NICE post AB. I’m back at the front as per your request.
I voted for the Fock Wulf 190 and the Corsair. The Fock Wulf a-4 and a-5 are my all time favorite fighters of the war. I love the beauty of it and love the bravery of the men that flew that plane up against insurmountable odds in the ending years.
The Corsair does not get enough credit. While the Hellcat has the highest kill ratio for the US, (19-1; I believe) it was a short range fighter. The Corsair had to do all the long range dirty work. I’ve talked at length to Corsair pilots and the love they have for that plane is unbelievable. GREAT range, amazing manueverability and an excellent engine. They didn’t even complain about carried landings being difficult. One guy’s corsair went down after he completed his sorties. Another pilot had to bailed out of it. He actually cried and mourned the loss of his former plane for a year.
The last pilot I spoke with talked about him and his wing man were offered flight instructor postions taking them out of combat during the heat of the Pacific air war. They were both already aces and turned down the promotion. He said they loved flying that plane and wanted to keep “getting their feet wet in the thick of it.”
Unfortunately most 190 aces were killed in '44 to '45 mainly because the thunderbolts & P-51’s were everywhere and superior technologically.
The 190 had a cramped cockpit. The Corsairs was beautiful. The later versions actually had a friggin ash trey in them. Now that’s style! Love the way the wheels retract.
OMG. I could go on and on. Much love to Erich Hartmann however who flew the 190. Highest scoring combat ace in history. EVEN with an outdated plane he managed to take out a few Mustangs.