Let's talk about our favorite warplanes

[DB605]

Lemme see if I can take a crack at this...

 

 

1. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

• I like this for a bit more of an unorthadox reason. Sure it was rugged and powerful beyond belief, but above 200MPH it could out turn a BF-109 and had better high altitude performance than any other fighter of the war.

I don't wan't to start P-47 vs 109 war here, but i would like to see some facts about this? I know p-47 was good in high speeds but about out-turn i believe 350-400mph would be closer to reality...

Edited August 8, 2013 by DB605

[Horrido]

1. Ta-152

2. Me-262

3. N1K2-J

4. F4U

5. Bf-109

 

Reichsverteidigung

[crossfade]

Ok let's have a fun thread where we list some of our favorite warbirds and battles. We all love planes and history so let's have some fun instead of arguing.

 

 

 

@ DB605 before a war starts please see above 

Edited August 8, 2013 by crossfade

[=IRFC=Tunes]

I don't wan't to start P-47 vs 109 war here, but i would like to see some facts about this? I know p-47 was good in high speeds but about out-turn i believe 350-400mph would be closer to reality...

 

No arguing or flaming going on here, he just wants to know where I'm getting this from. It's mainly pilot reports from Robert Johnson's autobiography and Gabby Gabreski's autobiography. Hub Zemke preached the tactic to his pilots following the installation of 13' Paddle Props and WEP. (Starting with D11-D23 models) As long as the turn speed was kept above 200 MPH, the jug pilot could crawl inside the 109's turn. The tactic worked, so they stuck with it.

 

I'll post one here... (this is an example of it being used in practice, not the specific velocities, etc.)

 

 

"The book says a Thunderbolt can't hold a turn at low altitude with the Me-109, but Mike [Gladych] never read the book. He clung to the tail of the German fighter, moving in closer and closer. They were right on the deck, actually flying beneath the tops of trees. Mudge and Barny couldn't understand why Gladych didn't cut down the Messerschmitt, he had plenty of lead but refused to fire. When the German pilot saw the other two Thunderbolts, he ran for safety, skimming the trees as he fled down a valley. He had good reason to run, with the three big fighters on his tail... Mudge and Barny cut loose at the same time; The Messerschmitt splattered along the ground for several hundred yards in a shower of flame.

 

Mike throttled back and circled the burning fighter; he wanted to be sure that the pilot was dead. Had the Jerry survived the crash, Mike was prepared to cut him down with his prop or wingtip. When Mike returned, I asked him why he didn't fire. He couldn't; the gun switch was broken. Not being able to shoot down the '109 so infuriated him that he tried to spin the German in, or run him out of gas. He was actually trying to run the Kraut out of gas over his own home, 350 miles from our base!"

 

 

 

There, done talking about Thunderbolts! :D

Edited August 8, 2013 by Artun

[Heywooood]

Greetings Heywood - not the F2F but you can get an F3F for CFS2 - If you still have that - if you could still run it  - Aeroplane Heaven - I paid for it back in the day but I think it's free now...

yes - I had it for a while and it isnt bad in FSX - but I'm spoiled since Alabeo and Carenado and some of the other developers have really mastered the FSX builds

I would love a native new FSX Grumman Barrel 

speaking of...I remember Neoqb made an FSX Fokker Dr-1 for FSX that was freeware...to promote RoF prior to release - great marketing idea, genius really

 

so..uh...Jason....at this late date I suppose it is unlikely to see a BoS Me109-E4 in FSX for free as a promotional item...yes?

[DB605]

No arguing or flaming going on here, he just wants to know where I'm getting this from. It's mainly pilot reports from Robert Johnson's autobiography and Gabby Gabreski's autobiography. Hub Zemke preached the tactic to his pilots following the installation of 13' Paddle Props and WEP. (Starting with D11-D23 models) As long as the turn speed was kept above 200 MPH, the jug pilot could crawl inside the 109's turn. The tactic worked, so they stuck with it.

 

I'll post one here... (this is an example of it being used in practice, not the specific velocities, etc.)

