Best World War II Aircraft?

[FLYBOYJ]

But, to be fair, neither does flying around loaded up with packing crates, that stuff has to be used.

Yep and somthing has to get that stuff there, especially when you have troops on the ground.

And the best "something" was the C-47...

 

[Elvis]

...ditto.

 

[Marcel]

Yep and somthing has to get that stuff there, especially when you have troops on the ground.

And the best "something" was the C-47...

And something has to defend the airfield, so that the DC3 can be safely loaded and taking off. Further more, something should defend the DC3 against enemy fighters, so as to be able to reach the troops.

 

[Elvis]

.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

And something has to defend the airfield, so that the DC3 can be safely loaded and taking off. Further more, something should defend the DC3 against enemy fighters, so as to be able to reach the troops.

Sure, after a C-47 delivers the parts and fuel so "something" could fly escort.8)

 

[Glider]

You're assuming the DC-3 / C-47 was a front-line aircraft.


Elvis

Anyone who doesn't think that it was a front line aircraft should ask the aircrews who had significant losses dropping at Arnhem, flying the Hump and countless other places across the globe.

Another way of looking at it, if the Germans had been equipped with the C47 instead of the Ju52 they may, just may, have held Stalingrad, a sobering idea.

 

[Waynos]

Sure, after a C-47 delivers the parts and fuel so "something" could fly escort.8)

No, the 'something' had to fly with what it had because the undefended C-47 got shot down

 

[renrich]

Glider, Wingate's Chindits could not have been operational without the C47 either.

 

[Elvis]

Anyone who doesn't think that it was a front line aircraft should ask the aircrews who had significant losses dropping at Arnhem, flying the Hump and countless other places across the globe.

Another way of looking at it, if the Germans had been equipped with the C47 instead of the Ju52 they may, just may, have held Stalingrad, a sobering idea.

You make a good point and one that didn't occur to me when I made that post.
Post deleted.


Elvis

 

[imalko]

In my opinion the best of WW2 would be Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9, even if the Bf 109 is my personal favorite airplane of all times.

 

[Thunderbolt56]

Wouldn't it be more effective to simply have a nominations thread then post a poll?

70 pages is intriguing, but tiresome.


P-47D won teh war...after the Hurricane held the line in Britain.

Once the Allies had a foothold in Europe, post D-Day, fighter range became less and less an issue. Certainly the P-51's range allowed feinting on ingress, but by then the Russian offensive was getting it's head of steam and the potential flight distances were getting shorter.

The Jug's Radial dependability, excellent firepower, loadout options for ground attack, superior high-altitude performance and decent range make it the hand to beat.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

The Jug's Radial dependability, excellent firepower, loadout options for ground attack, superior high-altitude performance and decent range make it the hand to beat.

It still took a C-47 to supply it the parts needed for that "dependability, excellent firepower, loadout options for ground attack, superior high-altitude performance and decent range." Besides how many P-47s serve today in operational airforces?

 

[mkloby]

It still took a C-47 to supply it the parts needed for that "dependability, excellent firepower, loadout options for ground attack, superior high-altitude performance and decent range." Besides how many P-47s serve today in operational airforces?

I'm biased, but assault support is the most important function of aviation... it's just not as sexy as offensive air support or anti-air warfare.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I'm biased, but assault support is the most important function of aviation... it's just not as sexy as offensive air support or anti-air warfare.

Yep.

There's always too much testosterone in this thread!

 

[Marcel]

Ah Joe, another chalenge. What about the Texan/Harvard or Tigermoth? Those nice DC3's and others wouldn't fly if the pilots not learned to fly first

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Ah Joe, another chalenge. What about the Texan/Harvard or Tigermoth? Those nice DC3's and others wouldn't fly if the pilots not learned to fly first

True, but again, I didn't see any airlines shoving passengers into a surplus Texan after the war! 8)

 

[Marcel]

True, but again, I didn't see any airlines shoving passengers into a surplus Texan after the war! 8)

True, but didn't see any DC3 flying without pilots either

 

[FLYBOYJ]

True, but didn't see any DC3 flying without pilots either

They do have an autopilot!

 

[mkloby]

They do have an autopilot!

George is a pretty good pilot...

 

[Marcel]

They do have an autopilot!

In that case, what do we need pilots for????

George is a pretty good pilot...

Does it do take-off and crosswind landings?