OT: What is your favorite WW2 aircraft and why does it appeal to you?

[jp]

Just curious, what is your favorite aircraft from the second world war, and why?

I must say the FW-190A's are my overall favorite because of their sleek appearence. And they weren't half bad at warfighting either.
But to be fair, here are my favorites for the four MAJOR participants.

Britian: Spitfire. All of them. They are just pretty aircraft.

U.S.A: F6F and F4U split this one. Both were very effective aircraft, well designed and well built. The later series F4U's are my favorite Corsairs.

Japan: Logical choice, the Mitsubishi A6M type O, or the zero. Very manuverable and very effective. In the opening stages of the war, this was in my opinion far and away the most advanced fighter in the pacific.

Germany: See above.

So what are your favorites?

[W. Bleddyn]

Lancaster and Flying Fortress. Both are just so... majestic to see in flight.

#1 for me will always be the early marks of the Spitfire. In my opinion it is the prettiest thing ever created by man :)

[X_eidos2]

Both my parents were in the RCAF during WWII, so any aircraft they were involved with would be of interest to me. So that puts the Harvard, Hurricane and PBY at the top of my list. My Dad flew air-sea rescue in a Vickers Warwick. No one has ever built a model of that type in FS so I might have to break down and build one myself one of these days. Shoot - that plane hasn't even been modeled in plastic as a kit. There was a vacu-form kit once, but that's another story.

There are other favorites on my list - but they got there because of found memories of building plastic kits of the planes while a young boy. Revell's B-25, then the P-39 and an early version of the B-24 are on that list.

[CodyValkyrie]

Mine seems so simple, and so basic compared to some of the answers I expect here.

P-51 Mustang.

This bird is very American. It is loud, the jack of all trades, beautiful with it's sweeping lines and like every American has an immigrant trace with its Merlin.

I could write songs about this beautiful bird, and there is a reason it has captured the attention of the American people for generations.

I think a lot of people choose not to like the plane simply because it is contrarian.

http://www.callofbeauty.com/gallery/d/92756-2/Planes+-+P-51+Mustang-2404x1502.jpg

[mmann]

Without any doubt at all the Supermarine Spitfire is my favorite WW2 aircraft. Most definitely in a class by itself and well above any other aircraft from this time period.

Regards, Mike Mann

[flyer01]

For me USAA: B-17 and P-51d

RAF: Hurricane and mosquito

There are so many.

Of the four I would go with the P-51d. It was able to fly fast, high and the best on fuel.
The P-51d was able to give top cover for the B-17's from Great Britain across the channel and deep into France and Germany and back.
It was used mainly in the ETO and not the PTO or the war with Japan as some call it.

flyer01

[warchild]

Its probably pretty obvious that my favorite plane of any era is the P-61. Like the b-17 its quite stately. In flight, it reminds me of an american eagle ( which is really weird i know, but it does ).. It was big, powerful and the most devestating weapon produced during world war two. It wasnt perfect at any one thing, but did any and all jobs assigned to it and did them well. it wasnt the fastest plane there was, but it wa fast enough to do its job and then some. It wasnt the most nimble plane there was, but it was nimble enough to out maneuver many smaller fighter aircraft. It was a 30000 pound freight train with wings and enough fire power to cut a locomotive in half.. and yet, flying it was pretty simple. it was incredibly stable, with no bad characteristics to it at all.. And of all the things this plane was asked to do ( fighter, Intruder, bomber, ground support ) it did them all in complete darkness.. It was the first aircraft designed entirely around a radar, the first american plane to launch an ejection seat, the first severe weather research plane, and the first all weather fighter.. perhaps its crews had more in common with the crews from the lanc's and mosquitos than they did other american crews.. I dont know. it doesnt matter.. I've come to love this beast and i love it more every day..
Pam

[stiz]

the handley page halifax, hampered at the begining by being forced to take underpowered engines due to suply and demand of bristols (which they wanted) being given to the stirling first, then once it got the engines it needed and the tweaks ironed out to become a dam good plane that had more uses than just bombing, was hampered and degraded by harris purley because he didnt like it!

