http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:25:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-1074356 Barrie Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:45:06 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-1074356 The Mosquito was probably the best fighter to be in, the lowest losses of any operational allied plane. The Spitfire served right through the war as did the Bf 109, The Fw 190 was very good, the P 51 after it got the Merlin was ok, very long range but not as fast or agile as a Spitfire at the same time, the P 51 had to be escorted to the German border by P 38 ( when they did not suffer from unreliability), P 47 and Spitfire or it did not have the range to escort bombers to the target and back. In the last year of the war range was not so important. The Tempest V probably the best fighter in the last 2 years of the war, accounting for well over 600 V 1`s and took out a number of Me 262`s inj combat too as did the Spitfire Mk IX and XIV. The Mosquito was probably the best fighter to be in, the lowest losses of any operational allied plane. The Spitfire served right through the war as did the Bf 109, The Fw 190 was very good, the P 51 after it got the Merlin was ok, very long range but not as fast or agile as a Spitfire at the same time, the P 51 had to be escorted to the German border by P 38 ( when they did not suffer from unreliability), P 47 and Spitfire or it did not have the range to escort bombers to the target and back. In the last year of the war range was not so important. The Tempest V probably the best fighter in the last 2 years of the war, accounting for well over 600 V 1`s and took out a number of Me 262`s inj combat too as did the Spitfire Mk IX and XIV.

]]> http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-1068259 James W. Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:33:55 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-1068259 E.Hartmann nailed 352 enemy planes flying a Bf 109.. Thats gotta mean something.. E.Hartmann nailed 352 enemy planes flying a Bf 109..
Thats gotta mean something..

]]> http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-939020 Jack Lane Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:54:51 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-939020 I'm going with the P-38, as it was present for the ENTIRE War, and at the war's end, was ordered destroyed in various pacific country's rather that leaving it for the indigenous native airforces to pick up as Mustangs were. It was considered too dangerous to leave behind. Mustangs showed up effectively as of 1944. The P47 does have many story's about being hard to shoot down though. I'm going with the P-38, as it was present for the ENTIRE War, and at the war's end, was ordered destroyed in various pacific country's rather that leaving it for the indigenous native airforces to pick up as Mustangs were. It was considered too dangerous to leave behind. Mustangs showed up effectively as of 1944. The P47 does have many story's about being hard to shoot down though.

]]> http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-933012 Roger Fri, 08 Mar 2013 23:28:12 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-933012 Expect for the ME 262 it have to be the Focke Wulf 190 since i suppose we are talking about prop planes Expect for the ME 262 it have to be the Focke Wulf 190 since i suppose we are talking about prop planes

]]> http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-826611 Patrick Sat, 08 Dec 2012 02:53:26 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-826611 There was a saying by the airmen in the pacific, " If you want to send a picture home to your girlfriend, stand next to a Mustang, If you want to go home and kiss her, fly a wildcat " There was a saying by the airmen in the pacific, " If you want to send a picture home to your girlfriend, stand next to a Mustang, If you want to go home and kiss her, fly a wildcat "

]]> http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-816560 david eastman Sun, 26 Aug 2012 14:57:07 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-816560 p51 for great range and could mix it with the best but most pilots would go for the spitfire mk 9 and 14. at sea it would be the hellcat of course. oh and eric would say do not try to turn with a gloster gladiator p51 for great range and could mix it with the best but most pilots would go for the spitfire mk 9 and 14. at sea it would be the hellcat of course. oh and eric would say do not try to turn with a gloster gladiator

]]> http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-812234 Old Hoopster Mon, 16 Jul 2012 01:16:36 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-812234 There were several very good fighters, and fortunately the Allies had more of them: P-51, P-47, P-38, F4U, F6F, Spitfire, Tempest. Strategy and tactics allowed the Allies to use these and the Hurricane and F4F to get the job done. The Me-262 was clearly superior in it's element, but by the time it was used in numbers, its bases were subject to attack, so it had no where to hide. But range and lower fuel consumption are what made the P-51 the best; it could take the fight to the enemy, anywhere he was. Nothing but the Me-262 was faster, some could take more punishment, some hit harder with more powerful armament, but the Mustang was where ever the enemy was. Once the Mustang appeared, air superiority was assured all over the theater of operations. There were several very good fighters, and fortunately the Allies had more of them: P-51, P-47, P-38, F4U, F6F, Spitfire, Tempest. Strategy and tactics allowed the Allies to use these and the Hurricane and F4F to get the job done. The Me-262 was clearly superior in it's element, but by the time it was used in numbers, its bases were subject to attack, so it had no where to hide. But range and lower fuel consumption are what made the P-51 the best; it could take the fight to the enemy, anywhere he was. Nothing but the Me-262 was faster, some could take more punishment, some hit harder with more powerful armament, but the Mustang was where ever the enemy was. Once the Mustang appeared, air superiority was assured all over the theater of operations.

]]> http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-796501 Tarv Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:17:30 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-796501 the reason for the mustangs were because they were fitted with drop tanks that allowed them to escort bombers all the way to Germany. Later tactics used by p-51s were to escort from high altitude, Then dive down on attacking ME-262 from above which negated there speed. many more were shot down attempting to land as they guzzled too much fuel. better plane by far P-51 mustang. also the team effort affect. bombing fuel etc. Might want to ask the tuskeegee airmen but thats a whole nother story. the reason for the mustangs were because they were fitted with drop tanks that allowed them to escort bombers all the way to Germany. Later tactics used by p-51s were to escort from high altitude, Then dive down on attacking ME-262 from above which negated there speed. many more were shot down attempting to land as they guzzled too much fuel. better plane by far P-51 mustang. also the team effort affect. bombing fuel etc. Might want to ask the tuskeegee airmen but thats a whole nother story.

