Favorite WWII Aircraft

Just Leo

Owing to the fact that "Best" is difficult to quantify, what is your "Favorite" aircraft of WWII? Just pick one' and only one.

For me, the Mossie. Its specification was not formulated by a dithering ministry, but was a statement of technology, engineering, craftsmanship and art. It was good at many things, and great at more things. The only ministerial concession was the windscreen and control stick on the FB. It never got a turret.
 

Deleted member 1487

I don't know if I could pick just one. The more I'm reading about the Ki-83 I'm pretty impressed with that twin engine. The Mossie is pretty iconic, as is the P-51. There are absolutely things to be said about the Spitfire, Typhoon, Ta-152, Fw190, La-5, P-47, et al

The Ju88 is iconic of course, as is the B17. The Me262 is a work of art IMHO...

It might just be easier to start with the ones I don't like
 

takerma

Banned
P39 Air Cobra

Incredible aircraft, what is most interesting about it is that both USAF and RAF both did not really like it because of crappy performance at altitude. VVS on other hand adored it. Large number of Soviet aces flew it and all loved it.

Its biggest difference from native Soviet fighter aircraft was: armour + placement of the engine, made it very survivable, radio was great, visibility excellent, Soviets removed wing mounted mahineguns to make it more maneuverable.

Interesting how fighter considered crappy in one context was amazing in another.
 
Driftless

Driftless

Donor
I'm like a kid in the proverbial candy store with this question......

I'll choose the P-38 Lightning. Very capable plane in the hands of pilots who understood it's relative strengths and weaknesses. It was (and remains) a handsome looking aircraft with a somewhat versatile design.

My not so shortlist of runners-up: Mosquito, Whirlwind, P-51, Spitfire, B-25, Maryland, D.520, FW-190, Curtis Hawk, Beaufighter; and a couple of lovable mutts - CW-21 Demon & the Northrop N-3PB

*delayed edit* My Aunt Hilma built wiring harnesses for P-38's (and later for the U-2). Obviously, that was a very long time ago, but I remember as a kid that she was not allowed to go into detail on the work she did. All she could say for a long time was that she worked on an "item". It wasn't till years later that she could even say what planes she worked on.
 
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Deleted member 1487

takerma said:
P39 Air Cobra

Incredible aircraft, what is most interesting about it is that both USAF and RAF both did not really like it because of crappy performance at altitude. VVS on other hand adored it. Large number of Soviet aces flew it and all loved it.

Its biggest difference from native Soviet fighter aircraft was: armour + placement of the engine, made it very survivable, radio was great, visibility excellent, Soviets removed wing mounted mahineguns to make it more maneuverable.

Interesting how fighter considered crappy in one context was amazing in another.
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It was able to perform at the altitudes demanded in the East, but the question is did they love it because it was good or because it was better than contemporary Soviet aircraft?
 

Just Leo

wiking said:
It was able to perform at the altitudes demanded in the East, but the question is did they love it because it was good or because it was better than contemporary Soviet aircraft?
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They loved it because they didn't know how to read the pilot's handbook, the part about "Do not exceed" boost pressure. They exceeded.
 

joeferrito

P-47 Thunderbolt. Great big radial engine, 8 .50s and enough armor to shrug off just about anything the enemy could throw at it.
 

takerma

Banned
wiking said:
It was able to perform at the altitudes demanded in the East, but the question is did they love it because it was good or because it was better than contemporary Soviet aircraft?
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From Soviet documentary I seen a long time ago, the thing they loved the most was engine placement and armour, thing could take ridiculous amount of beating and let pilot live. Gun while slow firing packed a massive punch vs bombers, visibility for pilot was amazing, cockpit well layed out and comfortable. It seems it just fit its role perfectly for VVS.
 

