« previous next »
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 5 6   Go Down

Author Topic: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII  (Read 9541 times)

Offline Steve

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6728
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #15 on: March 01, 2009, 11:37:36 AM »
Because of thew A6M's poor high speed performance and equally poor climb ability, the spit would clearly be ranked ahead of it.
Logged
Member: Hot Soup Mafia - Cream of Myshroom
Army of Muppets  Yes, my ingame name is Steve

Offline Oldman731

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 9418
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #16 on: March 01, 2009, 12:20:55 PM »
Quote from: Steve on March 01, 2009, 11:37:36 AM
Because of thew A6M's poor high speed performance and equally poor climb ability, the spit would clearly be ranked ahead of it.

Depends what part of the war you're talking about.  In 1941 and 42 I think the Zeke probably beat out the Spit variants.

- oldman
Logged

Offline Steve

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6728
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #17 on: March 01, 2009, 12:30:39 PM »
Quote from: Oldman731 on March 01, 2009, 12:20:55 PM
Depends what part of the war you're talking about.  In 1941 and 42 I think the Zeke probably beat out the Spit variants.

- oldman

Geez.. the OP said WWII. There's no depending and no part.
Logged
Member: Hot Soup Mafia - Cream of Myshroom
Army of Muppets  Yes, my ingame name is Steve

Offline Oldman731

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 9418
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #18 on: March 01, 2009, 05:43:21 PM »
Quote from: Steve on March 01, 2009, 12:30:39 PM
Geez.. the OP said WWII. There's no depending and no part.

Oh.  OK.  F8F Bearcat then.

- oldman
Logged

Offline Guppy35

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 20385
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #19 on: March 01, 2009, 06:29:58 PM »
Long range would be the 51.  Short range interceptor would be the Spit 14.  Bomber destroyer probably the 190A8


All around dogfighter, probably the Spitfire LFIXe with full span wings and broad chord rudder.
Logged
Dan/CorkyJr
8th FS "Headhunters

Offline Saxman

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 9155
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #20 on: March 01, 2009, 07:03:17 PM »
Quote from: Oldman731 on March 01, 2009, 05:43:21 PM
Oh.  OK.  F8F Bearcat then.

- oldman

Never saw combat, so doesn't count. Otherwise you'd have to include the F7F, Do-335, etc. etc.

Anyway...

F4U-4. Best all-around air-to-air fighter (that saw combat) of WWII.
Logged
Ron White says you can't fix stupid. I beg to differ. Stupid will usually sort itself out, it's just a matter of making sure you're not close enough to become collateral damage.

Offline Ghosth

  • AH Training Corps (retired)
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 8497
      • http://332nd.org
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #21 on: March 01, 2009, 08:42:10 PM »
Lusche had the best answer.

A6m dominated the air war until the F6f and the F4u were deployed in big enough numbers to tip the balance.

But for 4 years out of 6 A6m was the dogfighter to beat. You just can't say that about any of the other birds.
Logged

Offline Saxman

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 9155
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #22 on: March 01, 2009, 08:51:44 PM »
Careful Ghost. Even the little F4F had a positive K/D vs. the Zero. The F4Fs strengths over the Zero--firepower, durability, and high-speed maneuverability--were what the tactics that ultimately DEFEATED the Zero were built around.

The F6F and F4U would have been just as dead playing the Zero's game.
Logged
Ron White says you can't fix stupid. I beg to differ. Stupid will usually sort itself out, it's just a matter of making sure you're not close enough to become collateral damage.

Offline Sox62

  • Silver Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1159
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #23 on: March 01, 2009, 09:14:03 PM »
Quote from: Saxman on March 01, 2009, 08:51:44 PM
Careful Ghost. Even the little F4F had a positive K/D vs. the Zero. The F4Fs strengths over the Zero--firepower, durability, and high-speed maneuverability--were what the tactics that ultimately DEFEATED the Zero were built around.

I've got a book my dad lent me that echoes what you state.

"Fire In The Sky" -Eric Bergerud

There were some interesting comments by Japanese pilots about wishing their planes had American ruggedness,armor,and machine guns.


Great book,and well worth buying.
Logged

Offline Saxman

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 9155
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #24 on: March 01, 2009, 09:24:12 PM »
I remember an account by Sakai where he unloaded literally everything he had into an F4F and was shocked to watch it fly off. Tough little ship. :D
Logged
Ron White says you can't fix stupid. I beg to differ. Stupid will usually sort itself out, it's just a matter of making sure you're not close enough to become collateral damage.

Offline Ghosth

  • AH Training Corps (retired)
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 8497
      • http://332nd.org
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #25 on: March 02, 2009, 06:55:37 AM »
Saxman I never said that US planes were not tough.  As to K/D pretty much meaningless in this discussion.

We were discussing planes that could dogfight.

US planes used totally different tactics, Altitude advantage, and numerical advantage, or dive out of the fight and run home to fly another day.

Fm2 or F4f one on one, coalt, CoE is owned by the A6m.

Logged

Offline Bruv119

  • Aces High CM Staff
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 15667
      • http://www.thefewsquadron.co.uk
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #26 on: March 02, 2009, 07:16:59 AM »
he said PURE dogfighter in my eyes that is a2a dogfighting on equal terms, 

sakai, nishizawa, honda,  only thing you would be able to do against them would be RUN!
Logged
The Few ***
F.P.H

Offline Diggin

  • Nickel Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 452
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #27 on: March 02, 2009, 07:28:32 AM »
Quote from: Oldman731 on March 01, 2009, 05:43:21 PM
Oh.  OK.  F8F Bearcat then.

- oldman

   Awesome plane (my favorite) too bad it didn't get into the thick of things during WW2... Maybe we could throw it into AHII just to see :lol :aok
Logged

Offline dentin

  • Nickel Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 738
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #28 on: March 02, 2009, 09:04:45 AM »
Quote from: Oldman731 on March 01, 2009, 05:43:21 PM
Oh.  OK.  F8F Bearcat then.

- oldman

This (old)Man knows a fine piece of hardware when he sees it!  Bearcat..more exciting than a 1k/night "escort".  :)
Logged
"The more I see of the depressing stature of people, the more I admire my dogs."
 Opinions are like Armpits..everyone has two and sometime they both stink!
"No matter how much things change, They remain the same"

Offline Rolex

  • AH Training Corps
  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3285
Re: BEST pure DOGFIGHTER in WWII
« Reply #29 on: March 02, 2009, 09:40:36 AM »
No doubt that the F4U-4 was an excellent aircraft. Ironically, no F4U-4's were assigned to fighter squadrons during WWII. As far as I know, all were assigned to either VMF or VBF squadrons, which caused a lot of teeth gnashing by F4U-4 pilots who didn't want to be hauling around bombs. Late war VF squadrons flew F6F-5's. I'll go with the zero also as "pure dogfighter."
Logged
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 5 6   Go Up
« previous next »