]]> http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-792849 Somebody Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:19:27 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-792849 For me... Hmmm... I'd say it was the DH Mosquito. It was fragile but with it's 2 Rolls Royce Merlin engines and fine British craftsmanship put together with great low altitude capabilities and great ground attack capabilities. It didn't pack a great punch but jerry could never catch it. They could be produced cheaply, quiqly and in large quantities. The Super Marine Spitfire Mk.1 packed a hell of a punch during the Battle of Britain. It did have its flaws but it could be produced 3 times faster than the ME-109. You can't forget the Hawker Hurricain Mk.1 either. It had more kills to its name than the spitfire during the Battle of Britain. For me… Hmmm… I'd say it was the DH Mosquito. It was fragile but with it's 2 Rolls Royce Merlin engines and fine British craftsmanship put together with great low altitude capabilities and great ground attack capabilities. It didn't pack a great punch but jerry could never catch it. They could be produced cheaply, quiqly and in large quantities.
The Super Marine Spitfire Mk.1 packed a hell of a punch during the Battle of Britain. It did have its flaws but it could be produced 3 times faster than the ME-109.
You can't forget the Hawker Hurricain Mk.1 either. It had more kills to its name than the spitfire during the Battle of Britain.

]]> http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-788265 PBY Ace Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:56:22 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-best-fighter-plane-of-world-war-ii.htm#comment-788265 The Wildcat? No, really. Not that it was actually the "best" fighter, (ME-262) but that it gets instantly overlooked. My father, a Navy pilot from early 1941-1948, went through flight training with Joe Foss and Marion Carl, among others. He was too tall to fit into carrier planes and ended up as a PBY pilot for VP-12, the Black Cats. Most of his classmates went to Devastators and died at Midway. Anyway, he told me that under 10,000', where most of the action happened in the Pacific, a Wildcat could out-perform any plane it flew against. Wildcat pilots held a 6-1 shoot-down advantage over the Zero, mind you, this was against the well-trained Zero pilots, almost all of whom were dead by the time the Hellcat was introduced. Granted, a good part of that success was due to superior tactics, like the Thatch Weave and the fact that the radios in Zeros were next to useless. (And that Zeros came apart almost instantly when hit by .50 cal. rounds.) Kind of hard to fight as a team when you can't talk to your wingman. Toward the end of the war, Dad spent a good deal of his time rescuing "wet, pissed-off Mustang pilots." (His words) Almost any damage to the fuselage would bring down a P-51. P-51 pilots ruefully joked that the plane could be brought down by a hat pin. The Wildcat could accelerate faster than the Zero, as well as the much heavier Hellcat and Corsair. A Wildcat pilot could disengage by diving, something that a Zero did poorly. If a Wildcat pilot had the advantage of higher altitude, it could make a diving attack at much higher speeds than a Zero could flown. At low altitudes, a Zero was only marginally faster. In low altitude dogfights, a Wildcat, with it's greater HP could maintain higher speeds during turns. In a rare encounter with ME-109s over the Atlantic, the Wildcat proved to be decisively superior. Also overlooked is the Douglas Dauntless SBD, which could easily out maneuver a Zero and enjoyed the lowest loss rate of any carrier plane in the PTO. SBD pilots accounted for a good number of Zeros. The Wildcat? No, really. Not that it was actually the "best" fighter, (ME-262) but that it gets instantly overlooked. My father, a Navy pilot from early 1941-1948, went through flight training with Joe Foss and Marion Carl, among others. He was too tall to fit into carrier planes and ended up as a PBY pilot for VP-12, the Black Cats. Most of his classmates went to Devastators and died at Midway. Anyway, he told me that under 10,000', where most of the action happened in the Pacific, a Wildcat could out-perform any plane it flew against. Wildcat pilots held a 6-1 shoot-down advantage over the Zero, mind you, this was against the well-trained Zero pilots, almost all of whom were dead by the time the Hellcat was introduced. Granted, a good part of that success was due to superior tactics, like the Thatch Weave and the fact that the radios in Zeros were next to useless. (And that Zeros came apart almost instantly when hit by .50 cal. rounds.) Kind of hard to fight as a team when you can't talk to your wingman. Toward the end of the war, Dad spent a good deal of his time rescuing "wet, pissed-off Mustang pilots." (His words) Almost any damage to the fuselage would bring down a P-51. P-51 pilots ruefully joked that the plane could be brought down by a hat pin.
The Wildcat could accelerate faster than the Zero, as well as the much heavier Hellcat and Corsair. A Wildcat pilot could disengage by diving, something that a Zero did poorly. If a Wildcat pilot had the advantage of higher altitude, it could make a diving attack at much higher speeds than a Zero could flown. At low altitudes, a Zero was only marginally faster. In low altitude dogfights, a Wildcat, with it's greater HP could maintain higher speeds during turns. In a rare encounter with ME-109s over the Atlantic, the Wildcat proved to be decisively superior. Also overlooked is the Douglas Dauntless SBD, which could easily out maneuver a Zero and enjoyed the lowest loss rate of any carrier plane in the PTO. SBD pilots accounted for a good number of Zeros.

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