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Which was the best muti-role aircraft during WW2

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  • Member since
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  • From: Ozarks of Arkansas
Which was the best muti-role aircraft during WW2
Posted by diggeraone on Friday, December 26, 2003 4:44 PM
Lets have your thoughts on what you think was the best multi-role aircraft in WW2 and what types of devolopments that went on these aircrafts.
devolopments engines,air flow design,lift capiblities,low ground flying
speed,and duriblities.Also which country put out the best in this area.Like
the Germans in there FW-190.
So let me know and what type of aircraft you prefer to build and who makes it.Smile [:)]Smile [:)]Smile [:)]
Put all your trust in the Lord,do not put confidence in man.PSALM 118:8 We are in the buisness to do the impossible..G.S.Patton
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 26, 2003 4:51 PM
My vote would go to the Junkers Ju 88. Bomber, torpedo bomber, dive bomber, night fighter, heavy fighter, radial & in-line engines. The maiden of all work.
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  • From: UK
Posted by gregers on Friday, December 26, 2003 4:54 PM
Hi Digger for me it is a tie between the Mosquitto and the Ju88. both gave exelent service no matter what task they where set and both where modfied way beyond the designers original specifications for tasks they wern't designed for. just i,m,h,o. Greg
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Posted by djmodels1999 on Friday, December 26, 2003 6:10 PM
Yeah, got to be the Ju-88
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 26, 2003 6:48 PM
got to be the Mosquitto
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Posted by diggeraone on Friday, December 26, 2003 9:35 PM
Well how about the B-25 not only was it a meduim bomber but a multi-role aircraft in the Pacific area.Should we forget the F4U Corsair and the Dougless Boston that the Brittish addapeted to a marriot of jobs to do.
Put all your trust in the Lord,do not put confidence in man.PSALM 118:8 We are in the buisness to do the impossible..G.S.Patton
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 26, 2003 9:52 PM
For me both, the mosquito and the ju-88, I've one of each waiting to be assembled and in both cases they are variants of the original purpose (fighter-bomber and night fighter).
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Posted by phule on Saturday, December 27, 2003 8:31 AM
definately the Ju 88. A Jack of all trades, but a master of none.
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Posted by upnorth on Saturday, December 27, 2003 11:04 AM
Three way tie in my mind: Mosquito, JU-88 and Petlyakov PE-2

All three wildly exceeded all intentions their designers had for them at the drawing board stage.

They were all so adaptable there wasn't much any of them couldn't do.
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  • From: Lafayette, LA
Posted by Melgyver on Saturday, December 27, 2003 12:19 PM
I would have to say the Corsair. Fighter, bomber, close air support and nightfigher. The P-47 Thunderbolt also would be a close second. For third I think the A-20 filled a lot of roles including a stop gap nightfigher.

Clear Left!

Mel

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  • From: Philippines
Posted by nkm1416@info.com.ph on Monday, December 29, 2003 9:01 PM
My vote goes to the North American P-51 Mustang. It's a fighter, fighter-bomber, dive-bomder(A-36), ground-attack a/c, close air support a/c, photo-recon, long-range bomber escort. It even passed carrier qualifications. And in all these roles, the Mustang performed the best.
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Posted by diggeraone on Monday, December 29, 2003 9:19 PM
To nkm1416 you make a good piont about the P-51 but the P-47,F4U in my opinion were a little better at the job due to there ruggedness.They are kind of like the A-10 of today when it come to low level ground attack.PE-2,JU 88 are also among the the best in low level attack.WIth the P-51 to put the type of armor that this other planes had would be like saddling a real mustang with a 500lbs man.Shes notgoing to run far or wheel around like you want.DiggerSmile [:)]Cowboy [C):-)]Smile [:)]
Put all your trust in the Lord,do not put confidence in man.PSALM 118:8 We are in the buisness to do the impossible..G.S.Patton
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  • From: NE Georgia
Posted by Keyworth on Monday, December 29, 2003 9:35 PM
What about hte PBY? It was used as a torpedo bomber, anti-sub aircraft and recon bird.
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Posted by nkm1416@info.com.ph on Monday, December 29, 2003 9:43 PM
I guess you are right with low level attack role, Diggeraone. Maybe my last line should read 'And in most of these roles, the Mustang performed at its best'. Over all, it is still the P-51 for me.
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Posted by MikeV on Monday, December 29, 2003 10:47 PM
How about the P-61 Black Widow?

Mike

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon
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Posted by Quagmyre on Monday, December 29, 2003 10:53 PM
Does this include variants? Cuz this could go on forever if so.

The B-24 Liberator had a few variants like C-87 (cargo/transport), PB4Y (naval variation), XB-41 (long range escort), & F-7 (reconiaissance). That's pretty diverse!