 

 

"The book says a Thunderbolt can't hold a turn at low altitude with the Me-109, but Mike [Gladych] never read the book. He clung to the tail of the German fighter, moving in closer and closer. They were right on the deck, actually flying beneath the tops of trees. Mudge and Barny couldn't understand why Gladych didn't cut down the Messerschmitt, he had plenty of lead but refused to fire. When the German pilot saw the other two Thunderbolts, he ran for safety, skimming the trees as he fled down a valley. He had good reason to run, with the three big fighters on his tail... Mudge and Barny cut loose at the same time; The Messerschmitt splattered along the ground for several hundred yards in a shower of flame.

 

Mike throttled back and circled the burning fighter; he wanted to be sure that the pilot was dead. Had the Jerry survived the crash, Mike was prepared to cut him down with his prop or wingtip. When Mike returned, I asked him why he didn't fire. He couldn't; the gun switch was broken. Not being able to shoot down the '109 so infuriated him that he tried to spin the German in, or run him out of gas. He was actually trying to run the Kraut out of gas over his own home, 350 miles from our base!"

 

 

 

There, done talking about Thunderbolts! :D

 

Exactly mate, definitely NOT going to start anything serious here. However, i would not take pilot accounts as a facts, as you never could know how experienced/inexperienced your enemy was. And in late 1944, most luftwaffe aces were already gone... I do belive that good pilot in p-47 could out-turn green 109 pilot over 200mph but i still think if pilots would be equally good the out turn speed would be closer to 350mph or something

[StG2_xgitarrist]

Nice quotes Artun...especially the last part was really necessary to add more dramatic, right? Good boy.

 

So let me get this right.... You are trying to proof your point by showing us a situation where 3 Thunderbolts are chasing a poor guy in a Bf109 (without knowing how many experience he had).  On top of that, the guy telling this story doenst miss the opportunity to insult the german pilot three times (Jerry, cut him down on the ground, Kraut). You use that kind of text as as refrence?

 

Thats pathetic and to me it just sounds like 80% of the other pseudo-histroy books.

[DB605]

 However, i would not take pilot accounts as a good facts when talking about performance figures etc, as you never could know how experienced/inexperienced your enemy was. In many cases i have read that 109 pilot could out turn spit, or LA-7 and it's definitely possible in dogfight situation with differently skilled pilots but not when comparing test datas of those planes.

Damn forum doesen't let me edit

[Heywooood]

this thread is going to snap roll and flat spin into the ground auger style....

 

unless it doesn't

[=IRFC=Tunes]

Sorry I bothered.

[GP*]

I have to agree about the MiG-3, it's a really awesome looking plane, shame it didn't perform better.

 

Speaking about planes on the ground, i think nothing looks more badass and dangerous than a heavily armed FW-190. That plane really looks better on the ground, while it's the opposite with the 109 (for me at least)

 

About the 109's popularity: The top aces flew with it. Also it's like people are attracted to the 'evil' side, or to the side that almost won but was finally defeated. Maybe. That explains the popularity of the German army nowadays.

I like it because i found it awesome looking with all those legendary skins.

 

I have to add that i haven't flown too much ww2 simulation so far so my opinion is mostly based on looks and history.

 

PS: an MTO expansion would sell quite well here i guess

My thoughts exactly (with regard to the 109)

[LLv44_Mprhead]

I don't see any reason for you to be sorry, Artun. Even if I do agree with DB605 about pilot accounts.

[Heywooood]

Sorry I bothered.

don't be - its just that this thread was instigated by the Jason of 777 and its just a wish list, not a flight model fidelity discussion - there will be many of those to come, rest assured if not distressed

 

I'm trying to accept the coming wars, both within the sim and on these boards

for the sides to fight tooth and nail, o'er frozen terrain and cold denial

of the integrity of foes and designers both

when the forgotten battles, old... uncoil 

 

anyone who was there will begin to recall the bitter fights over FM and DM and the endless porkedness of this or that - shudder*** the 'cheaters' and the 'exploiters' and a whatnots (good luck BC et al on keeping the zoology down)

oh well - we all meant it in the best possible way be sure

Edited August 9, 2013 by Heywooood

[AX2]

 

About the 109's popularity: ..... Also it's like people are attracted to the 'evil' side,....

