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Best Allied Prop driven fighter of WW2
Sam06
Member Posts: 21,254 ✭✭✭✭
Ok I stirred the pot with MC 205 on the Axis side so now I present my pick as he best Allied fighter of WW2: The Chance Vought F4U Corsair. It started out with some pain and problems but once they were worked out IMNSHO it evolved into the best over all fighter of WW2.
General characteristics
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 33 ft 8 in (10.2 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.5 m)
WS Folded: 17 ft 0.5 in (5.2 m)
Height: 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m)
Empty weight: 9,205 lb (4,174 kg)
Loaded weight: 12,405 lb (5,626 kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial engine, 2,325 hp (1,710 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 453 mph (395 kn, 731 km/h)
Range: 897 mi (602 nmi (1,115 km))
Service ceiling: 41,500ft (12,649 m)
Rate of climb: 3,870ft/min (19.7 m/s)
Armament
Guns:
6 x 0.50 in (12.7 mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns, 400 rpg or
4 x 0.79 in (20 mm) M2 cannon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_F4U_Corsair
General characteristics
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 33 ft 8 in (10.2 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.5 m)
WS Folded: 17 ft 0.5 in (5.2 m)
Height: 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m)
Empty weight: 9,205 lb (4,174 kg)
Loaded weight: 12,405 lb (5,626 kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial engine, 2,325 hp (1,710 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 453 mph (395 kn, 731 km/h)
Range: 897 mi (602 nmi (1,115 km))
Service ceiling: 41,500ft (12,649 m)
Rate of climb: 3,870ft/min (19.7 m/s)
Armament
Guns:
6 x 0.50 in (12.7 mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns, 400 rpg or
4 x 0.79 in (20 mm) M2 cannon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_F4U_Corsair
RLTW
Comments
It'd be hard to decide between the P-51, the F-4U, and the Spitfire Supermarine.
You cannot forget the Yak-9. It was a very good fighter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-9
Navy most capable... Sort of Navy anyway. Corsair
Navy best... Wildcat
Army most capable... Probably the Lightning
Army best... I'd argue the Thunderbolt
Let's remember that we were fighting two wars in very different locations and circumstances. The attributes of any one plane didn't necessarily transfer between theaters.
Corsair was spectacular. Wildcat carried the water with a kill count second to none.
Lightning was the star. She had the looks and performance to attract a lot of attention, but she was delicate.
Thunderbolt was big and looked like a milk jug. But she could perform nearly as well as the Lightning up high and was unequaled in close ground support. And she was tough. Built like a tank! My late father always sung the praises of the P-47 as a flight of them would cut a German column to ribbons in front of his unit on a fairly regular basis.
England... Spit and Hurricane. Spit the glamor girl and Hurk the workhorse. And it was the Hurricane that won the Battle of Britain. Just look at the kill record.
For getting there fast bustin' serious * and getting back to base,The "P-51".
Best or most capable?
Navy most capable... Sort of Navy anyway. Corsair
Navy best... Wildcat
Army most capable... Probably the Lightning
Army best... I'd argue the Thunderbolt
Let's remember that we were fighting two wars in very different locations and circumstances. The attributes of any one plane didn't necessarily transfer between theaters.
Corsair was spectacular. Wildcat carried the water with a kill count second to none.
Lightning was the star. She had the looks and performance to attract a lot of attention, but she was delicate.
Thunderbolt was big and looked like a milk jug. But she could perform nearly as well as the Lightning up high and was unequaled in close ground support. And she was tough. Built like a tank! My late father always sung the praises of the P-47 as a flight of them would cut a German column to ribbons in front of his unit on a fairly regular basis.
England... Spit and Hurricane. Spit the glamor girl and Hurk the workhorse. And it was the Hurricane that won the Battle of Britain. Just look at the kill record.
Do you mean the Wildcat or the Hellcat? The Wildcat was quickly ditched for the Hellcat and widely acknowledged to be inferior to the Zero. The simple fact that it was ditched would seem to suggest that something better needed to be found.
