If you were a pilot in ww2 which plane would you want to fly

What plane woul you want to use going into combat


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Mossie for me first choice. Fast, agile and er fast.
P47 second choice. Tough as they come.That'll do for me Tommy.
Cheers
John
 
You say that, but for it's time, it was a world class weapon. How many allied airmen were lost before it was realized that in a slow speed, turning fight, you are most likely going to lose to a Zero. You need to read up more facts and listen to less propaganda. Doing so is a benefit to history. Not doing so is a great disservice to not only history, but the ones who lived it.
 
First and foremost - the F4U-1 Corsair. Can you imagine what it can do in a dogfight against the 190s and 109s?

Others would be P-38, P-47D, and P-51

Actually we have somewhere on the forum here copies if the actual USAAF tests done between a Corsair and a Fw 190. The USAAF actually ranked them fairly equal, giving advantages and disadvantages to both over the other. Basically that it would come down to pilot skill.

The 109 was no pushover either...
 
Since I'm USian, I have to pick a US aircraft (despite the fact that the USAAF operated both Spitfires and Mosquitoes....), then a fighter aircraft, and I'd want the best, so I'd pick the Bearcat. Do note, however, that the Bearcat never saw combat in WW2. Of the aircraft that actually saw combat, I'd say the Hellcat. Yes, I know that the Corsair was better in many ways, but I'm only 5'8" tall, and the ergonomics of a Corsair sucked big time for people who were not vertically overendowed. Were I 6'4", my choice may be different.
 
Wow - this this thread is still rollin!

ASW Patrol, SAR, Key West NAS flying a JRF-5 "Grumman Goose."

Debrief at "Sloppy Joe's." :evil4:

presse1.jpg
 
Robert Heinlein addressed this question in one of his books. His opinion was a multi engine (the more the better) Sea Plane or Flying Boat.
His reasoning: over 2/3 of the world is water therefore better chance of landing the plane; more engines increases survival if one or more is lost; this type of aircraft in not usually used in active combat roles so less chance of getting shot at. Also a large crew means help is available.
 
"Take into combat" is a broad term so I voted for the Spitfire due to its air-to-air and recon capabilities (I'm thinking of the XIVe and PR XIX) although the F4U was a close second for me, especially due to its ground pounding abilities.
 
I'd pick the F6F, because it had sufficient performance to dominate its adversaries, but it was also tough and carrier-friendly. You can count on it to bring you home safely. I think the Corsair was a beautiful aircraft with great performance, but it was not as docile as the F6F Pussycat.
 
The Focke-Wulf 190, the best German piston engine plane of that time. Exceptionally well armed and protected. Speed was pretty good too. Maneuverability wasn't the best compared to the British counterpart Spitfire.

Too bad they hadn't replaced the Bf 109 in the war. Certainly would have complimented some of the Luftwaffe aces who would have achieved higher kill-streaks if they had flew it.

I am aware that many had, yet some were still flying the Bf 109 even by the war's end.
 
The Focke-Wulf 190, the best German piston engine plane of that time. Exceptionally well armed and protected. Speed was pretty good too. Maneuverability wasn't the best compared to the British counterpart Spitfire.

Too bad they hadn't replaced the Bf 109 in the war. Certainly would have complimented some of the Luftwaffe aces who would have achieved higher kill-streaks if they had flew it.

I am aware that many had, yet some were still flying the Bf 109 even by the war's end.
Problem is, the Fw190 was not a performer at high altitudes where the Bf109 was and the ETO was a predominately high-altitude theater. So the Bf109 was a critical factor in the airwar right to the end.

Where the Fw190 showed it's strengths, were at moderate to lower altitudes and if you were an Allied pilot, you had better bring your best game.
 
If you were an Experten the 109 was the bird to fly. Fast, good maneuverability and enough firepower. The quirks in the handling could catch out the inexperienced but men with thousands of hours knew how to get the best out of it.
 

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