Best fighter of ww2?

Which means had they had Spitfires the Japs would have been in trouble

 

Aha, but if the Japanese had Messerschmitts and F.W.-190s........................... but it ultimately depends on the pilots themselves.

Timo, you are correct about Bongs and Pappys scores. Shame both are dead i.e. an accident testing a bird and age in 1988. Nice to know that both were also Medal of Honor Recipients too.

 

Here are my two euro-cents worth:

The ultimate interceptor is probably the Me-262. It certainly has the most awesome weaponry of any fighter in WW2, and is very fast.

The best escort would certainly be the P-51 (which has been somewhat idolised, it's not the best fighter, it's an okay fighter with a damned good range).

The best plane in a dogfight? I think I'd like to be in one of the advanced Spits.

The best all-round plane with possible use as a fighter bomber and AAM and AGM capability? Again, no question, the Fw-190. I've got pictures of it with X-4s fitted.

 

I have to begin to agree with you there too--after reading Erich Hartmanns Bio. I believe he shot down, what, 3-4 Mustangs on one mission and was in his Messerchmidt. I still love the Mustang as the kind of fighter it is as well as the Messer....

 

This thread looks well-trodden but I'd like to pass on some comments from a true veteran.

Twenty years ago, I met (through business) AVM (ret) Sir Peter Wykeham, who during WWII was better known as Group Captain Peter Wykeham-Barnes. He told me that he'd flown sixty different types of aircraft - so I asked the obvious question!

'The best, the absolute best, was the P51 Mustang.' he said.'The Spitfire was a beautiful aircraft but tricky, you know, tricky...You had to know what you were doing in a Spit - it could bite you in the backside! But you could do anything in a Mustang and it would forgive you. Lovely !'

I remember his exact words, they made a big impression on me ! Sadly, Sir Peter died about 18 months ago - as always I wish I'd asked more.

( I must say I think the FW190 was probably the best overall but hey, I wasn't there ! )

 

Very true. Obviously any statement I can make on such a subject, being neither pilot nor veteran, is based only on paper, which is a weak thing to base such a judgement on.

 

I would have to say it was definately P-51D. For its range, heavy weapons, speed, manouvrability and strenght. Many German aces as Günther Lützow died facing those aeroplanes which made B-17 formations invulnerable to German fighters, wheter they were flown by excellent pilots in excellent aeroplanes such as Me-109K or the latest versions of Fw-190s. Even on equal conditions the P-51D was better than Me-109K to my sorrow...

And I woud say that the "Corsair" was pretty close to become the best fighter in the Pacific. Actually it was until the Mustang appeared there too...

The USA could have done the worst tanks, half tracks and tank killers but God, they did good aeroplanes!

 

True !
( . . . the Brits did a fairly good engine, too ! )

 

A number of suggestions:

Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" - the finest fighter in the Far East, swept away all before it before 1942.

de Havilland Mosquito - fantastic multirole aircraft and a formidable fighter. Could carry rockets, radar, cannon, machine guns, light artillery, and as many bombs as a B-17. Served in night-fighter, dayfighter, ground attack, night intruder, bomber, light strike, coastal defence, trainer and photorecon roles.

Yakovlev Yak-3 - a dangerous fighter at low level, so successful that the Luftwaffe put out a directive that pilots were to "avoid combat below 5000m with aircraft lacking an oil cooler below the nose". Fast and agile, on one occaison 15 Yak-3's encountered 30 Luftwaffe Messerschmitt 109's and destroyed 18 of them without a single loss.

Hawker Typhoon and Tempest - the Typhoon was the most effective anti-tank aircraft in the Western theatre, it carried 8 60lb air-to-ground rockets and in August 1944 destroyed 250 tanks on a single day. The Tempest was the evolution of the Typhoon and was even better, having better flying characteristics, speed and handling. Also used to great effect destroying V1 flying bombs.

