Best Jet of WW2?

[Anonymous]

The Meteor saw combat firing its guns in anger over the continent so I don't know why you want it excluded.

For sure, the Aircomet should not be on the list, and the Ohka and Me 163, as mentioned.

I thought the only combat the Meteor saw was against V1's. ???

=S=

Lunatic

 

[Anonymous]

for god's sake the Ho-229 was too unstable too be any use!!

Which completely contrasts everything else ive read...

But there really is no reliable source to support those claims. Furthermore, in post war flyng wing designs, involving both German documents and samples and many of the German engineers involved in the Ho-229, it was found a flying wing was too unstable to work until fly-by-wire controlls were possible. Some of the designs did fly, but that did not make them suitable for combat use, there is every reason to believe the same holds true for the Ho-229. Testing never got very far, if it had it would surely have run into the same problems Northrop encountered.

=S=

Lunatic

 

[cheddar cheese]

The Meteor saw combat firing its guns in anger over the continent so I don't know why you want it excluded.

For sure, the Aircomet should not be on the list, and the Ohka and Me 163, as mentioned.

I thought the only combat the Meteor saw was against V1's. ???

=S=

Lunatic

Im pretty sure it did too. Nothing ive read says otherwise.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

616 Sqn was based in Belgium for a period in 1945 in which they say some action..........

 

[mosquitoman]

They were the first Meteor equipped squadron

 

[Anonymous]

Well, this seems to indicate the Meteor saw no arial combat...

A detachment of four meteors were sent to Holland as a prelude to the squadron moving into the front line. They were painted all white so as to be easily seen by the friendly troops they flew over. The aim was to familiarize everyone to the sight and especially the sound of the new aircraft with no propeller, It was done to help prevent them being shot down by friendly fire.

When the rest of the {616} squadron moved to Holland in 1945 they were immediately tasked with Ground Attack Missions however they did not get much opportunity because the war came to an end on 1945. In this short time they successfully destroyed a great many enemy convoy trucks, trains and aircraft on the ground.
http://www.turner.force9.co.uk/616sqd2.htm

=S=

Lunatic

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

which is why they were chosen to go onto the continent..........

 

[KraziKanuK]

Oh, so now the jet has to be in aerial combat. That leaves the P-80 out, for sure.

The Meteors were manuevering to engage some 190s when they were jumped by some Spits.


The Horten was a delightful a/c to fly.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, so now the jet has to be in aerial combat. That leaves the P-80 out, for sure.

The Meteors were manuevering to engage some 190s when they were jumped by some Spits.

Which would still leave it out of the running. I figure if the standard is "must have enaged in combat", only the Me262, He162, and Ar234 qualify. If the standard was "must have flown a combat sortie", then that adds in the Meteor and P-80 (which flew CAP missions over realtively safe ground, but that is still a combat sortie - it was within German range).

=S=

Lunatic

 

[cheddar cheese]

I think this should be for planes that flew sorties, in which case the P-80 has to be the best.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Since when is ground combat such as destroying ground vehicals not a combat mission. Every mission I flew over Iraq was a combat mission and what was my basic threat. Ground fire, there was no arial threat. So if the Meteor did see action against ground targets, then yes it did see combat and flew combat missions in WW2 which means it should be in the poll. It saw more action than the P-80!

 

[KraziKanuK]

Oh, so now the jet has to be in aerial combat. That leaves the P-80 out, for sure.

The Meteors were manuevering to engage some 190s when they were jumped by some Spits.

Which would still leave it out of the running. I figure if the standard is "must have enaged in combat", only the Me262, He162, and Ar234 qualify. If the standard was "must have flown a combat sortie", then that adds in the Meteor and P-80 (which flew CAP missions over realtively safe ground, but that is still a combat sortie - it was within German range).

=S=

Lunatic

You insult the memories of all those killed in a2g missions.

If one wants to really push their imagination then the P-80 flights could be called a combat sortie. The Ar234 only dropped bombs and took photos, yet you want to disqualify the Meteor.

