The Forum's Favorite WW2 Aircraft?

What is it?

  • Curtis P-36 Hawk

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Martin PBM Mariner

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Vought OS2U Kingfisher

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Taylorcraft L-2 Grasshopper

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Douglas C-54 Skymaster

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sikorsky R-4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Avia B-135

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Avia B.534

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Amiot 143

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Amiot 354

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bloch MB.131

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bloch MB.210

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bloch MB.200

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Breguet 693

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Potez 630

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Potez 540

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bloch MB.150

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Caudron C.714

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Morane-Saulnier M.S.406

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Morane-Saulnier MS.230

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Henschel Hs 129

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dornier Do 17

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dornier Do 215

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Heinkel He 111

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Heinkel He 115

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Messerschmitt Bf 110

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dornier Do 18

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dornier Do 24

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Arado Ar 196

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Blohm Voss BV 138

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Focke-Wulf Fw 189

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bücker Bü 133 Jungmeister

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Junkers Ju 52

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Junkers Ju 90

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Heinkel He 177 Greif

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Junkers Ju 188

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Junkers Ju 288

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Junkers Ju 390

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Heinkel He 219 Uhu

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Arado Ar 232

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Blohm Voss BV 222

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Breda Ba.88

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Caproni Ca.135

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Fiat BR.20

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Fiat CR.25

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Piaggio P.108

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Savoia-Marchetti SM.81

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Savoia-Marchetti SM.82

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • FIAT G.50 Freccia

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Macchi C.200 Saetta

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Caproni-Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • CANT Z.501 Gabbiano

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 Marsupiale

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nakajima B5N

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Aichi D3A

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Mitsubishi G3M

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Mitsubishi G4M

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nakajima Ki-49

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Mitsubishi A5M

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nakajima J1N Irving

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nakajima Ki-44 Shōki

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nakajima B6N Tenzan

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yokosuka D4Y Suisei

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Ilyushin Il-4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Ilyushin DB-3

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Petlyakov Pe-2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Polikarpov I-15

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yakovlev Yak-1

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yakovlev Yak-9

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Tupolev Tu-2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bristol Beaufort

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bristol Blenheim

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Fairey Battle

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Handley Page Halifax

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Handley Page Hampden

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Gloster Meteor

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Avro Lincoln

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    396

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

for me its the stringbag. An obsolescent anachronism that achieved a massively impressive record at sea. not bad for an aircraft more at home in wwi and still flying in the age of jets....
 
I went for the Mossie. It was a brave idea and design, looked good and you will be hard pressed to find an aircraft that was at the top of the tree in so many different roles.
 
I go for FW-190 any time. I find it to be the best looking aircraft of that war and not to mention the characteristics of it. Here are the characteristics for my personal favorite FW-190 A8.

Cheers

Performance:

* Maximum speed: 656 km/h at 4,800 m, 685 km/h with boost (383 mph at 19,420 ft (5,920 m), 408 mph (657 km/h) with boost)
* Range: 800 km (500 miles)
* Service ceiling 11,410 m (37,430 ft)
* Rate of climb: 13 m/s (2560 feet/min)
* Wing loading: 241 kg/m² (49.4 lb/ft²)
* Power/mass: 0.29 - 0.33 kW/kg (0.18 - 0.21 hp/lb)

Armament:

* 2× 13 mm MG 131 machine guns with 475 rounds/gun
* 4× 20 mm MG 151/20 E cannons with 250 rounds/gun in the wing root and 140 rounds/gun outboard.
 
I'm probsbly selfish - the P-51 saved daylight bombing and probably more American lives than any other airplane.. and conversely did more damage (air and ground) to Luftwaffe than any other fighter.

Gets my vote.. F-86 close second for all time
 
I'd be hard pressed to settle on a single favourite. Of course, the Spit, P51 and Mosquito are near the top of my list, along with others, but one that is in there somewhere is the B25 Mitchell. Not for any reasons to do with performance or ability in intended role, but for its looks. See one on the ground today, and remember when it was designed and built; it looks modern, with the tri-cycle gear, the rounded lines and smooth exterior, that is, with the Perspex nose. It just looks right and, as most engineers would say 'If it looks right, it probably IS right!'
 
Very difficult to choose only one, but in the end I chose Spitfire, which like 109, 88 and Wellington fought from 1939 to 1945 and like 109 and 88 most of the time as among the very best of its type. And it had the looks. I especially like Mks I, VIII and XIV even if Mk XII was the most sinister looking Spit.

Juha
 
Being a Canadian, it's gotta be the Spitfire for me.
I like the Mustang too, but I find it a bit overrated and a slightly worse dogfighter.
 
hawker hurricane, did everything, fought everywhere, one of the few airplanes to serve from beginning of the war until the very end with few changes. it is hard to pick one favourite, I love Typhoons, the swordfish, C 47's, the macchi 205's...
 
The Flying Fortress. Beautiful airframe, looks graceful, powerfull, tough from almost any angle.

But most of all, because she would bring her crews back after suffering battle damage that would prevent most aircraft from flying at all.

TO
 
For me, it will always be the P-38 Lightning. I grew up listening to my brother talk abouit it with great affection. It also looks really cool on the ground or in the air.

If I had a second choice, it would be the Mosquito. Once again, an unconventional aircraft doing an incredible job.

Great poll idea!
 
I think all the choices mentioned in the posts are good ones. I've always loved the Spitfire, Beaufighter, Invader and the Swordfish, but I went with the IL-2 Shturmovik. People can debate whether it was a deathtrap that succeeded just because of sheer numbers, or a good design hampered in the beginning by bad tactics and German air superiority, but in my opinion it was the single plane most responsible for defeating the Nazis. Plus it looked like the tough, no-nonsense mudmover it was.

Venganza
 

Users who are viewing this thread