Favorite WWII Aircraft

[Deleted member 1487]

I've always found failure more interesting than success. Given that, I would go for the Junkers 288. From potentially amazing to crushingly, smotheringly disappointing. A massive project that turned into a money pit and yielded practically nothing. The story covers all the positives and negatives of the Luftwaffe, RLM and German aircraft manufacturers.

Had that lived up to projected performance, which is seemingly would have without the project being sabotaged in a political pissing match, it would have been one of the greatest warbirds of all time. Reading out the production planning for it there was vast engineering efforts put into every aspect of the project, which would have paid off handsomely had it gone into production. The Ju288A version with the original engine was doing 350mph cruise in testing. The Luftwaffe seriously underperformed in WW2 because their next generation aircraft never came to fruition; had they they would have done some serious damage and generated some serious aircraft porn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlkTqBEUPIM

If you want to see a remote control model fly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89dhi-QPChU

 

[zoomar]

Ah...this is a better question than "best". But it's hard to answer because there are so many great candidates. But for a combination of pure aesthetic beauty, historical lore, and just plain coolness, no aircraft comes close to the Supermarine Spitfire Mk I of Battle of Britain fame.

The Spitfire is not only my favorite WW2 aircraft, it is arguably my favorite war machine of all time (except possibly the two USN Akron-class airships...I am a zeppelin fanatic after all)

 

[zoomar]

Had [the Ju288]that lived up to projected performance, .....they would have done some serious damage and generated some serious aircraft porn.

I'm always leery of claims that presume operational success based on design data and prototype, but the Ju288 certainly could have been the medium bomber the Luftwaffe really needed from 1942-43 on. It is a great looking airplane. But Germany doesn't need actual airplanes to control the market on aircraft porn; "Luft '46" proves that.

 

[Deleted member 1487]

I'm always leery of claims that presume operational success based on design data and prototype, but the Ju288 certainly could have been the medium bomber the Luftwaffe really needed from 1942-43 on. It is a great looking airplane.

Sure, but it went through extensive testing and had various versions. Had the engine politics not gotten in the way it would have been truly formidable. Not a war winner, but it would have largely solved the production issues the Luftwaffe had because of the efforts put into assembly line process for the whole thing and MASSIVE investments in specialized machine tools all of which had to be scrapped IOTL.

 

[RamscoopRaider]

B-29 Silverplate, nothing else says f*ck you and your entire city like it

 

[Deleted member 1487]

B-29 Silverplate, nothing else say f*ck you and your entire city like it

aannnnnd thread

 

[oldironside]

The Luftwaffe seriously underperformed in WW2 because their next generation aircraft never came to fruition; had they they would have done some serious damage and generated some serious aircraft porn.

We had a thread on this once where it was only you and I who seemed to agree on that.

 

[KACKO]

It was able to perform at the altitudes demanded in the East, but the question is did they love it because it was good or because it was better than contemporary Soviet aircraft?

From Pokryshkin memories he liked it because of the armament. Which was stronger then had Soviet planes of that time. However he had to pressure his regiment chief engineer to disconect the trigger for 37 mm cannon and connect it to trigger for MG as trigger for 37 mm was according to him in some uncomfortable position.

On other side, Pokryshkin loved MiG-3 too. He saved one from some abandoned airport during retreats of summer/ fall 1941 and his regiment mechanics were taking care of plane long after all of their officially obtained MiGs were replaced. It took some time for chief engineer talk him get rid of it as mechanics had already trouble to get the parts.

 

[edgeworthy]

de havilland mosquito

 

[Deleted member 1487]

We had a thread on this once where it was only you and I who seemed to agree on that.

Clearly we are the best educated minds on the forum on that subject

Edit:
Hey, start a Ju288 thread. We can start that discussion

 

[Deleted member 1487]

From Pokryshkin memories he liked it because of the armament. Which was stronger then had Soviet planes of that time. However he had to pressure his regiment chief engineer to disconect the trigger for 37 mm cannon and connect it to trigger for MG as trigger for 37 mm was according to him in some uncomfortable position.

On other side, Pokryshkin loved MiG-3 too. He saved one from some abandoned airport during retreats of summer/ fall 1941 and his regiment mechanics were taking care of plane long after all of their officially obtained MiGs were replaced. It took some time for chief engineer talk him get rid of it as mechanics had already trouble to get the parts.

How about the later King Cobras?

 

[M79]

Favorite Actual aircraft, mass-produced:
*F4F
*P-38
*Fw 190

Favorite Prototype/limited production aircraft:

*Ta 152
*Northrup XP-79B
*Me 262

Favorite "Might-Have-Been" aircraft:

*Me 309 (think of a Bf 109 [E4?] from the Battle of Britain with 150 to 300 miles more range and a top speed 50-100 MPH greater too)
*Nakajima G10 (compare with US B-36!)
*XP-55 (engine designed for it was stopped, engine that powered the prototype had 35% less power)
*Martin-Baker MB3

but most especially

*Lockheed L-133

 

[oldironside]

Clearly we are the best educated minds on the forum on that subject

Diplomatic silence.

 

[KACKO]

How about the later King Cobras?

I don't think he was flying them during war.
After all 1944 he was basically forbidden to fly combat missions.

 

[Just Leo]

Diplomatic silence.

Who am I to argue, but I do hear some murmuring. Or grumbling. Maybe I'm just hungry.

 

[Scotty]

I know it technically did'nt make WW2operationally but i'll see all you mossie fans and raise you a hornet

come on, admit it - theres no prettier airplane out there

 

[Deleted member 1487]

I know it technically did'nt make WW2operationally but i'll see all you mossie fans and raise you a hornet

come on, admit it - theres no prettier airplane out there

Ki-83:

 

[pzwicke]

P-61, just looks menacing or B-25H with all of those extra guns

 

[kalamona]

Go-244, ar-232, me-323.

Pretty much the Ft17s of the transport aircrafts.

 

[Alexander Hamilton]

C-47. It did just about everything, in every part of the world and some of them are still flying as working aircraft to this day. And. . my father flew in one in New Guinea and the Philippines in WW II.