Your favorite Non-Spitfire British fighter? (1 Viewer)

Your favorite non-Spitfire British fighter? (WWII)


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Wasn't the Mosquito configured as a fighter?

The first Mosquito was I believe the Photo-recon model, then followed by the fighter version.Yet, when we say 'fighter' it doesn't mean it was capable of dealing with any single-engined enemy fighters - though there were always exceptions. Its main use was as a night-fighter.
 
I voted for the Hurricane. It was always in the thick of the fight. It was in front line service from the beginning to the end of the war. It took a lot of losses but it also shot down more ea than any other allied aircraft. Not bad for a plane that was a derivative stopgap fighter designed to save Britain in 1940, which it did quite well.

Slaterat
 
Good post, but I'm not sure would be an accurate statement.

HHHMMMmmm, for what it's worth, I think that Sydney Camm, the designer of the Hurricane, and Reginald Mitchell, the designer of the Spitfire, knew that war with Nazi Germany was inevitable, and that the fighters they were designing would be crucial. Camm himself said he could have tweaked more speed out of the Hurricane, but didn't because he thought the time factor (building as many planes as possible) was more important.
 
Yes, but "in 1940" is a bit specific. Created a modern fighter that could enter production almost immediately, and was easy to build using traditional manufacturing methods (additionally easy to repair and simple to fly). Creating a decently performing fighter that would be widely available for the defence of Britain against a looming threat.
 
Well work on the Hurricanes successor the Typhoon, started in 1937. The Typhoon prototype flew in Feb 41 and deliveries to the RAF started in Sept. 41.
If it weren't for all the problems with the Typhoon program the Hurricane probably would of been pulled from large scale front line service by 1942. Certainly its career as a fighter/ interceptor peaked in 1940 and that's what it was designed as. Everything else the Hurricane did came as an afterthought.

Slaterat
 
The Typhoon was designed as an interceptor as well, but ended up mostly similar to the later Hurricanes as a fighter-bomber. (albeit with occasional low/medium altitude interceptor work)
 
The Typhoon was designed as an interceptor as well, but ended up mostly similar to the later Hurricanes as a fighter-bomber. (albeit with occasional low/medium altitude interceptor work)

True, but the Typhoon was also developed into the Tempest, which was a pure fighter/interceptor. The Tempest was simply a Typhoon II whose performance because of a different wing was so different that they decided to rename it. It was not initially a seperate design/development project but a 'rethink' of the original Typhoon design.

Though the Hurricane was not designed specifically to fight in the battles of 1940, (obviously nobody could have predicted that date exactly), it was designed to Air Ministry Specification F.36/34 as a Home Defence Fighter. That would make slaterats original statement quite accurate in my opinion. If I was going to split hairs from that post, I probably would not call it a stop gap fighter though, that term would more accurately describe the Spitfire Mk IX.

Note: just read that the Hawker company was originally 'Sopwith', of Camel and Pup WWI fame. Interesting little fact.
 
Although not serving with the RAF. I would go with the Hawker Fury just based on looks otherwise the Whirlwind(pity it never got Merlins).
 
There was I believe a Flight (half 247 Squadron) of Gladiators at St Eval Cornwall. Though I don't know off-hand what the combat record was.

there was also the action in Norway that Gladiators were active in.

Thanks. I still consider the Gladiator to be one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.....
 
Thanks. I still consider the Gladiator to be one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.....

You are welcome.
The Gladiator was of course, the aircraft that the RAF's Ace 'Pat' Pattle started his all too short career, firstly in North Africa then in Greece.

While the pilots that flew them, made the best of them, it could be said that it was a travesty that the RAF still was flying biplane fighters at the start of WW2!
 
The Fury looks (and is) very similar to the Tempest II though.

I knew they built a biplane Hurricane but didn't know they also converted the Tempest II.:lol:
 

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Oh, that Hawker Fury... Didn't see any service in WWII though. (of course, neither did the Sea Fury)

TO be fair, the Sea Fury was brought up earlier in this thread. 8)
 
Oh, that Hawker Fury... Didn't see any service in WWII though. (of course, neither did the Sea Fury)

TO be fair, the Sea Fury was brought up earlier in this thread. 8)

You might be intreseted in this link describing Furies encountering 109's and 110's.

Hkans Aviation page - Yugoslavian Air Force use of the Hawker Fury during the Second World War

A South African Fury also managed to shot down a Italian Caproni Ca.133.

Both the Bulldog and Gaunlet also saw action with the Finns.

I will let you off the Sea Fury mix up.:slicksmile:
 
I forgot to mention that I agree on the on the Fury's looks (though I like the Gladiator a bit more as far as Biplanes go).

Thanks for the info, and I knew about the Finns use of the Bulldog and Gauntlet, but wasn't that in the Winter War. (weren't they retired from combat duty by the Continuation War?)
 
I dont know when the Gauntlet was withdrawn but the Bulldog was still in service till the summer of 42 before the last 7 where handed over to flight school.
 
I voted for Tempest even if I always, anyway since mid-60s, have had a very soft spot for Whirlwind and IMHO Mossie NF XXX was the greatest NF of WWII.

Juha
 
Tempest! Especially the Radial version, much more reliable than the Napier Sabre version...AND it had longer legs, too!
 

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