What is your favorite WW2 planes?

Sorry but I have to mention more then one plane.

Rank 1:
Bf-109 Messerschmitt.

Rank 2:
Japanese Zero.

Rank 3:
Junkers Ju-88.
 
Well, this is not about "the best" or the "most important" but it is "your favourite".
My answer is then the Mosquito, followed by the nearly unknown Italian fighter Reggiane RE 2005.
Why this second one? Well, though built in a few tenths and totally irrelevant to the history of operations, it was simply beautiful.
 
P38 all the way
what plane did MAJ Richard Bong the "Ace of Aces" the man with the most aerial victories fly? the p38
 
Well if we're going "best" it'd be, in this order
Fighters:
1. P-51 Mustang best prop fighter of the war
2. Gloster Meteor best jet of the war (outperformed the ME-262 in virtually every category, if only slightly)
3. Vought F4U Cosiar, best naval fighter plane of the war

But if we want to go just "favorites" the subjective measure, then I'd say
1. The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, or, "The Jug" it was bit, it was tough, it was fast, and it had guns up the wazoo
2. The Illyushin-II, the unsung hero the eastern front, basically, the plane that pushed the nazi's back to berlin.
3. B-29, cause it was the biggest bomber of the war, and that's just kinda cool.
 
To me, the best or most important fighter was the P-51 Mustang. Without the Mustang I seriously do not think the Normandy invasion could have been accomplished! The Luftwaffe would have challenged the Allies for the airspace over western France. This meant the Allies ability to crush the German Army would have been greatly reduced!
The most important bomber to me was the B-17. It was the bomber which took the fight to the enemy in all theaters during the worst of times for the Allies.
 
Setback said:
Junkers JU-87
junker_ju-87_stuka.jpg
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One "bad to the bone" looking aircraft.
 
What is your favorite WW2 plane?

My favorite WWII aircraft? P47 Thunderbolt. Big hitter and could get you back home after a bad day at the office.
 
Setback said:
Junkers JU-87
junker_ju-87_stuka.jpg
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The Stuka was so ugly that it's allmost cute, and it sure fascinates me.
The favourites however, is...
Me-262 Schwalbe, it didn't perform too well, but unlike it's Allied counterparts it did perform, and it just looks good! :smile:
P-38 Lightning, no other reson than the good looks, and the fact that it was the only fighter without a joystick.
Short Sunderland Mk.V. partly beccause workhorses are seldom awarded any trophies, and this flying wolf in sheeps clothing was a tough mouthfull to it's oponents.

And then the Douglas C47 Dakota (another workhorse) always had a special place in my heart, on permanent basis. :smile:
 
While the P-51 is my favorite fighter of the period another fighter that was very productive was the P-38 Lightning. It fought the entire war on in most all theaters of operation. It was far from the best fighter for a turn & burn dogfight but, in slashing attacks it was great. Thus it was not good as a bomber escort but, for "air borne gorilla" warfare it was great. The range to go deep into German & Romania and wreak a lot of havoc.
Like the F-4 Phantom II, the P-38 was designed as an interceptor that was forced into the fighter role.
 
MontyB said:
Both out dated before WW2 even began.
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I agree, the Hurricane was out dated and out performed, but she could take a lot of punishment, it was also the only airframe in the Desert Air Force that could take two 40mm canons, she did a good job as a tank buster.

My all time favourites are the Spitfire MkIX, the Mosquito, and the Lancaster. The P51 is up there too, brilliant aeroplane
 
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C-47 Dakota , the workhorse of the allies. Put boots on the ground during D-Day and Market Garden. Kept the paratroopers fighting in Bastogne while surrounded. Were escorted by the best fighterplanes of the war. Still flying today.
 
Favorite fighters of WW2 are
Messershmidt 262 Jet
Folke Wolfe 190
Yakovlev 9 and 3
N.A. Mustang P51
Hawker Typhoon
Vought F4U Corsair, Carrier aircraft

Aircraft that almost made my favorite list
Supermarine Spitfire
Mitsubishi A6M 'Zeke' (Zero)
 
VDKMS said:
C-47 Dakota , the workhorse of the allies. Put boots on the ground during D-Day and Market Garden. Kept the paratroopers fighting in Bastogne while surrounded. Were escorted by the best fighterplanes of the war. Still flying today.
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They also supplied the Chindits in Burma along with the Chinese fighting with Stilwell. The South African Air Force (SAAF) still use the aircraft today, albeit with up-rated turbo prop engines. An amazing air-frame.

Its not that long ago the SAAF got rid of it's Harvards (T6 Texans).
 
Spartan613 said:
The CAC CA-15. A pity it never made it into service. lmost 2000km range on internal fuel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAC_CA-15
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Interesting aeroplane, as stated it does look a lot like the P51 Mustang. Sadly a lot of aircraft with possibilities didn't make it into production, but with the dawning of the jet age, piston engined fighters were a thing of the past

Talking to an ex navigator on the South African Air Force Avro Shackleton's, the 37 Litre Griffon engines had a nasty habit of blowing spark plugs out of the cylinders. However,talking to ex RAF pilots flying Mk18 Spits, they never had this problem.
 
BritinAfrica said:
Interesting aeroplane, as stated it does look a lot like the P51 Mustang. Sadly a lot of aircraft with possibilities didn't make it into production, but with the dawning of the jet age, piston engined fighters were a thing of the past

Talking to an ex navigator on the South African Air Force Avro Shackleton's, the 37 Litre Griffon engines had a nasty habit of blowing spark plugs out of the cylinders. However,talking to ex RAF pilots flying Mk18 Spits, they never had this problem.
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I met a bloke who was a navigator on Shackletons. He described it as "18,000 rivets flying in close formation".
 
Spartan613 said:
I met a bloke who was a navigator on Shackletons. He described it as "18,000 rivets flying in close formation".
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I've heard that one before and very accurate. A Shackleton was heading for UK from South Africa a few years ago, they topped off the fuel tanks somewhere up north but didn't check the fuel filters, then two of her engines caught fire. She ended up doing a wheels up landing in the Sahara. Thankfully none of the pax or crew were badly hurt. As far as I know, she's still there, unless she's been stripped.

I did notice one difference between RAF Shackleton's station in Seletar Singapore and the SAAF Shacks, the RAF types were tail draggers, while the SAAF were tricycle.
 
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I was air trooped all over the world in bloody Shackletons, and dam uncomfortable they were.


Shackleton2-1.jpg
 
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