I'm betting that many a downed flyer, bobbing in the Pacific Ocean, would agree with you.
Most Beautiful Aircraft of WW2?
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soulezoo
Senior Airman
Like anything, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...
For me it has always been the Bf 109.
Honorable mentions go to the Dornier Do 24 and the Lockheed Constellation.
Honorable mentions go to the Dornier Do 24 and the Lockheed Constellation.
wuzak
Captain
It's got a beer gut!
swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 4,030
- Jun 25, 2013
No, that's a "dad bod."
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
The Maurader...that thing had speed written all over it.
Navalwarrior
Staff Sergeant
- 764
- Jun 17, 2018
Resp:
deHav Mosquito has nice lines. It also is sort of a sleeper as it is overshadowed by other aircraft.
Smokey Stover
Banned
Without doubt the Supermarine Spitfire. The only aircraft to have its very own ethos. Not to mention even when sitting on the ground it looked like it was doing 400mph. Whenever i hear Spitfire pilots accounts of this aircraft who used words like "a joy to fly" "The most viceless aircraft i have ever flown" "It was a real lady, beautiful!". "A glamour puss one minute and a wicked fighter the next" And my own personal favourite. "It's like having wings on your back, the aircraft always made me feel safe, like it was my own beautiful guardian angel" WW2 Produced some great looking warbirds. And while i admit the Spitfire might not have been the best aircraft of WW2, it certainly was the best looking. Imo.
Navalwarrior
Staff Sergeant
- 764
- Jun 17, 2018
True. I had to watch 'Dunkirk' at least 5 times just to soak in the moment. Also, a Spitfire did land on the beach during the evacuation, only the pilot failed to destroy it. The Germans sent it back to Germany, repaired it and used it in mock air fights against their fighters. Not a good thing.
I know the US 4th FG loved it. However, even modified it couldn't keep pace with other fighters, mainly due to its limited range.
GregP
Major
The He.100 has always been a pretty airplane to me.
Even if you add a radiator hanging down ...
Looks better than the Bf 109 and performed better, too. But the Luftwaffe high command hated Ernst Heinkel much as Secretary of the Air Force Symington hated Jack Northrop for not merging with Consolidated Aircraft. As a result, they cancelled the flying wing (B-49) and broke up the tooling. Heinkel didn't fare much better with the RLM, at least with his innovative designs such as the He.100 and the He.280, which COULD have been flying YEARS before the Me 262.
Not saying it was better than the Me 262. Am saying it could have been in service in such a timeframe as to have caused the Allies some real problems.
Even if you add a radiator hanging down ...
Looks better than the Bf 109 and performed better, too. But the Luftwaffe high command hated Ernst Heinkel much as Secretary of the Air Force Symington hated Jack Northrop for not merging with Consolidated Aircraft. As a result, they cancelled the flying wing (B-49) and broke up the tooling. Heinkel didn't fare much better with the RLM, at least with his innovative designs such as the He.100 and the He.280, which COULD have been flying YEARS before the Me 262.
Not saying it was better than the Me 262. Am saying it could have been in service in such a timeframe as to have caused the Allies some real problems.
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.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
That was a known 'problem', often published, with the Mk1 to MkV Spit, as the port undercart leg was directly in front o the (then smaller) oil cooler.
Cool! I learned something new today!
swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 4,030
- Jun 25, 2013
The B-49 also had stability issues, especially pitch damping, that were likely insoluble with the technology of the time. Not to say mutual dislike wasn't involved....
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
I think its hard to deny the French were all about elegant, flowing lines….
…Dewoitine D520…
…Dewoitine D520…
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
One more I never posted about.
Another French plane that actually had some success with the Finns...The Morane-Saulnier MS.406…
It's kind of a chubby little thing, but I've always had a fondness for this one, especially after I read about the mods the Finns did to it, to make it a better performer.
It got sexier, in my eyes.
Elvis
Another French plane that actually had some success with the Finns...The Morane-Saulnier MS.406…
It's kind of a chubby little thing, but I've always had a fondness for this one, especially after I read about the mods the Finns did to it, to make it a better performer.
It got sexier, in my eyes.
Elvis
