Survey, what's your favorite WW2 fighter?

Any version of the F4U Corsair, and the Focke-Wulf Fw-190D-9.

American F4U Corsair

German, Very close between 190 and 109, slightest edge to the 109

For me it is just one.  P-40B.

Joe

BrandonK

I ignore the 262 here only because it was so advanced in looks to all other planes that my mind places it in Korea or Vietnam due to its looks. I know its a true WWII bird, I just can't let it get judged with the prop jobs. That's just my thing. I also have a soft spot for all the single engine float planes from Japan, US, GB and Germany.

I enjoy the purpose-built float planes too. Someone here sent me a Fujimi Pete that I liked very much. By purpose-built, I mean a float plane that was designed with an integral and not simply a plane like a Zero with floats installed. Just landing those things on something other than calm waters would have been quite tricky. I also had a Tamiya M6A1 Seiran which although just looks like a plane with floats, was designed to be flown from a submarine. I've often wondered what their true markings looked like, the ones disguised as American planes that were to attack the Panama Canal locks.

Here's a segment from Dogfights mentioning the P38's compressibility problem in a dogfight:

www.youtube.com/watch

British

Tempest; Typhoon

US

P-47,F6F

Germany

FW 190

Russia

IL-2

Japan

A6M

Romanian

IAR 80

Italian

MC 202,205

The IJN made a bad compromise in the design of the "Zero" to get high performance. The aircraft  was lightly armored and could easily be knocked down with minimal damage. The F4F was able to absorb lots of damage; that along with tactics is why the plane could hold it's own against the Zero.

Saburo Sakai described this in his book:

   I had full confidence in my ability to destroy the Grumman and decided to finish off the enemy fighter with only my 7.7 mm machine guns. I turned the 20 mm cannon switch to the "off" position, and closed in. For some strange reason, even after I had poured about five or six hundred rounds of ammunition directly into the Grumman, the airplane did not fall, but kept on flying. I thought this very odd—it had never happened before—and closed the distance between the two airplanes until I could almost reach out and touch the Grumman. To my surprise, the Grumman's rudder and tail were torn to shreds, looking like an old torn piece of rag. With his plane in such condition, no wonder the pilot was unable to continue fighting! A Zero which had taken that many bullets would have been a ball of fire by now.

   —Saburo Sakai, Zero

For me the Mustang overall, with the F6F and F4U a close second.  F8F came too late, but had performance close to the Mustang.

Axis-ME262, and the Zeke.

The spit was just a plain beautiful aircraft, and a virtual tie in looks to the Mustang, at least in my eyes.

There's something about the shape of the P-39 that I just love.  Much sleeker and sportier looking than the Spitfire, I think.

As a kid, I always loved the P-51, but now I'm firmly in the P-47 camp.  

Honorable mentions to the Mustang and the Spit.

Short and sweet.

109, period.

Big fan of the P-47.  I love that it flew interceptor and escort missions.  Than with the introduction and adoption of the P-51, the Jug became a great ground attack plane.  Sure, it could dogfight, but it punished enemy ground positions.  (See - the 12th AF fighter groups.)

I was just watching shows on the "Jug" They said the P 47 Thunderbolt was loved by some and dispised by others. I'm sure I would have been one of the lovers of the Jug. What is strange is the fact that no other fighter was produced in as many numbers. It could also take massive amounts punishment some even had parts of their engines shot away, But they still flew all the way home. One pilot said his plane was running fine, but his engine was shot all to (you know where) too.

Always been kinda partial to the 109, Corsair, Zero, and IL-2.

Interesting thread I found regarding the P38's compressibility problem.

forums.ubi.com/.../465239-P38-Dives-Compressibility-Forums

While I do love the P-38 Lightning but I sure as heck don't want to get into a steep dive in one.

modelcrazy -

The Hellcat can give Zeros fits in a dogfight. Look up Dogfights from The History Channel on youtube on the Hellcat.

Single engine would be the P 47 hands down (in my book that is)

Quote from PanzerPilot That was Robert Johnson. His squadron was jumped by elements of JG26 in June, 1943 returning from an escort mission. He was in a Razorback, spun out, regained control down low and could not bail out (His canopy track was jammed) Speculation is it was the Commodore of III/JG2, Egon Mayer who shot him up then. Over 200 bullet holes, but he still made it back. It's in Johnson's book, 'Thunderbolt', which is an excellent book. UnQuote

I heard/watched this story on one of the TV shows like great planes  (in You Tube), I wanted to watch it again for about 6th time, but I can't find it now. They said with the canopy being broken, he couldn't fit through the broken glass with his parachute either. I didn't know he wrote a book, I'm goimg to have to find it.

