IMHO

[Grundle1]

IMHO, these are the only planes we need:

He-111: One of the most distinctive WWII aircraft.   A Luftwaffe bomber used everywhere for many roles - 7700 built.   Gotta have this one soon (hopes)
Ju-52 : We have to have this charismatic aircraft.  The principal Luftwaffe transport - 4800 built (thought it would have been more)...
Pe-2 :More than 11,000 of this very significant aircraft were produced.  It was Russia's equivalent of the Mosquito - almost as important as the IL2
Ki-43 :Principal Japanese army fighter in the early war years.  According to the infamous Wiki, it shot down more allied aircraft than any other Japanese fighter:   Almost 6,000 built
Wellington:11,461 built throughout the war - wiki

 -Maybe D 520 for the 8 early war people. 

This is my shortlist of planes I'd like to have added just because I'd like to fly them (in order):
SM79
Meteor
J2M Raiden
Me410
Hs129
FW200

[phatzo]

you won't get to many arguments here, the only sort of questionable one is the Condor due to the fact it doesn't really have a role in AH. I would like to add the Beaufighter the list.

[Grundle1]

I know a lot of others would like to add the Beaufighter, too; it would be regularly flown in AH.

[Karnak]

I could add a good number of aircraft to the "need" category.  The "want" category is subjective to each player.

[Grundle1]

Well, I don't think there are more than those five or six super-significant historical aircraft that would see much play.   There are plenty of aircraft that would be fun to fly but were used in very small numbers or flew at night - P61, Hs219, nightfighter Ju88, etc.

[Karnak]

I don't think they need to see significant MA use in order to be "needed".  We have no Japanese strike aircraft for carriers that weren't introduced in the 1930s.  Over 2,000 D4Ys were built as well as significant numbers of B6Ns, both of which are badly needed for Pacific CV scenarios.  For more sandboxy AvA settings a decent, mid-war German bomber such as the Ju188 or Do217 is very much needed.  The Ju52 you list is only needed for the AvA sandbox settings as it is grossly inferior to the C-47 for the MA and, to the best of my knowledge, no transport aircraft has been used in a structured event.  A TB-2 or Il-4 is another needed aircraft to give the Russians an early war bomber.  The Beaufighter was used in large numbers in all theaters and is needed for both the AvA sandbox and for structured events.  I agree with you that the He111, Pe-2, Ki-43 and Wellington are needed.

The MA also has needs and one can easily include things such as the A-26, Tu-2, J2M, Ki-44 and others as needed for use in the MA without meeting a large historical role criteria.

[Wmaker]

to the best of my knowledge, no transport aircraft has been used in a structured event.

They've been used in scenarios such as Niemen but I agree that Ju-52 is a very low priority considering the work horse combat aircraft still missing.

[jimson]

They've been used in scenarios such as Niemen but I agree that Ju-52 is a very low priority considering the work horse combat aircraft still missing.

May be a low priority but also low development effort as the existing C-47 flight model could be used with the top speed altered.

Who cares how historically accurate a transport functions?

[Debrody]

Sir, your list looks OK to me, but you forgot the Red Airforce, basically the russkis won the war yet AH dont have many russki rides.
La-5 (not the La-5 FN), Lagg-3, Jak-3, Jak-1, Mig-3, and an attack plane like the Tu-2, or Pe-2 as you mentioned. Of course not all of them, but some...
Then should come the german medium bombers, as the ju-188, the late ju-88, maybe the he-111 too, but that would be a worse hanger-queen than the Betty.

[FLS]

May be a low priority but also low development effort as the existing C-47 flight model could be used with the top speed altered.

Who cares how historically accurate a transport functions?

I'm pretty sure HTC cares.

[jimson]

Maybe, but how much different would another transport be, or need to be as far as the flight model is concerned?

The only real reason to have it would be for looks and immersion purposes, unless you wanted the mg on it.

[Krusty]

As different as a stuka is to a IL2.

There is no one single thing at all that shares any common ground between a Ju-52 and a C-47, other than the role it might serve in AH gameplay.

HTC doesn't just paste graphics over other planes' flight models. Every FM is tied to the 3D model, all the airflow over different parts of the wing and fuselage are specific to each plane.

You have made a very nonsensical comment in that regard. For any new plane they have to put in the work. They even have a lot of work for remodeled planes (ones with existing FMs).

[jimson]

Forgive me, I don't have any 3D modeling experience, and don't know how the flight model is determined.

Consider the idea cheerfully withdrawn.

[icepac]

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/attachments/flight-test-data/149205d1287497420-f6f-5-vs-j2m3-f6f-5-vs-j2m3-b_opt.pdf

[Rino]

Sir, your list looks OK to me, but you forgot the Red Airforce, basically the russkis won the war yet AH dont have many russki rides.
La-5 (not the La-5 FN), Lagg-3, Jak-3, Jak-1, Mig-3, and an attack plane like the Tu-2, or Pe-2 as you mentioned. Of course not all of them, but some...
Then should come the german medium bombers, as the ju-188, the late ju-88, maybe the he-111 too, but that would be a worse hanger-queen than the Betty.

     Red Air Force won the war, wow.  Learn something new every day.