Which was the best aircraft in WWII

Originally posted by Maveric
P-38j Lightning...............

I am watching a show on it now. I am going to agree, but do you know why it was the best?

im watching that show too, it was the fastest thing we had and it took out yamamoto.

Do you know what made it the best? Something was changed.

well they changed the rotation of the propellors and they had them turbochargers that the brits didnt use so theres sucked

Nope, they changed the way the fuel was consumed, it almost tripled its flight length, and it was Japan and zeros.

I thought you was watching.

[Edited on 5-6-2004 by SpittinCobra]

that big open space can carry two extra feul tanks or two nukes

Well, overall the Spitfire was the best aircraft. Thats of course until the Me262 appeared. Good thing for the allies that its numbers were few. The mustang wasnt bad either, and some of those russian fighers were exceptional.

I would have the go with not a type of plane, but the bomber that blew the crap out of Hiroshima because it ended it all

the mustang was garbage so was the spitfire garbage garbage garbage

The P-38 Lightning; at 400 mph + it could go head to head with even the German Jets. Superior performance hands down!

yhe komet was a beast

Originally posted by winker
The P-38 Lightning; at 400 mph + it could go head to head with even the German Jets. Superior performance hands down!

Just like the Spitfire, Mustang, Tempest et al then? P-38 was OK but nothing special. They were too easy to bring down, Spike Milligan, while being buzzed by a cocky American in his P-38 shouted "I HOPE YOU BLOODY WELL CRASH!" and it did! I know of nothing else that succumbed to the Milligan plane curse, when he tried it on the Germans they never even noticed!

i like the corsair nice fighter verry capable.

www.aviation-history.com...

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History: In early 1941, Grumman began design-work on a new twin-engined fighter for the War Department, for use on a planned larger Midway-class aircraft carrier. On June 30, 1941, Grumman was awarded a contract to build two prototypes, the first of which flew in December 1943. The XF7F-1 Tigercat was unusual for a fighter, with its shoulder-mounted wings, twin underwing-mounted engines, all-metal construction and tricycle landing gear.

Before the prototype even flew for the first time, Grumman was contracted to build 500 of them for the US Marine Corps, to be used as close-support aircraft for the massive landing operations then underway in the Pacific. Delivery began in April 1944. The first 34 F7F-1s were similar to the prototypes, then 30 two-seat night-fighter variants (called F7F-2Ns) were produced. Next, 189 single-seat models called F7F-3s were built which featured slightly more powerful R-2800 engines, slightly larger vertical stabilizers, and a 7% increase in fuel capacity.

Much of the original order for Tigercats was cancelled after VJ-Day, and they never saw operational service in WWII. Less than 100 Tigercats were built after the war as night-fighters (F7F-3N and F7F-4N), electronic reconnaissance (F7F-3E) and photo-reconnaissance (F7F-3P) platforms, but higher-performance jet-powered airplanes soon replaced the Tigercat in the US Marine Corps. During the 1960s and 1970s, a few were gradually sold as surplus and converted to fire bombers or aerial photography ships.

Nicknames: T-Cat

Specifications (F7F-3):
Engines: Two 2,100hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial piston engines
Weight: Empty 16,270 lbs., Max Takeoff 25,720 lbs.
Wing Span: 51ft. 6in.
Length: 45ft. 4.5in.
Height: 16ft. 7in.
Performance:
Maximum Speed at 22,200 ft: 435 mph
Cruising Speed at 5,000 ft: 222 mph
Initial Climb Rate: 4,500 feet per minute
Ceiling: 40,700 ft.
Range: 1,200 miles
Armament:
Four 20mm (0.79-inch) cannon in wing roots
Four 12.7mm (0.5-inch) machine guns in nose
One torpedo under fuselage
2,000 lbs. of bombs (1,000 lbs. under each wing)

Originally posted by hockey_crazy
I would have the go with not a type of plane, but the bomber that blew the crap out of Hiroshima because it ended it all

That would be Boeing's B-29 Superfortress.
Specifically, tail number 44-86292 , nicknamed "Enola Gay" after the pilot Paul Tibbet's mother, and tail number 44-27297, nicknamed "Bock's Car" (I don't know the story behind that one, but Bock's Car is the one that nuked Nagasaki, and ended the war.)

Good plane.

[edit on 8-6-2004 by Ouizel]

Dont forget the HO/GO 229. This German beast had 2 Junkers Jumo 004B Turbojet engines, and could travel at 607MPH. It's ceiling altitude was a whopping 53,000ft., and it had a range of nearly 2000 miles. Had this puppy been put into service earlier, New York could have been just like London. Getting pummeled relentlessly.

My favorite is the P51d Mustang, the Spitfire had the looks and was an exellent fighter, but for me the "little friends" guiding the day time bombers of the 8th Airforce deep into Germany are the best. Looks, Power, Range and Survivability. Beautiful Aircraft.

that american jet plane was pretty smart even if it didnt get into any combat
the british 1 was nice as well

Originally posted by hhensley84
Dont forget the HO/GO 229. This German beast had 2 Junkers Jumo 004B Turbojet engines, and could travel at 607MPH. It's ceiling altitude was a whopping 53,000ft., and it had a range of nearly 2000 miles. Had this puppy been put into service earlier, New York could have been just like London. Getting pummeled relentlessly.

Its about 3000+ miles from France to New York and the 229 could only carry 2 1000Kg bombs. Even if they could make it in number the U.S would just convert some of its high-calibur naval gun designs into anti-aircraft work.

spit fire all the way