Greatest aircrat of WWII?

[AZrailwhale]

While there were fighters that did something better than the Lightning but the #2 in that category would go the the 38. And the 38 was flying before the 51 or even the 47 were in service in mass numbers. And that was the time when the FW-190 and ME-109 outnumbered the 38 by 11 to one. The first Allied Fighter or Bomber to fly over Berlin during the war as a flight of P-38s. No matter what you asked of the P-38, it was either #1 or #2 in all categories.

The Lightning was the fighter that took the war to the Luftwaffe and fought it over its own bases. At the time there was no other allied fighter with that ability.

 

[Mac-7]

New found respect for the Hawker Typhoon. Yours?

There were too many to name just one

 

[Zincwarrior]

The Corsair's climb to prominence was a rocky one, after testing it at sea the Navy decided it was no good for carrier landings basically because coming in for a landing the pilots completely lost sight of the landing deck and some crashed. It also had oil leakage problems so it was designated as land based fighter aircraft and given to the Marines. At the same time it was also sold to the English who worked out the problems including how to safely land it on a carrier and it eventually made it's way back onto US carriers.

Whats a trippy image is watching video of the RAF and RN attacking the Tirpitz with aircraft, and seeing a RN Corsair buzz by. It gives you a serious double take.

 

[AZrailwhale]

Yeah, yeah, thousands of strange reasons why the list is led by German pilots, except good pilots and good planes. The Soviet pilots are still above the other allied pilots, so their planes can´t be that bad. Plus, there was world war, all soldiers, except for the US-Pilots, were in missions constantly. All the lame excuses cannot undo that the Germans were simply the very best in all fields. Leave us that in the face of the pitiful condition our army is in today.

Throughout most of the war Soviet planes were the worst. Their pilots were poorly trained cannon fodder. The Soviets were flying the same Polikarpov I-16s that they flew against He-60 biplanes and A model Me-109s in Spain against F model Me-109s in 1941 and 1942. Until the LaGG -3 and Yak-9 the Soviets didn’t field a fighter with comparable performance to German fighters, and then they were lightly armed and built much like Italian and Japanese fighters because the Soviets lacked two thousand horsepower class engines like the DB-605, the Merlin and the American radials.

Why do you think the Soviets like the P-39 so much? In other allied service it was a dog, but it was better that most of the Soviet aircraft. It had things like radios that actually worked, reliable engines and was fast and maneuverable enough at low altitude to fight F model Me-109s on an even footing.

 

[Zincwarrior]

Let us not forget to mention the humble P40 Warhawk. Overshadowed by its later P47/P51 compatriots, the Kittyhawk/Warhawk served in literally every theater of the war. It was the first Western fighter to successfully fight Japan over China, fought the Jerry over the UK, North Africa, and the Mediterranean, had nearly 14,000 made, and frankly its a sexy beast!

 

[AZrailwhale]

Let us not forget to mention the humble P40 Warhawk. Overshadowed by its later P47/P51 compatriots, the Kittyhawk/Warhawk served in literally every theater of the war. It was the first Western fighter to successfully fight Japan over China, fought the Jerry over the UK, North Africa, and the Mediterranean, had nearly 14,000 made, and frankly its a sexy beast!

The P-40 was a good serviceable airplane. Unfortunately USAAF policy doomed it to be a second rater. If it had a two speed supercharger for better altitude performance, it would have been rated as well as the Hurricane. One big advantage the P-40 had was that it was a rugged plane and often brought it’s pilots home when lesser machines would have failed. Many of those pilots went on to command squadrons of superior fighters that won the war.

 

[justinacolmena]

P-51 Mustang, hands down.

How does that compare to the little Cessnas rich people fly around here?

 

[Zincwarrior]

The P-40 was a good serviceable airplane. Unfortunately USAAF policy doomed it to be a second rater. If it had a two speed supercharger for better altitude performance, it would have been rated as well as the Hurricane. One big advantage the P-40 had was that it was a rugged plane and often brought it’s pilots home when lesser machines would have failed. Many of those pilots went on to command squadrons of superior fighters that won the war.

