Most Beautiful Aircraft of WW2?

Navalwarrior · Jun 28, 2018

Tieleader said:
True. The 4th vets I talked to REALLY didn't want to transition to the 47. They all said to almost a man (at least the ones I talked to) that the Spits were their favorite mount of all the types they flew. One interesting tidbit I heard from them was that Spits couldn't stay on the ground idling to long without overheating. Never saw that anywhere in the books.

Resp:
I finally got to see a Spitfire at the Houston Air Show in 2016. It had D-Day stripes on its wings. I hadn't seen one in over ten yrs. However, I was away a lot. Did get to see a ME 262 at the last two shows, which caught me off guard. Saw 'Glacier Girl' a P-38F; the first drop tank capable model to come off the production line. They didn't fly it, except on arrival and to go home. I sure would like to see some Hurricanes. Been @ 20 yrs since I saw one fly.

swampyankee · Jun 28, 2018

Elvis said:
I think its hard to deny the French were all about elegant, flowing lines….

…Dewoitine D520…
View attachment 499830

But then there were their bombers, some of which would gag a maggot.
https://wwiiafterwwii.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/farmanf223.jpg?w=809

pbehn · Jun 28, 2018

Navalwarrior said:
Resp:
deHav Mosquito has nice lines. It also is sort of a sleeper as it is overshadowed by other aircraft.

I am not in possession of an extensive library, as a bystander can you clarify where the Mosquito was over shadowed as a Fighter bomber, night fighter, long range recon. photo and met. recon aircraft and maritime strike aircraft?

Tieleader · Jun 28, 2018

Navalwarrior said:
Did get to see a ME 262 at the last two shows, which caught me off guard

Nice! Was it Collings Foundation bird? I saw their Mk9 Spitfire and a surprise Mk1 Spitfire at a local appearance not to long ago. Also their P-40, A-36,P-51TD, F4U , B-17G,B-24 and some others I can't immediately remember. It was quite the line up!

KiwiBiggles · Jun 29, 2018

When I first saw a Spitfire in the real world (as opposed to in a museum), on an airfield ready to fly, what struck me about it was how small the fuselage is. The side view we are used to seeing just doesn't convey quite how petite that fuselage is behind the cockpit, and how small the empennage is, and how big the wing and engine are.

Compared to the P-51s, F4Us, P-40s etc that were there (we are blessed for warbirds in NZ), it looked to be all engine and wing. It really is so very much smaller than all of its contemporaries. I would love to see one next to a Bf 109, again on an airfield rather than in a museum, as I suspect that that is the other from that time where there was simply the biggest engine available with the smallest airframe imaginable wrapped around it..

Navalwarrior · Jun 29, 2018

Navalwarrior said:
Resp:
I finally got to see a Spitfire at the Houston Air Show in 2016. It had D-Day stripes on its wings. I hadn't seen one in over ten yrs. However, I was away a lot. Did get to see a ME 262 at the last two shows, which caught me off guard. Saw 'Glacier Girl' a P-38F; the first drop tank capable model to come off the production line. They didn't fly it, except on arrival and to go home. I sure would like to see some Hurricanes. Been @ 20 yrs since I saw one fly.

Resp:
The only American pilot that flew Spitfires that didn't seem to mind changing over to the P-47 was Gabby Gabreski. And from his kill record the change likely gave him more opportunity due to the increase in range over the Spitfire. So there are many types of 'beauty' besides aircraft lines.

Tieleader · Jun 29, 2018

KiwiBiggles said:
The side view we are used to seeing just doesn't convey quite how petite that fuselage is behind the cockpit, and how small the empennage is, and how big the wing and engine are.

I saw an interview with a former Spitfire pilot who sat in a Bf 109E ( I think it was the E-7 @the IWM) and even HE commented on how small the cockpit was. His head was even with the the canopy top and he couldn't turn his head to look over his shoulder to look behind. No thats tight!

Navalwarrior · Jun 29, 2018

Tieleader said:
Nice! Was it Collings Foundation bird? I saw their Mk9 Spitfire and a surprise Mk1 Spitfire at a local appearance not to long ago. Also their P-40, A-36,P-51TD, F4U , B-17G,B-24 and some others I can't immediately remember. It was quite the line up!
View attachment 499926 View attachment 499927 View attachment 499928 View attachment 499929

Resp:
I believe it was a Collins Foundation Spitfire MkIX. I did look it up to send them a thank you note. I am 6 ft 1in and having sat in a P-51D, thought the cockpit small. One needs to remember, Luftwaffe pilots were only airborne a short time (@ 2.5 hrs) while most Americans were flying at least twice that time. Many times ground crew had to help USAAF pilots out of the aero plane due to fatigue.