Then my other fav is the P38 I haven't done any other countries planes

Lots of winners listed here.  Hard to chose a favorite but the "losers' are a good place to start.  Briefly, the P39/63 and the Brewster Buffalo.  Losers at home but winners in the hands of the nations that got'em.  Pappy Boyington had flown a Buffalo before it was loaded with equipment and called a a good flier.  

As previously mentioned the F4F, an inferior plane against the Zero but the tactics evolved to allow it to hold it's own until the Hellcat arrived.  

I'm partial to radial engined aircraft so for Germany it's the FW 190.  

Japan; no favorite due to unfamiliarity,    

Britain; The Beaufighter and the Westland Lysander.  

Russia:  the Sturmovik along with the P39.

Depending on how well my projects are going in the future the list will change.

Personally, I base my opinions more on the looks of the aircraft more than anything. I am very fond of radial engines, I love how they sound, but the Merliin is very nice also. That being said For the US I am an avid Corsair lover far above all others. The 47 and 51 are cool but pale to the Corsair in my view. I'm not looking at performance here.

US

F4U

P-47

P-51

Helldiver

P-40

Brits

Spit

Hurricane

Typhoon

Russia

Mig 3

Yak 3

Japan

Raiden

Zero

German

109

190

I ignore the 262 here only because it was so advanced in looks to all other planes that my mind places it in Korea or Vietnam due to its looks. I know its a true WWII bird, I just can't let it get judged with the prop jobs. That's just my thing. I also have a soft spot for all the single engine float planes from Japan, US, GB and Germany.

Wow, so far the field looks really open. There doesn't seem to be any one particular fighter that stands out, yet at least. I didn't expect that.

Actually thinking about it last night after my post, why would I exclude 109's and 190's? If that's what you like then build it! Crossovers from the 109 GB would certainty be welcome.

I'm thinking multiple patches (British/American/German/Italian, ETC) and/or "kill marks" for more kits built.

I'm still working this out and I have plenty of time, so If anyone has ideas let me know.

And please keep telling me you favorite. Its fascinating.

Steve

modelcrazy

Here’s my 2 cents.

American,

#1 P47. There’s just something about that big bird. I was a great fighter as long as you didn’t give up your attitude and didn’t get into a turning fight, very tough. I heard a story once about a Fw 190 which exhausted it magazines trying to bring one down. I’m sure someone here knows that story true or false.

Steve. That was Robert Johnson. His squadron was jumped by elements of JG26 in June, 1943 returning from an escort mission. He was in a Razorback, spun out, regained control down low and could not bail out (His canopy track was jammed) Speculation is it was the Commodore of III/JG2, Egon Mayer who shot him up then. Over 200 bullet holes, but he still made it back. It's in Johnson's book, 'Thunderbolt', which is an excellent book.

I do like the idea of a favorite build. It would give everybody a pretty broad choice.

American - USAAF - P-47D; USMC, Corsair; USN, Hellcat

British - Spitty, but have a soft spot for the Huricane.

German - Toss up, 109 & 190.

Italian - Macchi C.205

Japanese - Ki-61 "Tony"

Russian - MiG-3

Cheers,

Dave

Rob,

It was really tough to keep twins out of it. I'll do (or someone can) a twin fav later.

P38, P61, F7F, Bristol Beaufighter, de Havilland Mosquito, Me 110,210,262, Ju 88, Pe-3.

Will be epic.

Steve

Shoot ya, Modelcrazy!  Keep us posted on that one.  I'd be interested...  

As far as U.S. fighters... I'm a Corsair fan, probably followed closely by the Hellcat and Mustang.  I'd still like to see an F4U-1A go up against a P-51D with a cloned pilot.  

For the U.K., I've gotta go with the Hurricane, not because it's better than the Spit.  It's just got spunk, and I like that.

Germany, I've got to go with the FW-190.  Had the metallurgy been further along I might go with the ME-262, but the engines were just not reliable for any length of time.

Probably the Zero for Japan, thank god a well placed spit wad could bring one down... Of course I think that was true for most of Japan's birds.  

Interesting topic.  Raymond