Best World War II Aircraft?

[cheddar cheese]

There are a lot more American sitcoms than British ones, so obviously it would seem that there are more bad ones, but the ratio is about the same. I do prefer British sitcoms though, Friends is hilarious and King of Queens is ok but theyre the only 2 ill really make a point of watching. My personal favourites are Dads Army, 'Allo 'Allo and I'm Alan Partridge.

[Dazed]

Which plane had the most impact on the course of the war? That's the relevant comparison.

[Gnomey]

We have already discussed this at length (and multiple times) and have decided that the C-47 was the best aircraft of WW2. Reasons can be seen further back in this thread.

[pbfoot]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

My alltime favorite is Friends and then after that Wings.

those 2 shows give me the shivers now after saying that most Bob Newharts stuff was good as was All in the Family and Basil Fawlty has no equal best new show is My Name is Earl

[Propwash]

I vote for the B-17!

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

And for what reasons? Theres nothign wrong with that choice and it is a good choice, but tell everyone why.

[mkloby]

I think the Hurricane was one of the most important A/C of the war. Without these, which were easier to crank out in masses than spits, the brits may not have been able to keep fighting off the Germans after france fell. Maybe not a sexy plane, but definitely a workhorse... and giving her her due.

[syscom3]

Originally Posted by mkloby

I think the Hurricane was one of the most important A/C of the war. Without these, which were easier to crank out in masses than spits, the brits may not have been able to keep fighting off the Germans after france fell. Maybe not a sexy plane, but definitely a workhorse... and giving her her due.

Important for a certein time of the airwar.

But far outclassed by the Spitfire and Mustang (and a slew of others) as the ar progressed.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

but unlike many other types she did go on to prove very useful in a number of other roles, and whilst i agree she is not the best aircraft of WWII she does deserve a mention as an all time great.......

[syscom3]

Originally Posted by the lancaster kicks ***

but unlike many other types she did go on to prove very useful in a number of other roles, and whilst i agree she is not the best aircraft of WWII she does deserve a mention as an all time great.......

In a top 100 list, yes.

In a top 25 list, no.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Id throw her into a Top 50 list.

[wolfpath]

Hello, my father was the "engine and guns" man of Luigi Gorrini, one of the top aces of italian Regia Aeronautica, serving in the 85 squadriglia of 3 stormo. He always told me that his pilot told him that the english and amirican planes were not so good good, the SPitfire itself...good to dive shoot and fly away. They had less handling and manouvrability than the italian planes (Fiat Cr 42 "the best of all biplanes", the Macchi Mc 200, the Macchi 202, and the Macchi 205) and that the pilots were not able to make aerobatics. Most of italians pilots, in fact, were much more experienced than the english and the americans, because they had fought in the Spanish civil war. You can read everywhere that "the italian planes were undergunned", but I had the canche to talk with generale Giulio Cesare Giuntella that shot down two english planes over the desert and He told me that the italian breda 12,7 impressed Adolf Galland in Belgium when they showed him that the bullets from that gun could hole steel and fire a tank of fire put behind, while the weak bullets from english planes were stopped even by the parachute, when they had the chance to fight spitfires and hurricanes them over the Channel. The Macchi 205 veltro was better than the spitfires (i read a very interesting text on this site confirming that) but the P 51 pilots too feared the 205 at least at low heights. I think it was the best of fighter plane with propeller, at least in Europe. But the director of the italian museum ot air force (Museo storico dell'Aeronautica militare di Vigna di Valle), very well informed, told me that the Germans tested the italian fighter planes (they know that they were better than theirs) of the "5" series, Macchi 205, Reggiane 2005 and Fiat 55. They wanted to chose a single type plane to produce TO REPLACE Me 109 and Focke Wulf 190. And they chose the Fiat 55: the superb plane was, for them, THE BEST FIGHTER. And they were not short of excellent planes.
English historians tell that the SPitfire was the best defensive fighter, and the americans that the Mustang was the best offensive. The history is written by the winners and the winner people likt to believe to their lies.

[FLYBOYJ]

Good information wolfpath, but it's not a matter of "lies from the winners." You stated that "the english and amirican planes were not so good good, the SPitfire itself...good to dive shoot and fly away." Well that's what you call tactics and those dive, shoot and fly away eventually prevailed along with the numerical superiority that no axis power was able to achieve. The Italians built great planes, but their numbers and tactics did them in, and that my friend is the truth....

[the lancaster kicks ass]

ah you also have to remember EVERYTHING from the past is propaganda, even facts are because you use facts to support your arguments, so whilst some of it is perhaps fact, of course they would have told your father that his enemy was inferior because that's what they told their pilots, no pilot goes into a fight thinking he will loose, even your statement about the winners believing their lies is propaganda, and remember the italians ended up on the winning side.........

[plan_D]

Don't give him the idea that his country was on the winning side in the end. Italy got slaughtered and embarassed in that war. The only times Britain, then the Allies met real resistance in any theatre Italy was in...was when the Germans were there.

Makes me laugh really that he attacks the Mustang ... I don't see any Italian planes escorting their bombers from Rome to Alexandria. Or the equal distance of Britain to Berlin .