Favorite fighter/interceptor?

[Vassili Zaitzev]

For WW2 - P-38, F4U, FW-190D
Post War - F-86, MiG-15

Speaking of the F-86, I saw last Saturday a cool show on the History Channel called Dogfight. It showed an F-86 Sabre in a dogfight with a Mig-15. The F-86 came out the victor when the Mig used his excess speed from a dive to outclimb the Sabre. The Sabre followed and fired from extreme range and killed the Mig. As the Sabre pulled out of the climb, another Mig fired from his four o' clock and acceralted towards him, the sabre pulled up, got on the Migs tail, and shot that one down. It was all in 3-D animation.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

And that leaves one to pick the P-51D or P-38L.

Does not leave me to pick the P-51D. It is a myth. The aircraft was a great aircraft dont take me wrong, but if she had not had the numerical superiority that she had over the Luftwaffe fighters she would have been no better than the best Luftwaffe fighters.

Her lay to fame is only as an escort fighter able to follow the bombers to the target and back. The rest is hollywood...

 

[Parmigiano]

FW 190 lineage for me, because I like outsiders and the 190 was not designed as an air superioritity fighter but as a 'jack of all trades' (I believe Tank used the term 'Diestenpferd' if I can ever spell a German word correctly...)
Nevertheless the 190 was always on top in performances as interceptor, plus she carried a firepower superior to any other single engine fighter (except the Dora who was optimized for interception and exchanged firepower for lightweight) packed in a very nimble design.
OK, the Tempest V had approx the same firepower of the standard 190-A7, but was 9000 pounds empty vs 6500...

 

[The Jug Rules!]

My favorite fighter is obvious....The JUG!!!

But my favorite interceptor would have to be the F2G corsair.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Speaking of the F-86, I saw last Saturday a cool show on the History Channel called Dogfight. It showed an F-86 Sabre in a dogfight with a Mig-15. The F-86 came out the victor when the Mig used his excess speed from a dive to outclimb the Sabre. The Sabre followed and fired from extreme range and killed the Mig. As the Sabre pulled out of the climb, another Mig fired from his four o' clock and acceralted towards him, the sabre pulled up, got on the Migs tail, and shot that one down. It was all in 3-D animation.

I saw that show, very cool and accurate.

It was correct in saying that the F-86F was faster and at certain altitudes could out maneuver the Mig-15. The Mig-15 was still lighter and could out accelerate the Saber but eventually the Saber could close in, especially at higher mach numbers.

 

[rochie]

i voted fw 190 dora but also love the f 4u

 

[Matt308]

I'll stick with my posts. More versatility in P-51 and P-38.

Erich, I'm surprised about your comment on the Ta-152. With such a large wing aspect ratio, you are saying that it was a superior low/mid dogfighter? That would prove to be very counterintuitive for me.

 

[Erich]

proof was Matt that it took down Soviet and RAF fighters from mid range, the Ta 152H was never flown at it's peak altitude. As JG 301 was providing constant Wehrmacht ground enforcement even the Doras of II./JG 301 were committed to fighter bomber missions in the Spring of 45 along with the Fw 190A-8/A-9's. Stab of JG 301 with the Tank was providing high air coverage but they were not flying at anything above 20,000 feet but at much lower alt.'s

 

[Matt308]

Midrange I can fathom. It is the lower flight regime where I would think that any airplane with such a high wing aspect ratio would suffer maneuverabilty. Were there quite a few kills in the midrange? Against what kinds of airplanes?

I'm not knocking the 152, just am fascinated that an aircraft specifically developed for high altitude operations, is being touted as superior fighter in all flight regimes. Seems contrary to my understanding.

 

[Erich]

Jak's, Migs, Tempests and a kill against a P-51D and a P-47, but I am thinking off the top of my head right now. The TA 152H-0 and H-1 kills have not all been recorded, much of the spring 45 kills were not recorded as nobody cared, it being one of the last Reich defense units and operating against both sides of the conflict, JG 301 as a whole left so many bases to be flittered away in stupid ground bombings and strafings

 

[Desert Fox]

They were all great fighters in their own right, but I chose the Hawker Tempest as my personal favourite in the European theatre of war. It was hard to choose between the Tempest, the P-47 and the Bf-109. For the Pacific side of things, definetly the Kyushi Shindin

 

[Matt308]

I didn't think the Shiden ever saw action. It was plagued by engine trouble from the start, right? Specifically overheating? And didn't the primary flight test pilot die during an early test?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I'll stick with my posts. More versatility in P-51 and P-38.

Not trying to argue here with you and I agree that the P-38 is a very versatile aircraft but how is the P-51D more versatile than the Fw-190, Tempest, P-47, Corsair, etc...

 

[Matt308]

Oh, never mind. I agree with you. Powerful, fast and 4 30mm cannon. What's not to like.

I was thinking of the forward canard airplane with rear mounted engine. Can't recall designation off the top of my head.

 

[Matt308]

Not trying to argue here with you and I agree that the P-38 is a very versatile aircraft but how is the P-51D more versatile than the Fw-190, Tempest, P-47, Corsair, etc...

Perhaps not. I view these threads as more of a popularity contest than one that is likely to draw any meaningful technical conclusion. Your question is not an argument, but rather what makes these threads fun. In the hands of a skilled pilot any of these fantastic aircraft were beyond the pale.

My vote for the P-51D is based upon its operational capability, flexibility, maintainability (a VERY important consideration) and design simplicity. The latter cannot be readily said for the P-38 however. The engine platform was not unique to this aircraft, the armament consisted of a single weapon, and the maintenance cadre were well trained. The flight characteristics were forgiving, allowing for relatively untrained pilots to master basic aerial fighting skills, and its range was phenomonal.

Perhaps not all unique to P-51D, but convincing in their own right.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Okay because I understand versatility differently as in what kind of roles it can perform in. The P-51 could not perform in as many as I stated.

I just look at this way, you take away the range and the P-51 is no better than the Spitfire, Bf-109 and Fw-190 and probably not as good as the Spit and Fw-190.

 

[Matt308]

 

[lonestarman63]

Ain't she just cool too look , i mean if you knew nothen about aircraft and walk about and found one of these you wold have to say she is a predator with only on job in life

 

[Matt308]

You got that right. Every other designer said lets put two engines on the wings outside a common fuselage so she will go faster. Kelly Johnson put that on its ear.

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

I saw that show, very cool and accurate.

It was correct in saying that the F-86F was faster and at certain altitudes could out maneuver the Mig-15. The Mig-15 was still lighter and could out accelerate the Saber but eventually the Saber could close in, especially at higher mach numbers.

Cool.