The most important Aircraft for any given country!

[lingo]

That however still doesn't change the fact that the Me-262 was the best fighter to see service during WW2.

Hmm. I would suggest 'arguably the most advanced fighter of the 2nd World War', but I would hesitate to state that it was the best.

 

[Marcel]

That however still doesn't change the fact that the Me-262 was the best fighter to see service during WW2.

You're right about the 262 being potentially the best. But this thread is about the most important for a country and I think the Me262 isn't that.

 

[Soren]

That however still doesn't change the fact that the Me-262 was the best fighter to see service during WW2.

Hmm. I would suggest 'arguably the most advanced fighter of the 2nd World War', but I would hesitate to state that it was the best.

When it worked and it flew it was the best. In flight nothing could match it if flown as any jet should be flown.

In a fair fight between two proper trained pilots, the guy in the Me-262 was going to have a field day against any WW2 prop fighter. It's just no contest at all.

Fair fights are rare in real life though...

 

[Soren]

You're right about the 262 being potentially the best. But this thread is about the most important for a country and I think the Me262 isn't that.

Roger that, was just responding to another post, that's all.

The most important to Germany was the Bf-109.

 

[stona]

Can't argue with the Spitfire for the "spiritual" rather than technical reasons.
Bf 109 developed throughout the conflict
P 51 for technical reasons.
I'll leave the Japanese and Russians to the relevant experts.
The success of any air force depends to a large degree on the competence,training and experience of its aircrew. When any two adversaries have performance in the same ball park this will be the deciding factor.
I was once driven around the old Nurburgring by a professional driver in a bog standard VW Golf. We blasted past all the Porches and Ferraris because our driver knew what he was doing and their drivers only thought they did!
Surprised to see the Ju 87 touted as it could only operate within the air superiority guaranteed by the Bf 109, hence its failiure in the BOB.
Steve

 

[Colin1]

The success of any air force depends to a large degree on the competence,training and experience of its aircrew. When any two adversaries have performance in the same ball park this will be the deciding factor.
I was once driven around the old Nurburgring by a professional driver in a bog standard VW Golf. We blasted past all the Porches and Ferraris because our driver knew what he was doing and their drivers only thought they did!

To a large degree, yes
Unless some mitigating circumstance prevents one from fully exploiting that competence.
The Battle of Britain is a good example where the Bf109, easily the equal of the Spitfire and generally better than the Hurricane, had constraints imposed upon it by range; once across the Channel it was limited to 20 minutes loiter time over SE England. The Spitfire and Hurricane were also constrained range-wise, so the same would have applied in reverse.
The Luftwaffe were largely more experienced than their RAF counterparts at this stage through their blooding in the Spanish Civil War and the war in Europe thus far; your professional driver would have been similarly hamstrung by being given only half a tank of petrol.

 

[stona]

Yep,absolutely true. Many think that Galland's famous Spitfire quip referred more to their freedom of manouevre than any intrinsic superiority of the aircraft. I take your point.
Cheers
Steve