[gradyhappyg]

I am kinda partial to the P-39 Airacobra beautiful lines the tricycle gear the big cannon if only they hadn't deleted the supercharger from the production models.

[DHC120]

Gotta go with the B-17 in the Bomber Class.. My Dad flew them and said Boeing built the best planes ever. He had more time in the B-29's with a LOT of round-trips from Guam (North Field) to as far north as Tokyo (14-18hr flights).
In the Fighter Class.. hands down it's the P-38.. Sheer Classic lines. Dad even bought a '49 then a '51 Cadillac because Harley Earl was "inspired" by the P-38's Vertical Stabs and copied the shape for the Caddy's tail-lights (the '56 Caddy really had pronounced P-38 "Tail Fins")
There is my two cents worth.. Spend it wisely!

[padburgess]

Well here goes. I thought I would do this by country. So I am going to list my choices as second, then first then my favorites for the actual period.
Due to the limit of four images per post, I will do this over three posts.
So second runner ups for each country. No particular order.
Britain: Bristol Beaufighter - Rugged beauty and just soldiered on in very demanding roles.
USA: P51B - First of the great fighter and epitomised the marriage of airframe to power plant. And damn fine looking.
Italy: Savoia Marchetti SM79 - Don't know, just like it.
Japan: Mitsubishi Ki46 Dinah - Gorgeous and very capable as a fast recon bird.

28482284812848028483
These images are not mine, are freely available on the internet and remain the property of their original owners.

Due to the 4 image limit the Fw190 will be along soon.

Paul

[padburgess]

And to continue.

Germany: FW190A - Brilliant.
28484

First choice per nation.

Britain: Spitfire - Of course.
USA: F4U Corsair - Cranky, but also brilliant and gorgeous.
Germany: Me110: Sorry, just my choice. I've always liked this twin.

284872848628485
Again the disclaimer above applies.

Paul

[Kiwikat]

T-6 Texan. It is my favorite aircraft period. So many of our pilots learned to fly in it.


WE NEED A GOOD PAYWARE ONE FOR FSX!!! PLEASE A2A OR VERTIGO STUDIOS, DOOOOOOO IIIIITT!!!

:a1451:

[padburgess]

First choice continued.

Japan: Nakajima Ki84 Hayate (Gale) Proved that Japan could build world class fighters that were capable of taking on the best of the allied planes on equal terms, and apparently with a good pilot even the F6F was an easy kill. Also a good looking bird.
Italy: Macchi MC202 Folgore - simply elegant.

2848828489

And my pick of the best. These are my favourite planes of the WWII era.

Numero Uno: Dornier Do24

28490

Number 2: Focke Wulf FW189 Uhu

28491

Why these two.
The Dornier is beautiful with a grace not often seen in aircraft. Also extremely good at what she did. She was arguably the best rough water flying boat of the period. On one documented occasion while carrying out a rescue far out in the North Sea the entire tail section of the Do24 broke off when landing to pick up the survivors. Undaunted the crew simply sealed the tail water tight door, crowded everyone up front and then drove home. That must have been some sight entering a Norwegian Fjord.

The Fw189. Again grace and functionality. Slender to the point of looking fragile but apparently rugged enough to survive Russian Taman (ramming) attacks and return home. And she spent her entire operational time at low level over one of the greatest battlefields of all time. A very rough neighborhood.

Just my choices.

Regards
Paul

[Mathias]

My all time number one is the Do24. I've always been impressed by it's gracious lines that make you want to call her "Me Lady".
One day I'll get out those old drafts and make a new one....for FS203 or so. :-)

Fighter aircraft, clear thing, that's the Fw190. Sleak, fast, manoverable, scary, deadly.

http://www.classics-hangar.de/privat/images/do24_wire_01_small.jpg

http://www.classics-hangar.de/privat/images/do24_wire_02_small.jpg

[padburgess]

Mathias

Please, have some sympathy. Showing me those blanks. I am 56 this year, by FS203x I will be, well lets just say "past it". No offence to those 70+ members out there.
Regard it as an act of kindness or whatever but please please start work on the Do24 as soon as you have released the Bf108, Bf110, Fw189 etc.

