Favorite fighter or bomber from World War II

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EagleZtrike

Active member
Whats your favorite fighter or bomber from World War II and why?

Feel free to add what other favorites from world war II :D :rambo:


P-40 Warhawk. I just like them because they look so cool.
Bomber B-17
For the all round fighter would probably be the P-51 Mustang
 
Messerschmitt Me 262 -- first Jet Fighter and the allies really had no answer to it. It was so much faster than everything the allies could put into the air -- the best success at taking it out was hitting it on the ground after landing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_262
Despite its deficiencies the plane was clearly pointing to the end of the propeller aircraft as a fighting machine. Once airborne it quickly accelerated to speeds well over 800 km/h, over 150 km/h faster than anything in the air. As long as the pilot flew the plane well, it simply flew right past the opposing fighters and tore into the bombers with its heavy armament of four 30 mm cannons. In the hands of an even better pilot, the plane could run down P-51s so fast that the allied pilots simply couldn't get out of the way in time.
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I had a friend years ago that was a US bomber pilot in WW2. These things terrified him and those that flew with him because they virtually always score a kill on a bomber every time they went up in the air, and there didn't seem to be anything anybody could do to stop it. <--- According to Mr. Scroggins, so that's nothing official of course.
 
Yeah the German planes were made top notch. I wonder what would have happened if American planes went out to face them instead of British Hawker Hurricanes and Spitfires
 
EagleStrike said:
Yeah the German planes were made top notch. I wonder what would have happened if American planes went out to face them instead of British Hawker Hurricanes and Spitfires
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Consider the disadvantage of being so easily outrun by your opponent: If you started to get behind the Messerschmitt Me 262, he just has to accellerate and come back at you from another angle. 120kph speed advantage is pretty big for those days. His big disadvantage ... ONLY disadvantage ... was he ran out of fuel faster.
 
My favourite has got to be the Spitfire, it looks beautiful, and although the Hawker Hurricanes made up most of the planes the british used, the Spitfire got all the credit. It was used at the start of the war and was even being used in Malay in the late 40's-early 50's i think.
 
Avro Lancaster and B-17 for the bombers... because they were the mainstay of the Allied bomber command, day/night.

And for the fighter, I'd say the Typhoon... I know it was more of a ground attack plane, but it fits the dimensions etc.
 
Like everyone, the P-51D Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire. Favorite Bomber, I'd have to go with AussieNick about the Avro Langcaster. Great peice of Canadian-built machinery.
 
has to be the modified lancasters,
like the ones made for the bouncing bomb
and the one made for the grand slam.
 
I have to agree with GodofThunder, Me-262 is my favorite fighter of WW2 and for the same reasons. Mighty glad though that Hitler gave this project top priority too late in the war for the 262 to have full effect and he ordered only 1 out of 10 262's to be build in fighter configuration.
 
Fighter I'd say P-51D. It's not just a great aircraft it's gorgeous too. It's so sleek and functional. But for bomber I'd say B-25....two words...Doolittle Raid.
 
If i'm right Me-262's where shot down during there approaches on there runway's.....No offence to the Tempest or Mustang, but that aint no dogfight.
 
camm_tempest_v_500.jpg


For those who want to know, this is a Hawker Tempest.
 
Dutchy said:
If i'm right Me-262's where shot down during there approaches on there runway's.....No offence to the Tempest or Mustang, but that aint no dogfight.
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we don't dog fight now either but that doesn't take away from the aircraft at all does it? shooting a plane down on it's approach is simply an effective tactic.
 
There are better ways to conduct air combat rather than the traditional dogfight. That was the territory of 1916-1918 western front type stuff. Even throughout WW2 the idea of air combat was changing.
 
@Egoz

Yes it is an effective tactic i won't argue that, just wanting to point out that most if not all Me-262 where destroyed on the ground or during landing (either by strafing allied fighters or mishaps) and none during actual head to head combat.
 
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