WHat was a better Paratrooper transport of WWII?

[B-17engineer]

WHat transport was best of WWII? Was it the C-47 or Ju-52. I know the Ju-52 had some defensive armament but never really did it fight its way into a target like C-47's did towards the end of the war. If you guys could, could you basee it off, 10 points being the best and like, Durability, carrying capacity, Speed, armament, stuff like that i would just like to see what you guys think and thank you!

 

[pbfoot]

I would think the JU 52 had much more combat flying then the C47

 

[lesofprimus]

C47...

 

[syscom3]

C47's by a huge margin. The C47 simply had the range, payload, speed and strength that the JU didnt have.

 

[B-17engineer]

Thanks guys!

 

[ToughOmbre]

The greatest aircraft of WW II gets the nod....the C-47.

TO

 

[Freebird]

Did either side ever use bomber aircraft to transport troops or supplies? Or was it not practical?

 

[evangilder]

B-17s and B-24s were used to drop supplies, but they weren't fitted with enough seats to drop paratroopers.

 

[Gnomey]

The British used the Halifax as a paratroop aircraft and sometimes to drop supplies as well. As for the best it has to be the C-47.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

When considering the "whole picture," the C-47 hands down.

 

[B-17engineer]

I think the SHort Stirling was converted from a bomber but i am not positive.

 

[drgondog]

I would think the JU 52 had much more combat flying then the C47

PB - with due respect I wonder how you measure 'combat time'?

If elapsed time from first flight you are dead on 1930-1945 as the first flight of DC-3/C-47 was five years later... but combat time? - if you go by sorties the 47 wins by a huge margin as so many more were produced and operated in every theatre of the war... and several wars afterward to compound the service.

Number of Airborne Ops? of size equal to or greater than a Battalion? C-47 by huge margin. Ju-52 - Crete.. but what else? Just for 82nd AB at Regiment size and above, North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, Nijmegen, Rhine - then look to Puking Buzzard drops (formally Ft Campbell's school for refined ladies), Dragoon/Riviera - and then on to the Pacific - just for US drops.

Speed, trooper load capacity, cargo? - huge margin to 47. Wikipedia not always reliable but accurate in these comparisons.

The Ju 52 flew first, was occasionally used as a bomber and had some defensive armament - but the defense was worthless against flak or fighters so why bother?

I think my vote stays with the Gooney Bird.

 

[drgondog]

B-17s and B-24s were used to drop supplies, but they weren't fitted with enough seats to drop paratroopers.

The Carpetbagger B-24s were used to drop Jedburgh/OSS at long range in onesy/twosey numbers but not exactly airborne equipped. Halifax and Lanc did same thing. Wouldn't be suprised if He 177 also used same way but I am not sure of any instance.

 

[B-17engineer]

THe He-177 couldn't it was cramped in there and its fuselage had many teething problems and Hitler said it was too dangerous........

 

[FLYBOYJ]

The Ju 52 flew first, was occasionally used as a bomber and had some defensive armament - but the defense was worthless against flak or fighters so why bother?

"The 57th FG was the main unit involved in the "Palm Sunday Massacre", of 18 April 1943. De-coded Ultra signals had given away a plan for a large formation of German Junkers Ju 52 transport planes to cross the Mediterranean, escorted by Bf 109s. An ambush was planned, using three squadrons of the 57th, a P-40 squadron from the 324th FG and a small group of Desert Air Force Spitfires. They intercepted the German formation and shot down at least 70 planes, with only six or seven Allied airplanes being downed."

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

C-47 was the best plane of WW2 period so it is the best transport as well.

The Junkers Ju 52 is a great aircraft as well. The old Tante Ju is still flying over here in Europe as well.

I would like to point something out though neither C-47s or Ju 52s "fought" there way though as indicated in the very first post.

THe He-177 couldn't it was cramped in there and its fuselage had many teething problems and Hitler said it was too dangerous........

What fuselage problems did she have?

She was actually a very stable aircraft and very well built. The He 177's problems were with its coupled engines which cought fire until the problem was later solved. If the aircraft had been designed with 4 seperate engines rather than 4 coupled engines it would have been a very good heavy bomber.

Also are you sure it was cramped? It was actually a large aircraft.

 

[pbfoot]

PB - with due respect I wonder how you measure 'combat time'?

If elapsed time from first flight you are dead on 1930-1945 as the first flight of DC-3/C-47 was five years later... but combat time? -


I think my vote stays with the Gooney Bird.

and here is the question
"WHat transport was best of WWII? Was it the C-47 or Ju-52. I know the Ju-52 had some defensive armament but never really did it fight its way into a target like C-47's did towards the end of the war."
All I contend is the 52 probably flew in more hazardous conditions on a day to day basis then the 47 .
The C47 was light years ahead of the Ju52 otherwise

 

[B-17engineer]

I am soooo sry i didn't mean fuselage i meant the Engines sry i am tired from staying up all night.........This is a quote from a bomber pilot (He-177)"The fuselage was beggining to break up on us then our engine caught fire"

The He 177 "Grief" was the closest Germany came to developing a Strategic Bomber during the war. Due to its faults and the Luftwaffe doctrine, it never appeared in numbers to strike a decisive blow on any target. As with the Manchester, dive bombing was one of the intended roles, the fuselage couldn't take the punishment. But 43 177's suffered from structual failure in flight. To acheive high performance though low drag, the He-177 was fitted with its 4 engines mounted in pairs one behind the other, driving a common crankshaft. THe surface-evporation radiator system proved inadequate and the rear engines often overheated and caught fire. The enormous torque from these powerful motors coupled with the long fuselage could casue the sircraft to swing on take-off and landing and crash or collapse. Hundreds of faults 64% had to do with the fuselage were found only a few were corrected this was because the Luftwaffe though better engines would fix the problems

 

[syscom3]

....
All I contend is the 52 probably flew in more hazardous conditions on a day to day basis then the 47 ....

The C47 ops in the SW Pacific and CBI were hazardous even if no one was shooting at you.

 

[Royzee617]

The Piper Cub?
The Lysander?
What about the Maxim Gorki? It had the chaps on the outside of the plane!