Oh yeah and thank you for the brilliant work on the Fw190 series. They are truly awesome.

Best Regards
Paul

[SpaceWeevil]

Without any doubt at all the Supermarine Spitfire is my favorite WW2 aircraft. Most definitely in a class by itself and well above any other aircraft from this time period.

Regards, Mike Mann
If we were just talking about the early war period I would plump for the Merlin Spitfire too. Overall, though, I'm going with the one that jammed the Merlin into a bigger, leaner and meaner airframe, and produced arguably the outstanding fighter of WW2. It's also the only aeroplane that - truly - takes my breath away when I see and hear it fly...... P-51D.

[Sundog]

U.S. - A-20, P-47D razorback, P-51 (though my favorite is the P-51H), and P-61.

RAF - Spit MkV Clipped Wing and Mossie B.IV.

Ge - FW-190D-11 (I like the clean cowl), He-219, Do-335, and Me-262.

Japan - J2M3 Raiden and Ki-61.

It - Macchi C.205

Ru - Yak-3 and MiG I-220 (not production ready, but a beautiful design none the less).

[SixGhost]

Hands down the Fiat G.55, slick yet balanced, fast and agile. Not only for the looks though, the men that flew it showed something special at the time. It's an icon to me.

28500

[txnetcop]

Growing up in San Antonio you can't help but get indoctrinated into the aviation world. My uncle worked at Kelly Air Force base as an aircraft mechanic and supervisor. I spent years out in the hangers and on the flight line. I met many of the aces of WWII, and the Korean War who were still serving in the active or reserve USAF. My uncles had been pilots during the Korean War. One flew P-51s and later F-86s, and F-100s. Another flew F4U Corsairs, later F9F-6 Cougars and still later F4 Phantoms in the 60s. You should have heard their arguments over who flew the best aircraft! One was stationed at Lackland AFB and I got even more exposure to fighter jets early trainers.

I don't have just one favorite because I've been in love with airplanes since I was old enough to see one. My favorite era is WWII and The Korean War prop and jet. I grew up just down the block from Gen. David Lee "Tex" Hill. His stories of the AVG and the P-40 were nothing short of MAGIC! He gave me a model of a P-40E when I was youngster and told me it was highly underrated but a very effective fighter when you learned how to fight with it. I wish I still had that model! I love the stories of the B-17, B-24 Liberator, the B-29 . Now I have flown in one through Cavanaugh Air Musuem in Dallas and the CAF in Midland. It was worth every dime I paid.

I met Lt. Col. Robert S. Johnson through my uncle in 1962. Col. Johnson was an insurance executive at the time but he sure had some incredible stories-some not in the book. I read his book Thunderbolt one year after it was published. Needless to say I was in love with all these aircraft flown by these men, but I also loved the F-100, F-102, B58 Hustler, F-105, B-47, B-52s and the Douglas A-1 SkyRaider while in Vietnam. I was able to back seat a few of these aircraft. How do you pick a favorite? I can't! They are all incredible aircraft. I wish I had been able to fly in a real Boomerang, a Spit, a Hurri and a Lightning! See! I can't pick a favorite.

