Did they try making it out of wood?The F7F Tigercat is above and beyond the most beautiful plane in my opinion, and it sounds beautiful with those two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radials
Most Beautiful Aircraft of WW2?
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CAVU Mark
Airman
For me... the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Small and to the point. Rounded lines, great canopy and a radial.
Dave Woods
Recruit
- 3
- Apr 21, 2018
That's a great list
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!
Attachments
Sadly it wasn't operational in WW2
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
...nuthin wrong with a T-6...
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
...or a C-47...
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
...how about the PBY...
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
...even my little avatar has a certain beauty to it...
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
...has anyone mentioned the Hawker Sea Fury?...
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
...any fan of the FW-190 may also like Sweden's "wooden wonder" the FFVS J22...
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Neither was the Tigercat. And, really, RADIAL engines are beautiful? Efficient, yes, but certainly rarely elegant (the Republic F-12 was a great try, however).
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
...when I was a kid, I thought the Swedish J21 was the coolest plane I'd ever seen...
The Tigercat was not a WW2 aircraft and it wasn't even made of wood, why are we even discussing non wooden aircraft?
The Tigercat was introduced to the Navy in 1944 actually, and while it never saw combat, it was technically in WW2.
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
...I always thought the P-36 had lovely lines, as well...
... and it had a German engine, to boot.
Now if only someone had bought and stored all those Swedish DB605s when the Flygwapen threw them on the scrap heap....
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
...lots of very beautiful planes to choose from, but when its all said and done, does it really get any sexier than a Polikarpov PO-2?...
...look at that sexy beast. I'm gettin' hot just lookin' at it...ok, actually I think I just like the sound of a 5-cylinder radial engine.
]View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blnn0ZyqGQ4[/media]
...look at that sexy beast. I'm gettin' hot just lookin' at it...ok, actually I think I just like the sound of a 5-cylinder radial engine.
]View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blnn0ZyqGQ4[/media]
DarrenW
Staff Sergeant
Hi mikemike,
Your comment is well taken but I believe JJWilson was talking about the sound they made. Radial engines (and their associated cowlings) have a business-like quality to them, lacking the overall grace of a finally streamlined Merlin or Allison. But one can still admit that those beautifully-shaped engine nacelles of the Tigercat were as close to elegance as any radial engine ever achieved....
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