Or the dark side ..

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu0lIwQAaOI

 

 

Edited August 9, 2013 by Mustang

[Heywooood]

I don't see any reason for you to be sorry, Artun. Even if I do agree with DB605 about pilot accounts.

lol - subtle is good

[TheNotoriousFNG]

I also don't understand the huge popularity of the 109 either, in simming or in plastic modeling. That's why I start threads like this, to see what they like and why people like certain things. In America being a fan of the 109 growing up really wasn't something me and my friends would be exposed to, but I can see kids in Europe knowing more about it and certainly some amazing combat pilots flew it which added to the mystique I guess.

 

Jason

 

When I was quite young, I was quite a big fan of the P-40 and P-51. The Spitfire appealed to me (it's just a sleek looking aircraft), but I was mostly into my P-40 and P-51 toys. I had an A6M and FW190 that I was aware of being "bad guy" planes, so I used them as such...reenacting the Flying Tigers/Memphis Belle. Somewhere along the line I realized that while my FW190 was cool, it didn't seem to be the "primary" enemy of my P-51 and Spitfire toys. My parents, realizing that I had a growing affinity for WWII ended up exposing to various movies and books, where I quickly became familiar with the 109 and countless other WWII aircraft. It was the seemingly well-rounded performance and the menacing looks that sparked my interest in the 109. As a child, I'd been ignorant/naive enough to think that the highest scoring aces of WWII were American and the highest scoring fighter ace of all time was Manfred Von Richthofen. Thanks to my love of reading, I quickly corrected myself. Not that you asked for my life story (heh), but I was a 109 fan before I even knew they highest scoring aces flew it

 

 

Lemme see if I can take a crack at this...

 

 

1. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

• I like this for a bit more of an unorthadox reason. Sure it was rugged and powerful beyond belief, but above 200MPH it could out turn a BF-109 and had better high altitude performance than any other fighter of the war. (Until the Dora FWs came out, then the playing field was evened out a bit.) It had eight .50s that could saw through any aircraft that fell victim to the Jug. Despite the Mustang's Coup-De-Grace death blow in late '44 and early 1945, the P-47 broke the Luftwaffe's back from April of 1943 right up until the end of the war. The 56th FG, the P-47's main disciples, used the Thunderbolt from their first missions to their last, scoring more air to air victories than any other fighter group of the war and yielded the ETO's handful of top aces. (When asked to trade their Jugs for P-51s, they promptly refused.) This machine deserves way more credit than it recieves as a simply awesome fighter aircraft.

2. Chance Vought/Goodyear F4U/FG-1 Corsair

• What can I say, a simply stunning piece of technology. Whipping out the same Pratt and Whitney Double Wasp as the Thunderbolt, this aircraft punished the Japanese alongside the Hellcat in the latter years of the war. Until the KI-100 and other late war Japanese machines reached the front, this aircraft made the existing Japanese aircraft seem obsolete. A all-round great looking and flying airplane. (Although I'd hate to be the chap landing it on a carrier. )

3. Focke-Wulf FW-190

• Although hindered by it's extremely high wing-loading, this plane made its reputation stick and was a foe to be reckoned with in the skies of Europe. Another fast and great looking bird! (With a helluva lot of oompfh in the wings. :D )

4. North American P-51 Mustang

• Unlike most Mustang enthusiasts, my love for the aircraft isn't because it walked into Berlin and shot Hitler and 'Murica and whatnot. It's because it's simply a great looking and great flying plane. (...and I've flown in it ) I do have a soft spot for razorbacks, so I'd have to say that the -C variant is my favorite.

5. Grumman F6F Hellcat

• Double Wasp, Six .50s, killer looks and K/D ratio. End of story.

