Your Favorite Aircraft from WWII?

[drgondog]

I am always torn between the Spit XIV and the P-51B w/Malcolm Hood for WWII with the F-86E and the Thud in different times.

One stopped (along with Hurricane) the LW in BoB and the other finished it in the ETO in the battles over Germany.

 

[davparlr]

When I started reading this forum, the F4U was probably my favorite WWII fighter. I didn't know a lot about the German or British aircraft to really make a judgment (I've gotten quite an education from the great contributors to this site). I did note that many of the contributors downplayed the P-51, mainly because of all the attention that was given it while many great fighters were overlooked. But this somewhat raised my nationalistic hackles and I started doing a lot of research on the P-51. I found it to relatively easy to defend, and now my favorite aircraft is the P-51B with the Malcolm hood. I found that, when loaded with equivalent fuel and weapons, it was more than a match for standard Axis fighters from sea level to 30k feet, even flying nose to nose with the vaunted Fw190D-2 in airspeed and climb to 20k ft, where the P-51 started to be superior. Only the late war Bf-109K and Ta-152H showed superiority over the majority of the envelop. And then there was the range. The Spitfire Mk XIV and the F4U were both impressive performers as were several German fighters, and the Fw-190A had great looks. But, as I have said before, the P-51 was the right fighter with the right performance at the right time, almost single handedly dominating the sky over Germany during the most critical time, December 1943, to June-July 1944.

 

[timmo]

Back on line - seemed like for ever!!

Was just trying to say well here's one for you, DD!!.

 

[timmo]

Oh, so it's still playing games?

Try again.

= Tim

OK - so why won't it do photos??

 

[ToughOmbre]

TO, you would have been in hog heaven this weekend if you had been in my shoes. I now live in Prescott, AZ. Great place except windy. Friday while playing golf at a muni next to the airport, I kept hearing big round engines and periodically a B25 and B17 would be in the pattern. Saturday and Sunday they were flying over my house and every time I would hear the engines I would run out with my binocs. Yesterday they came over in formation.

That had to sound great ren! No mistaking those radials!

TO

 

[zoomar]

Among major planes that saw action my clear favorite is the Spitfire Mk1-V, with the Bf-109E close behind. As has been said it is the icon of the BoB, which was the iconic aerial campaign of the war.

The Boeing B-17 comes almost a close as the iconic bomber of the USSAF's daylight bombing campaign over Germany.

Among lesser known or experimental types, I have a soft spot in my heart for the following: Kyushu J71, Horten Ho229, Do-335, and (believe it or not) the He-177.

 

[Colin1]

The Bf109
it was dangerous at the start of the war and despite the enormous difficulties faced by the Luftwaffe, still managed to be dangerous at the end of the war.

The P-51
an escort fighter that developed the range to put it over the German capital. To accommodate the necessary fuel to accomplish that with the barest minimum in performance trade-off was extremely impressive.

The C-47
Everything a transport hack should be. Easy to fly, no vices, uncomplicated and durable. Respectable payload for an era that didn't really think in terms of airportability. Unless you count the Me323 of course.

 

[Catch22]

Favorite Allied plane is the F4U, and my favorite Axis is the Fw 190. The Corsair because my Father had me watching taped (way too young to have actually watched them when they were broadcast) episodes of The Black Sheep Squadron (now I know it's all wrong!), as well as he built a model F4U for me when I was born. I've gone through stints were the P-51 and P-61 were my favorite planes, but I've always fallen back to the Corsair. Plus it just looks cool!

As for the 190, I don't really know why I originally liked it. I guess originally to be different than my younger brother who loves the Bf 109, but since then I've grown to absolutely love the plane!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is my favorite (especially the Bf 109G variants). I have been fascinated with it since I was a little kid. I love the way it looks. It just looks menacing like it was meant to kill. A true war bird in my eyes.

I also just plain love the history. Like the Spitfire it began its service before the war, evolved and remained competitive right to the very end.

Wonderful aircraft. I am so glad I have had the opportunity to see one fly.

 

[timmo]

One last try for DD.

= Tim

All I get, still, is Internal Server Error
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

 

[buffnut453]

The fact is that Hitler never seriously intended to invade England and even if he had the RN not the RAF would have been the critica factorl in stopping the invasion. The popular notion that the BOB and or Hurricanes or Spitfires saved England from invasion is a myth.