Should I talk about the GA aircraft I have either flown or right seated? Donna and I just rode a DC-3 for the third time last year. I loved every second of it. The sounds and the smells are unforgettable. It smells like an airplane! Hey but thanks for asking!
Ted

[Matt Wynn]

For me theres only one real contender... The DeHavilland Type 98, more commonly known as the Mosquito.... thing was fast, elegant, could absorb huge amounts of damage and keep going and it packed a mean punch... i love it for the noise it makes, it's graceful elegant lines and the speed, at low altitude it was darn near untouchable. unfortunately i witnessed the UK's last Flying Mosquito Crash at Barton, but i'm hoping we get one back soon...

http://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/mosquito_FB_VI_test_fire.jpg

Second Place goes to a real beauty, it has slightly cranked wings, a napier Sabre as powerplant, was a stable gun platform at 400mph, could dive at 525mph, yup it's none other than the Hawker Typhoon...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Typhoon_rearming.jpg

Pilot Quotes:
Flight Lieutenant Ken Trott flew Typhoons with 197 Squadron and recalled:
Rather a large aircraft shall we say, for a single-engine fighter. Terrific power. Quite something to control. I liked it from the point of view of speed and being a very stable gun platform. You could come in on a target at 400 mph and the thing was as steady as a rock.

In early March 1943 at Tangmere the then new Squadron Leader of 486(NZ) Squadron, Des Scott, flew a Typhoon for the first time:
She roared, screamed, groaned and whined, but apart from being rather heavy on the controls at high speeds she came through her tests with flying colours...Applying a few degrees of flap we swung on down into the airfield approach, levelled out above the runway and softly eased down on to her two wheels, leaving her tail up until she dropped it of her own accord.
We were soon back in her bay by the dispersal hut, where I turned off the petrol supply cock. After a few moments she ran herself out and with a spit, sob and weary sigh, her great three-bladed propeller came to a stop. So that was it: I was drenched in perspiration and tired out...

[PRB]

P-38. First it was the unique look. Then the book by Martin Caidin, Fork Tailed Devil, which is still a great read, and it explained the many ways in which the Lightning was unique and interesting. Then I saw Lefty Gardner fly White Lightling at the Madera CA “Gathering of War Birds” Air Show 1980-something. That was it. Game over. Even by that time I had seen many war birds fly, and while they all sound wonderfully different, the P-38 was truly in a league of her own when it came to sound. All the other war birds started more or less the same way: prop goes through several turns, cough, cough, sputter, bang, smoke, then it's running. Not White Lightning. One turn then a mighty vroooOOOM, and the plane rocked forward slightly on her nose strut. Oh dear... Then as she taxied out, each time the power came up the engines let out a throaty “whooooooop”, reminiscent of an S-3 Viking, if you've ever heard one of those taxi... Utterly unique. Then the take off. The sound of that plane reminded me of a heavy turbo-prop. Deep loud base component. There's nothing like it. Now, since that time I have been lead to believe that the very unique sound of White Lightning was due to engine modifications similar to Reno Racers, and that the war time Lightnings didn't sound quite so interesting. I don't care!

See:

_PQfAWFHHFA

[dswo]

Me-109 or FW-190. The CH shrikes are some of my favorite models so far, and I'm looking forward very eagerly to the FR 109K.

[paulb]

This is a really hard question to answer. My main hobby is military aviation and every time I see something different I end up researching it and buying more books!

There are lots of iconic aircraft and some great ones for FSX nowadays.

However, I will try to answer the question by just mentioning the four that I use most in FSX. In no particular order -

The Realair Spitfire MkIX. All versions of the Spitfire are of great interest to me and I have seen many flying in real life. However, I think that Realair raised the bar when they released their version.

The Just Flight /AH Hurricane Mk1 prototype. The Hurricane was the mainstay of the BoB for the RAF, but the prototype also reminds me of the earlier Hawker biplanes which were so colourful in the interwar years.

The Flight 1 / Flight Replica's Me 109G. Although I really like the FW190, some years ago Dave and I updated Paul Rebuffat's CFS2 109 for FS2004. I flew it all of the time. More recently, I bought the Flight Replica release for FSX.

The Bristol Beaufighter by Dave Garwood. I enjoy flying this one and have fond memories of a Beaufighter being restored over a number of years at my local base. It also makes a change to fly a twin.

[thunder100]

P-51 Mustang.


http://www.callofbeauty.com/gallery/d/92756-2/Planes+-+P-51+Mustang-2404x1502.jpg

Flame suit on-->Without the British Merlin and the help of the Brit's the P-51 would have been hmmm nothing.

