Best Pacific Fighter II - Aircraft of World War II

Catch22 · 06-12-2009, 03:06 PM

As Dan put it, the old one's soggy and the results are bogus. Plus it's missing the best Japanese planes, so time for a new one. Hope I didn't mess this one up. I think I got the major ones, but if I missed anything, let me know.

Catch22 · 06-12-2009, 03:11 PM

The Corsair. It had better performance values than anything in theater, indeed, almost anything in existence (other than jets of course) plus was an excellent ground attack plane. Basically a near perfect all in one plane, and it's not a "jack of all trades, master of none", as it was superb at both and WAS the master (in the PTO and in my mind anyway) in regards to fighters.

Doughboy · 06-12-2009, 03:57 PM

Corsair.... It had manueverability, speed,and firepower....In fact, It was pretty much good for everything.

diddyriddick · 06-12-2009, 04:35 PM

I'll go with the Corsair. Not to take anything away from the P-38, but since the F4U was carrier capable, it has a huge leg up.

syscom3 · 06-12-2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diddyriddick

I'll go with the Corsair. Not to take anything away from the P-38, but since the F4U was carrier capable, it has a huge leg up.

But the P38 had the range to go where the F4U's couldnt go when there were no carriers.

Vassili Zaitzev · 06-12-2009, 05:34 PM

The Hellcat, not as good as the F4U, but it was used on a carrier before the corsair.

renrich · 06-12-2009, 05:35 PM

But the P38 could not land or take off from a carrier. The Corsair also took less fuel, less maintenance, was easier for a low time pilot to get proficient in combat in, was a better dive bomber and was a much smaller target for groundfire or enemy AC fire. I don't know what the loss rate of the P38 was but doubt it was as good as the Corsair's.

Vassili Zaitzev · 06-12-2009, 06:32 PM

P-38 could take off a carrier? Interesting.

DBII · 06-12-2009, 06:38 PM

I have seen, P-40s, P-47, P-51s, Spitefires and Hurricanes. I think that I read about the Bf-109 being design for capapult launching. I don't remember see the P-38 on a carrier.

DBII

Catch22 · 06-12-2009, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vassili Zaitzev

The Hellcat, not as good as the F4U, but it was used on a carrier before the corsair.

How does that make it a better plane though?

The British seemed to do just fine with it before the US, it was just in landing doctrine. Performance-wise, the Corsair beats the Hellcat in every area (except maybe climb rate and turn rate, I'm not up on those stats, but certainly speed, range, and payload).

As for P-38s taking off from a carrier, it's certainly possible. Taking off isn't the problem, it's landing that's the issue.

renrich · 06-12-2009, 07:19 PM

It is not productive to spend time saying this or that landbased plane could takeoff or land on a carrier. What is important was whether an AC could successfully conduct operations from a carrier. P47s were launched from a carrier, Hurricanes(not Sea Hurricanes) landed on a carrier without arresting gear, a P51 was launched and recovered from a carrier. That did not make any of those land based planes a carrier borne fighter.

vikingBerserker · 06-12-2009, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBII

I have seen, P-40s, P-47, P-51s, Spitefires and Hurricanes. I think that I read about the Bf-109 being design for capapult launching. I don't remember see the P-38 on a carrier.

DBII

I believe it was the Bf-109N designed for the Graf Zepplin

vikingBerserker · 06-12-2009, 08:37 PM

Overall I would have to say Hellcat simply because of it's combat record.

syscom3 · 06-12-2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikingBerserker

Overall I would have to say Hellcat simply because of it's combat record.

But a majority of those kills were against poorly trained Japanese pilots.

It was the Corsair, Wildcat and the P40 that really gutted the best pilots the Japanese had.

Vassili Zaitzev · 06-12-2009, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catch22

How does that make it a better plane though?

