It's a real war, and you must pick your planes. What will they be?

[Saurdaukar]

If you were in charge of picking the airplanes that your country would have during a WWII-type war -- what 5 aircraft would you pick?  Assume that the aircraft perform just as they do in Aces High, that you can pick any non-perk plane from Aces High, and that cost is not a factor.  (These are what you'd pick for a real war, not just what you like flying best in the Main Arena.)

I'd go for the following:

P-47N.  For fighter, fighter-bomber, and high-altitude escort.  I'd pick this because of its range, speed, performance at altitude, lethality, ruggedness, and ability to carry a lot of ordnance.  The P-51D is also a contender here for me, but the P-47N is more rugged and has more punch.

F4U-1D.  For my carrier aircraft, both as fighter and divebomber; also as general fighter and fighter-bomber.  It's faster than the F6F, outturns the F6F by a little, and carries more than the F6F in Aces High.

B-24J.  For my heavy bomber.  The Lancaster is a great plane, but its defense armament isn't nearly as good as the B-24 and B-17.  I'd pick the B-24 over the B-17 because the B-24 is a little faster and carries a bit more, yet has the same good defensive armament.

B-25H.  With cannon, for ground attack and attack against ground vehicles.  The cannon is a great weapon against ground vehicles and buildings.  I'd pick it over the Il-2 as it carries more bombs and especially because of the cannon.

Spitfire Mk XVI.  For quick-climbing field defense and intercept.  This would be a base-defense fighter and a fighter to use when you need to get up in a hurry to intercept things.

A "real" one?

F4U4 - jack (and master) of all trades.
P51D - long range escort.
B17G - strat buffing.
A20G - Tac buffing.
C47 - Misc. rear area transport of men and material.

[Karnak]

My answer would depend on if I can get other versions of the airframes or if I only get the airframes actually in the game.

If we are talking basic airframe and we get the different versions:

C-47
F4U
Il-2
Mosquito
P-47

If we only get the models in the game:

C-47
F4U-4
Mosquito FB.Mk VI
P-47N
B-17G


I think a lot of you are overlooking the need for a transport plane.  

[Tilt]

looking at cost v effectiveness (including pilot training etc.)


Ground attack / battle field interdiction  IL2M3

Low alt  air superiority/escort  La7

Medium alt  air superiority Spit XVI

High alt air superiority P47N

Longe range interdiction  Mossie

Long range strat bomber B24  (Ohh for a Mk XVII Mossie!!)

Long range bomber escort  P51D

Bomber interceptor  Ta 152

[Motherland]

I think a lot of you are overlooking the need for a transport plane.  

Once I remove the armor plate, I can just carry everything I want in my 109

[Anaxogoras]

It's amazing how many have not followed the instructions:  just 5 aircraft, and no perk planes.

[Karnak]

Ok.  By the rules:

F4U-1D:  Carrier fighter and strike fighter and all round interceptor.  Rugged and high performance.

Mosquito FB.Mk VI:  Multi-role, long range strike aircraft, night fighter and heavy fighter.  Fast, rugged and very long ranged.

P-47N: Long range escort fighter and back up ground attack fighter.  Great high alt performance coupled with long range.

B-17G:  Rugged, well armed bomber with good altitude performance.

C-47: Needed transport.

[Guppy35]

The B-17 entered US service in 1937 and was completely deployed by the end of 1938. As a point of arguement lets give the luftwaffe those B-17s for the BOB. The 110's actually had better performance at altitude then the british hurricanes and spitfires did and a range of roughly 1500 miles. So the germans would have been operating a strategic airforce from bases beyond the range of british fighters and screened by 109 bases. The 109's would have been completely free of any escort duties and the 110's would have been operating at higher alts where they had equal or better performance to the british planes who were attempting to intercept B-17s at 26K+ with .303 armed fighters. As british losses mounted and manufacturing, infrastructure, supply and morale were attrited german tactical bombers could attack targets of opportunity and 110's would be able (with there much greater range) to sweep down on british fighters attempting to land and rearm after staging and then attacking the buffs. England would have lost both the BOB and the war in 90 days had the germans had just a few hundred B-17's.

The germans certainly had the capability to build an equivelent plane, they just didnt see the need. If they had WW2 would have ended before the US ever couldhave gotten involved...

Think you are over complicating it Humble

All I think Brooke was asking was given you were going to war with 5 WW2 aircraft from those we have in AH, which would they be.  What might have beens don't matter in terms of the question. 

Not that the discussion can't be fun, but in terms of what he was asking, it was much more simple.  Not a slight of the LW or RAF or anyone else. 

[angelsandair]

hmmm... what would I pick.

P-39D/Q (ground attack)

P-47D-40 (better than the -N unless it is long range)

Spit Mk. XVI (always need a good turner)

B-17 (always need bombers)

and the last plane is always a tough one for my needs. But I'm gonna pick....

F4U-4 (the best of the F4Us, great turner, best speed, Good altitude, average-great range, great ordinance) If I wanted, I could just make these fight and forget about the B-17s and replace them with something else if needed 

[Stoney]

It's amazing how many have not followed the instructions:  just 5 aircraft, and no perk planes.

Sorry, missed that part.  Sub my F4U4 with a F4U-1D.

I'm personally perplexed at those that choose the P-51D over the P-47N for long-range escort duty...

[DPQ5]

P-51

P-51

P-51

P-51

[Anaxogoras]

I'm personally perplexed at those that choose the P-51D over the P-47N for long-range escort duty...

Try flying them both at 30k feet.

[angelsandair]

Sorry, missed that part.  Sub my F4U4 with a F4U-1D.

I'm personally perplexed at those that choose the P-51D over the P-47N for long-range escort duty...

shoot, same here, F4U4 replaced with the F4U-1D, srry

[Karnak]

Sorry, missed that part.  Sub my F4U4 with a F4U-1D.

I'm personally perplexed at those that choose the P-51D over the P-47N for long-range escort duty...

Agreed.

I am also perplexed by those who aren't taking the Mosquito, probably the single most versatile aircraft of WWII and when limited to 5 aircraft versatility becomes king.

[humble]

Sorry, missed that part.  Sub my F4U4 with a F4U-1D.

I'm personally perplexed at those that choose the P-51D over the P-47N for long-range escort duty...

The p47N has a combat range of 1350 miles with maxed drops (I/m guessing that radius with full drops at cruise {200mph for the N}). The pony has significantly greater range at a higher crise speed (275 mph)...so for long haul bomber strikes it was the better escort. The P-51D set a cross polar record of over 9 1/2 hours/& well over 3000 miles. I forget who said it but it the quote summed up the pony nicely....it was something along these lines. "The pony wasnt special because of what it could do, it was special because it could do it over Berlin"

[humble]

Agreed.

I am also perplexed by those who aren't taking the Mosquito, probably the single most versatile aircraft of WWII and when limited to 5 aircraft versatility becomes king.

Mossie had 1/2 the bomb load of the A-20 and no real level bombing capability.