Worst aircraft of WW2?

[B-17engineer]

Good point Marcel. Wasn't a good plane at ALL

 

[airboiy]

the buffalo was a good aircraft, just a bit slow. however, the worst aircraft is the komet.

 

[fly boy]

i know that the tbd did get mauled but it is worth it considering that the four flattops at midway got sunk

 

[Flyboy2]

The komet was a horrible aircraft. In reality the 623 mph speed of the Me-163 was too great for accurate firing and the two 60 round cannons did not allow the pilot a lot of flexibility in combat. Finally the rocket motor only allowed seven and a half minutes of flight. One pass, and that was all. On landing, the rocket fuel often caused an explosion that usually destroyed the aircraft. The Me-163 killed more pilots than enemy bombers. It was just to far ahead of its time

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

On landing, the rocket fuel often caused an explosion that usually destroyed the aircraft. time

While I agree that the Me 163 was very far from the greatest aircraft, I think you will find that it did not explode as often as you think.

Was it dangerous? Hell yes it was, and many pilot died flying it.

 

[Flyboy2]

Really.. ok my mistake. I was under the impression that it was like a flying bomb... how many where lost because of landing incidents

 

[Vincenzo]

For italians craft i think Breda Ba 88

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I do not have that information.

In the end more Me 163 were lost than the bombers they were trying to shoot down. I believe they only shot down about 11 bombers. It really was not the greatest the plane.

 

[Flyboy2]

Yeah, i think it was just to far ahead of its time... The wing design really was amazing. Lippish delta i believe its called and wasn't that same design used on the F4D Skyray? One amazing thing i think is that it could climb to combat altitude in 2 minutes. Even if the plane wasn't very effective, thats still pretty darn good.

 

[kool kitty89]

Too bad it wasn't adapted, or redesigned around a jet engine. (or if Lippish had decided to develop one of the similar jet based projects instead)

They could have used a viable single engine jet fighter earlier in the war.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah, i think it was just to far ahead of its time... The wing design really was amazing. Lippish delta i believe its called and wasn't that same design used on the F4D Skyray? One amazing thing i think is that it could climb to combat altitude in 2 minutes. Even if the plane wasn't very effective, thats still pretty darn good.

The Lippisch Delta was not used in the Me 163. It was a swept wing design and not a delta wing.

The aircraft you are thinking of is the Lippisch P.13.

 

[Flyboy2]

Ok, my bad.... Thanks though

 

[kool kitty89]

And I believe data from the P.13a (and the DM1 test glider) went to Convair, contributing to the XP-92/XF-92 designs.
DM1

Also, don't confuse the P.13a and P.13b ramjet delta winged fighters with the completely unrelated Lippisch P.13, a push-pull piston engined high speed bomber. Lippisch P.13 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




But in the case of the F4D, Flyboy2 seems to have been half right. While the Me 163 didn't used the "Lippisch Delta" the F4D did draw from the Me 163, as it too is a tailless swept wing a/c and not a true delta. (albeit with a much higher sweep and low aspect ratio, making the F4D resemble a delta)

Lippisch Aerodyne Research

German work on delta wing planforms, directed by Dr. Alexander Lippisch, led to a US Navy proposal in 1947 for a short-range carrier-based interceptor fighter using a similar layout. Project studies were initiated by the Douglas design team led by Ed Heinemann with the object of producing a fighter optimized for a high rate of climb and capable of intercepting enemy aircraft before they reached their targets. These studies led to a design which, rather than being a pure delta, was a tailless aircraft with a sweptback wing of extremely low aspect ratio, following Dr. Lippisch's own evolution of this layout for the Messerschmitt Me-163 target-defence interceptor.

 

[Flyboy2]

Alright, thanks for the clearing that up

 

[namvet68]

My pick is the American F2A Buffalo. This plane should never have been allow into the playing field of WWII.

 

[Flyboy2]

I think we've already done that haven't we?

 

[maverick61]

Bolton paul defiant.what use after 1940.

 

[Vraciu]

Me 163 Komet, all russian planes 1941-1943.

 

[B-17engineer]

The Ilyushin Il-2 wasn't a bad plane......

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The Ilyushin Il-2 wasn't a bad plane......

Then why did you bring it up in the "Worst Aircraft" thread?