Favorite WW2 Fighter Plane

[AA Lover]

my favorites were the P47 Thunderbolt because they survived even the worst damage.
And the F6F Hellcat,because they were fast enough to take on the Zero's and the other fast ��� fighters.

[Obergruppenfuhrer]

my favorites were the P47 Thunderbolt because they survived even the worst damage.
And the F6F Hellcat,because they were fast enough to take on the Zero's and the other fast ��� fighters.

That Thunderbolt is one hell of an aircraft. A book called "Spitfires, Thunderbolts and Warm Beer" along with "Thunderbolts!" by Marint Caiden are great books hailing the amazing abilities of this plane. The first book is about an American volunteer who flew for the battle of Britain and eventually switched to the Thunderbolt once the americans came over. That plane could outdive, and outclimb and German aircraft. It's superior fire power is responsible for the loss of many Fock Wulf 190 Aces that attempted to contest it.

You hit a German plane with those 8 50 cals and it would just take it to pieces while the thunderbold could take an incredible amount of punishment. Great choice!

[Col Cool]

The poll is way too biased towards a pale anglosaxon focus. Here is a much more reasonable list of attractive  fighters of WWII.

The criteria of this list is FORMULA ONE ONLY: 1-engine, 1-seat, monoplan.
Inline engine unless specified.

  1. reggiane re.2005 sagittario (italy)
  2. macchi mc.202 folgore (italy)
  3. macchi mc.205 veltro (italy)
  4. fiat g.55 centauro (italy)
  5. arsenal vg-33 (france)
  6. mig-3 (ussr)
  7. nakajima ki-84 hayate (radial) (japan)
  8. reggiane 2001 falco II (italy)
  9. kawasaki ki-61 hien (japan)
10. lavochkin la-5 (radial) (ussr)

These are definitely the most attractive fighters of WWII. No struts on the tail like the Me 109. No akwardly narrow and fragile landing gear like the Spitfire. no beer-belly like P-51.
Just simple and beautyful. However, NONE of these planes were presented in the poll.

[ABWorsham]

The poll is way too biased towards a pale anglosaxon focus. Here is a much more reasonable list of attractive  fighters of WWII.

The criteria of this list is FORMULA ONE ONLY: 1-engine, 1-seat, monoplan.
Inline engine unless specified.

  1. reggiane re.2005 sagittario (italy)
  2. macchi mc.202 folgore (italy)
  3. macchi mc.205 veltro (italy)
  4. fiat g.55 centauro (italy)
  5. arsenal vg-33 (france)
  6. mig-3 (ussr)
  7. nakajima ki-84 hayate (radial) (japan)
  8. reggiane 2001 falco II (italy)
  9. kawasaki ki-61 hien (japan)
10. lavochkin la-5 (radial) (ussr)

These are definitely the most attractive fighters of WWII. No struts on the tail like the Me 109. No akwardly narrow and fragile landing gear like the Spitfire. no beer-belly like P-51.
Just simple and beautyful. However, NONE of these planes were presented in the poll.

I chose not to include Italian fighters in the poll because the Italian Air Force was a failure. I consider the Italian's best fighter, the macchi mc.202 folgore, a copy of the me 109. I have no bias againist the Italians in WWII, in the medium bomber poll I posted the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero is listed and deservingly so.

I believe Japan is also well represented in my poll. Both the Japanese Army's Ki-43 Oscar and Navy's A6M Zero are on this list.

The Soviets also have three fighters on the list, the Lag-3, Yak-9 and P-39. The MiG 3 did not see long service life and could not be listed.

In making a poll you must realize that very few people want to read a list of 50 different choices.

[Col Cool]

I chose not to include Italian fighters in the poll because the Italian Air Force was a failure.

That is, I'm afraid, what in the tradition of philosophy is labelled a "catagory error", since we were not invited to name our favorite air force or to rate or rank the Regia. It's like judging a Ferrari upon how Mr. Berlusconi is driving it. It also doesn't make much sense in the light of the fact that the head of the luftwaffe commission for fighters in 1943 declared that the Fiat g.55 Centauro was "the best fighter in the axis." (note)

I consider the Italian's best fighter, the macchi mc.202 folgore, a copy of the me 109.