The whole purpose of the BoB was to ensure air supremacy - without it the RN would have been sitting ducks for the Luftwaffe. Hitler knew he couldn't invade with the RN intact but he couldn't remove the RN threat without first dealing with the RAF's fighters. Now, I'm not saying that invasion barges across the Channel was a workable idea (even without the RN threat) but I think your statement is a little too simplistic. Also, what's your source on "Hitler never seriously intended to invade England" - so Op SEALION was just a hoax?

 

[Waynos]

Over time I have developed the view that it was more of a fit of pique, rather than a hoax. While I am sure that invasion was never a realistic option, not that it wouldn't have been attempted mind, the threat of it was real enough. Germany achieving air supremacy would have effectively forced Britain out of the war for good and that is where the real value of our victory in 1940 lies, despite too many silly revisionists trying to tell us it was 'irrelevant'.

 

[buffnut453]

Germany achieving air supremacy would have effectively forced Britain out of the war for good and that is where the real value of our victory in 1940 lies, despite too many silly revisionists trying to tell us it was 'irrelevant'.

Entirely agree, Waynos. Sorry it took me so long to pick up on this thread.

 

[renrich]

"The Decisive Battles of the Western World", J F C Fuller, pages 448-449. The first directive for invasion of England was issued in mid-July, called Operation Sea Lion. Fuller comments: " The landing was to come as a surprise on a broad front from Ramsgate to the Isle of Wight and all preparations were to be completed by the middle of August, a palpable absurdity, as 39 divisions were involved- 13 in first flight and 26 in support and 1722 barges, 471 tugs, 1161 motor boats and 155 transports had to be fitted and assembled in the Channel Ports." The Anglo American invasion of North Africa in 1942 took more than nine months to prepare for, which was practically a miracle, against a target not nearly as well defended as England was. " Equally ridiculous was the deferment of the decision to invade until after the LW has made concentrated attacks on Southern England for one week" "The truth is" says Fuller, "with the possible exception of Goring, the LW commander, nobody believed in Sea Lion. Certainly the German admirals, nor the generals, nor Hitler himself who, according to Blumentritt, in July told Runstedt privately that "he did not intend to carry out Sea Lion'."

Bottom line is that if hard pressed enough the RAF could have withdrawn it's fighters out of range of the German escort fighters in order for them to preserve the Hurricanes and Spitfire for the day of an invasion. Even if, the Germans could have assembled all the transport to make the cross channel invasion to ferry men, guns, tanks, trucks, ammo, supplies, etc. and the thousands of horses which hauled the majority of its wagons, and even if the LW could maintain local air superiority and even if the weather cooperated, the LW could not operate effectively at night and the RN's DDs, subs and other such craft would have decimated the "invasion fleet" the first night and the following nights. Even Hitler understood that, as well as his Generals and Admirals.

 

[Njaco]

Well, since this is favorite and no criteria for best my tops are:

GERMANY: Fw-190 - it just looked plain mean and nasty!

USA: P-40 - although not the besr it fought well in most theatres and, hell, with that tiger mouth looked nasty as well! Besides, I like the underdog.

BRITISH: Hurricane - another great looking plane that performed well in the theatres deployed.

Can't think of a Russian or Japanese as I think they're all butt-ugly.

 

[ccheese]

Like njaco said, since this is a personal favorite, I'll go with the P-38J for the USAAF, The F4U-4 for the USN,
The FW-190 for the Luftwaffe, the Spitfire for the RAF and the A6M2 "Zero" for both the Japanese Navy and Army.
Never kept up with the Italians, but some of their single engine fighters were nice looking. And, to keep Marcel happy, I'll
go along with him on the Fokker.

Charles

 

[buffnut453]

Bottom line is that if hard pressed enough the RAF could have withdrawn it's fighters out of range of the German escort fighters in order for them to preserve the Hurricanes and Spitfire for the day of an invasion.

That would have meant evacuating the Government from London because the city wouldn't have had any air defences. Any rollback of the fighter defences would have left Britain highly vulnerable with consequent greater risk of capitulation. Whether it was an opposed invasion (which, I agree, was highly unlikely in the timescales) or a political accommodation between London and Berlin, the net result would have amounted to the same thing - no western front and no potential launchpad for an Allied reconquest of Europe. Capitulation would have amounted to Britain having a de facto vassal status, not unlike Vichy France. To think the Brits would have been left to do our own thing is, frankly, laughable.

 

[Messy1]

For me it is the P-61, with the Seafury a close second, followed by anything Grumman in third(except the Wildcat). P-38 and Jug are high on my list too.

 

[T Bolt]

Do I even have to say it!

 

[Colin1]

Do I even have to say it!

That's almost porn... 8)