I have walked around at Peleliu and looked at the Japanese defenses, granted decades later. It would have been extremely difficult for them to have gotten 88s there to emplace if they had had them. I think it is worth remembering that the physical environment was dramatically different between theaters and that drove the weapon selection.
Most "Bad Ass" looking Aircraft of WW2
- Thread starter windswords
- Start date
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I have walked around at Peleliu and looked at the Japanese defenses, granted decades later. It would have been extremely difficult for them to have gotten 88s there to emplace if they had had them. I think it is worth remembering that the physical environment was dramatically different between theaters and that drove the weapon selection.
I agree. And that's why the gun nose B25s and their skip bombing tactics were much better suited to the PTO than the ETO. German flak was much more potent and the gunners better protected.
And I thought the ZSU23 was a badass looking weapon! Do you know what caliber these are? Looks deadly, but where are the armored shields these kinds of weapons usually have? A couple of B25Js in a scissors attack would wipe these guys out.
Peter Gunn
Master Sergeant
Good shot of the Baltimore Whore, this one looks to be a test bed aircraft. Wonder what the scoop at the rear fuselage was attached to.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
I had that same weird color ME-109 too! I believe Lindbergh and Aurora were tied for worst.
Hardlydank
Airman 1st Class
They're 2cm (0.79 in). Most flak batteries I've seen only have frontal armor, I assume because of weight, cost, and/or production time.
I had that Emil, too! And the yellow Zero and the OD P40E, and the black (or almost black) FW190. Aurora was rugged as hell, but poorly detailed, and Lindbergh was fairly well detailed, but kind of flimsy. I would rate Lindbergh ahead by a nose, if handled carefully. I liked Monogram if I couldn't afford Revell, which was most of the time.
What a blast!
Cheers,
Wes
Ditto, although in most cases it's not really armor, more like frontal deflection shielding.
I recall building the FW 190, but mostly had the same impression of the Aurora models and tried to save my money a little longer for something nicer. I was fortunate that I lived close enough to Detroit in the 70's that I could convince my step-father, who also built models, to take me to the Squadron Shop about once a month on a shopping trip.
Greg Boeser
2nd Lieutenant
Westinghouse 19-B axial flow turbojet.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
After all these years I finally find out that was an actual me-109 type. I thought they just came up with something "Messerschmidtish". After all, it wasn't from Monogram or Revell. And now, back to our thread......
RagTag
Airman
OK, the door has been opened. Here is a woulda, shoulda, coulda. I nominate this as the most badass looking B-26, anyway. Note the French roundels. I was going to call this the french version of "B- - - - W- - - -", but it sounds a little too nasty. Note the F-84. This aircraft probably served in ww2 so It should count. Although this Marauder likely was still giving useful service into the 50's! Wonder what the top end was?
RagTag
Airman
Confirmed! 20 missions. Official Badass nominee.
Darth Sarcastis
Recruit
- 3
- Jul 24, 2017
F7F tigercat, this cat doesn't play well with others, pity it didn't get the chance.
D/S
D/S
Not so sure. There were a number protecting a potential target, always well camouflaged, so when a plane shoot at a particular one another Vierling would nail it easily.
That inlet duct has a very P80-ish look to it, don't you think?
Gee, I think I'll go back to the Pacific and skip bombing the Nippon Maru.
More conducive to health and long life.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
This might not be the most badass plane but perhaps "Most Badass Emeritus"?
swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 4,022
- Jun 25, 2013
This is why cluster bombs were invented: just fly over them. When they light up at the first bomber (who will have the worst job ever), the other ones know have a better idea of where to drop stuff.
As an aside, according to Keegan in Six Armies in Normandy, at least one German armored unit officer committed suicide after a bombing attack (the attack also left the tank unit he was in incapable of combat for some time). Aerial (and artillery) bombardments are highly stressful (and I'm very glad I've been nowhere near either)