Pacific Theater (includes Aleutians, Central Pacific, South Pacific and Southwest Pacific operating areas):
F6F = 5,221
F4U/FG = 2,155
P-38 = 1,700
F4F/FM-1/FM-2 = 1,408
P-47 = 697
P-40 = 661
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 297
P-39/P-400 = 288
P-61 = 64
PV = 20
F2A = 10
P-36 = 3
P-70 = 2
P-26 = 2
P-35 = 1
European Theater:
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 4,239
P-47 = 2,686
P-38 = 497
P-61 = 59
Spitfire = 15
F6F = 8
Beaufighter = 6
P-39/P-400 = 3
F4F = 2
Mediterranean Theater:
P-38 = 1,431
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 1,063
P-40 = 592
Spitfire = 364
P-47 = 263 = Fifth Place
F4F = 26
Beaufighter = 25
P-39/P-400 = 25
Mosquito = 1
China-Burma-India Theater, including the AVG:
P-40 = 741
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 345
P-38 = 157
P-47 = 16
P-39/P-400 = 5
P-61 = 5
P-43 = 3
Overall against European opponents
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 5,302
P-47 = 2,949
P-38 = 1,928
P-40 = 592
Spitfire = 379
P-61 = 59
Beaufighter = 31
P-39/P-400 = 28
F4F/FM-2 = 28
F6F = 8
Mosquito = 1
Overall against the Japanese
F6F = 5,221
F4U = 2,155
P-38 = 1,857
F4F/FM-2 = 1,408
P-40 = 1,402
P-47 = 713
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 642
P-39/P-400 = 293
P-61 = 69
PV = 11
F2A = 10
P-43 = 6
P-36 = 3
P-26 = 2
P-70 = 2
P-35 = 1
Add them all together:
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 5,944 = 1st Place
F6F = 5,229 = 2nd Place
P-38 = 3,785 = 3rd Place
P-47 = 3,662 = 4th Place
F4U = 2,155 = 5th Place
P-40 = 1,994 = 6th Place
F4F/FM-2 = 1,436 = 7th Place
Spitfire = 379 = 8th Place
P-39/P-400 = 321 = 9th Place
P-61 = 128 = 10th Place
Beaufighter = 31 = 11th Place
PV = 20 = 12th Place
F2A = 10 = 13th Place
P-43 = 6 = 14th Place
P-36 = 3 = 15th Place
P-26 = 2 = 16th Place tied
P-70 = 2 = 16th Place tied
P-35 = 1 = 17th Place tied
Mosquito = 1 = 17th Place tied
Here's some numbers I copied from a ww2 aviation forum.These are enemy aircraft,fighters and bombers,shot down by allied aircraft and broke down by theater of operation.
Pacific Theater (includes Aleutians, Central Pacific, South Pacific and Southwest Pacific operating areas):
F6F = 5,221
F4U/FG = 2,155
P-38 = 1,700
F4F/FM-1/FM-2 = 1,408
P-47 = 697
P-40 = 661
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 297
P-39/P-400 = 288
P-61 = 64
PV = 20
F2A = 10
P-36 = 3
P-70 = 2
P-26 = 2
P-35 = 1
European Theater:
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 4,239
P-47 = 2,686
P-38 = 497
P-61 = 59
Spitfire = 15
F6F = 8
Beaufighter = 6
P-39/P-400 = 3
F4F = 2
Mediterranean Theater:
P-38 = 1,431
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 1,063
P-40 = 592
Spitfire = 364
P-47 = 263 = Fifth Place
F4F = 26
Beaufighter = 25
P-39/P-400 = 25
Mosquito = 1
China-Burma-India Theater, including the AVG:
P-40 = 741
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 345
P-38 = 157
P-47 = 16
P-39/P-400 = 5
P-61 = 5
P-43 = 3
Overall against European opponents
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 5,302
P-47 = 2,949
P-38 = 1,928
P-40 = 592
Spitfire = 379
P-61 = 59
Beaufighter = 31
P-39/P-400 = 28
F4F/FM-2 = 28
F6F = 8
Mosquito = 1
Overall against the Japanese
F6F = 5,221
F4U = 2,155
P-38 = 1,857
F4F/FM-2 = 1,408
P-40 = 1,402
P-47 = 713
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 642
P-39/P-400 = 293
P-61 = 69
PV = 11
F2A = 10
P-43 = 6
P-36 = 3
P-26 = 2
P-70 = 2
P-35 = 1
Add them all together:
P-51/A-36/F-6 = 5,944 = 1st Place
F6F = 5,229 = 2nd Place
P-38 = 3,785 = 3rd Place
P-47 = 3,662 = 4th Place
F4U = 2,155 = 5th Place
P-40 = 1,994 = 6th Place
F4F/FM-2 = 1,436 = 7th Place
Spitfire = 379 = 8th Place
P-39/P-400 = 321 = 9th Place
P-61 = 128 = 10th Place
Beaufighter = 31 = 11th Place
PV = 20 = 12th Place
F2A = 10 = 13th Place
P-43 = 6 = 14th Place
P-36 = 3 = 15th Place
P-26 = 2 = 16th Place tied
P-70 = 2 = 16th Place tied
P-35 = 1 = 17th Place tied
Mosquito = 1 = 17th Place tied
SG....don't want to question your numbers....but the Spit numbers look a bit (lot) low to me and NO Hurricane numbers at all????The Hurricane didn't shoot down any planes? Tell that to the Hurricane pilots in the Battle of Britain. But, like I said....Mustang @1 and F6F #2. Case closed[;)]
I jus'LOVE... The P-38. [;)]
The P51 is my favorite plane.
