Best Nightfighter of WW2

bronzewhaler82 · Mar 29, 2004

Yep - the Blackwidow was good (blimey Viper we actually agreed on something! shame you've left now! )

Crazy · Mar 29, 2004

GermansRGeniuses said:
The Uhu was grossly underpowered

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yea and im an albino pigmy monkey!
the thing was bloody faster than a Fw-190!!!!! how is it underpowered!??!! Two Engines=DRAG! TWO BIG ENGINES=MORE DRAG! Skinny Body=LITTLE DRAG! Skinny Body+2 1,900HP(!!!) Engines=Less Drag Than Mossie's smei-fat body+less powerful engines=FAST! even with 8(!!!!!) cannons of differing sizes, it hauled more ass than the mossie (and looked better too) dont mess with my Uhu M8! Two Mk108s(30mm) firing ahead from the wingroots, two of the same firing upwards ala Schrage Muzik, and two Mg151/20s(20mm) and two Mk103s(30mm) in the ventral tray firing forward! and it did 416mph! how can you call that underpowered?!?!??!?!? neither in gunpower NOR engine power!!

Reichsmarschall Batista

It did some damage

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do you know why it only did SOME?!?!?! THE BLOODY LEADERS OF THE RLM DIDNT LIKE IT!! they preffered the slower and worse Junkers design so they delayed the bloody thing if they hadnt been stupid and reluctant many more lancs would have gone down! like i said, DONT MESS WIHT MY UHU!!!!

Reichsmarschall Batista

Bit touchy, eh mate

MP-Willow · Mar 29, 2004

thanks Piaggio108- I have liked the Pe.108 and thought it was not loved by the Italians or Germans, but that is for another post. As for Lanc, I think any RAF plane would be his favorite!

Just remember the black widow was the first USAAF design night figher! Most of the others we are talking about were daylight bombers that could not make it as daybombers any more!

Gemhorse · Mar 30, 2004

The Mosquito was the most successful. It was first used operationally as a Nightfighter the night of 27 April 1942. It may not have had 30mm's poking out everywhere but it ground-down Luftwaffe Night Defence, both as NF and Bomber. After the War, Ernst Heinkel himself stated he wished he could have designed the Mosquito, and had a picture in his Boardroom of it. - To answer Kiwimac's suggestion of the most unusual Nightfighter, I feel the Fw189 was unique - UNDERpowered , and fitted with a light version of 'Schrage Muzik' , it did service in this role.

kiwimac · Mar 30, 2004

The HE 219 was almost the quintessential nightfighter, its big problem was that the RLM didn't like it! But then again they also didn't like the FW187 and HE280. At least they were consistent, I suppose.

FW189, fascinating machine!

(Germany)

This was an twin-boom tactical reconnaissance aircraft with an extensively glazed nacelle. The Fw 189 was a very effective aircraft, maneuverable and sturdy. A few were used as nightfighters. There was also a Fw 189C five-seat trainer (few built), and a Fw 189B anti-tank aircraft with a small armored nacelle (The Hs 129 was preferred). Total production was 864.

Type: Fw 189A-1
Function: reconnaissance

Year: 1940
Crew: 2
Engines: 2 * 347kW Argus AS 410A-1

Wing Span: 18.40m
Length: 12.03m
Height: 3.10m
Wing Area: 38m2

Empty Weight: 2805kg
Max.Weight: 3950kg

Speed: 335km/h

Ceiling: 7000m
Range: 670km

Armament: 4-6*mg7.92mm 4*b50kg

Source:http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/gustin_military/db/ger/FW189UHU.html

Just one of those machines I really like. Sturdy as heck, could take a LOT of damage including Russian ram attacks, pleasure to fly, what more could you ask?

Kiwimac

Gemhorse · Mar 30, 2004

Yeah , they were popular with their aircrew and nice and stable to fly- Out of so few made, there's a group I wrote to who are presently restoring one, their Secretary's email address is MWare189@aol.com - It was also called 'Owl', or ' Eule' as Kurt Tank christened it, but became 'Uhu' by it's crews. As a Nightfighter, it served with NJG 100, but it was basically 'the eye in the sky' reconnaissance work that it was designed for...

Crazy · Mar 30, 2004

I agree, kiwimac, the FW-189 is a fascinating machine, very interesting to look at and to fly

cheddar cheese · Mar 31, 2004

by interesting, i hope you mean ugly

Crazy · Mar 31, 2004

In my opinion there are very few planes from that era that are ugly. Some are rather amusing to look at, and some are downright outlandish, but hardly ever ugly.

That Heinkel biplane is the only one that comes to mind in the 'ugly' category

kiwimac · Mar 31, 2004

Try one of the B&V assymetrical aircraft for unusual looking!

BV 141

Technical Details

Type: Tactical Reconnaissance / Light Bomber

Engine:
(A) 960hp BMW 132N nine-cylinder radial
(B) 1,560hp BMW 801A 14-cylinder two-row radial

Dimensions:
Wing span:
(A) 15.44m
(B) 17.46m

Length:
(A) 9.96m
(B) 13.95m

Height:
(A) 4.10m
(B) 3.7 m

Weights:
Empty:
(A) 3,167kg
(B) 4,700kg

Loaded:
(A) 3,900kg
(B) 5,700kg

Performance:
Maximum Speed:
(A) 400 kph
(B) 438 kph

Range:
(A) 1,139km
(B) 1,900km

Service Ceiling:
10,000m

Armament:
Two fixed 7.92mm MG 17 forward firing machine guns
One manually aimed 7.92mm MG 15 mounted in the dorsal bubble
One manually aimed 7.92mm MG 15 mounted in the tailcone
Four 50kg (110lb.) bombs on the wing racks

And apparently it was a delight to fly! Go figure

Kiwimac

ahanswurst · Apr 1, 2004

The P-61 Black Widow was the most under rated night fighter in WW-2. It had onboard radar and the firepower that the P-61 could deliver to it's target makes it the best night fighter hands down. The P-61 was a hard plane to handle and thats the reason most of them were destroyed after WW2 was over.

kiwimac · Apr 1, 2004

Actually, I consider the HE 219 Uhu to be the most under-rated Nightfighter. The P-61 was far too late to have much impact.

Kiwimac

MP-Willow · Apr 1, 2004

Nice info on the Fw189. I must say that I really like the twin boom designed aircraft. But as for the fighter, still the Black Widow. But it is hard to compair aircraft because they came into survice at different times.

cheddar cheese · Apr 1, 2004

i still think ju-88 8)

plan_D · Apr 2, 2004

I can't decide on best nightfighter, but that Fw189 was a rugged machine. They'd be rammed by those crazy Russians and carry on flying with only one boom and half the tail missing.

cheddar cheese · Apr 2, 2004

ahanswurst · Apr 4, 2004

The HE 219 A7 model with the (6) 30 mm canons and (2) 20 mm canons was a very good night fighter But there were only 300 of the HE 219 series aircraft built during the entire war . There were 200 P-61 Black Widows built in 1944 followed by 450 more of the P-61 B models. After WW2 was over the leftover P-61's were modified into the F-15A series and flown until 1952. This was a outstanding aircraft and very few were sold to civilians.

the lancaster kicks ass · Apr 10, 2004

i still like the mosquito................

cheddar cheese · Apr 16, 2004

ie changed my mind to the beau

the lancaster kicks ass · Apr 16, 2004

i prefer that as a naval figter..............

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