But I agree that it is stunning beautiful

If I then have 3 others too

Constellation if this still qualify's as WW 2-->for me the No-1 beacuse of its lines

Mosquito

The other FW190-->TA-152

Roland

[Matt Wynn]

The Just Flight /AH Hurricane Mk1 prototype. The Hurricane was the mainstay of the BoB for the RAF, but the prototype also reminds me of the earlier Hawker biplanes which were so colourful in the interwar years.



well remember the Hurri was originally designed as a Biplane Fighter, and was the true hero of the Battle of Britain :salute:

it's good to see how diverse we all are here, wonder if i'll be the only one to admit to liking the Typhoon :icon_lol:

AND lets not forget the initial series mustangs, no i'm not talking the US ones, i'm talking the RAF Mustang I's and A-36 Apaches

[thunder100]

The DeHavilland Type 98 "the Mosquito"...

http://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/mosquito_FB_VI_test_fire.jpg
...


And it renamed Mr.Göring-->Meier

Roland

[CodyValkyrie]

Flame suit on-->Without the British Merlin and the help of the Brit's the P-51 would have been hmmm nothing.
Roland

I mentioned this mate. Hence my comment about how American it is to have an immigrant background lol.

[thunder100]

I mentioned this mate. Hence my comment about how American it is to have an immigrant background lol.

True wasn't ment in an offensive way-I am an aerodynmaic engineer(past) and a P-51 H is closest to perfect (aerodynamical) shape.(as the Mosquito-->the speed doesnt come free of charge)

Roland

[Rami]

My two favorites are in this picture...

The Fiat G-55 "Centauro" and the Lockheed P-38 "Lightning."

The Centauro in particular is an under-appreciated aircraft that was sadly not built in sufficient numbers. It had beautiful handling, was extremely competitive in performance with any other Allied fighter of its time, and had two 12.7mm machine guns and three 20mm cannons. It also had a wide-track landing gear, and many German test pilots preferred it to the Messerschmitt Bf-109.

As far as the P-38 Lightning, I fell in love with its appearance (especially the "J" model) when I saw a picture of it as a kid. It's an aircraft, those miscast as an air-superiority fighter, (it was really an interceptor) which at least held its own in every theatre it was in, and was truly stellar in both the Med and the Pacific.

[HvyEng]

Ya know, I'm not sure you can truly call yourself an enthusiast if your favorites list for any part of aviation has less than 100 entries. On the other hand, maybe that is the legal limit for being committed, I can't remember which.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Anyway,<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
I will definitely second the Typhoon in the British category. I like big aircraft, with big guns, and for a "fighter" it does not get much bigger or badder than the Typhoon.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Overall, my "all categories" favorite is the PBY Catalina. My grandfather crewed them, and it was one of the first aircraft to have a specific panel and crew position for what would later become a Flight Engineer, a crewmember near and dear to my heart. I love the utilitarian nature of 'Catie, almost the four wheel drive all-purpose Jeep of aviation.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
--Dan <o:p></o:p>

[Roadburner440]

I must say that if I had to choose one plane off my list of many it would be the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. It was cutting edge at the time, and Kelly Johnson really thought out of the box with it. Definately a sharp looking craft even if she did not have the same impact on the war as say the P-51, or Spitfire.

[jp]

Good responses guys, keep 'em coming... I've noticed the stang, P-38 trend. I like both of those aircraft, and they did their jobs extremely well. I especially like the P-51B/C. I also forgot to mention one that was somewhat borderline. While developed for use in WWII, the Hawker Sea Fury never saw action in the war. I think it's one of the nicest looking British piston aircraft. Like others developed late war, it served well in korea. It's also a great racing aircraft.

[roger-wilco-66]

Hmm, to me this changes all the time. I really like all the naval US aircraft by Grumman and Douglas for their toughness and brutish looks, and also the PBY Catalina has one of my top ratings.

