The slowest single-seat, single-engined, prop, monoplane, retractible undercarriage fighter?

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Admiral Beez

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Oct 21, 2019
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Which production WW2 fighter was the the slowest single-seat, single-engined, propellor-driven, monoplane, retractible undercarriage fighter? At 290 mph, the Seversky P-35 has to be a contender. The Koolhoven F.K.58 and Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 compete for a close second.
 
buffnut453 said:
Have a new contender for the title...the Caudron C.714. As an aircraft that only entered service in 1940, it has to rank amongst the worst.
Click to expand...

The C.714 was rated at about 314mph IIRC. however it couldn't climb, parts tended to fall off, and it had a few other problems, even the Finns didn't want to use them.

If not the worst it was a leading contender, but it wasn't the slowest until missing panels increased the drag
 

Wikipedia (yeah...I know!) gives the following figures for the C.714: 455 km/h (283 mph, 246 kn) at 4,000 m (13,000 ft); 467 km/h (290 mph; 252 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft).

If those numbers are right, then it truly was a dire airframe to be introduced as late as 1940...and that's before the "parts falling off" problem that you identified.
 
SaparotRob said:
Wait a minute, there's something worse than a Buffalo and even the Finns wouldn't take it?
Click to expand...

Actually, the Finns did take six C.714s but they were found too unreliable and difficult to land, and so were never used operationally. The only surviving complete airframe is in Finland (although the Finns gave an extra fuselage back to France which is currently being restored).
 
To the best of my knowledge the answer being sought out is the Polikarpov
I-16 type 4 of 1935. Maximum speed: 224 mph./S.L.
If the parameters had included that the aircraft had to be of WW2 vintage (1939-
1945) then the answer becomes Polikarpov I-16 type 17 with a speed at full
throttle height of 265/2,555 m. (8,382 ft.).
Type 4

Type 17

 
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