Best Fighter Designer?

Henk · 09-04-2006, 04:41 PM

Kurt Tank and Willy Messerschmitt would be my best two, but the other designs were also great and the aircraft that came out of those designs.

pbfoot · 09-04-2006, 05:09 PM

how about Alexander Kartveli and the P47

Henk · 09-04-2006, 05:25 PM

Yup, but Willy and Kurt Tank is my personel best.

V-1710 · 09-04-2006, 07:56 PM

Kartveli's career also went long past WWII. Both the F-84 Thunderjet and the F-105 Thunderchief were his designs.

pbfoot · 09-04-2006, 08:04 PM

But Kurt Tank was unable to think with jet power as proven with his Indian and Argentinian projects

Parmigiano · 09-05-2006, 02:07 AM

Unable to think with jets? The Ta 183 was a neat design, after the war working in India and Argentina (with all the possible respect) with a very low budget and without his technical team was not exactly the same thing as working in US or USSR or even the Reich... a great designer is not enough to make a great airplane.

V-1710 · 09-05-2006, 02:33 AM

There was also Ed Heinemann. SBD and A-20 to F-16. And a whole bunch in between.

102first_hussars · 09-05-2006, 02:48 AM

I got to say Willy Messchermit made one hell of a plane

Twitch · 09-05-2006, 12:19 PM

The Ta 183 was Hans Multhopp's design. Tank screwed with it so he could put his dubious mark on it in the Pulqui II.

Thorlifter · 09-05-2006, 12:23 PM

I'd go with Messerschmitt, Tank, Kelly Johnson, and Tex B. Beisel just because he designed my favorite plane, the Corsair.

JeffK · 09-06-2006, 04:39 AM

John Smith, from Vickers Supermarine.

Responsible for the Spitfire II - F24 and Seafire!

Grampa · 09-08-2006, 09:12 PM

haven't there been any greater Japanese aircraft-designer?

Nonskimmer · 09-08-2006, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grampa

haven't there been any greater Japanese aircraft-designer?

Tatsuo Hasegawa's Ki-94 interceptor looked promising, if just a bit too late for Japan. Too bad it never even got to fly. In fact, it was scheduled to make it's very first test flight on the very day that Japan surrendered.

Jabberwocky · 09-10-2006, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hot Space

I wouls say R J Mitchell thinking on how the Spitfire/Seafire could still be kept updated and front lined after all those year's in service.

RJ Mitchell died in 1937.

It was Joseph Smith that took over Spitfire development after his death and was chief designer for wartime period.

Its a real shame that RJ never got to see his design in the RAF, or do the sterling service it did.

My vote personally goes for Kurt Tank, just for the FW-190, which was about the most revolutionary fighter of the war, at least in terms of its impact after its introduction.

Second is Geoffrey de Haviland, for the Mossie and the Vampire. Working with wood, anyone?

Third is Jiro Horikoshi, designer of the, A5M Claude, A6M Zero, J2M Raiden and the A7M Reppu. Prolific and a fantastic engineer working with limited resources.

tomsong3320 · 09-16-2006, 10:09 PM

Kurt Tank had more designs than just the fw.The TA152h happens to be my fav ac with a prop that is