I also like the german aircraft, expecially the Do-335 Pfeil for its outstanding technical design and performance. Expecially for my grandfather, who flew it, the Ju-88 has a special place in my heart. Ahh, and the Fw190, of course, this is a dream machine. The more I think about the subject the more come to my mind :-)

Cheers,
Mark

[shamus]

I would have to pick the F4U Corsair. I fell in love with Whistling Death when I originally watched Baa Baa Black Sheep on TV back in the day, with Robert Conrad. Great Flight scenes.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nKTRodbxcY

Shamus

[roger-wilco-66]

I would have to pick the F4U Corsair. I fell in love with Whistling Death when I originally watched Baa Baa Black Sheep on TV back in the day, with Robert Conrad. Great Flight scenes.

Shamus


Geeez, I forgot Chance-Vought and the F4Ux :jump:
Thanks for the video, great stuff!

Cheers,
Mark

[beana51]

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942 --
Raiding Force B-25s on board USS Hornet


It was then and still till today,the very versatile Mitchell North American B-25 is my favorite all time WW2 plane...That Act by That man and crew,Billy Mitchell,and the B-25 was a turning point in those very dark days.It lifted America from the nightmare of Pearl Harbor and gave hope for Victory!!!.Men ,Machine, Carrier,Mission...in perfect harmoney....Thanx for the memory!..

[pilottj]

The C-47 holds a special place for me because it was my Grandpappy's bird. And the fact that it is still in active service is a tribute to its design. It is still a very hard aircraft to beat for its cargo and shortfield abilities. This picture sums it up:salute:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/AVIAC---Aereo/Douglas-C-47-Skytrain/1697422/L/

For fighters
for pure looks IMO the Spitfire IX is one of the most beautiful aircraft created. The RealAir IX was what made me come to the darkside and leave my beloved FS9. It has provided me with many hours of very enjoyable flying and will continue to until the A2A IX is available :)

The TA-152H, P-51D, A6M5 also on my favorite list :jump:

bombers
the B-17, what can I say it is just such a beauty to fly. also the B-32 Dominator was quite interesting, I thought it was actually a little more beautiful than the B-29. Tho the B-50 was after ww-2 I think it is ultimately my favorite piston Bomber.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_B-32_Dominator

The PBY is also a favorite, it is like owning a big cruiser sailboat, go tour the world. :)

Cheers
TJ

[SADT]

Bombers
the B-17, what can I say it is just such a beauty to fly. also the B-32 Dominator was quite interesting, I thought it was actually a little more beautiful than the B-29. Tho the B-50 was after ww-2 I think it is ultimately my favorite piston Bomber.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_B-32_Dominator

Cheers
TJ

I also believe the B-32 is more beautiful than the B-29 - though the Superfort still turns heads :)

[SADT]

Mathias

Please, have some sympathy. Showing me those blanks. I am 56 this year, by FS203x I will be, well lets just say "past it". No offence to those 70+ members out there.
Regard it as an act of kindness or whatever but please please start work on the Do24 as soon as you have released the Bf108, Bf110, Fw189 etc.

Oh yeah and thank you for the brilliant work on the Fw190 series. They are truly awesome.

Best Regards
Paul

Mathias,

Do you think you really could make a Do.24 for FSX, after your Bf110? :jump: :wavey:

[PHo17]

In Finland the Brewster Model 239.

It may not have been the prettiest (nick name in Finland "the flying bear bottle" :icon_lol:) and certainly not the best fighter of that time (we didn't have any better) but in the hands of Finnish pilots and with the kill ratio 32:1 it was a very valuable weapon against the Soviet Union's overwhelmingly numerous air force.

Pekka

[huub vink]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y210/Huub_Vink/Upload_Losigkeit_1.jpg

As you might know I love single engine fighters. So without any hesitation I can say the early Messerschmitt Bf109 is my favourite WWII aircraft. When you ever have the chance to take a close look at one, you can admire the craftsmanship with which they are put together. The FW190 is a nice second, because of its sleek lines, but the Bf109 was the first of the 'modern' WWII aircrafts and when the war started the design was a light year further than anything else available.

