Best Piston Engined Fighter Ever...

Best Piston Engined Fighter Ever...


  • Total voters
    311

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I agree, the only thing the 152C had was low-alt speed and roll rate, the H climbed better, turned better, had a higher lift:drag, and stalled at a higher AoA. (all thanks to the longer wings) Plus there were less engine problems among other things. Did the 152C even see action? (I know the H did)


When I said the P-47J's nose, I meant use it on the P-47N/M as it adds ~20-30 mph to the top speed and would increase range slightly due to decreased drag. I don't like the P-47J due to the lightened structure and thus lower durrabillity. (more likely to verstress airframe as well as more volnerable)

I'll also say that the P-72 wouldn't have been very usefull as it wouldn't have been ready for production before the P-80, and its only advantage was low-speed thrust (as with any prop a/c with high HP) and maximum range. (somthing the P-84 could match)

I'm not sure why the USAF (probably cost and greater inventory) prefered the P-51 over the P-47 in the post war period, but it was a mistake imo and the P-47D/N would have been much better suited to the Korean war than the P-51D, plus the P-51H was even worse it the milti-role fighter/Fighter-bomber role due to lighter structure. (hence why the H wasn't used) I'd say the P-38J/L would also be better as a multi-role fighter than the 51 (as was the P-63) but there weren't nearly as many as P-47s or P-51s left after WWII.

LIkewise the F4U-4/5 in Korea was better suited than the P-51, though the Jug was still less vulnerable due to the Corsairs oil coolers. (plus the turbo ducting acted as a crushable buffer in crash landings, reducing risk of injury to pilot or desintegration of airframe)

Who knows how many pilots' lives would have been saved if P-47D/N's had taken the place of the P-51D in Korea.

And also, below 25,000 ft performance of the P-47N and late model P-47D were very similar, the D's R-2800-63 engine had been cleared for 70" Hg boost with 100/150 fuel which gave a power of 2,600 HP @ 2,700 RPM with water injection and some P-47Ds may have been tuned as high as 2,700 HP, but the D's turbo could only produce 70" up to just under 24,000 ft while the P-47M/N could produce 2,800 HP at 2,800 RPM up to 32,000 ft. (Note, the P-47D could reach 444 mph at critical altitude with 2,600 HP)
See: P-47 Performance Tests
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/p-47/24june44-progress-report.pdf
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/150grade/p-47-66inch.jpg

Also I'm not sure where I got the 2x 15mm MG-151/15 nose guns of the 109K, but the only time 2x 15mm were to be used was in the K-14's (not produced) wing guns iirc. (I know the early 109F had a 15mm engine gun)
 
The MG 151 was not used, or even planned as a cowling gun on any 109 variant. Its a simply misread from MG 131 from charts.. though several heavy fighter 109K variants were planned with either an alternate MK 108 (45 rpg) or MG 151/20 (100 rpg) as wing guns (inside the wings). Some 109K versions foresee an MK 103 in the engine cannon position (85 rounds); however, the furthest these went were only weapons trials (K-6).
 
I could not vote, so I write a comment. Before 2004 I'd have to toss a coin between F8F and Seafury but in Dec 2004 I decided that Ray Hanna knew it better, so my choice is Lavochkin La-9. Ray's opinion and reasoning can be found in Aeroplane Dec 2004.

Juha
 
i voted for the p-47 because of its huge motor and heavy armament, it could carry a good load of bombs and rockets, not to mention it could out dive most aircraft. i don't see how almost noone voted on it....
 
I thought the La-11 would be the last of the Soviet props.

I would go for the Ta 152H of course. But the technology of prop fighters didn't go any further so I do believe that the ultimate prop fighter was never built.

Even the best prop wouldn't come close to MiG-15.

Nah...changed my mind...Hawker Sea Fury coz I'm feeling British today. Not many takers for the DH Hornet...that was something.
 
Hello Basket
yes, la-11 was latter version, but according to Ray Hanna, La-9 was better being lighter.

Juha
 
I am torn between the F4U-4, the Sea Fury, and the P-47N all great aircraft. Hmmmmmmmmmm, I think I am going with the P-47, It was very durable (going back to the P-51 vs P-47) and on the offensive it had 8 .50 cals. The M models had a top speed of 470 mph. Then the B models could go 435 mph. This is from my book Greatest aircraft of WWII.

The P-47 gets my vote
 
Both the P-47C and early D models (w/out wing racks or bubble canopies) could do 435 mph. I believe the B's top speed was 429 mph.

The addition of wing racks and bubble canopies cut speed a bit but with 70" boost pressure with 100/150 Avgas the R-2800-59 was cleared for 2,600 hp (with some tuned as high as 2,700 hp). With this a late P-47D could pull 444 mph in level flight at ~24,000 ft (critical altitude for 70" boost).
 
I dont get it........this is an Opinion poll........Why am I getting told since I voted for the P-47 that I need to "Educate" myself????????
 
It aint about ur favorite, its about The Best.... U are being told because the 47 wasnt the Best Piston Fighter of WW2... U listed 3 Allied aircraft, no Axis...

Thats close minded....

U can educate urself on this site concerning the "Other" fighters that flew in the air that didnt have Stars or Roundels, but crosses....

My opinion in this poll is that ur opinion is uneducated...
 
I think the Yugoslavs designed and built the last new post war prop fighter...but I can't think what the name was. I can't remember a new design coming through after the war.

The Tu-95 shows that props could be fast but I doubt if anything could match a jet.

Dunno if the Tank fighters were the best but they certainly turned out to be the highest performing and so ultimate of the breed.

Martin Baker MB5 is a good example of a first rate fighter but with no use. Talk about all dressed up and no where to go.
 
Who knows what the P-47J or P-72 could have developed into though...

The thing is the US didn't have the same need for interceptors and most intrest was turning tward jets for this too. The P-72 probably could have been developed into a capable escort fighter though.

If the US had had somthig much like the Ta 152 it too would likely have been abandoned in favor of more advanced jets. And in that same vein the LW needed the Me 262 more than the Ta 152 anyway.
 
i picked the corsair , very good kill rate when stationed on land and the carrier groups, the german i would say is fw 190 dora, the jap the zero, the english, the spit, the russian, the yak 9, and too be honest there not my favorite planes, but its just hard too say what really was the best,
 

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