Best WWII Fighter aircraft .

Best WWII fighter .

  • Spitefire .

    Votes: 32 36.4%
  • Mustang

    Votes: 41 46.6%
  • Yak 1

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • FW 190

    Votes: 14 15.9%
  • Zero

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Fiat G.50

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    88
The Meteor of 1945 would have been slapped around by the Me262.

Very probably, and any good piston engine fighter would do the same if it caught one at low speed.
I said Meteor as it went on to be developed after the war and did shoot down a decent number of flying bombs during it. Right idea with the swept wings on the 262, but the plane itself didn't lead anywhere, to say nothing of the terrible engines (again, axials - right idea, but not adequately developed at that time).
 

Deleted member 1487

Very probably, and any good piston engine fighter would do the same if it caught one at low speed.
I said Meteor as it went on to be developed after the war and did shoot down a decent number of flying bombs during it. Right idea with the swept wings on the 262, but the plane itself didn't lead anywhere, to say nothing of the terrible engines (again, axials - right idea, but not adequately developed at that time).
Some company is repro-ing them J-85 engines and they are pretty damn good.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_262_Project
 
Against piston engine fighters sure, but against other jet fighters it had the maneuverability and with the right armament it would have trounced any fighter of its generation. When the Mig-15 rolls around different story, but the Me262 was supposed to have been replaced by then.

Eric Brown, the British test pilot was very complementary about the Me262 and did think it was the best jet fighter of WW2 and would have beaten the Meteor or Shooting Star.

I wasn't saying the Me 262 was not the best operational jet fighter of WW2 (against two contenders only, Meteor and He162). It certainly was, and it might have been able to more than hold its own against the P-80 and Vampire if the war lasted a bit longer. I was merely pointing out that none of the first generation jets were really better fighters than late model Mustangs, Thunderbolts, Tempests, etc. if the measure of a fighter is its ability to shoot down other fighters.
 

Deleted member 1487

I wasn't saying the Me 262 was not the best operational jet fighter of WW2 (against two contenders only, Meteor and He162). It certainly was, and it might have been able to more than hold its own against the P-80 and Vampire if the war lasted a bit longer. I was merely pointing out that none of the first generation jets were really better fighters than late model Mustangs, Thunderbolts, Tempests, etc. if the measure of a fighter is its ability to shoot down other fighters.
If that were the measure then yes, though arguably the Me262 if it stuck to high speed passes and was armed with 20mm cannons it would have still be pretty formidable. It just could not turn and burn.
 
Okay ...
What was the most maneuverable fighter of WW2?

Which fighter was the easiest to fly ... for junior pilots?

Which fighter was the easiest to land?

Which fighter was the easiest to land on an aircraft carrier?

What was the best-armed fighter of WW2?

Which fighter had the best fire-control system ... gun sights?

Which fighter had the longest range?
 
Okay ...
What was the most maneuverable fighter of WW2?

Which fighter was the easiest to fly ... for junior pilots?

Which fighter was the easiest to land?

Which fighter was the easiest to land on an aircraft carrier?

What was the best-armed fighter of WW2?

Which fighter had the best fire-control system ... gun sights?

Which fighter had the longest range?
And that's before you count things like speed, climb-rate, ceiling, performance at various altitudes (escort fighters want to be good at high altitudes, but CAS fighters want to be good at low-medium altitudes).
 
Why not add,

Which fighter was the easiest to build ?

Which fighter was the cheapest to build ?

Which fighter was the fastest to build ?

Which fighter was available earliest ?

WW2 was won buy industrial production as much as what happened on individual battlefields the best fighter should reflect that....
 
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