The Hurricane is my favourite RAF fighter. It has beautiful lines and is a beautiful bridge between the classic build aircraft and the all metal aircraft.

The Dutch didn't have much, but the Fokker C-X (not a fighter) and the Fokker G-1 are definitely beautiful aircraft.

The Curtiss P-36 has always been my favourite US aircraft. I like the sturdy look and it looks almost like something from a comic book.

The French Caudron C-714 is in my opinion the best looking French aircraft. I like it because looks more like a pre-war racer than like a fighter.

The triangular wing shape of most Russian aircraft makes most of them look good. When I ad to choose one I would pick the YAK-3.

Almost all Italian aircraft look good. For some reason I love the Macchi aircraft best. It is hard to choose between a MC.200, MC.202 or MC.205. But the MC.202 Folgore is my favourite.

Cheers,
Huub

[Bjoern]

Bf-109 from the "F" and up.

I just can't fly anything else in IL-2, even though I find the 109 to be a bit fragile. But you're not supposed to get hit when you're out to kill.

Fighting in a 109 feels a bit like fencing. You're wearing your fighting glove and you strike quickly and precisely. No wonder why many 109 aces were masters at aerial gunnery.

[crashaz]

Bombers... going to be a tie between B-17 and B-25.

Of course I am going to have a naval bias here

British... Spitfire.... beautiful aircraft.

U.S. Gotta love the P-40 and the Wildcat. (Early war bias in as well.):icon_lol:

Germany:Bf-109

Japan: Zero-sen (boy do we need an FSX model) and B5N Kate...... deadly.


Got em close to all covered thanks to Vertigo's efforts on the Mitchell.

Still would love to see the IJN aircraft above and a TBD.

[hurricane3]

I've always been partial to the underdog , a plane or person that faceing incredable odds comes out on top. The Hurri was the unsung hero of the Battle of Britian and even though in most cases was out performend by her opponents ,was able, because of her rugged construction to bring many a pilot home. She could also out turn both the Spit and BF 109 but had poor acceleration and slower top speed.
BUT, the top RAF scorer in the Battle was was Robert Tuck who scored 12 on Hurris and 17 on Spits, the top all around RAF pilot of the war was Marmaduke Pattle who scored 26 on Hurris and 15 on Gladiators. Also the only Victoria Cross awarded to a Fighter Command Pilot was Flt Lt Nicolson during the Battle.
Also the Hurri shot down more German aircraft during the Battle than all other defences combined, and according to the leading expert on the Hurri Francis K Mason ,it shot down more enemy aircraft during the war than any other RAF fighter by a wide margin.(Wings of Fame ,vol 2 page 124).
True it wasn't the best as far as preformance, but it was in the fight from beginng to end and remained the most numerous RAF fighter against the Japanese till the end.It was there on D-Day ( flying dispatches between the resistance and the Allies) ,and was always there when needed ,and held the line in whatever theater it served in. Thanks for letting me vent.

[Odie]

Any plane that the Military Channel is profiling......:icon_lol:

Seriously, anytime I watch a documentary, I'm mentally going through the hangar inventory to see if I have one.

But, to single out one, it would have to be the P-51 Mustang. It just looks like something to be reckoned with. On the English side, the Hawker Typhoon. Great looking aircraft and heavy hitter.

For multi-engined ones: B-17G Flying Fortress & the Lancaster.

On the Axis side: FW-190 (all variants) and the Zero. Throw in the HE-111 and you are there.
Also, in a class by itself: ME-262A. It just looks like something you didn't want to meet when you're low on fuel and ammo.

[BOOM]

My favorite is probably a toss-up between The Grumman F6F Hellcat and The Chance/Vought F4U Corsair.That said I believe The HellCat was a very important part of turning the tide of War in the Pacific Theater.

