Worst aircraft of WW2?

[the lancaster kicks ass]

most of the others aren't the worst, you've picked on some for being easy to shoot down, but all you have to do is look at what they achieved, the IL-2 for example and you've even mentioned the Bf-109 as she killed many on take off/landing- not a chance!

 

[renrich]

I don't know about the worst aircraft but my vote for the worst fighter would be the Brewster Buffalo.

 

[Gnomey]

Look back over this thread and you will see that there are others a lot worse than it.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

it would save so much time if people read this thread first... interesting how the newbies always choose the buff though

 

[Thumper]

I don't know about the worst aircraft but my vote for the worst fighter would be the Brewster Buffalo.

sorry cant agree on this one

the export version did a hell of a job for the Finns during their little war

"A significant user of the Buffalo was the Finnish Air Force. Though unloved by the British, Australians, Americans, Belgians and Kiwis, 44 Buffaloes were flown by the Finnish LLv24 Squadron, and the aircraft was beloved and found to be very effective in the hands of its Finnish pilots. No fewer than 12 pilots became aces in Buffaloes, and the aircraft is remembered fondly by many."

 

[riseofnations]

i think it might of been the Heinkel 177 Griffon or something that had a habit of falling out of the sky or catching fire. Hitler once called it a piece of crap. Of course some of the italian planes were pretty bad too.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

He He-177 definatly was a piece...

The coupled engines is what ruined an otherwise good design.

 

[koivis]

If you had asked my half-sister's grandfather about which was the worst aircraft of WW2, he never would have mentioned the Brewster B-239 Buffalo. His name was Hans Henrik "Hasse" Wind, and he scored a total of 75 air-to-air kills, of which 31 flying THE ONE AND THE SAME BUFFALO, BW-363. The total kill tally for that single aeroplane was 41.

SO STOP CLAIMING THAT BUFFALO WAS THE WORST!
It simply wasn't. It may have been "obsolete" but many, many GREAT aircraft became obsolete during the war. For example:
Vickers Wellington, maybe the best armed medium bomber at start of the war, totally obsolete as bomber by 1943
Bristol Blenheim, fastest bomber in the world between 1937-1939, totally obsolete as bomber by 1943
Hawker Hurricane, the hero of BoB, TOTALLY obsolete in A-to-A role by 1944
etc etc

If some of you say Buffalo was the worst, why not say Fokker D.XXI? A bit over 400 kph top speed, 4 x .303 armament? BECAUSE it was just obsolete by WWII! It's that simple.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Well put!!! Keep in mind the B-239s used by Finland were a lot lighter than the ones used by the US Marines at Midway, but your point is well taken...

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

and it is one which have have made several times over, but for the new guys that come along ever so often and for some reason all pick the buffallo i believe "aircraft" like the Ba-88 are more deserving.........

 

[FLYBOYJ]

and it is one which have have made several times over, but for the new guys that come along ever so often and for some reason all pick the buffallo i believe "aircraft" like the Ba-88 are more deserving.........

Agree...

 

[Gnomey]

and it is one which have have made several times over, but for the new guys that come along ever so often and for some reason all pick the buffallo i believe "aircraft" like the Ba-88 are more deserving.........

Agreed as well, it is similar to the way everyone picks the P-51 for best fighter...

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

even some Brits do that, although quite rightly many do pick the spitfire.......

 

[Civettone]

A logical question is always: "was the aircraft a bad design or were the requirements along which it was designed, wrong?"

Such an attitude gives a more correct view on aircraft like the Heinkel He 177 or Breda Ba.65. The latter was a light bomber in the same category as the Sukhoi Su-2 or Fairey Battle (and in a way as the Stuka). Although they are classical examples of 'bad aircraft' I believe it would be closer to the truth to state that the 'light bomber' concept was outdated.

For the Ba.88 however, there are hardly any excuses

Kris

 

[timshatz]

Well put!!! Keep in mind the B-239s used by Finland were a lot lighter than the ones used by the US Marines at Midway, but your point is well taken...

And the Fins were up against an enemy without the experience or refined doctine of the Marines at Midway. The Japanese pilots were amongst the best in the world at that point. The Marines were barely out of training. Put it all together and you have the makings for the slaughter that ensued.

 

[Barrett]

I've not gone thru all 43 pages of this thread but want to point out something about the Devastator. According to Osprey's combat aircraft series on the TBD, it had no losses to Japanese fighters OR flak until Midway. that's six months of combat without any losses in flight. Midway of course was a disaster, but it wasn't a pointless mission either. The TBDs brought the enemy CAP down to wavetop level so the SBDs could deliver the punch.

I've known a couple of TBD pilots and they liked the airplane. Wanted more power, but that's not unusual.

 

[bigZ]

Any mention of the Bachem Natter or the Ohka yet?

 

[Heinz]

Avro Manchester was pretty woeful.

Its engines were its downfall.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Any mention of the Bachem Natter or the Ohka yet?

They were mentioned earlier.

The Natter never saw service and the only major strike using Ohkas was intercepted by Hellcats, most of the Betty mother ships jettisoned their loads to evade destruction.

If I remember there were at least 2 successful Ohka attacks, one of them sank a USN destroyer - the Ohka cut it in half!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I've not gone thru all 43 pages of this thread but want to point out something about the Devastator. According to Osprey's combat aircraft series on the TBD, it had no losses to Japanese fighters OR flak until Midway. that's six months of combat without any losses in flight. Midway of course was a disaster, but it wasn't a pointless mission either. The TBDs brought the enemy CAP down to wavetop level so the SBDs could deliver the punch.

I've known a couple of TBD pilots and they liked the airplane. Wanted more power, but that's not unusual.

I do believe some were lost at Coral Sea. They did help sink one Japanese carrier.