CORSNING · Jun 29, 2018

Most elegant radial of the entire war:

CORSNING · Jun 29, 2018

Most elegant inline of the entire war: A TIE:

Spitfire Mk.IX
AND THEN THE

Shortfinals · Jun 29, 2018

I'm with norab, herman1rg and buffnut453

For me, even setting aside its incredible versatility and effect on the outcome of WW2, there can be only one.....the de Havilland Mosquito

Still, that was easy for me to say!

(Ross Sharp, Director, Engineering & Airframe Compliance, The People's Mosquito - www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk)

fastmongrel · Jun 29, 2018

Sabre engined Hawker Fury

Elvis · Jun 29, 2018

CORSNING said:
View attachment 500044

I always preferred the aesthetics of the razor backed versions to the later one's.
Nice pic!

Elvis · Jun 29, 2018

CORSNING said:
Most elegant radial of the entire war:

Wow, that's pretty.
Interesting how the Japanese, the Germans and the Swedes all kind of thought along similar lines...

Navalwarrior · Jun 29, 2018

CORSNING said:
Most elegant inline of the entire war: A TIE:
View attachment 500039

View attachment 500040
View attachment 500041
Spitfire Mk.IX
AND THEN THE
View attachment 500042

View attachment 500043

View attachment 500044

Resp:
Mustangs - Allison engined, Top to bottom:
1. F-6B, redesignated from P-51A and used as Photo-Recon. Note camera lens on port side rear window.
Most if not all F-6B Mustangs retained the P-51A black stenciling on L fuselage just forward of canopy.
2. Mustang MkII, one of 50 P-51As given to British as replacement for the Mustang MkIs held back by USAAF after Pearl Harbor, which became P-51-1, with all green upper and light grey under surfaces, most of which were outfitted w cameras and redesignated as F-6A.
3. P-51A, painted int the marking of the 1st Air Commando Group of the CBI theater.

Tieleader · Jun 29, 2018

Navalwarrior said:
Resp:
I believe it was a Collins Foundation Spitfire MkIX. I did look it up to send them a thank you note. I am 6 ft 1in and having sat in a P-51D, thought the cockpit small. One needs to remember, Luftwaffe pilots were only airborne a short time (@ 2.5 hrs) while most Americans were flying at least twice that time. Many times ground crew had to help USAAF pilots out of the aero plane due to fatigue.

Ah, yes, but remember 2.5 hrs with lots of talented pilots with high tech A/C with big guns trying to kill you. Kind of ups the stress levels a wee bit..

Elvis · Jun 29, 2018

Navalwarrior said:
I sure would like to see some Hurricanes. Been @ 20 yrs since I saw one fly.

Here ya go!

...good engine sound, too. =)

Elvis

glennasher · Jun 30, 2018

Tieleader said:
True. The 4th vets I talked to REALLY didn't want to transition to the 47. They all said to almost a man (at least the ones I talked to) that the Spits were their favorite mount of all the types they flew. One interesting tidbit I heard from them was that Spits couldn't stay on the ground idling to long without overheating. Never saw that anywhere in the books.

It was mentioned in the movie "The Battle of Britain", when Michael Caine wanted to get airborne because his Spitfire was about to overheat.

Navalwarrior · Jun 30, 2018

Tieleader said:
Ah, yes, but remember 2.5 hrs with lots of talented pilots with high tech A/C with big guns trying to kill you. Kind of ups the stress levels a wee bit..

Resp:
Yes, but try that w an additional 3 hrs of flight time. Everyone likes to think they had it rough, but I think the long range guy pushed it to the limits. Certainly weren't home for tea time.
Question for you RAF experts; did any Spitifres use the Packard Merlin engines? It was my understanding that Packard agreed to build the engine for the British. Please clarify.

GrauGeist · Jun 30, 2018

The Packard V-1650 series was used in the Spitfire Mk.XVI

It was also used in the Mosquito B.VII, Lancaster B.III (and I believe the B.X) and the Hurricane Mk.X

Most Beautiful Aircraft of WW2?

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