The F6F was Grummans answer to battling The highly manuverable Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero.With a PW R2800 Double Wasp 18cyl Radial engine, It was much more manuverable and powerful than it's predecsessor F4FWildcat,And with heavy armor/self sealing fuel tanks and six Browning .50cal Machine guns it packed a hell of a punch!!! I gotta vote for The Big Cat!
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[AndyE1976]

If I had to pick just one then it would probably be the Lancaster with the spitfire close behind it.

I do love visiting the axis aircraft at the RAF museum in Hendon though, it's one of the few places that has a He111, Ju88, Ju87 and Me109 all in excellent condition.

[wbuchart]

To me it has the classic lines of the golden age of aviation. It’s absolutely beautiful. Because they were intentionally designated to be hard to fly most were scraped at the end of their career instead of being sold to into the civilian ga market.
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[robert41]

My fav WW2 aircraft are the late war types. Those that where most technically advanced in airframe, powerplant, electronics. Always have been impressed with the technology that came from the war.

[Naki]

P-40E/M/N Kittyhawk and Spitfire (MkV,IX, XVI). Both great flying aircraft, are airshow regulars in NZ and have significant historical ties to NZ.

I expect the Mosquito to join the list when I see one flying here soon.

Honourable mentions: Corsair, P-51D Mustang, Yak-3, Bf-109F/G and Zero.

[SkippyBing]

For the UK I'm going to say Fairey Firefly, I've always liked the lines and she was multi-role enough to do ground attack or air-to-air, heck she could out turn a Zero.

For the US, despite being a naval aviation fan, I'm going to say the P-51. The fact is, if I won the lottery that's the plane I'd buy. Well that or a Sea Fury but they don't count for this survey.

For Germany, I think it's the DO-335? The one with a prop at both ends and a tricycle undercarriage, just looks like it's light years ahead of its time.

For the same reason for Japan I'm going for the Shinden, which just counts as they had a couple of prototypes flying.

[jp]

I like the Fairey Firefly as well, especially the MK IV.

[Lenop]

My top three:
1. Spitfire Mk.V
2. P-51D
3. P-47D Razorback

[mal998]

That would have to be the P-38 because when I was a very young kid, I had a dream I was shot down at the end of the Pacific War. In that dream I was flying a P-38. That dream was as real as it gets without being awake.

I was born in 1946 a year after the war ended....re-incarnation anyone? http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/images/icons/icon23.gif


Re: the AT-9...sure would love to see one of those for FSX.

[italflyer]

OK then, let me be the first one to state:

My no. one favorite plane of WW2 is the FiatCR42!

It's appearance as a biplane in a time when every other nation was switching to monoplanes is somehow fascinating. The Germans ordered them even after the Italian armistice in late 43! (as night ground attack plane) Also, it was the first plastic kit I did when I was veeeeery much younger!

But as for fighting power and handling I would rather have to enter a dogfight in a Fiat G55 as it was one of the best propeller driven fighters, built in (luckily) too small numbers!

cheers

[BOOM]

My top three:
1. Spitfire Mk.V
2. P-51D
3. P-47D Razorback

You must be VERY HAPPY with the A2A Accu-sim line-up!!:jump:

[FAC257]

My first place fav WWII aircraft has always been the B-29, because that's what my father flew in.

Since I tend to prefer nose-wheels and more than one prop, the Black Widow and Douglas Invader were always on the cool list.

If I were forced to pick a single engine pea shooter with the nose wheel on the wrong end :) ....that spot went to the Hawker Sea Fury. It just always looked like my definition of big, mean and fast.

FAC

[jp]

Yeah,

I must say that it's a bit sad that we are lacking a native B-29. It was such a momentous aircraft, introducing many features that lead us into the modern era in terms of aircraft design. It accomplished so many things. Just the fact that it dropped the H-bomb was enough to put it in the record books, but it introduced many other firsts and was significant in so many other ways...
If I could ride on/ fly a WWII bomber, it would be the CAF's "FiFi".

Jp