Most overated fighter

[Oreo]

We all love to talk up our favorite fighter, and especially for those of us who never flew one, the talk sometimes gets inflated all out of control. We've all seen/heard/read these folks who are just SOO stuck on a certain type that they think it could never fail. Well, here's your chance to blow their wings off by telling which WWII fighter you believe is most over-rated by the arm-chair tacticians!

Note! I can't possibly include all the types that might fit in this category, so I will leave a blank spot for "other" if you know of another one you prefer to trash-talk about!

 

[Haztoys]

Oh..Boy here we go ... LOL.. Thats about the last thing I would ask on here..LOL...

 

[Oreo]

Oh..Boy here we go ... LOL.. Thats about the last thing I would ask on here..LOL...[/QUOTE

 

[drgondog]

It has been done to death before

 

[magnocain]

I wrote an essay on the overratedness of the p51. Well... at least that was a big part.

 

[Oreo]

It has been done to death before

Well, I suppose so have most things. Make up an interesting poll and I'll be happy to vote in it. I have voted in many of the current polls up there now I'm just trying to have a little fun. Lighten up! We should all be friends here!

 

[kool kitty89]

Here's the previous one: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/most-overrated-aircraft-wwii-7707.html (poll still open)

Not specifically fighters, but the P-51 still has the most votes.

 

[eddie_brunette]

Mustang x100000000 !!!

edd

 

[parsifal]

I would not know where to start on this one. I consider all the aircraft on the list as having something good about them. Its strange to me that the Mustang gets such a big amount of criticism. I know that it gets rammed down our throats constantly, but it DID do a big part of winning the air war over Europe. Shouldnt that give it special standing???

 

[SoD Stitch]

I feel that the P-51 has been touted as the be-all, end-all fighter of WWII; yes, it was a great fighter, possibly the greatest, but it didn't win WWII single-handedly, as some would have you think. The legend goes something like "we would have lost WWII without the P-51". Nonesense! Yes, it helped, but late models of the P-38 and the P-47 (particularly the N) would've been able to more than hold their own over Germany during the latter stages of the War.

 

[Thorlifter]

I believe the P-38 and P-47, not just late models, but most models, were holding their own over Germany.

But my vote would be P-51, just because it doesn't deserve the "legend" it has. I believe on one of these many many posts, someone pointed out that the Corsair was superior to the Mustang in almost every category.

 

[Jerry W. Loper]

Early in the war, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero attained a legendary reputation because Allied pilots used the wrong tactics against it, but when Allied pilots learned to use their own planes' strengths against the Zero's weaknesses, even early war types like the F4F and P-40 were able to combat it.

 

[JugBR]

if the war started in 1942 ill sure voted in p-47. but the 109 start the war as best fighter and ended with a surprising k version, with a outstanding performance. of course the grat design of 109 is also amazing, could not be the best fighter or the best plane at the end of war but was the greates project and the most reliable also.

 

[kool kitty89]

I think Oreo meant (as mentioned in the underrated thread) which, in terms of current oppinion (now, not durring the war), is the most overrated.

 

[Oreo]

I think Oreo meant (as mentioned in the underrated thread) which, in terms of current oppinion (now, not durring the war), is the most overrated.

Yes, that is what I meant. Over rated in current popular opinion. Opinions changed frequently and quickly during wartime, with the great "flywheel affect" of the rumor mill adding weight to every tale of gloom or gladness. When all was said and done, opinions began to cement themselves on the face of popular awareness, often influenced by widespread knowledge of statistics, anecdotes, or more often, the popular writings of historians, and misled, more often than not, by word of mouth from old "eye-witness" first-hand rumor hearers and spreaders, who were unaware of the truth of the matter when they first heard about it, and have since heard others repeat the lie until facts and true memories are glossed over with oft-heard repetitions of falsehoods. Thus we have read, repeatedly, that the P-39 had a maximum speed of 330 miles per hour, could not function above 16,000 feet, was not safe to do basic aerobatics in, was likely to be fatal to its pilot in a crash landing, was very difficult to control in all flying situations, and was extremely vulnerable to enemy fire.

We are told that the P-38 had poor performance below 30,000 feet and was not reliable to fly above 30,000 feet. We are told it was a deathtrap when flown against the Luftwaffe, much like the Bf 110 in 1940 against Spitfires. And we are led to believe that the PBY catalina was the greatest thing on the water, and could hold its own against all comers, regardless. We are led to believe that the fw 190 was no good as a dogfighter but had to be used against bomber streams with constant supervision by Me 109 pilots. we are told that the AVG in China fought the Japanese on a regular basis before Pearl Harbor, when in reality they did not contact the Japanese in combat until some two weeks after Pearl Harbor.

Well, let's try to set the rumors straight!

 

[evangilder]

P-38 poor performance at low altitude? Where did you hear that? I have been around warbirds for many years and I never heard that kind of tripe. I have heard some crazy things, but not that.

 

[seesul]

Me-262 IMHO
Speed is not all you need to win.

 

[eddie_brunette]

As far as I know (and what I've read) the P38 was brilliant at low level. Much better than most US fighters (for sure the P51 and P47)
Anyway I personally belief it was much, much better than most think it was.

edd

 

[Soren]

Well some war documentaries are pretty fond of the P-51, way too fond to be specific. Yes the P-51 did a lot, and it was a great fighter, esp. when it first entered service. BUT by mid 44 there were so many other fighters which outperformed it that it only stayed effective because the circumstances of the war allowed it to be. In short by mid 44 the P-51 was no more the fastest fighter in the skies, which is what made it so special when it arrived (Plus the range). However the fact that the Germans lacked both fuel trained pilots plus were forced to concentrate on the bombers allowed the P-51 to be useful till the end.

 

[pbfoot]

It can't possibly the 51 as it's the aircraft that neutered the LW