Best Plane

[orko_8]

Although not being in the list, my vote goes to Ju-88. It was truely a multimission fighter-bomber, used virtually in every role in every theater of war (dive bomber, bomber, night fighter, escort fighter, reconnaissance...)

I must add the name of Il-2 Sturmovik, although I do not like Russian WW II aircraft designs very much.. It is a very successful fighter of its era.

[Viggen]

But we all know that during WW2, the P51 Mustang was the best fighter. Without it the allied would have lost to many bombers and probably lost the airdomination in Europe.  

Btw, the Swedish airforce bought a couple of them after the end of the war. They payed 3000$ for each aircraft.

Scorpion is right.

[Webmaster]

P-51 was the best, but it was only available in the later years of WW2 as well. The Spitfire and Me109 fought from start to finish.

If Hitler would have seen things clearly, he would have fielded the Me262 as a fighter, not as a bomber, perhaps the P-51 wouldn't have looked so dominating then.

[Viggen]

Perhaps, but then Hitler should also have left Russia alone. Then there might have been a diffrent outcome in the war in Europe. But this way was better, now we dont have to learn german in school... 

[Air Marshal]

F-22 Raptor is Best of All.   

[Air Marshal]

Old & New Jets...........

[dreamer]

Everybody else added their opinions so I thought "why not add mine?"  I thought of a good plane that is missing on the poll.  The B-52.  The B-52 has been in service many years and has proved itself over time.  As far as bombers go, I believe the B-52 was the best.

[Battlemike]

P-51 (based on service length -Last flown by dominican Rep in the late '80s, actually fought in the "Soccer Wars" btwn El Salvador and Nicaragua, knocking down "newer" F4U Corsairs, and a few P-47s). Based on its use, the Mustang, ala "Run-stang" had an awesome 20:1 kill ratio and flew against the best that  the Axis had to throw at them. As one quote had it " The P-51 won't do what a spitfire can do, but It CAN DO it OVER Germany".I believe that if the USAAF had went to 20mm guns on the P-47 and P-51 ,there would have been higher kill ratios for both acft. But the arugement falls down to this- which pilot KNOWS his Aircraft and his own abilities, VS his oppenent. Ol'Eric Hartmann would have waxed Yeager , and  Preddy would have been "cold" meat in a run down with Galland. True Killers Like Gebretsky (P-47 jock) and  "Back stabbers" like Dick  Bong (P-38)  would be a match for Galland and Hartmann, even though I think The FW-190 D was a BETTER plane than a BF 109 or ME-109 K

[Battlemike]

Also ,remember this- the ONLY ALLIED fighter to shoot down a jet was the P-51!!! the German "Swallow" was faster and could reach heights  but was never very manueverable and would bleed energy really bad- skilled "run-stang pilots" would "jump" the jets from above,build up to 500+mph in a dive and spray like hell enough .50 cal  AP and incendiary  to negate some of the ME-262s better virtues.Even if Germany's best aces had the ME-262 ,advanced Mustangs like the  longer tailed p-51J& K models would have been the stop gap until the lockheed P-80 would have come on line...

[alyster]

P-51 might have killed some Me-262s but remember that it was in 1944-45 and germans were basicly flying rookies then, only few "experts"(like they called them) were still flying and they were also out numbered and german target was kill the bombers not the covering fighters. Also most of the Me-262 which were shot down were lost at the time of take off or landing when the speed was low.

[alyster]

Personaly I vote for B-52 -  I don't think it needs any comments

[gman]

Interesting topic.  Sorry I didn't check in sooner.  For purposes of this post, I'll keep my comments to WWII warbirds.  The Mosquito was a superb aircraft in all of its variations and deserves higher ranking.  The Mustang and Spitfire don't have the stones to back up their public image.  The Me109 was basically obsolete when the war started and Germany should have shifted production to the FW190.  The best fighter(s) in the war all had round engines, to wit, P-47 (most destructive airplane in the war, the 2 top American aces in Europe, lowest loss ratio of the war .7% and that is no error), Grumman Hellcat (most aces of any allied type, 19-1 kill ratio), FW-190 Butcher Bird, Ki-84 Hayate, F4U Corsair. et al.  Any comments?