Humble fighters

[tomo pauk]

While Mustangs, Spits and 109s capture the limelight for decades, I wonder how people rate rate planes like Re-2000, P-66, Buffalo etc. So please make your pick and say why ecatly that one. (Please don't say why not F4F, or Ki-43 - those are 'distinguished' ones).

 

[dogsbody]

The Vultee for me!




Chris

 

[fastmongrel]

Always liked the early war Italian fighters my favourite the Fiat G50. Sports car planes not muscle car planes not the fastest but possibly the best handling european fighters.

 

[Thorlifter]

IAR-80 for me.

 

[javlin]

The G55 had some nice lines for sure just not enough were made.

 

[tomo pauk]

G.55 is from another league

 

[michaelmaltby]

Brewster F2A for me. The Finns put it the Hall of Fame. Great deflection shooters. Great hockey players, too.

MM

 

[davparlr]

P-66 for me, bigger engine except for the F2A and P-35, and significantly faster than all.

 

[al49]

The Reggiane Re 2000 was a nice plane, more modern, reliable and faster then her competitor Macchi C200 and with longer range thanks to the wing tanks.
Unfortunately two factors denied her production in large numbers.
The first was related to above mentioned wing tanks: they were too prone to leek and it took too much time to find a good solution for this problem
Second and even more important: Reggiane had not enough financial and political power to compete against the "bigs" Fiat and Macchi.
Alberto

 

[woljags]

out of the aircraft in the list it would have to be the Fiat but in my list for underated fighters for me must be the westland whirlwind,faster than both spitfire and hurricane but used 2 merlins and so not many built

 

[fastmongrel]

the westland whirlwind,faster than both spitfire and hurricane but used 2 merlins and so not many built

I think you mean it used 2 peregrine engines

 

[parsifal]

I would say IAR 80, but i have to as, why not include the CAC-12 Boomerang in this list, as well as the Fokker DXXI

 

[mudpuppy]

I'm going with the Brewster F2A; nearly obsolete by 1940 they were still very effective in the hands of the skilled Finnish airmen. I think that's a testament to both craft and pilot.
But that Re-2000 was a good performer as well.
Derek

 

[prestosm321]

P-66 for me. Wonder how she would have fared if given the chance when first produced.

Philip

 

[davebender]

I like the Curtiss P-36. Performance isn't bad compared to other aircraft which entered service during 1938. 1940 combat record in French service is pretty good too. $23,000 unit cost makes it perhaps the least expensive WWII era fighter aircraft. Even less expensive then the dirt cheap Me-109. I'm surprised foreign nations with small GDPs such as Finland, Norway, Greece etc. didn't purchase P-36s as France did.

 

[aircro]

I like the Curtiss P-36. Performance isn't bad compared to other aircraft which entered service during 1938. 1940 combat record in French service is pretty good too. $23,000 unit cost makes it perhaps the least expensive WWII era fighter aircraft. Even less expensive then the dirt cheap Me-109. I'm surprised foreign nations with small GDPs such as Finland, Norway, Greece etc. didn't purchase P-36s as France did.

Hm, Norway did purchase Hawk 75 alias P-36, but, for me is one of most interesting fighters is P-43 Lancer.

 

[merlin]

Though the Re.2000 saw little service with the Italian Air Force, it was built under-license in Hungary and fought against the Russians (anybody know how well).
I'v read that the RAF wanted to buy it, but this didn't happen because of the DoW, though others have said that it was the company trying to 'talk up' the plane!
Still if it had happened maybe no interest in North American building the P-40 i.e. no P-51 !!

 

[gjs238]

Gotta add the P-36/Hawk 75 to this poll.

 

[tomo pauk]

The P-36 was discussed many times on our forum, unlike the planes from this poll.

 

[alneal]

The Westland Whirlwind had good handling characteristics for a twin. I was still managable on one engine. The Peregrine engines had reliability problems, especially with overheating.