Best tank killer aircraft of WW2 Part I

[Gemhorse]

If one doubts the Typhoon Tank-busting qualities, any leftover Germans from the Falaise Gap engagement will vouch for them....Typhoons started to really come into their own on the run-up to D-Day, and after.....

But the real glory should go to the Hurricane, which was the first Allied aircraft to use rockets, trialed in Feb. 1942, at Boscombe Down, using 3 rails per wing....
-First used operationally by Hurris II's n' IV's of 137 Sqn. on 2nd Sept. 1943, with a Typhoon escort they successfully took-out the lockgates on the Hansweert Canal in Holland.....- They continued in this role [4 per wing now] into 1944, when Typhoons continued...

Hurricanes played a huge part in Tank-busting, ETO, in N.Africa, Italy and especially in Burma etc. the 40mm Hurri's with rockets decimated Jap tanks....I dunno the figures, but it wouldn't surprise me if all added-up, the Hurricane was a top exponent at this....it was certainly the first......

 

[Adolf Galland]

hurricans fires rockets?
never heard of it, i though its NEVER s'pose to have any extally stuff even like the drop tanks and how can it be armed w/ 40MMs?, and the typoon is not good compared to the TEMPEST, which, is the best tank busting aircratt, (the tempest is developed from the typoon), compare:
Typoon: TEMPEST:
Speed: 405 MPH 426 MPH
Armament: 4X20MMs 120 Shells 4X20MMs 200 Shells
Range: 610 MI 1,530 MI
Empty Weight:8,800 pounds 9,000 pounds
Max Weight: 13,250 pounds 13,540 pounds

and other things are about the same... anyway...the tespest is clearly better!!

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

Actually, the Hurricane Mk.IID had two 40mm Vickers "S" guns under the wings, with 15 rounds per gun, as well as two 7.92/.303 Mgs for sighting purposes...


Anyway, performance isn't the only thing that makes a plane great, if this was true, the Me-163B would be the best plane of the war, and the Swordfish would be the worst...


Oh yeah, Hurricanes did indeed carry rockets, bombs, and drop tanks, in the desert.


Tempests were too fast, and 8in rockets were too inaccurate for tankbusting (*EDIT*~unless they were up real close, like at Calais...), in my opinion...

 

[Lightning Guy]

Nor did the Tempest do as much tankbusting. It was used far more often as an interceptor than a ground attack aircraft.

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

Exactly, Tiffies were usually relegated to ground attack, rather than Tempests...


I was just stating my views of a Tempest as a Tank-Buster, I know it didn't do it much; it did much more fighter sweeps and V-1 chasing...

 

[cheddar cheese]

Yeah, the Tempest had a narrower wing construction than both the Tiffy and the Hurricane, and that isnt usually the mark of a ground attack aircraft. Both the Typhoon and the Hurricane were better ground attack aircraft.

 

[Lightning Guy]

I feel pretty certain that the Tempest would have been better than the Hurricane in an anti-tank role. The Hurricane certainly did more, but I would have prefered flying the Tempest.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

hurricans fires rockets?
never heard of it

there was an entire mark developed to fire rockets, the IV i believe............

 

[plan_D]

You are all wrong. The Vildebeest was the best ground attack aircraft of the war...

 

[cheddar cheese]

The what?

 

[plan_D]

Look at this an aviation site and he's never heard of the Vildebeest...tut tut...

It was a joke, the Vildebeest served in Burma and India until 1942. It was a bi-plane, and quite frankly dog wank.

 

[cheddar cheese]

I rememberr you mentioning it before but I cant remember...

Good to have you back by the way.

 

[plan_D]

Thank you.

Although the Vildebeest was crap, it did get a few kills here and there. And provided at least some air support...when the enemy had no fighters around.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well that makes it better than the fairey battle............

 

[plan_D]

I suppose it does. I think in some circumstances it was another case of "It was so bad, it was good"

 

[cheddar cheese]

That phrase also applies to my driving...

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

Woooooooo! plan_D is back!

 

[plan_D]

He is? Where!?! I want to kick his ass!

 

[cheddar cheese]

Where you been anyway?

 

[plan_D]

Working, drinking, working a bit more...then drinking some. There was a holiday to Gran Canaria somewhere in there too.