Good points. Interesting as the P38 had them. Fortunately the P 47 came online in late 1942.

 

[Bleipriester]

Throughout most of the war Soviet planes were the worst. Their pilots were poorly trained cannon fodder. The Soviets were flying the same Polikarpov I-16s that they flew against He-60 biplanes and A model Me-109s in Spain against F model Me-109s in 1941 and 1942. Until the LaGG -3 and Yak-9 the Soviets didn’t field a fighter with comparable performance to German fighters, and then they were lightly armed and built much like Italian and Japanese fighters because the Soviets lacked two thousand horsepower class engines like the DB-605, the Merlin and the American radials.

Why do you think the Soviets like the P-39 so much? In other allied service it was a dog, but it was better that most of the Soviet aircraft. It had things like radios that actually worked, reliable engines and was fast and maneuverable enough at low altitude to fight F model Me-109s on an even footing.

Some examples

Jak-9:
Type: Fighter plane
Commissioned: 1942
Wartime production: 14514
PS: 1595+

La-7:
Type: Fighter plane
Commissioned: 1944
Wartime? production: 5753
PS: 1850
Notes: Best Soviet WWII fighter planes, flown by most successful allied pilot, Kushedub

Mig-3
Type: Fighter plane
Commissioned: 1940
Wartime production: 3222
PS: 1345/1700
Notes: Production ended in favor if Il-2

 

[JGalt]

Some examples

Jak-9:
Type: Fighter plane
Commissioned: 1942
Wartime production: 14514
PS: 1595+

La-7:
Type: Fighter plane
Commissioned: 1944
Wartime? production: 5753
PS: 1850
Notes: Best Soviet WWII fighter planes, flown by most successful allied pilot, Kushedub

Mig-3
Type: Fighter plane
Commissioned: 1940
Wartime production: 3222
PS: 1345/1700
Notes: Production ended in favor if Il-2

Everything there looks like it was stolen from the Japanese, Germans, and the British.

 

[Zincwarrior]

Everything there looks like it was stolen from the Japanese, Germans, and the British.

Japanese had nothing to steal.

 

[AZrailwhale]

Some examples

Jak-9:
Type: Fighter plane
Commissioned: 1942
Wartime production: 14514
PS: 1595+

La-7:
Type: Fighter plane
Commissioned: 1944
Wartime? production: 5753
PS: 1850
Notes: Best Soviet WWII fighter planes, flown by most successful allied pilot, Kushedub

Mig-3
Type: Fighter plane
Commissioned: 1940
Wartime production: 3222
PS: 1345/1700
Notes: Production ended in favor if Il-2

The MiG-3 was an abject failure. It was unstable, under armed and underpowered. Look at the production numbers. The Yak 9 barely entered squadron service before 1943 (production began October 1942 and it takes time to go from the production line to combat squadrons) It was also lightly armed (one 20mm and one fifty cal MG) and was only suitable for low altitude operations like a P-40 or P-39. It's saving grace was that it was better than a Polikarpov I-16.

 

[AZrailwhale]

Japanese had nothing to steal.

They didn't? The Zero was a technological and aerodynamic marvel in 1940. Easily the most advanced carrier fighter in the world at that time and the only one that exceeded land-based fighter performance. It wasn't a great combat plane because with a 940-horsepower engine it had to sacrifice armor and self-sealing gas tanks to get the required performance. The Betty Bomber was the same thing, a wonderful design hobbled by low powered engines. The Emily flying boat was hands down the best in the world for the entire war.

 

[Bleipriester]

The MiG-3 was an abject failure. It was unstable, under armed and underpowered. Look at the production numbers. The Yak 9 barely entered squadron service before 1943 (production began October 1942 and it takes time to go from the production line to combat squadrons) It was also lightly armed (one 20mm and one fifty cal MG) and was only suitable for low altitude operations like a P-40 or P-39. It's saving grace was that it was better than a Polikarpov I-16.

I already wrote that the production was ceased to make the Il-2, not because the Mig-3 was a bad plane. It is just a myth that the Soviet military has been weak and outdated.