 

My favorite battle would have to be "Big Week" 1944. During the last week of February, a series of bombing attacks were held to knock out major German manufacturing and assembly plants in locations such as Leipzig, Brunswick, Gotha, Augsburg, and Stuttgart. P-47s made up a large part of the escort force and flew almost 4,000 individual sorties throughout the week. (Aided with 500 individual P-38 and P-51 sorties.) In this span of time, the Thunderbolts knocked 200 confirmed planes out of the sky, with another 20 probables and 100 damaged. The Germans didn't like that.

 

Incredibly well put! The P-47 was truly the aircraft that broke the back of the Luftwaffe, it's a shame the P-51 seems to get all the credit for that. Also, I must say it's good to find another razorback lover

[Italo]

1. Macchi 202 Folgore

2. Fiat CR42 Falco

3. Spitfire Mk.Vc

4. BF-109G6/Erla

5. Hawker Hurricane

 

Scenary: MTO

[Heywooood]

the Cr42 was a fun plane in old IL2...a brand new one would be sweet

[Trident_109]

I'm gonna write a book about my first favorite plane, the P-40.

 

It was the very first model I made as a kid. My hospital bunkmate's dad came in to visit him and turned to me and said, "You look old enough for this. Here." It was a plastic model of the P 40. Man it looked so cool with htose teeth and sleek lines. Several years after I fell in love with it all over again when watching John Wayne in Flying Tigers. Later it was my first balsa plane. Finally, one of my child hood/teen heroes was a man named Merion C. Cooper. I thought he was only a film producer responsible for technical acheivements in documentary film making and being the producer of my favorite child hood movie, King Kong. I Later discovered he had an illustrious flying career. In WW1 he flew a DH-4 then participated in the Polish - Soviet conflict  with the Koskiusko squadron. In 1943 he was Gen Charles Chennault's Chief of Staff with the Flying Tigers. He also was present on the Missouri when Japan surrendered.

 

All these things make the P-40 my favorite plane.

 

So:

 

P-40

P-39: Mid engine, tricycle landing gear and a big honking cannon? I'm in.

FW 190 A-4: It just looks so bad ass, and it was. Love the black eagle on the side which just adds to it's brute sleekness.

Stuka: Sirens and death from above and a gull wing to boot.

F4U Corsair. I'm a sucker for gull wings. The thing just looked tough. It's record is pretty remarkable too.

 

 

Burma - of course.

Edited August 10, 2013 by Robert

[ACG_Kraut]

1) Su27 based fighters (ok, not a real warbird, Fear the Flanker!  )

2) FW190 D

3) Me262

4) A1 Skyraider

5) Ta152

 

Theater: 

 

North Africa - because I want this for the first expansion!

Edited August 10, 2013 by [AKA]Kraut

[ImPeRaToR]

My number 1 favourite used to be the Fw190A and F series but there is no definite order anymore. Very much looking forward to finding out how the 777-made yaks and 109s will handle relatively to each other, especially the Yak 3. Apart from the LaGG 3 I am looking forward to flying all fighters included in the initial release of BOS.

 

Oh, forgot to add, Eastern Front is of course the most important theatre

Edited August 10, 2013 by ImPeRaToR

[Volkoff]

Very much looking forward to finding out how the 777-made yaks and 109s will handle relatively to each other...

 

Funny, while I am toughing it out in my Lagg-3, worrying about getting bounced by you and your 109 buddies,  I will be thinking much the same thing.  

Edited August 12, 2013 by MishaJames

[=IRFC=Tunes]

Well, naturally, in addition to Yaks and 190s, Imp also very much likes the French built "SPAD".

[ShamrockOneFive]

I'm a sucker... I love pretty much all of them

 

But my top favs are some of the classics:

 

- Tempest and Typhoon

- Any Spitfire

- Any Mustang

- Corsair

- FW190

- Yak (1, 3, 7, 9 )

 

If 777 does another front after Stalingrad... I'd love to see North Africa. It'd be definitely unique.

[Alan_Grey]

no. 1 - Bf-109 B/C/D/E/F/G/K

no. 2 - Spitfire I. - XVIII.

no. 3 - Fw-190 A/F/G/D

no. 4 - Yak 1 - 9

no. 5 - Me-110 all

 

North Africa

[ImPeRaToR]

Funny, while I am toughing it out in my Lagg-3, worrying about getting bounced by you and your 109 buddies,  I will be thinking much the same thing.  