 

[delcyros]

I would like to see the P-80 on this poll. It was the pinnacle of allied jet development and it would have seen action, sure. It would have been a close decision between He-162 and P-80 in a dogfight (if flown by good pilots). The Me-262 would have been as well, if properly improved. Back to the Ho-IX: There is a fact that indicates it´s stability. All Horten designs flow properly (except Ho-I). The Ho-VII could fly on one engine and keep cycling at treetop altitude and very low speed. You cannot compare the Horten flying wing designs with Northtrop design, because all US designs proved to lack a very important point: The bell shaped lift distribution of the wing. Horten himself tried to convince them, but they refused his help. Only a bell shaped lift distribution can make a flying wing stable enough as long as you don´t have fly by wire controlls. The Ho-II glider could do things you wouldn´t believe! (There is an analysis of the benefits of the bell shaped lift distribution of the Horten glider planes for their reconstruction in the Technisches Museum Berlin) However, the Ho-IX is a bit overrated in my eyes, it could barely have flown that fast (607 mph), that would result in compressability problems at any altitude (if Hortens estimation of critical Mach speed was correct). The P-80 was good in all points (including range for a 1st generation jet), that has to be underlined. The Meteor would have an impact, too. MK. III was no match for the Me-262 but MK.IV (yes it flown only after VE-day) would have been great! And not to forget the Vampire...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Oh, so now the jet has to be in aerial combat. That leaves the P-80 out, for sure.

The Meteors were manuevering to engage some 190s when they were jumped by some Spits.

Which would still leave it out of the running. I figure if the standard is "must have enaged in combat", only the Me262, He162, and Ar234 qualify. If the standard was "must have flown a combat sortie", then that adds in the Meteor and P-80 (which flew CAP missions over realtively safe ground, but that is still a combat sortie - it was within German range).

=S=

Lunatic

You insult the memories of all those killed in a2g missions.

If one wants to really push their imagination then the P-80 flights could be called a combat sortie. The Ar234 only dropped bombs and took photos, yet you want to disqualify the Meteor.

I agree with you completly. Air to Ground is just as much combat as arial. As I stated above, my main threat was from surface to air fire, there was not even an arial threat. But I guess getting shot at by SAM's and gunfire from the ground is not combat, and I guess that the meteor attacking ground convoys was not combat either. I think the meteor did see combat if it did attack ground convoys, how can you say it did not?

Back to the Ho-IX: There is a fact that indicates it´s stability. All Horten designs flow properly (except Ho-I). The Ho-VII could fly on one engine and keep cycling at treetop altitude and very low speed. You cannot compare the Horten flying wing designs with Northtrop design, because all US designs proved to lack a very important point: The bell shaped lift distribution of the wing. Horten himself tried to convince them, but they refused his help. Only a bell shaped lift distribution can make a flying wing stable enough as long as you don´t have fly by wire controlls. The Ho-II glider could do things you wouldn´t believe! (There is an analysis of the benefits of the bell shaped lift distribution of the Horten glider planes for their reconstruction in the Technisches Museum Berlin) However, the Ho-IX is a bit overrated in my eyes, it could barely have flown that fast (607 mph), that would result in compressability problems at any altitude (if Hortens estimation of critical Mach speed was correct).

On this I will agree with you completely also. Thankyou that someone else agrees with me on this matter.

 

[Anonymous]

Since when is ground combat such as destroying ground vehicals not a combat mission. Every mission I flew over Iraq was a combat mission and what was my basic threat. Ground fire, there was no arial threat. So if the Meteor did see action against ground targets, then yes it did see combat and flew combat missions in WW2 which means it should be in the poll. It saw more action than the P-80!

I didn't say it wasn't a mission. But it was not aerial combat. If a "combat sortie" is the requirement, then both the Meteor and P-80 are justified, since both flew combat sorties during WWII. I'll agree the Meteor is more legitimate than the P-80, but only just barely.

=S=

Lunatic

 

[cheddar cheese]

Have added the P-80 to the poll. Will do the same to the other best jet poll.

 

[Nonskimmer]

Yeah, so everybody shut up!

 

[cheddar cheese]

Perhaps I should add the Reggiane Re-2007

 

[delcyros]

I will go for the Shooting Star. Thanks that it is added, now!
It still had some shortcomings by may 1945 (air intake..), but it would have been a formidable and reliable air-superiority jet fighter. In an one-one dogfight I would probably choose the nimble He-162, but it missed the range of the P-80. For interceptions I would go for the Me-163 B Komet (just for fun, don´t take me serious), the Me-262 would have been the better choice for that task.

 

[mosquitoman]

A Komet would be fun to fly, not fun to land though!