The P-38 was also the F5E used for reconaissance.

The A-36 Apache was the dive bomber version of its successor the P-51 and there was a reconnaissance version as well... can't remember the number.

Seemed the medium sized bombers were always being used or retro-fitted for something else other than bombing (i.e., towing, cargo/troop transport, etc.).


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  • From: Ozarks of Arkansas
Posted by diggeraone on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 12:12 AM
When you take in the meduim bombers into this role,you can only said for two that the U.S. had that were good at this job.1 the Michell,2 the Boston,then you have planes like the Tigercat,Avenger,for the Navy but nelther was as good to all purposes.Planes like the P-47,F4U,P-38,P-39 were more apted for this role.The German only had three that were good at this,1JU-88,FW190,and the Stuka.Only one was a true fighter and that was FW190 it was tought and very relible.These planes were very capible as ground,an fighter bomber roles.The Russains built a plane for each need and did not diversife what they did have. The Brittish had a quet of few planes with multi capiblities.The jappanies had very few even though they should had have many,due to the use of their
carriers.Which the U.S. was good in this,so they could load there carriers up with planes with weapon for a differant job.DiggerSmile [:)]Cowboy [C):-)]Smile [:)]
Put all your trust in the Lord,do not put confidence in man.PSALM 118:8 We are in the buisness to do the impossible..G.S.Patton
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 12:28 AM
The P-38 was a multi-tasker. Fighter, bomber, interceptor, close air support, night fighter, recon...

Over and out.
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Posted by jetmech on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 1:29 AM
No doubt about it, the Ju.88
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  • From: Kent, England
Posted by nmayhew on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 2:20 AM
hi guys,
i generally agree with what has gone before regarding the ju-88, although the mosquito edges it in the heavy fighter role (the role itself was found to be outmodedby the battle of britain, anyway, so maybe that's not so important).
regarding single engined planes, i'd say it's between the fw-190, p-51 and p-47; by the time the d-9 came along i'd say it was the 'bolt against the fw with my vote going to the p-47 simply because it's basic airframe did pretty much evreything with little/no modification, whereas the fw needed in-line engine and extended fuselage to cut it with (as?) the best fighter(s).
regards,
nick
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Posted by Cobrahistorian on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 9:06 AM
My vote goes to the L-4 Grasshopper! Wink [;)]

Liaison, artillery spotter, medevac, ground support (in a pinch) and I even read a story once about an L-bird going head to head with a Fieseler Storch!!
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Posted by KJ200 on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 7:57 AM
It has to be a 2 horse race between the Ju88 and the Mossie.

Both expanded their CV to cover roles that their designers never concieved them capable of.

The mossie saw service after WWII, while the Ju88 evolved into the Ju188, which in turn was was used by the Armee de l'air after WWII.

Karl

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Posted by caine on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 12:47 PM
I would have to go with the Mosquitto hands down!
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 7:51 PM
Three great ones come to mind if you are limited to 3 countries and one AC per. USA - the P-47, Germany - the Ju-88 and GB - the Mosquito.
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 8:47 PM
I would have to agree with Pix on this one. My vote definately goes with the JU-88. Second would have to be the Me 110.
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 15, 2004 1:00 AM
Don't forget the Hurricane
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 16, 2004 11:14 PM
I would have to agree with the F4U Corsair, but also the B 25 Mitchell. Both performed several differnt tasks and performed them well. The corsair continued to serve in Korea only a few planes mentioned participated in two wars.
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 19, 2004 6:09 AM
Gotta go with the P-47 Thunderbolt. Able to dish out an incredible amount of punishment with eight .50 cal. machine guns, and able to take even more. Bomber escort, fighter-bomber, ground support, the P-47N had a great range. What more can be said?

-Charlie
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Posted by tempestjohnny on Monday, January 19, 2004 8:26 AM
Ju-88 and Mosquito are the ones for me. But what about the Beaufighter heavy fighter, night fighter, torpedo bomber, coastal attacker, ground attack. All of this with 10 forward firing guns. JOHN

 

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Posted by diggeraone on Tuesday, February 3, 2004 7:20 PM
Well since i am back from the rigors of the road,I have took a look about your pics.I have to say there are some good ones.The JU-88 and the Brit Mosquito were good but go and compare them to a B-25 which did low level attack an bombing,anti-shipping,
air recon,gunship for close support,pacific convoy duty and bomber from an aircarft carrier.This is a record had to beat also add in transport an medical aircraft,boy the list can grow bigger from that.Smile [:)]Cowboy [C):-)]Smile [:)]
Put all your trust in the Lord,do not put confidence in man.PSALM 118:8 We are in the buisness to do the impossible..G.S.Patton
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