What makes you assume I will be flying 109s? I am very much expecting the blue team to be heavily stacked for a long time to come (not really that different from all the jasta fanboys in ROF really) so I am looking forward to flying the Yak 1 and La5 primarily.

Edited August 12, 2013 by ImPeRaToR

[JG1_Febo]

1. Macchi 200 "Saetta"

2. SM79 "Sparviero"

3. Bf109G-10

4. Cr42 Falco

5. Ju88

 

Scenary: MTO

[Volkoff]

What makes you assume I will be flying 109s? I am very much expecting the blue team to be heavily stacked for a long time to come (not really that different from all the jasta fanboys in ROF really) so I am looking forward to flying the Yak 1 and La5 primarily.

Sweet! I too want to sim fly the Yak 1 and La5, so it goes without saying, I like your taste, Imp! In ROF multiplayer, I have started ambushing SPADs and SE5a machines, using a Halberstadt D II, so I can practice bouncing planes that outclass my own. It is going well. I am optimistic that despite relative performance disadvantages the Yak and La 5 will serve us well.

[Freycinet]

My five:

 

1) The eternal Spitfire, together with the Concorde surely the most beautiful plane to ever grace the skies. But not only that. It is unique because of its illustrious lineage: the magnificent Schneider Trophy racing planes designed by RJ Mitchell. Unique in its importance, flying from the very beginning to the very end of WWII, fighting in every single theatre of the war. Unique in absorbing huge increases in horsepower and performance and remaining a redoubtable thoroughbred far into the post-war period. And uniquely important in the most crucial air battle of the war, the BoB, where it tackled Luftwaffe fighters while the Hurricane dealt with the bombers.  

 

2) The Lockheed P-38, which I love mainly because of its great 1930's futuristic looks. It is a true design icon, a classic piece of Americana. Designed by probably the most influential aircraft designer to span the prop and jet age, Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, it did excellent service throughout the war, in the Pacific, Med and Northern European theatres until later designs took over. The coolness factor of two roaring V-12 engines closely hugging an egg containing the pilot and a deadly cluster of guns makes this fighter very special to me. A superb twin-engine war plane, as also the...

 

3) De Havilland Mosquito. Best all-round plane of WWII, performing exceptionally well in a truly mind-boggling variety of roles. An amazing, inspired design in wood and glue which outperformed most of the enemy's aircraft made of futuristic alloys and metals. For me it really exemplifies how British boffins could produce a fantastic plane from very little more than their creativity and imagination. Also, the Wooden Wonder, outrunning the opposition and performing pin-point raids across occupied Europe, was the perfect mount for RAF pilots brimming with pluck and derring-do. That's the way it is or you can call me Meyer!

 

4) The Il-2 Sturmovik is my number four, because it embodies the horrific sacrifices of the Russian people, their tenacity and doggedness. There is something unrelenting about the way it was built, the way it was flown, and the way it withstood terrible punishment. Built at times under the open sky in factories hurriedly evacuated from occupied lands, flown in often suicidal attacks, it terrorized the German army and exhausted the Luiftwaffe, faced with yet another gaggle of Sturmoviks day after day after day. It was hardy, with the armour forming part of its very structure, and more than any other plane it was the one that won the European war.              

 

5) The Messerschmitt Me-262 "Schwalbe" did not have any measurable effect on the war, but ushered in a new age in aviation. It looks almost out of place in WWII, with jet engines, swept wings, a nose-gear and performances that created new paradigms in aerial combat. "It was as if angels were pushing" Galland said, and it must have looked like it to the hapless P-51 pilots who tried to defend their bombers. Visually, it has the evil grace of a shark, and its bite of four 30mm cannons was equally deadly. As an example of technological prowess it was matchless in WWII.     

 

...As for theatres of war I find that a really fascinating one is North Africa - Malta - Sicily. Britain, Italy, Germany and the USA fought an air war of crucial importance for the theatre. It is a logistically fascinating part of the war, where single convoys and even single ships turned the tide of battle, and where all-important air superiority constantly ebbed and flowed in the years 1940-43.   