The British seemed to do just fine with it before the US, it was just in landing doctrine. Performance-wise, the Corsair beats the Hellcat in every area (except maybe climb rate and turn rate, I'm not up on those stats, but certainly speed, range, and payload).

As for P-38s taking off from a carrier, it's certainly possible. Taking off isn't the problem, it's landing that's the issue.

Perhaps I jumped the gun, I'm more of a hellcat then corsair fan. I'll admit, the F4U had the better performance.

Besides, I have a tendency to root for the underdog.

View Poll Results: Which is the best Pacific Fighter?
F4U Corsair	48	44.04%
F6F Hellcat	24	22.02%
P-38 Lightning	15	13.76%
P-40 Warhawk	1	0.92%
Supermarine Seafire	2	1.83%
Ki-43 Hayabusa	1	0.92%
Ki-61 Hien	1	0.92%
Ki-84 Hayate	9	8.26%
Ki-100	1	0.92%
N1K2	5	4.59%
Other	2	1.83%
Voters: 109. You may not vote on this poll

06-12-2009, 03:06 PM	#1
Catch22 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Posts: 4,293	Best Pacific Fighter II As Dan put it, the old one's soggy and the results are bogus. Plus it's missing the best Japanese planes, so time for a new one. Hope I didn't mess this one up. I think I got the major ones, but if I missed anything, let me know. __________________

06-12-2009, 03:11 PM	#2
Catch22 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Posts: 4,293	The Corsair. It had better performance values than anything in theater, indeed, almost anything in existence (other than jets of course) plus was an excellent ground attack plane. Basically a near perfect all in one plane, and it's not a "jack of all trades, master of none", as it was superb at both and WAS the master (in the PTO and in my mind anyway) in regards to fighters. __________________

06-12-2009, 03:57 PM	#3
Doughboy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 885	Corsair.... It had manueverability, speed,and firepower....In fact, It was pretty much good for everything. __________________ "This is the day which the lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

06-12-2009, 05:34 PM	#6
Vassili Zaitzev Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Stafford Springs, Connecticut Posts: 2,221	The Hellcat, not as good as the F4U, but it was used on a carrier before the corsair. __________________ "Never was so much owed by so many to so few"- Winston Churchill.

06-12-2009, 04:35 PM	#4
diddyriddick Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Hamlet, NC, US Posts: 720	I'll go with the Corsair. Not to take anything away from the P-38, but since the F4U was carrier capable, it has a huge leg up.

06-12-2009, 05:35 PM	#7
renrich Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Montrose, Colorado Posts: 3,270	But the P38 could not land or take off from a carrier. The Corsair also took less fuel, less maintenance, was easier for a low time pilot to get proficient in combat in, was a better dive bomber and was a much smaller target for groundfire or enemy AC fire. I don't know what the loss rate of the P38 was but doubt it was as good as the Corsair's.

06-12-2009, 06:32 PM	#8
Vassili Zaitzev Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Stafford Springs, Connecticut Posts: 2,221	P-38 could take off a carrier? Interesting. __________________ "Never was so much owed by so many to so few"- Winston Churchill.

06-12-2009, 06:38 PM	#9
DBII Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,429	I have seen, P-40s, P-47, P-51s, Spitefires and Hurricanes. I think that I read about the Bf-109 being design for capapult launching. I don't remember see the P-38 on a carrier. DBII

06-12-2009, 07:19 PM	#11
renrich Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Montrose, Colorado Posts: 3,270	It is not productive to spend time saying this or that landbased plane could takeoff or land on a carrier. What is important was whether an AC could successfully conduct operations from a carrier. P47s were launched from a carrier, Hurricanes(not Sea Hurricanes) landed on a carrier without arresting gear, a P51 was launched and recovered from a carrier. That did not make any of those land based planes a carrier borne fighter.

06-12-2009, 08:37 PM	#13
vikingBerserker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,722	Overall I would have to say Hellcat simply because of it's combat record. __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" "Those who dwell in the past, condemn the future"

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