 

[Bleipriester]

Ar 234, Variant with four engines, scout and "lightning bomber":

Me 262, fighter, the antennas belong to the radar Fug 18. Many were forced to stay on the ground because Hitler ordered to include a bomb bay:

He 162, the "people´s hunter", fighter:

Me 263, fighter, not a jet engine, but rocket engine, transported to air by other planes, had only fuel for minutes, more losses than victories:

 

[Zincwarrior]

They didn't? The Zero was a technological and aerodynamic marvel in 1940. Easily the most advanced carrier fighter in the world at that time and the only one that exceeded land-based fighter performance. It wasn't a great combat plane because with a 940-horsepower engine it had to sacrifice armor and self-sealing gas tanks to get the required performance. The Betty Bomber was the same thing, a wonderful design hobbled by low powered engines. The Emily flying boat was hands down the best in the world for the entire war.

Not vs. a comparable land fighter. It sacrificed weight for speed because it didn't have the engines that everyone else had. Wildcat with a trained crew was it's equal.

 

[airplanemechanic]

The Polish P11. Anyone that climbed into this thing to fight it out in the air had balls of steel and my respect.

This was my favorite plane to fly in the IL2 Sturmovich PC fighter sim. I couldn't outrun anyone, but I could outturn anyone. They would get into a yank and bank with me and I'd shred them like paper targets with my 7.92mm British guns. Sounded like two pissed off soldiers but I racked up more kills with this POS than anything else. People actually would let me fly around unharassed after I wiped out half the enemy without even having to rearm.

The thing was so slow you didn't have to worry about G'ing out in the turns. Just yank the SOB as hard as you need to to lead the 190s and 109's with your bullets and you'll see pieces start flying off as soon as you squeezed the trigger. My friend would be like dude you have the most kills of anyone on the entire server of 50 people and you're in a fucking P11!" I was like dude they try to yank and bank with me and I shred them.

Eventually they learned how to defeat me. Don't try to shoot me down, just fly straight and level and firewall it. You could outrun me in anything.

God I miss those days.

 

[Bleipriester]

The Polish P11. Anyone that climbed into this thing to fight it out in the air had balls of steel and my respect.

This was my favorite plane to fly in the IL2 Sturmovich PC fighter sim. I couldn't outrun anyone, but I could outturn anyone. They would get into a yank and bank with me and I'd shred them like paper targets with my 7.92mm British guns. Sounded like two pissed off soldiers but I racked up more kills with this POS than anything else. People actually would let me fly around unharassed after I wiped out half the enemy without even having to rearm.

The thing was so slow you didn't have to worry about G'ing out in the turns. Just yank the SOB as hard as you need to to lead the 190s and 109's with your bullets and you'll see pieces start flying off as soon as you squeezed the trigger. My friend would be like dude you have the most kills of anyone on the entire server of 50 people and you're in a fucking P11!" I was like dude they try to yank and bank with me and I shred them.

Eventually they learned how to defeat me. Don't try to shoot me down, just fly straight and level and firewall it. You could outrun me in anything.

God I miss those days.

That´s what the Polish pilots did in reality too.

 

[Ringel05]

What Allied plane sunk the most tonnage during WWII?



Amazingly it was the British Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber, a bi-plane which served throughout the entire war.

It was a three seater, pilot, navigator and radioman (originally rear gunner). The plane was slow and lumbering but the crews loved it and apparently it could take some punishment and still get the men back home. During the initial test flight the plane had a major problem forcing the pilot to bail out. When he did he was blown back into the back seat and managed to get out from there making him the only pilot to ever bail out of the same plane twice...........

 

[AZrailwhale]

I already wrote that the production was ceased to make the Il-2, not because the Mig-3 was a bad plane. It is just a myth that the Soviet military has been weak and outdated.

The MiG 3 was a fighter, the Il-2 was a dedicated low-level attack plane. The MiG wasn't canceled in favor of the Il-2, it was cancelled because it was a lousy plane and unsafe to fly.