The Forum's Favorite WW2 Aircraft?

[Thorlifter]

So as of now, it's........

5 votes - Corsair, Mustang, and Lightning
4 votes - Bf109 and Spitfire

Then..........everything else.

 

[ToughOmbre]

Second favorite (and 1st favorite fighter).....

P-38

Top two American aces flew the Lightning, and you gotta love the four .50s and the 20mm in the nose.

TO

 

[Messy1]

Big surprise here, but I had to go with the P-61. Just think they look cool as hell in black with red writing. Second would go to either the P-38 which really got me interested in WW2 aircraft, or the Bearcat.

Also like the looks of the Hawker Sea Fury!

 

[Venganza]

Also like the looks of the Hawker Sea Fury!

Best-looking radial-engined plane of all time.

Venganza

 

[Messy1]

I find beauty in many planes from World War 2, those are just my favorites. I guess I like the P-61 and P-38 just because they are so different looking from most aircraft from that time period.

 

[Thorlifter]

I find it interesting that in this poll, the P-51 just took the lead with six votes, but in another poll, the P-51 was generally considered overrated.

Of course, this poll isn't arguing stats. It's simply "your favorite" airplane.

 

[comiso90]

My "favorite" changes every few months.

.

 

[Guillermo DLC]

I like P-38 Lightning, great fighter, great adversary.............if not, why German called "Fork-Tailed Devil"?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I like P-38 Lightning, great fighter, great adversary.............if not, why German called "Fork-Tailed Devil"?

The Germans never called the P-38 the "Forked Tailed Devil." That was a myth made up by the author Martin Cadin.

 

[comiso90]

The Germans never called the P-38 the "Forked Tailed Devil." That was a myth made up by the author Martin Cadin.

I cringe every time I hear that phrase on a documentary. It is often used. I've read a couple accounts of German pilots who thought the P-38 was meat on the table but I cannot produce the authors.

I love the P-38 though...

.

 

[Thorlifter]

If memory serves (which it probably doesn't) didn't the P-38 have a very poor 1:1 kill ratio in the ETO? Where it successful was in the MTO and PTO, right?

 

[rochie]

after a lot of thought i voted for the dora, i think it was one of the best all roung fighters of the era and might be leading the poll if it was put in with the fw-190

 

[drgondog]

If memory serves (which it probably doesn't) didn't the P-38 have a very poor 1:1 kill ratio in the ETO? Where it successful was in the MTO and PTO, right?

Simple answer - yes the ratio of air awards to probable air losses was about 1.3:1 for 8th AF. I don't have the statistics for 9th AF and would note that the 479th with the late J and L models did some serious damage in July -September before they converted to 51's their air to air ration (awards to probable air losses) was in the 12:1 range. Their average BTW brought UP the other low P-38 air to air ratios in ETO

That would reflect lower general skills of Luftwaffe pilots, much better high altitude performance for the 479th P-38Ls.. while the 20th, 55th and 364th still had the F and early J high altitude/ETO winter issues.

The Africa/MTO/PTO had far more fighter bomber ops and medium altitude escort sorties than their high altitude ETO counterparts.

The P-38 was still a wonderful airplane - that could have had an even better record had they not been set back a yesr by the YP-38 publicity stunt crash.

 

[Erich]

I'd take the two if they would of ever had combat with themselves though there is a strange report of 1 Mustang shot down in spring of 45, trying to confirm that, it may have been a P-47.

the Ta 152H-1 and the P-51D

the P-38 equipped 367th and 474th were moderate in their success's in the ETO with :

82 air kills and 113 air kills respectively. the P-38 though seemed to be the better ground attack crate.

the 9th AF 354th Pioneer Mustang Group led all fighter groups of all A/F's with some 715 plus air kills. My they were pissed when they had to turn their Stangs into the 8th AF in the November 44 to get the Jug and then wait till February 45 for new Stang mounts

 

[Wayne Little]

Love the Dora-9 but seeing as the Ta152 is on the list.....

Heard today that a new 1/32 Scale Ta152 is on the horizon?

 

[kool kitty89]

The P-38 was still a wonderful airplane - that could have had an even better record had they not been set back a yesr by the YP-38 publicity stunt crash.

Bill that would be the XP-38 that crashed with the YP-38's coming out after that delay.

 

[tpikdave]

FW 190 A almost all variants. Absolutely the most beautiful and "elegant" of all WW2 birds. Just look at her lines.

 

[drgondog]

Bill that would be the XP-38 that crashed with the YP-38's coming out after that delay.

you are right - brain fart

 

[AMCKen]

Where's the Hawker Typhoon? : )

thanks

 

[GrauGeist]

Actually, it was the Japanese that referred to the P-38 as the "fork-tailed-devil" and the Corsair as the "whistling death".

Not sure how that Martin person could get something like that mixed up...