What you consider is in no way true: The Macchi mc.202 Folgore was an entirely different (and in many ways arguebly better) design, developed from the earlier Macchi mc.200 Saetta, to fit a inline Alfa-Romeo built DB601a. Look to the tailwing nicely mounted on the fuselage or to the wide inward retracting landing gear, and compare with ME 109. The frames of ME 109 and MC:202 are completely different from each other.

I believe Japan is also well represented in my poll. Both the Japanese Army's Ki-43 Oscar and Navy's A6M Zero are on this list.

It must be fair to point out the imbalance of challenging American late-war designs (P-47 and P-51 etc.) with early japanese designs rather than their true rivals, the late-war Japanese designs such as the inline Ki-61 and the radial Ki-84.

The Soviets also have three fighters on the list, the Lag-3, Yak-9 and P-39. The MiG 3 did not see long service life and could not be listed.

The MIG-3 was the standard high-altitude fighter of VVS during the critical years of 1941-42, and the first allied fighter capable of shooting down the Junkers Ju 86 high-altitude reconnaissance. Many russian aces flew the type which was build in relatively high numbers. More than 1200 had already been delivered at the start of operation Barberossa. (note) The P-39 on the other hand was an american fighter designed by Bell.

In making a poll you must realize that very few people want to read a list of 50 different choices.

I think most educated people want to choose for them self rather than having other people doing it for them. The answer to your problem would be to trim the criterias, fx. to "Favorite American single-seat monoplan fighter of wwII" if it's important to get below 50 choices.

Nevertheless, even my favorite American fighter of WWII in that catagory was not in the poll. The Vultee P-66 Vanguard.

note:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_G.55
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mig-3

[Col Cool]

I voted for the Tiger-destroyer Hawker Typhoon, which is one of the most scary looking fighters of WWII. Actually Hawker Tempest V is better looking but they are closely related.

Then I voted for KI-43, but could just as well have chosen the Mosquito, P-38, ME 262, LAGG 3, FW 190 or the good old Hurricane.

[ABWorsham]

My Criteria for making the list.

1. Length of Service
2. Impact on the War

I did make a mistake by leaving the Mosquito off the list, which was corrected.

Yes, the P-39 is an american design, however it was the Eastern Front where the majority of P-39 saw combat. The Russians loved the P-39. The P-39 impact on the war was with the Soviets.

If my poll does not meet your standards then make your own.

[Obergruppenfuhrer]

I think you poll was pretty good AB. But you'll always get someone with a wealth of knowledge regarding a facet of the subject that demmands attention.

My Criteria for making the list.

1. Length of Service
2. Impact on the War

I did make a mistake by leaving the Mosquito off the list, which was corrected.

Yes, the P-39 is an american design, however it was the Eastern Front where the majority of P-39 saw combat. The Russians loved the P-39. The P-39 impact on the war was with the Soviets.

If my poll does not meet your standards then make your own.

[PelierBay]

SpitFighter and the zero 

[oldguard11]

I voted for the FW-190 and the P-38, but my all time favorite has to be the P-40. I had the luck to see a group of these in the 1960's mocked up to look like the "Flying Tigers". I have been in love with the design ever since.

[legion3]

Macchi C.202 Folgore of the Regia Aeronautica

The Italian Thunderbolt


I voted for the 262 and the FW190

Please note that I gave love to the Italians (even posted some pics) and I agree that some
Italian fighter should have made the list but as the German clerk in Schindler's list said, "the list is correct sir, there's nothing I can do."

The German and Japanese airforces were also failures in the long run. 

Still love the poll.

[Col Cool]

Yes, the P-39 is an american design, however it was the Eastern Front where the majority of P-39 saw combat. The Russians loved the P-39. The P-39 impact on the war was with the Soviets.

If my poll does not meet your standards then make your own.

Interestingly if not surprisingly the P-39 seems to be loosing the poll (together with the Wildcat). So far we can thus conclude that overall, US seems to be the loser of the poll with the highest amount of unpopular planes with zero votes of any nation.

With the ME 262 seemingly winning the poll, eyebrows should be raised at the fact that the ME 262's closest rival in it's own catagory, the Gloster Meteor was unfairly banned from the poll.

[ABWorsham]

With the ME 262 seemingly winning the poll, eyebrows should be raised at the fact that the ME 262's closest rival in it's own catagory, the Gloster Meteor was unfairly banned from the poll.

I'm surprised that a jet is the winner. I came close to not including the Me 262.  I may just be old school.

Col Cool, i have named you the Poll Cop- always fighting poll injustice.