personal airforce

[grwhyte]

I don't know if this has been covered before but I will put this to a test.

If you had the chance to build and airforce from any plane from 1939-1945.
What would your choice of planes be. Note you can choose planes from any country, during the time frame stated, and they must have seen service.
One plane for each catagory only

Catagories are.

1.Fighter,
2.Attack aircraft
3.recon. Aircraft
4.Seaplane
5.Heavy bomber
6.Med. bomber
7.Night fighter
8.Trainer
9.Transport

My choices are:

1 P-51
2 IL-2
3 Mosquito
4 Short Sunderland
5 B-29
6 B-25
7 He 219
8 Harvard
9 C-47

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Been covered before but why the hell not. We have a lot of new people here and they can put theres down as well.

Well here is mine, but it will probably change several times.

1. Focke Wulf Ta 152
2. Henschel Hs 129B
3. Arado Ar 234
4. Dornier Do 24
5. Boeing B-29
6. B-25 Mitchell
7. De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk 30
8. AT-6 Texan
9. C-47 Skytrain

[Njaco]

Same aircraft I was gonna list except maybe #2 would be a Tempest /Typhoon. Not sure about trainer but Texan will do.

[Lucky13]

1. Ta 152
2. Hawker Tempest/Typhoon
3. Arado 234C
4. PBY5-A Catalina
5. B-29
6. B-25
7. Heinkel 219
8. Texan
9. C-54 Skymaster

[Thorlifter]

1.Fighter, - F4U-4
2.Attack aircraft - P-47
3.recon. Aircraft - Mossie
4.Seaplane - Short Sunderland
5.Heavy bomber - Lancaster
6.Med. bomber - B-25
7.Night fighter - P-61
8.Trainer - Texan
9.Transport - C-47

[grwhyte]

I was a little suprised at some of the choices for the Recon aircraft. I was wondering why the choice of the arado 234C over the mosquito. There is an obvious speed advantage. My reasoning for the mosquito would be the longer range and the servisability of the aircraft would be easier. Same reason why I picked the Mustang for the longer range.

Any feedback welcomed

[Lucky13]

Originally Posted by grwhyte

I was a little suprised at some of the choices for the Recon aircraft. I was wondering why the choice of the arado 234C over the mosquito. There is an obvious speed advantage. My reasoning for the mosquito would be the longer range and the servisability of the aircraft would be easier. Same reason why I picked the Mustang for the longer range.

Any feedback welcomed

This why grwhyte....

"Ar 234C
The AR 234C was equipped with four BMW 003A engines to free up Junkers Jumo 004s for use by Me 262. The utilization of four engines improved overall thrust, especially in take-off and climb-to-altitude performance. Additional airspeed was found to be about 20% faster than the B series and it had an increased range. Although Hauptmann Diether Lukesch was preparing to form an operational test squadron, the AR 234C was not developed in time to participate in actual combat operations. There were two primary versions of the C, the C-1, a 4 engined version of the B-1, and the C-2, a four engine version of the B-2. At least seven other versions of the C were designed, or were in the planning stages before the war ended, these included bombers, armed reconnaissance, nightfighers and a heavy bomber. Fourteen prototypes of the AR 234C, which included the C-1 and C-2 models, were completed before the end of the war."

If the -C version were 20% faster than the -B, it would have a maximum speed of about 550mph. I don't know it's range though....
As I said before gentlemen, I'm still learning, again.

Just as an of note here. Since I was caught between a hard place and a rock choosing between the P-61 and Heinkel He 219. How would a night engagement end between the two?

[grwhyte]

Not to be picky, Lucky13. But as you stated the those versions did not see service,and that was one of the terms of the thread. So the question now is, Is the Ar 234C a valid choice in this instance, or am I wrong.

look forward to your reply

[comiso90]

1.Fighter, - Ta-152
2.Attack aircraft - Typhoon/Tempest
3.recon. Aircraft - Mossie
4.Seaplane - Kawanishi H8K
5.Heavy bomber - B-29
6.Med. bomber - A-26
7.Night fighter - He-219
8.Trainer - Texan
9.Transport - C-47

[comiso90]

why all the B-25's?

I'll take an A-26 anyday....... unless I'm straffing a convoy

[Lucky13]

Originally Posted by grwhyte

Not to be picky, Lucky13. But as you stated the those versions did not see service,and that was one of the terms of the thread. So the question now is, Is the Ar 234C a valid choice in this instance, or am I wrong.

look forward to your reply

The C variant did NOT see service during WWII, sorry about that grwhyte , the B-1 Blitz though. So I think that I'll stick to that one, at least for now....

[Thorlifter]

Originally Posted by comiso90

why all the B-25's?

I'll take an A-26 anyday....... unless I'm straffing a convoy

I was stuck between several planes, the B-25, A-26, B-26, and the A-20. Upon reflection, I think I'll go with the A-26.

Payload was the same.
Range was about the same.
Guns were roughly the same depending on the model.
Rate of climb was 800 fpm for the B-25, 1250 fpm for the A-26
Ceiling was about the same.
But the A-26 was 75 mph faster than the B-25.

[Negative Creep]

1.Spitfire IX
2.Beaufighter
3.Storch
4.Sunderland
5.Liberator
6.Mitchell
7.P-61 Black Widow
8.Gypsy Moth
9.C-47

[Njaco]

The Ar 234 V-7 was used for recon and its first operational mission was a recon of the Normandy beaches in August 1944. Until end of war most of the prototypes were used or the A and B series. The C series first flew in September 1944, the C-1 being the recon version. Never got into production, or close but no cigar.

Still, I think it was better at recon than anything else.

[Grampa]

1. lockheed P-80A (2 of them were assigned to Italy to try intercept the Arado Ar 234) otherwise the P-47N the "Jugg"
2. Il 10
3. Arado Ar 234 B-1
4. Martin PBM-5
5. Boing B-29
6. Arado Ar B-2
7. Northrop P-61C (if they come to late, the P-61B instead)
8. Nort American Texan SNJ-5
9. Lockheed C-69