 

I also don't understand the huge popularity of the 109 either, in simming or in plastic modeling. That's why I start threads like this, to see what they like and why people like certain things. In America being a fan of the 109 growing up really wasn't something me and my friends would be exposed to, but I can see kids in Europe knowing more about it and certainly some amazing combat pilots flew it which added to the mystique I guess.

 

I'm not a special fan of the Messerschmitt Bf-109. I don't want to fly only that plane, I don't think it is the most beautiful plane of WWII, and I don't think it was the best fighter of the war. Its small size, which gave it high performance early in the war, also was the factor that limited its development later on.

Still, however, I have to recognise that it does have something special. Its huge following among combat sim flyers attest to that. But what is it?

Is it the looks? Not pretty, not sexy, not slick and elegant, but... ruthless. Edgy, efficient-looking, business-like, masculine (penis-shaped?!), hard, powerful. Call it what you will, but the looks of the Bf-109 do have a certain rough and deadly aesthetic to them. A weapon is meant to look squarish, metallic, heavy and hard. No damsel-like elliptical wing planforms and bulbous canopies here, please. We want our fighter to look like a killer.

So, is it the culture the 109s sprang from? Is it a nazi thrill, a fascination with that modern-day Sparta, a warrior-state that wanted to conquer the world and ended up holding out much longer than could be expected against overwhelming odds, due to supremely well-built machinery such as the Bf-109? - Well, I hope that's not a big part of the attraction that many feel towards the 109, for Nazi-Germany was truly an evil state, that deserves no more than our heartfelt disgust.

Still, the 109 was the mount of pilots that excelled in their field. It produced kill scores that have never been matched, and never will be matched.

Maybe the fascination the Messer awakens is due to its superior armament, those massive cannons that outgunned all opposition in the early days of the war, and was carried to almost ridiculous extremes in the later war years, when it flew against US bombers. Everyone who flies the 109 in Cliffs of Dover will feel a great satisfaction at the seemingly effortless manner in which it shreds the opposition to pieces, compared to lesser-armed fighters. Instant destruction, instant gratification.

Or maybe it is because of the fighting style the 109 calls for from its pilots. Slashing attacks from high up, preferably out of the sun. A fast dive, a deadly hail of bullets and gone and away before the enemy even registers its presence. Fighters are for turning and twisting and protracted battles, but the 109 is not really a fighter, it is too fragile for that. It is a "Jäger": a HUNTER who waits for the right moment, stalks his prey and kills it efficiently and quickly.

There are many explanations for the fascination that the Bf-109 engenders, and the truth probably is that it springs from many different factors, not just one.

[StG2_xgitarrist]

 

 Well, I hope that's not a big part of the attraction that many feel towards the 109, for Nazi-Germany was truly an evil state, that deserves no more than our heartfelt disgust.

 

 

 

Please, cut the BS and stay on topic. I wonder, why do people have so high opinions about things they havent expierenced themselves and probably have knowledge of from some tv-docus...(this forum is about planes, not politics!)

 

 

 

Maybe the fascination the Messer awakens is due to its superior armament, those massive cannons that outgunned all opposition in the early days of the war, and was carried to almost ridiculous extremes in the later war years, when it flew against US bombers. Everyone who flies the 109 in Cliffs of Dover will feel a great satisfaction at the seemingly effortless manner in which it shreds the opposition to pieces, compared to lesser-armed fighters. Instant destruction, instant gratification.

 

 

 

Well, no...In Clod the Spitfire flies like a tank (this thing eats mor 20mm bullets than a wellington). On the other hand if a Hurrican or spit scratches the 109, 8 out of 10 times your colling system is damaged, so u can basically directly bail out.

