with you lanc! but for the best FAA aircraft, i go with the Seafire Mk.47 (if that's too late for the war, then i go with the Seafire in general, earlier Mks included)

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

my pucuation is a work of art......................

 

[Gemhorse]

Sticking my oar in firmly for SEAFIRES - I too can't think of anything exceptional from Fairey, even when they stuck a Merlin in a bloated body of a Firefly - Bloody ridiculous to risk 3 chaps lives in a single engined aircraft over water, in a MONOplane then, even if had cannons. Seafires are proof again of the versatile development of the Spitfire, and like all aircraft, it had one fault at least, in this case a narrow track undercart - but it did give the Navy it's first 400+mph fighter -Also, alotta N.Zer's flew them! - My 2nd choice is [naturally] the Sea Mosquito....

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i still like the swordfish the best..................

 

[Gemhorse]

I have profound respect for the men who flew them....

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

they did have to be pretty brave................

 

[cheddar cheese]

or stupid... no the firefly seemed a great plane to me 8) come on bronze, i dont have the intelligence to prove it was better, where are you!!