Nakajima Ki-84 - An extremely successful fighter with an advanced direct-injection engine and was capable of outclimbing and outmaneuvering a P-51H and a P-47N. Also capable of intercepting the B-29.

 

I wonder of Squadron Leader Douglas Tidy is still living? He was a BoB pilot that I had some nice conversations with a few years ago. He also had a nice site on the web--but I no longer have the URL.

 

Hello, Greenjacket - welcome aboard !
Interesting selection of aircraft. I have a particular keen interest in the Hawker Typhoon. I'd hesitate to put it among the 'best' fighters but find it fascinating that after many, many teething problems, and proving unsuitable for its' intended role (interceptor) it 'had its day' (and how!) becoming forever synonymous with Falaise. I love Frank Wootton's painting, 'Rocket Firing Typhoons at the Falaise Gap' and I've spent ages gazing at the RAF Museum's Typhoon - the only surviving example in the world.

 

I love the Mosquito....Why? Just because it looks good!

 

Oh yes, the Mosquito . .
A work of genius and a very formidable fighting machine. But, there was always a suspicion of 'rushed' design, it was very difficult to fly, and rumours went about that some 'came unglued'. Tragically, the UK's only flying example was lost, with its' crew, some years ago. If you ever get over here, the DH Air Museum Trust, just north of London, is a 'must' to visit for Mosquito fans.
( Incidentally, their most recent Newsletter carries an obituary for your contact Alan Webb, who died 15th September last ).

 

Is that Hendon??? I've passed it on my way to Sheffield and the North several times, but have never visited it.

I recently (actually yesterday) learned about mr. Webb's passing. I got an e-mail from his son after I was inquiring after his book. Way back I ordered a book, but realised through this thread that I never recieved it. Mr. Webb's son, Chris, wrote back telling me about his father's passing. Very sad. Other 627-ers seem resiliant, accoording to Chris. many are still around!

 

No, no - althought there is a Mosquito at Hendon, too. Hendon ( the RAF Museum ) is one of the best WWII aircraft collections in the world - and is about two miles from where I live.
The 'Mosquito Museum' is at Salisbury Hall near St Albans in Hertfordshire ( about 10 miles north of Hendon ) and is located at the historic site where the prototype Mosquito was secretly built - and it is still there !

 

Martin :

Does the musueum in it's holding have anythin on the later marks of Mossie night fighter ?

E

 

Hi Erich

Errrh, bit shaky on this one. Here goes :

The Mosquito Museum has Prototype W4050 ( currently under restoration ), FB.VI TA122 ( being completely rebuilt using a wing discovered in Israel, guns and mountings have just been fitted ) and finally B.35 TA634 complete.

Up at the Yorkshire Air Museum and undergoing a virtual single-handed restoration over many years is NFII HJ711 which actually served with 169 Squadron at Little Snoring, Norfolk where it made the Squadron's first 'kill', destroying a Bf110 near Berlin on 30th January 1944.

Let me know if you need any other info & I'll do my best.

 

Martin :

Thank you sir ! Well I am looking to find any references or materials that can be copied on the ops of the 100th group / their squadrons and the useage of latter marks of the Mossie night fighter to the XXX variant. This for further research for my night fighter files and book. Any help would be most appreciated......

E

 

My pleasure !
You'll have to bear with me a little - all my Mosquito stuff is buried under a mountain of books. I'll have a look through tomorrow.

If you're researching a book I reckon you'll probably have this, but a classic starting point is Chaz Bowyer's 'Mosquito Squadrons of the Royal Air Force' (Ian Allan, 1984 ). Although a small book, it's packed with data and photos.

Best regards
Martin

 

Erich, try this :

The Mosquito Aircrew Association
Tony Wilson - Membership Secretary
21 Kingwell Road
Hadley Wood
Barnet
Herts EN4 0HZ
England

Phone : 020 8 449 3502 ( a London code )

No e-mail listed.