[Jaws2002]

1.  IAR80/81         I grew up in Romania and was the plane I grew up making models of. It was made from 1938 tech, but somehow managed to stay in the fight until the very end of the war. It fought all over the southern flank of the eastern front, very active at Stalingrad and kept fighting until 1945 in Slovakia against the Germans. Also engaged against the American bombing missions at Ploiesti in 1943 and 1944. For an obsolete fighter it did ok fighting against the Russians, Germans and Americans. I think it deserves a place in a combat flight sim made around the battles at Stalingrad.

 

2. FW-190 all versions          A brute of a fighter that didn't take prisoners. It had the most advanced engine control in the world allowing pilots to look outside more. Extremely versatile able to do it all. A true workhorse.

 

3. P-47                Another beast of a fighter. Unmatched high altitude performance, hard hitting gun pack bombs and rockets and looks mean.

 

4. Yak-9U/UT          My favorite Russian bird. Fast, awesome climb and it looks a lot sexier than the other yaks.

 

5. F-6F    big, heavy and it looks like it wants to kill you.

 

 

As for the battles, I can't decide between early eastern front and Med theatre.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Jaws2002

[Ice_Eagle]

1. BF 109K-series. The ultimate expression of a pure dog fighter. If this superstar would have came out in early 1944, it would have been a game changer.

 

2. Me 262. The ultimate bomber killer.

 

3. Ju-87. Rudel's mount. Nuff' said.

 

Battle: The air war during the Battle of the Ardennes. Some of the most spectacular, intense dogfighting of WWII.

[Freycinet]

1.  IAR80/81         I grew up in Romania and was the plane I grew up making models of. It was made from 1938 tech, but somehow managed to stay in the fight until the very end of the war. It fought all over the southern flank of the eastern front, very active at Stalingrad and kept fighting until 1945 in Slovakia against the Germans. Also engaged against the American bombing missions at Ploiesti in 1943 and 1944. For an obsolete fighter it did ok fighting against the Russians, Germans and Americans. I think it deserves a place in a combat flight sim made around the battles at Stalingrad.

 

Certainly a beautiful-looking plane, I didn't know it flew at Stalingrad...

[GP*]

1. BF 109K-series. The ultimate expression of a pure dog fighter. If this superstar would have came out in early 1944, it would have been a game changer.

 

2. Me 262. The ultimate bomber killer.

 

3. Ju-87. Rudel's mount. Nuff' said.

 

Battle: The air war during the Battle of the Ardennes. Some of the most spectacular, intense dogfighting of WWII.

 

Really? What makes you say that? I'm not challenging you, I'm genuinely interested as to what changed from the G series to the K series to make it such a stellar performer.

[Ice_Eagle]

Retractable tail wheel, main wheel doors, a more refined cowl, and most C3 fueled K's had the monster 2000ps DB 605DCM engines starting in December 1944. Ever see the cowl on a Erla built "K"?

[Clowndoe]

1. La-5FN - When I was a beginner and no other plane would cut me any slack, the La-5 reached out to me and said "Take my hand, we'll do this together." With it's twin cannons, forgiving characteristics and great performance, I was finally dropping Gustavs and Antons left and right, and earned me the high-fives of all the Il-2 pilots I was now doing a good job of escorting. I love you La series, don't ever change!

 

2. Il-2/10 - It's hard not to love something when you spend hours upon hours trying to figure out how to hit targets ranging from tanks to bridges to ships with FAB's, RS's, VAP's, torpedos and PTAB's while diving shallow or steep, skip bombing and torpedo bombing. Considering the number of times I've landed this bird with one or more of my control surfaces unresponsive, I think I could fly this thing from Irkoutsk to Berlin and back without opening my eyes.

 

3. Bf-109F - This is where it gets less sentimental, but this plane still earned a place when the frustration of the Emil makes way for the easy sailing of the Friedrich. I don't think changing one letter ever felt like such an upgrade.

 

4. P-40B and E - Just a plane I've enjoyed over several campaigns.

 

5. BI-1 - You probably only got one shot, can you make it count?

 

Favorite theater: If it's not obvious enough, it's Russia. Something almost romantic about how all-encompassing and total it was over there..

