Worst aircraft of WW2?

[FLYBOYJ]

Yep - and even after Midway and the introduction of the Avenger in understand torpedo bombing was accomplished on a limited basis.

The Japanese were extremely fearful of torpedo bombers - Karma from Pearl Harbor?

 

[Dac]

I guess torpedoing ships anchored in harbor is easier than in the open ocean.

 

[F4D]

Well as it seems that this thread is with qualifying guideline's yet.
I propose that the worst plane was one that crashed landed or just crashed every-time it took to the air and was very underpowered.

That being any glider aircraft used in the war.
JUST KIDDING!

I think you will find that all pre war combat aircraft had a tough time dealing with the reality of war.

 

[wmaxt]

I think you will find that all pre war combat aircraft had a tough time dealing with the reality of war.

Yes, thats true as far as it goes, of course the first rule of war is that all preconcieved ideas are wrong. There were also a few that rose to the occasion.

The P-40 was a hard worker durring the war and the P-38 held it's own in the begining and grew to true greatnes. In fact the P-38 in K format was the equal of any end of war design.

The Spitfire and Hurricane reacted similarly.

B-17 and the B-25 also rose to the occasion and carved out their niches.

How many others?

wmaxt

 

[F4D]

My bad! I was thinking of the TBD and the Defiant when I wrote that.

Look at the record of the Finnish Ace Eino Juuttilainen with the Buffalo (34 of his 94) and Aleksandr Pokryshkin of the Soviet Union with the P-39 (45 of his 59). The Finn faced 22 different fighter types built by both the British and Americans (flown by Russians) and the Soviet's and never got so much as a hole in his aircraft.

Some pre war birds could hang after all. Even if they didn't have the base
to be better developed in the war.

 

[Glider]

Ju88 did a fair job from the beginning to the end of the war

109 is an obvious one plus Sunderland, Catalina and Wildcat.

The Wellington didn't make it to the end of the war in great numbers at the front line service but its record was nothing to be ashamed about and someone would shoot me if I don't include the Swordfish.

 

[CurzonDax]

Well one plane that started out as a death trap was the Henschel 129. But put a big gun on it and some Russian tanks in front of it and BOOM! You have the A-10's uncle.

:{)

 

[P38 Pilot]

But put a big gun on it and some Russian tanks in front of it and BOOM! You have the A-10's uncle.

Good example there. The east would have been littered with Soviet T-34 tanks!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The East was littered with T-34 tanks.

 

[CurzonDax]

I think you will find that all pre war combat aircraft had a tough time dealing with the reality of war.

Yes, thats true as far as it goes, of course the first rule of war is that all preconcieved ideas are wrong. There were also a few that rose to the occasion.

The P-40 was a hard worker durring the war and the P-38 held it's own in the begining and grew to true greatnes. In fact the P-38 in K format was the equal of any end of war design.

The Spitfire and Hurricane reacted similarly.

B-17 and the B-25 also rose to the occasion and carved out their niches.

How many others?

wmaxt

Look at the B-26 or the Hs-129 for example. Crew actually refused to fly in them but by the end of the war they racked up great war records.

:{)

 

[ollieholmes]

i would have to say the humble lysander. who ever designed it as a fighter should be shot. it did a great role as a soe plane but not as a fighter.

 

[evangilder]

i would have to say the humble lysander. who ever designed it as a fighter should be shot. it did a great role as a soe plane but not as a fighter.

The Lysander was not developed as a fighter. It was developed for the RAF as an army cooperation aircraft and for ground support.

 

[ollieholmes]

ive seen pics of it with cannons in the weel spats and ive seen many pics of them downed in the battle for france.

 

[evangilder]

They can use cannons for ground support. They were not meant to be a fighter. As such they are obviously no match for a fighter of the time.

 

[evangilder]

More info on the Lizzie here:
http://www.jaapteeuwen.com/ww2aircraft/html pages/WESTLAND LYSANDER.htm

 

[plan_D]

The Lysander was a ground support/spotter/liason aircraft. It was never intended as a fighter, and never took part in fighter operations. It was used as a light bomber for a small amount of time ...never as a fighter.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

and she cirtainly shouldn't be considdered for the worst aircraft of WWII..........

 

[cheddar cheese]

Hell no, although am I right in saying that It did score a couple of air-to-air kills early in the war? I remember reading it somewhere.

 

[trackend]

I agree she did her job well

 

[Gnomey]

I agree she did her job well

That she did Lee, especially later in the war, dropping and picking up agents in occupied countries (at least I think she did)