Most Beautiful Aircraft of WW2?

[michaelmaltby]

... it made sense for Canadian built merlin-powered AC used Packards

 

[CORSNING]

The most purposeful, brutish radial of the entire war:

If you have to come off the deck of an aircraft carrier:

My personal favorite just gets honorable mention because it did not participate
in the war, but came damn close.

Now that baby could have taken care of business in the Pacific.

 

[CORSNING]

I am out of time tonight. ASAP I will put in my favorite beauty of an inline
purpose built / brutish inline.

 

[Tieleader]

I would like to mention an aircraft that everyone here overlooked, especially those that voted for the Mosquito - the De Havilland D.H. 103 Hornet. None left, unfortunately, but you've got to love a plane that could keep up with a Spitfire with only one engine running and that could be looped with both engines off. And just look at it!

Looks like the runt of a litter from a mama Mossie cat!

 

[Tieleader]

but I think the long range guy pushed it to the limits

True. The VLRE guys in 51s to Japan had a miserable time at 10+ hours plus the weather, fighters,fuel, navigation. No wonder they got twice the mission credit time!

 

[GrauGeist]

...any fan of the FW-190 may also like Sweden's "wooden wonder" the FFVS J22...

It looks more like a Seversky than a Focke-Wulf, to be honest.

And interesting story leading up to the inception of the J22 - Sweden was looking to modernize it's fighters and it's purchase from the U.S. was suspended. Japan offered Sweden the A6M but the Swedes thought the transfer of the aircraft from Japan to Sweden would be impractical, so the J22 was born.

So by chance, the A6M almost ended up in European skies.

 

[Elvis]

For sure! I think their most advanced fighter at the time was an export version of the P-35.
I'd have to look it up again, but I think there was talk of the Swedes getting the P-43, as well, just before the US shut down the supply line.
Somewhere there's a pic of a J-22 and an FW-190 sitting next to each other at an airfield and they're almost identical....can't seem to find that pic anymore.


Elvis

 

[wuzak]

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

Indeed, the Merlin 266, which was the Merlin 66 built by Packard and the same as the Packard V-1650-7, except for details, such as the propeller shaft.

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

The Mosquito B.XX, B.25 and FB.26 (Canadian production) and FB.40 (Australian production).

Used in Lancaster Mk I and Mk III, and the Mk X (Canadian Mk III).

The Canadian Hurricanes also got the Packard Merlin - the X, XI and XII.

 

[pinehilljoe]

For beauty, I vote for the Spitfire, or the B-29 (yes). The B-29 in flight is a thing of beauty.

 

[GrauGeist]

For sure! I think their most advanced fighter at the time was an export version of the P-35.
I'd have to look it up again, but I think there was talk of the Swedes getting the P-43, as well, just before the US shut down the supply line.
Somewhere there's a pic of a J-22 and an FW-190 sitting next to each other at an airfield and they're almost identical....can't seem to find that pic anymore.


Elvis

Is this the photo you're thinking of?

They do look close to one another, maybe enough to be mistaken for each other at a distance, but I still feel that the J22's lines follow closer to the Seversky SEV-2 (P-35) or even Vultee's P-66. Sweden did take delivery of 60 Severskys in 1940, before the U.S. stopped exporting, so it comes as no surprise that there would be some similarities!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Glider]

True. The VLRE guys in 51s to Japan had a miserable time at 10+ hours plus the weather, fighters,fuel, navigation. No wonder they got twice the mission credit time!

Poor darlings, the Spit PR missions were just as long if not longer and they were on their own

 

[pinehilljoe]

Poor darlings, the Spit PR missions were just as long if not longer and they were on their own

if you havent seen this video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie3SrjLlcUY

 

[pinehilljoe]

Is this the photo you're thinking of?

View attachment 500213

They do look close to one another, maybe enough to be mistaken for each other at a distance, but I still feel that the J22's lines follow closer to the Seversky SEV-2 (P-35) or even Vultee's P-66. Sweden did take delivery of 60 Severskys in 1940, before the U.S. stopped exporting, so it comes as no surprise that there would be some similarities!

Did the J22 have self sealing fuel tanks and armor?

 

[GrauGeist]

Did the J22 have self sealing fuel tanks and armor?

It appears that the J22 was never equipped with either feature.

 

[Elvis]

The J22 was made (partially) of wood. I don't believe any armour was attached.

Grau Geist, thanks. That is one of the pics (I believe there's another from behind, as well).
I don't know. I don't see much here that suggests the J22, aside from the basic overall general shape and the fact that both use a radial engine.
If anything, the P-35 reminds me of either the F2A-1...

...or the CAC Boomerang...

 

[pgeno71]

Most beautiful, the P-47. What can I say, I like big Jugs.

 

[Elvis]

Most beautiful, the P-47. What can I say, I like big Jugs.

Do you prefer the earlier razorback or the later bubble canopy?

 

[Tieleader]

Poor darlings, the Spit PR missions were just as long if not longer and they were on their own

Well I guess its true about the old quote.."No matter how bad you think you have it there's always someone worse off!"

 

[CORSNING]

The most purposeful and iconic inlines of the war comes pretty
much down to a dead even tie. They were both completely
unmatched in there perspective realms. I give you the icons:
Spitfire Mk.XIV

And then there is the one that took this kind of performance to the enemy:
P-51D/K