[CUJO_1970]

1. FW190 - In 1942, RAF Air Marshall Sholto Douglas called it "the best fighter in the world today". Technically fascinating with it's close cowled "automatic" BMW801, massive firepower and wide-track landing gear, Germany's cavalry horse heavily influenced the next generation of radial engine fighters. Fast, heavy hitting and adaptable to any role, the Butcherbird flew from the muddy and waterlogged airfields and frozen lakes of Russia to the burning sands of North Africa. With the same basic airframe evolving seamlessly from the radial engined Anton into the excellent Dora-9 and the extreme altitude Ta-152, it not only served but excelled at air superiority, interdiction, ground attack, heavy bomber interceptor, anti-shipping and even escort, from 1941 through the fall of Berlin.

Simply put, this is the airplane you build your airforce around and look badass doing it.

2. Bf109 - Already stated many times in this thread. Sinister looking with a fascinating technical and service history, this was the mount of many of the highest scoring aces in history. Served from beginning to end and has an engine sound that might be the best ever.

3. Me262 - The world's first jet fighter - faster and heavier hitting than anything in the sky, it could vaporize an enemy aircraft in a single pass. Typical German sinister/badass looks to boot. Modular construction made it easy to maintain and repair, but it was hindered by Germany's shortage of high strength alloys. Influential wing design used in development of future high-speed aircraft including F-86 - also used after the war to gain funding and support for high-speed aircraft development in the US. A landmark aircraft in aviation history.

4. Do-335 - Unfortunately for Germany but fortunately for the allies, this machine was not developed to operational status during WWII. This is a massive aircraft that I had the distinct pleasure of seeing in the Udvar Hazy museum in Washington. A 6' tall person could just about walk right under it. Twice the thrust of a single with half the drag of a twin (theoretically), Dornier's speed machine highlighted the principles of center-line thrust. An example captured by the Allies easily outran it's P-51 Mustang escorts - so much so that it's German pilot shut down one of the engines and cruised on just one.

5. Bf110/Me410 - One the most under rated if not the most under rated aircraft of the war. Served from the beginning to the end in every theatre in virtually every role imaginable and excelled as a night-fighter to the very end. What's better than the sound of a throaty Daimler-Benz inverted vee? Two of them of course!

 

Favorite theatre - ETO
 

Edited August 14, 2013 by CUJO1970

[TheBlackPenguin]

The 109,

 

 Always feel a little uncomfortable choosing this side (I don't want to go into too many details, however I hope everyone spares more than the odd thought to what actually happened as it must never happen again), despite my mother being German, this isn't history from the TV, but much, much deeper than that . Suffice to say I will create my own 109 pilot in-game, looking forward to unlocking the G version. Why is it that they make such aesthetically pleasing machines and then paint them in such dazzling colors?

Also, I think the apparent dangers from landing/takeoff with the 109 actually enhances its reputation, in much the same way as it was with the Corsair.

[Potenz]

Here it goes

 

Fw-190 D9 (favourite far)

Bf-109 E and F (but i like mostly of the variants 

Ju-88 (incredible versatile)

Fw-189 (great sun house cockpit)

Me-262 (nice lines and first operational jet fighter)

 

I know i'm a Luftwaffe fan

Edited August 14, 2013 by potenz

[Wind]

1. F4 U : That gullwinged beauty. One of my first model planes I built. I think it ended up having more glue than plastic...

 

2. Mosquito : It was just fascinating to read about the plane..."built of What???"

 

3.Short Sunderland : The unsung hero of the atlantic war.

 

4.Bristol Beaufighter : The multitool of its time. Served bascially in all the theatres.

 

5.Me 109 : Well...you just cant talk about european theatre without some of the variants popping up.

 

 

There were a lot of cool planes at that time period so picking a favourite is damn hard.

Same thing witht he most interesting theatre of operations.

Obviously it is interesting to read up about the main areas, central europe and (eastern)pacific, but

what I found out to be even more interesting, was the "forgotten wars", the Aleutes, Philippines//Papua NG,

Northern Norway//Murmansk and, of course, the Med.

 

Where would I want to fly in a sim???

Well, have to say, taking a rocket ladden Beufort for a early morning spin in the pacifics...oh man!