Which was the best aircraft in WWII

I also love the ME-262 and they are still being made today.

The Japanese also produced a version under license during the war.

Here I am inserting a shameless plug for my WW2 Warbird artwork. I am currently working on more pics with the B-26's and some Focke Wulfe 190 D9's. Also on some naval engagements with U-boats.

Groingrinder, I love the Lancaster one, 'tough night at the office' very astute of you to make it different by portraying the lesser known Hercules powered Mk II version. Very nice.

Here's a thought, if you have the time and inclination I'd be fascinated to see a fantasy pic of RAF Miles M.52'S intercepting Junkers EF.132's over London.

[edit on 12-6-2004 by waynos]

I love the Mustang.

After the Battle of Britain the UK goverment needed a small manoverable fighter to supplement the Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons. So with a deal with the US goverment and US contractor the Mustang was born.

The development of this aircraft was the fastest in aviation history, the prototype was designed built and flown within a year.

Churchill was so impressed with the new aircraft he named it 'Mustang' in honour of the UK's US allies.

In the field the mustange was an excellent fighter but the Allison engine proved to be unreliable, so the UK built version was with the new Rolls Royce Merlin engine the famouse powerplant which gave the Spitfire its distinctive growl and now so the P51 Mustang. The canopy was cramped so the brits replaced it with a US/UK developed bubble canopy and the distinctive 'D' varient was born. The US was so impressed with the improvements that it became the primary fighter of the US Forces of WW2.


[edit on 12-6-2004 by rustiswordz]

Thanks waynos. I will have to see if plans of these planes are available somewhere online.

Cool groingrinder.

Additionally, about the P-51. The British Govt wanted North American to build the P-40 for the RAF but the blokes at NA thought they could do better. They were right. In order to get around the cramped canopy of the earliest ones the opening part of the canopy was replaced with the British Malcolm sliding hood, as used on the Spitfire, NA came up with a permanent fix on the P-51D by introducing a bubble canopy, as was being done on several US and UK fighters by this time, even the Spitfire.

[edit] the coincidence of the Allison engine and the Malcolm hood just struck me, but I guess only the Brits knmow who Malcolm Allison was

[edit on 13-6-2004 by waynos]

My favorite is the Me-262 because it's the first plane to use a reactor

the allies copied it to make the Gloster Meteor
and they also copied all the rocket technology

You wind up merchant you, I'm not biting!

Right about rockets though.

The HO 229 couldn't be hit by AA fire, it flew too high, at 52000ft, no weaponry could get that high, let alone accurately. The 2000mi. range was just one way, meaning, it could make it to the Eastern US, drop it's payload, of which could have been atomic had Germany succeeded in getting to it first, and then coast most the way back to France, using it's engines only as emergency boosts. The flying wing design made it aerodynamically outstanding, and able to be the most efficient powered glider of it's time.