Favourite Aircraft of WWII

To hit with the 30 mm mk 108 on the 109 G, one had to get in close according to Hartmann. But a very good weapon it was. How bout the MK 103? muzzle velocity & how many If any went into 109's I have heard it did not fit into the nose. And on the flip side, I have heard that some K-4's had them installed. What is the truth?

P.S. Just saw a photo of a Frank in a Japanese air museum. A recent photo that is. Didn't know any survived. Bud Mahurin flew one, but I have never read his impressions of it. Any ideas anyone? places to look?

 

Pilots had to get in close with the Mk108 whatever they were flying ! It had very low muzzle velocity, but a BIG shell.....

The K-6 was the MK-103 version but I believe the gun was simply too huge to be fitted effectively. Don't have time to check just now - Tony Williams is the 30mm expert ...!

 

Aha! An opportunity to plug a book

This is from 'Flying Guns - World War 2: Development of Aircraft Guns, Ammunition and Installations 1933-45':

"Although much smaller and lighter than the MK 101, the MK 103 was still a big and heavy gun which was not used as widely as is sometimes reported. Despite the original specification requiring its use in engine mountings, it was too large to fit in the engine mounting of the Bf 109. A slimmer version with a revised action, the MK 103M, was designed to fit and was reportedly tested in a Bf 109K but it proved unsatisfactory and was probably not used in service. This may also have been the version tested in a Fw 190D, Ta 152 and Do 335, but it is not entirely clear; this may have been a less-modified MK 103, just with the muzzle brake removed and the recoil buffering strengthened to compensate."

Muzzle velocity of the Mk 103 firing 330g M-Geschoss shells was 860 m/s, compared with 505 m/s for the MK 108 firing the same shells.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and Discussion forum

 

Thanks, Tony ! - I didn't have time to find my copy...

 

The Mk 108 was used in the nose of the Bf 109G-6 on certain varaints as well as the Fw 190A-7/MK or R2 varaint and then the Sturmböck standard the A-8/R2 and later the R8. Also in the nose of the Bf 110G-2 day time destroyer and the effective night fighter Bf 110G-4.

True to be really effective the German fighters had to get in within 100 yds and in the case of the heavily armed Sturm Fw's as close as 20-30 yds before breakding away from US heavy bombers. The case of useing 3-4 3cm M shells could bring down a bomber and for 2cm M shells around 10-15 rounds. more on my web-site or check google and type in Sturmgruppen as we had devoted a page to the Mk 108.
The TA 152 H as standard was fitted with a nose through the prop mounted 3cm Mk 108 with wing mounted 2cm weapons.

E ~

 

Good stuff. I might add that the explosive power of German shells was best in world, so I have read.

 

My favorites;
p-47, 'Nick'

 

Wow. I think I counted only 1 saying the Bf 109. What a wonderful aircraft. First flown in 1935 and powered by a British Kestrel engine. Ha ...After WWII Czech Avia discovered that their former Bf 109 manufacturing plant was still intact. So they started manufacturing the S-99 and when they ran out of DB 605 motors. So they installed the Jumo engine which begat the S-199. In 1948 Israel purchased some (how many?don't know). Hispano Aviacon built it's first 1109 in March 1945. By 1953 it switched to the Merlin engine. Resulting in the 1109-M1L Buchon (pigeon) .Ha. There were even tandem seat versions. Close to 35,000 of these war tools were manufactured when the last HA-1112 rolled off the assembly in 1956. 21 years of manufacture....Any comments on aboot where the hub mounted cannon may not have been used much at all, if at all in combat. Cheers Brothers.

 

Hello gentlemen,

Ok, it's obvious: Polikarpov I-16 Ishak, Type 24. It's a beauty !

Regards,

I-16 Rata

 

Maybe this thread could be combined with this similar newer thread?

http://www.ww2f.com/weapons-wwii/20642-favorate-aircraft.html

 

The P-40-the romanticism of this plane is hard to deny.

The PBY Catalina-such overall versatility.

Lia is partial to the A-20 Havoc and B-26 I

 

Way too many words and not enough pictures.

 

I don't know if I have a favorite, but here's some that top my list ;
P-47 Thunderbolt. How can you go wrong with 8 Browing .50 cals?
Me 163. Dangerous to everyone, friend and foe (mostly friend) but to my knowledge the only rocket powered fighter put into production.
B-24 Liberator. Looked like a truck, flew like a truck, carried bombs like a big ol truck!
Yokosuka MXY7 Oka. Not really a aircraft, but still interesting.
Avro Lancaster. Don't know why, I just like the thing!

 

the b-17 a true icon and the p-51 a icon like the b-17 for me.
and the Messerschmitt ME-262 for it was the first jet plane i think and i have always been a fan of jets :ac_me262:

 

Has to be the P51 Mustang. Good speed, great handling (from what I can tell). And, great looks - it looks like a prop fighter should look.

 

Just want to point out that the ME-262 was not the first jet plane nor aircraft.

 

My favs are the FW-190 as a fighter simply cause it was fast, reliable and hard to shoot down with anything prior to 1943. And even after, when the D model came along with the MW 50 injection, the High altitude problems vanished! A great figher!

Well, that's probably it .


Cheers...

 

my real favorite? the b-25 with 8-12 forward firing .50 caliber guns and dropping parachute-braked fragmentation bombs just slightly above treetop level.

a gutsy weapon for a gutsy pilot! i reckon the a-10 warthog is just a slight improvement.

 

Probably the "seagull" or the HawkerHurricane, which my name is apart of