Which low-production AC had the greatest effect on the war?

[Cletrac]

Some aircraft were built in small numbers but still had a sizable impact on the course of the war. Here's your chance to consider these planes, all of which had a production run of less than 1,000, and vote for which one was most influential. Forgive me if I forget something significant!

 

[Procrastintor]

TBD, just because I like it.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Because you like it, it had the greatest effect on the war?

 

[stona]

Some aircraft were built in small numbers but still had a sizable impact on the course of the war.

I'm afraid I don't believe that your premise is correct,so I obviously can't vote

Cheers

Steve

 

[buffnut453]

Just to be boring, I could vote for the F2A because without it there would have been no F4F. Then there's the P-43 without which there'd have been no P-47. However, my vote would probably go to the Avro Manchester which ultimately evolved into the Lancaster.

 

[stona]

Just to be boring, I could vote for the F2A because without it there would have been no F4F. Then there's the P-43 without which there'd have been no P-47. However, my vote would probably go to the Avro Manchester which ultimately evolved into the Lancaster.

On those grounds you could choose any number of aircraft,even prototypes.
I'd go for the Wright Flyer
Steve

 

[futuredogfight]

The Glad is my chocie. On the same grounds of why it is my favaorite bi-plane.

 

[drgondog]

I supose for me, it would be the A-36. Without USAAF 'giving' NAA an opportunity to stay in the game when there were no procurement dollars left for fighters, the US P-51 production may have ended before RAF proved the merlin concept. It surely could have been started again but NAA would possibly have lost several months in getting the P-51B into ETO...

 

[buffnut453]

On those grounds you could choose any number of aircraft,even prototypes.
I'd go for the Wright Flyer
Steve

There's always one...and it's usually you, Steve!!!

 

[Oreo]

I'm afraid I don't believe that your premise is correct,so I obviously can't vote

Cheers

Steve

The original premise did not intend to state that ALL the aircraft listed had a major affect on the war. It could be argued that many of the ones on the list did not. But they were included to give you a vast bunch of choices, and of course, the "other" selection.

 

[stona]

Firstly surely noone thinks I was being serious about the Wright Flyer!

I was being serious about the original premise in the sense that I don't believe any low production aircraft had a significant impact on WW2. Ultimately it was a numbers game and all the aircraft that had a meaningful effect were produced in large numbers.

I didn't think the original intent of the question called for the sort of extrapolation,backwards and forwards,which some of the answers have adopted. There's nothing wrong with that,I'm just saying that it is not how I understood the question.

For example the Manchester had no effect whatsoever on the course of WW2. It's descendant,the Lancaster,most certainly did but it is a different aircraft and 7,377 doesn't fall into "low production".

Cheers
Steve

 

[fastmongrel]

FW 200, if the LW had had a properly developed version in large numbers the Battle of the Atlantic could have gone very badly in 40 and 41. They were responsible for the development and introduction of a large class of vessel the Escort Carrier. Not sure any other on the list had even half the influence of the Condor.

 

[stona]

FW 200, if the LW had had a properly developed version in large numbers the Battle of the Atlantic could have gone very badly in 40 and 41. They were responsible for the development and introduction of a large class of vessel the Escort Carrier. Not sure any other on the list had even half the influence of the Condor.

As I was typing my post above I was harbouring a niggling doubt about the Fw 200.

Now you've gone and posted it I would find it hard to argue that it didn't have at least some kind of impact.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Oreo]

FW 200, if the LW had had a properly developed version in large numbers the Battle of the Atlantic could have gone very badly in 40 and 41. They were responsible for the development and introduction of a large class of vessel the Escort Carrier. Not sure any other on the list had even half the influence of the Condor.

"Scourge of the Atlantic"

Good! Now that we have gotten that out of the way, how about cast your vote?

 

[drgondog]

I considered it but candidly couldn't make a case for having a 'major impact'. I couldn't conceive of any of the list contributing to a major change in the fortunes, being the essential component in a winning campaign, etc.

The me 262 was low enough production to seem to fit but it also did not fit for the same reasons - and would have to be linked and compared to Meteor for similar comparisons... so I thought 'out of the box' and ignored the list.

 

[davebender]

Produced in small numbers but they had a big impact on naval warfare in the North Atlantic and especially off Norway. Whenever a convoy to the White Sea got mauled He-115s, Bv-138s and Fw-200s were normally involved.

 

[fastmongrel]

"Scourge of the Atlantic"

Good! Now that we have gotten that out of the way, how about cast your vote?

I did, have a look.

 

[oldcrowcv63]

I guess I'll go with the FW-200. Aside from it being a maritime patrol aircraft and is therefore a dark horse for influential in any competition, its presence and effectiveness in that role forced the allies to take steps to counter it. The Hurricat and the Grumman Martlet equipped escort carrier whose value was evidently judged by how well it countered the FW-200 threat. My second and third choices would be the Fairey Fulmar and perhaps F2A except that as effective as was the latter in Finn service it really didn't seem to have an impact on the war itself, unless it tied down Russian resources that might have been decisive elsewhere against the Nazis. That doesn't seem likely.

 

[wuzak]

Well, it has to be the Fw 200 - for reasons stated by others.

Its impact on the war was far greater than its production numbers would suggest.

 

[Outta Leftfield]

I voted for the Sunderland. 777 of these hefty seaplanes were built, as compared to 276 of the FW 200, and along with the greater numbers, the Sunderland was much better deployed, doing an excellent job throughout the war in the Anti-Submarine role. U-boat.net credits the Sunderland with 27 u-boat sinkings, and many u-boats that were not actually sunk were damaged, or kept down by the presence of the long-range Sunderland flying overhead.
Short Sunderland - Aircraft - Fighting the U-boats - uboat.net
So I would argue that while the Condor might have had a significant impact on the war, the Sunderland actually did.