+1
Every plane was compared to one. The Spitfire
Nothing was as easy to fly and learn to fly quickly to a high level of combat capability like the Spitfire (and the Hurricane)
One thing the Spit could not do was distance. It was basically a defensive fighter in that it could not carry the fight into Germany and the P51 could.
BTW the first 262 shot down was by a Spitfire.
The Hurricane was actually the main fighter in BoB and was an excellent plane, easy to fly. It was not able to be updated like the Spitfire so was all but second string by mid war.
Early on it was effective against the 109E4 and was the primary fighter in Africa and Malta as well as in Greece.
When I started to do combat flight sim work I had my pre-favorite planes like the Corsair, P51 and FW190A.
Once I had thousands of sim hours in; the plane I somehow never cared for, the Spitfire, became my favorite plane in regards to its combat capabilities.
But, what a general comparison does not figure is the operation requirement.
What is the mission? That changes what is best because you need the right tool and good or even best head to head can be meaningless if it can't accomplish the job.
Wulfmann
"Fools learn from their own mistakes. I learn from the mistakes of others"
Otto von Bismarck
If I were a strapping fighter pilot in WWII and was offered the choice of a P-51 or a P-47, I'd have gone for the Jug, hands down. But I'd have secretly lusted for a Spit. Still do, in fact.
Actually the credit for the 1st downing of a Me262 goes to a Soviet Yak-9
None of us will ever get anything BUT sim hours in any of the aircraft we're discussing. On the other hand, I was a qualified AF fighter pilot, and I have 800 hours of combat time logged over 300 missions. Have been shot at. A lot.
If I were a strapping fighter pilot in WWII and was offered the choice of a P-51 or a P-47, I'd have gone for the Jug, hands down. But I'd have secretly lusted for a Spit. Still do, in fact.
The 51 was the better fighter but I might also have chosen the p47 or as a kraut the FW190A. No radiators the weak link in any water cooled prop.
Erich Hartmann used to sneak up on his opponent and get so close he only needed a brief burst into the enemy's radiator. He knew the less ammo required in any engagement meant more opportunity for kills per mission.
I have never read a Yak9 shot down a 262 let alone the first one considering they were primarily used in the west.
Hard to really know what happened as all sides were better at BS than documentation.
Wulfmann
"Fools learn from their own mistakes. I learn from the mistakes of others"
Otto von Bismarck
Ok I stirred the pot with MC 205 on the Axis side so now I present my pick as he best Allied fighter of WW2: The Chance Vought F4U Corsair. It started out with some pain and problems but once they were worked out IMNSHO it evolved into the best over all fighter of WW2.
General characteristics
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 33 ft 8 in (10.2 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.5 m)
WS Folded: 17 ft 0.5 in (5.2 m)
Height: 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m)
Empty weight: 9,205 lb (4,174 kg)
Loaded weight: 12,405 lb (5,626 kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial engine, 2,325 hp (1,710 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 453 mph (395 kn, 731 km/h)
Range: 897 mi (602 nmi (1,115 km))
Service ceiling: 41,500ft (12,649 m)
Rate of climb: 3,870ft/min (19.7 m/s)
Armament
Guns:
6 x 0.50 in (12.7 mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns, 400 rpg or
4 x 0.79 in (20 mm) M2 cannon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_F4U_Corsair
+1 all the way on this plane.
None of us will ever get anything BUT sim hours in any of the aircraft we're discussing. On the other hand, I was a qualified AF fighter pilot, and I have 800 hours of combat time logged over 300 missions. Have been shot at. A lot.
If I were a strapping fighter pilot in WWII and was offered the choice of a P-51 or a P-47, I'd have gone for the Jug, hands down. But I'd have secretly lusted for a Spit. Still do, in fact.
The JUG had more armor right. Way harder to shoot down.
F4U Corsair. What a beauty!
Do you know why the Corsair was a inverted gull wing?[:o)]