Ryuise

J7W1, just because of it's unique designs. Tho G10N is ridiculous and impossible but fun to imagine. Spitfire's not bad, kinda like their cannons and nimbleness. :p
 

Deleted member 1487

takerma said:
From Soviet documentary I seen a long time ago, the thing they loved the most was engine placement and armour, thing could take ridiculous amount of beating and let pilot live. Gun while slow firing packed a massive punch vs bombers, visibility for pilot was amazing, cockpit well layed out and comfortable. It seems it just fit its role perfectly for VVS.
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I thought the cannon was so low velocity it was deemed too difficult to hit much with it?
 

takerma

Banned
wiking said:
I thought the cannon was so low velocity it was deemed too difficult to hit much with it?
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Good question, it has been a really long time since I seen it. I am not sure to be honest. From Wiki seems like biggest problem was rate of fire(3 shots per second) and having only 30 rounds to use. I also remember hearing that there were jamming problems sometimes. However when HE 37mm round hit Stuka you definitely saw results.

Weird trivia fact it was flown by Rechkalov who achieved 44 kills in it, which makes him a highest scoring ace in an American built aircraft. Strangest things you learn from Wiki.
 

alspug

I don't know about favourite but ever since I read up on the Brewster Buffalo in Finnish hands I see it as an unsung hero , it was obsolete in many ways and saddled with terrible expectations yet when flown to the best of it's ability it did very well . Even the alleged poor performance in Asia needs explaining as from what I understand it still had a better then 2 to one ratio in aerial combat .

As for Favourite when I first learnt about ww2 I was all Spitfire this and Spitfire that . Then as I learnt more I became more enamoured with the FW-190 and it's many variants . In many ways it was a ground breaking aircraft and worthy of extended research for the enthusiast . Being always interested in naval aviation I would say it is likely the only German fighter that could easily have been converted to Naval use with any success as the Undercarriage was already far stronger then any ME-109 or Spitfire . I am not sure on the sink rates common for the F-6 or even the F-4 but it has to be close . Also not many other single seat fighters could drop a torpedo and then actually defend themselves after .
 

Deleted member 1487

How about the mythical Fw187? So full of potential...
 

Just Leo

wiking said:
How about the mythical Fw187? So full of potential...
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I never read Tooze, but I did read Overy, and a myth is as good as a mile. I can just imagine a Falke facing off against a Merlin/Whirly, but that's in a galaxy far, far away. Potential and a dollar gets you a buck.

How about that He-177B?
 

Deleted member 1487

Just Leo said:
I never read Tooze, but I did read Overy, and a myth is as good as a mile. I can just imagine a Falke facing off against a Merlin/Whirly, but that's in a galaxy far, far away. Potential and a dollar gets you a buck.

How about that He-177B?
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I thought you did read Tooze, we had a discussion about how you didn't care for him. Still a guy can dream of Falcons.
He177B would be like the Lancaster in terms of interest: not quite as sexy as fighters.
 

CarribeanViking

Favourite rather than best, most effective, etc? Fairey Swordfish. There from the beginning of the war to the end, could fly when even the birds were walking, effective in attack at the beginning of the war and reliable in defence in the battle of the Atlantic throughout.

(Obsolete as a strike aircraft fairly soon, and ye gods, that open cockpit in a north Atlantic winter...but who wants perfection, eh?)
 

Just Leo

wiking said:
I thought you did read Tooze, we had a discussion about how you didn't care for him. Still a guy can dream of Falcons.
He177B would be like the Lancaster in terms of interest: not quite as sexy as fighters.
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No, that was Overy. Dreams are good. They mean you're getting enough sleep.

On the topic of potential, I just read a treatise in the Air Ministry a while ago which implied they weren't so bad. Then, I read the preview of David Owen's new book, Dogfight: The Supermarine Spitfire and The Messerschmitt Bf-109, and it seems like the Spitfire could have been cancelled at worst, or limited to 310, or 510. Supermarine Woolston would be making Beaufighters or Whirlwinds and the Hawker Tornado would become the premier fighter for the RAF. Apparently, the Supermarine manager, McLean, was a huge ditz. Chapter 10. It's quite shocking.
 
oldironside

oldironside

I've always found failure more interesting than success. Given that, I would go for the Junkers 288. From potentially amazing to crushingly, smotheringly disappointing. A massive project that turned into a money pit and yielded practically nothing. The story covers all the positives and negatives of the Luftwaffe, RLM and German aircraft manufacturers.

ju288b-3.jpg
 
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