The most important Aircraft for any given country!

[Tzaw1]

Originally Posted by michaelmaltby

Tzaw1 - why the P-63 rather than the P-39 ..?

MM

Good question.
I thought about P-39, but I wrote P-63.
Probably the reason is is somewhere here: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/avi...tml#post522087 (P-39 vs P-40)

[Marcel]

Originally Posted by Colin1

Marcel
Surprised you didn't give the Dewoitine D520 a mention, it could hold its own vs the Bf109E, though slightly slower

I believe the P36/H75 was there in greater numbers at the start of the German campaign. There were only a few D.520's. Later there were more, but by then, German superiority was too much to handle, so it was too late. The Curtiss was simply there. That's why I choose the H75.

It's a pitty that not more people give a shot at the smaller airforces. The biggerAF's already have been discussed very much, while we can still learn a lot about the smaller ones. For instance which aircraft would you think to be the most important of Hungaria? Is it the Bf109, the He112 or another aircraft I forgot?

[Dark Matter]

USA- P-40

USSR- MIG-3

Italy- CR-42

Germany- Bf-109

Japan- A6M

England- Spitfire

[Colin1]

Originally Posted by SILVERFISH1992

England- Spitfire

Or possibly Britain
Unless Scotland, Ireland and Wales had their own most important aircraft

[Tzaw1]

Originally Posted by Marcel

which aircraft would you think to be the most important of Hungaria? Is it the Bf109, the He112 or another aircraft I forgot?

Both.

[lingo]

Originally Posted by Colin1

Or possibly Britain
Unless Scotland, Ireland and Wales had their own most important aircraft

Quite right! We mustn't forget the Cornish or the Manx either!

[Juha]

Now He 112 was not much good for Romanians, they removed it quickly from front line IIRC.

Juha

[Watanbe]

Originally Posted by Waynos

The UK point is interesting (at least for me) Hurricane? All the points raised by Watanbe are perfectly valid so I'll give no effort to try to refute them.

Spitfire? Maybe it steals it?

The kill ratio for the Spit in the BoB is roughly the same as the Hurricanes, but more aircraft in service equals more kills overall for the latter, and you can't dismiss that. However the Spitfire, as well as being brilliant and being the most developed fighter of the entire war etc etc also provided something less tangible. It was a rallying point for the British, in a way that no other aeroplane has ever been for any country. It was a symbol of hope and survival and ultimate victory. The plane itself became a national hero, in the way that The Duke of Wellington or Francis Drake had been in the past. That Inspiration it gave to the nation probably makes it Britain's most vital ever aeroplane, not just in WW2.

Excellent point, a wrote about that same point in an essay once. I think as well, the British took great pride in having the best fighter in the air when everything else was going wrong.

[Watanbe]

Originally Posted by Colin1

I've been mulling over the UK entry for most of the afternoon too

The Hurricane certainly got the lion's share of the kills, more than all other means put together including AA defences/balloons/rocket-launched cables/whatever. Unfortunately, it didn't secure our survival on its own and I doubt it could have done - Hurricanes trying to intercept Bf109 raiding parties? They'd have had a torrid time going at the bombers too, Bf109s again.

The Spitfire wasn't around in sufficient numbers to carry the fight on its own so I doubt that would have secured our survival either.

The Hurricane and Spitfire were a tag team, extraordinarily difficult to give it to one, over the other.

It's hard to argue with that. The Hurricane did the bulk of the work, but needed the Spitfire's help to perform it effectively. People tend to considered the Hurricane redundant after the BOB but it made an excellent ground attack aircraft in North Africa and once again was present in most numbers and performed the bulk of the work. (together with the P-40).

[Soren]

Originally Posted by drgondog

Actually I meant 'failed' as in it didn't achieve the results that a heavliy armed fighter that was 100 mph faster than its competition, piloted by the LW top pilots and could engage or withdraw at will - should have been able to accomplish.

That is my opinion only

Bill the Me-262's were mostly flown by rookies, so the result is understandable. There were few experten flying the Me-262, and they were limited to Nowotny's squadron.

Also aren't you forgetting the fact that they hardly got to fly because of fuel shortages ? I'd say that nomatter how superior your a/c might be then it aint gonna do much good just sitting on the ground

That however still doesn't change the fact that the Me-262 was the best fighter to see service during WW2.

[lingo]

[QUOTE=Soren;523146]

That however still doesn't change the fact that the Me-262 was the best fighter to see service during WW2.

Hmm. I would suggest 'arguably the most advanced fighter of the 2nd World War', but I would hesitate to state that it was the best.

[Marcel]

Originally Posted by Soren

That however still doesn't change the fact that the Me-262 was the best fighter to see service during WW2.

You're right about the 262 being potentially the best. But this thread is about the most important for a country and I think the Me262 isn't that.

[Soren]

Originally Posted by lingo

That however still doesn't change the fact that the Me-262 was the best fighter to see service during WW2.

Hmm. I would suggest 'arguably the most advanced fighter of the 2nd World War', but I would hesitate to state that it was the best.

When it worked and it flew it was the best. In flight nothing could match it if flown as any jet should be flown.

In a fair fight between two proper trained pilots, the guy in the Me-262 was going to have a field day against any WW2 prop fighter. It's just no contest at all.

Fair fights are rare in real life though...

[Soren]

Originally Posted by Marcel

You're right about the 262 being potentially the best. But this thread is about the most important for a country and I think the Me262 isn't that.

Roger that, was just responding to another post, that's all.

The most important to Germany was the Bf-109.

[stona]

Can't argue with the Spitfire for the "spiritual" rather than technical reasons.
Bf 109 developed throughout the conflict
P 51 for technical reasons.
I'll leave the Japanese and Russians to the relevant experts.
The success of any air force depends to a large degree on the competence,training and experience of its aircrew. When any two adversaries have performance in the same ball park this will be the deciding factor.
I was once driven around the old Nurburgring by a professional driver in a bog standard VW Golf. We blasted past all the Porches and Ferraris because our driver knew what he was doing and their drivers only thought they did!
Surprised to see the Ju 87 touted as it could only operate within the air superiority guaranteed by the Bf 109, hence its failiure in the BOB.
Steve