I thought about it a bit on the way home, and I realized that the Spitfire MkXIV is not even in my top 5 list. If the Fw190D-9 and Spitfire MkXIV were added, I certainly wouldn't mind, but what I really want is as follows:
Mitsubishi J2M3a Raiden "Jack" 
The 'Jack' was the first Japanese fighter to develop horsepower comparable with that of advanced Allied fighters. The Japanese Navy's J2M Raiden (Thunderbolt) - given the Allied code name 'Jack' - was origionally thought to be an Air Force fighter when first seen by American fliers in 1944.
Teething problems and slow production delayed the 'Jack's' entry into combat. Although a few were sent to the Philipines in 1944, thier principal use was the effort to defend Japan against U.S. B-29 Superfortress bombing raids in 1944-1945. However, the fighters were too few and too late to have an impact on the aerial bombardment of Japan. Although small and light by U.S. standards, the later model aircraft had impressive fuel and pilot protection, and mounted a heavy armament in addition to their performance. However, the J2M lacked the maneuverability of its predecessor, the Zero.
The work of Jiro Horikoshi, designer of the A6M Zero, the prototype J2M1 flew in March 1942. Although there were major problems, the plane's speed, rate of climb, and stability led the Navy to continue development. While the improved J2M2 overcame many of the problems, there were new difficulties with the engine. Finally, slow production began; by war's end just over 500 aircraft had been produced.
The Jack had a bullet shape, from somve viewpoints resembling the U.S. P-47 Thunderbolt. A low-wing monoplane, the fuselage was dominated by the large radial engine with a large spinner; turbochargers were fitted for high-altitude intercepts of U.S. bombers. The landing gear, including tail wheel, were fully retractable. Later models had a "blister" canopy. It was not a carrier-capable aircaft.
The J2M2 variant had a maximum speed of 371 mph. It could climb to 20,000 feet in just over fifty-two minutes. While the J2M had two wing mounted 20 mm cannon and two 7.7 mm machine guns in the fuselage, later variants had four 20 mm guns, with some aircraft modified to provide two oblique-firing 20 mm cannon so the aircraft could attak a bomber while flying under it.
Kawanishi H8K2 "Emily" 
The H8K or Type 2 flying boat is described by aviation hsitorian William Green as "undoubtedly one of the finest Japanese warplanes to see operational service" during the war, and "one of the most formidable flying boats employed by any of the combatants." It was designed for use as a reconnaisance aircraft, bomber, torpedo plane, or antisubmarine aircraft. Given the Allied code name 'Emily', the plane made its combat debut in an attack on Oahu, Hawaii, on the night of March 4-5, 1942 - the second attack on Pearl Harbor ( Operation K). The Emily was widely used in the Pacific War despite the small number built, and it earned the respect of U.S. fighter pilots as being a difficult plane to attack and shoot down.
The prototype H8K1 made its maiden flight in Jan. 1941. Production totaled only 167 aircraft, including thirty-six H8k2-L transports and two improved H8K3 variants.
The 'Emily' was a high-wing aircraft with a deep, stepped fuselage; four radial engines were fitted in the wings and the aircraft had large, fixed stabilizing floats. The improved H8k2 had upgraded engines, fully protected fuel tanks, armor protection for the crew, and surface search RADAR. The H8K2-L Seiku (Clear Sky) was a transport variant that could be configured to carry up to sixty-four passengers. The experimental H8k3 variant had retractable wing-tip floats and a retractable dorsal gun turret.
The H8k2 had a maximum speed of 290 mph with a maximum range of 4,445 miles. Offensive payloads, carried under the wings, consisted of either two 1,764 lb aerial torpedoes or eight 551 lb bombs or depth charges. The standard gun armament in the H8K2 and H8K3 aircraft was one 20 mm cannon in the nose, dorsal and tail turrets as well as in the side blisters, plus single 7.7 mm machine guns in the side and cockpit hatches and ventral positions - an impressive nine defensive guns. The crew normally numbered ten.
Kawasaki Ki-61 IIb Hien "Tony" 
The first operational Japanese fighter with an inline engine, the Ki-61 Hien (Swallow) was one of the most widely flown fighters of the Army Air Force. It was initially mistaken for the Messerschmitt ME (Bf) 109 when first seen by Allied airmen in the late summer of 1942. The Tony did employ a Japanese adaptation of the German DB 601 engine, and the early models had the German Mauser 20 mm cannon, but that soon was replaced by a Japanese model. It saw action over New Guinea, Formosa, and Okinawa, and was used in the defense of the Japanese homeland.
The Tony first flew Dec. 1941 and entered production shortly afterwards, with 2,646 of the series I being built. Armament was steadily increased and improved models remained in production until Jan. 1945. The Ki-61-II had a more powerful engine, larger wing, and redesigned cockpit. Production difficulties, however, limited that design to eight aircraft (Due to unreliability of the Ha-140 engine, but later resurected as the Ki-100), followed by a more extensive redesign - Ki-61-II KAI - of which only ninety-nine were completed because U.S. air attacks destroyed the engine plant (374 built, 275 without engines, which were later used in the Ki-100 after retrofit for radial engine). When its engine functioned properly, the Ki-61-II KAI was the only Army Fighter that could fight at the operating altitudes of the B-29 Superfortress bombers.
Resembling Western high-performance fighters, the Tony was a long-wing aircraft with an in-line engine. It was the first Japanese fighter with factory installed armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, marking a move away from lightweight fighters. Armament consisted of two 20 mm cannon and two 12.7 mm machine guns. Two 551 lb bombs could be carried. The Ki-61-Ib cound reach 368 mph and was credited with a range of 685 miles; the Ki-61-II KAI was rated and 379 mph with a 995 mile range.
Karnak's Note: This would have been the F6F-5 Hellcat, but HTC is adding it in 1.05, so I used this space for the Ki-61 Hien.
Ilyushin Il-2 Type 3M Sturmovik 
"Sturmovik" (Stormovik) is the general classification given to all ground attack aircraft by the Soviets. The Il-2 is the outstanding example of that class and has no counterpart anywhere else in the world. Its development began in 1930. It was designed to fight tanks and it was itself a "flying tank". The first significant design appeared in 1938 as Sergi V. Ilyushin’s CKB 55. This aircraft was a two-seat prototype which was in competition with the Su-6 designed by Pavel Sukhoi. Ilyushin won the contest and the CKB-57, the true prototype of the single seat Il-2 which first flew late in 1939. The main feature of the CBK-57 was its forward fuselage which was built as an armored shell, sometimes referred to as a "bath tub". The aft fuselage was a wooden monocoque and the tail unit was metal with a dural skin. The aircraft went into mass production in 1941 as the Il-2 and 249 were built before the German invasion. Stalin sent the following telegram in December, 1941 to the factories "Il-2 is as needed by Red Army as air or bread I demand production of more Il-2s, this is my last warning".
By early 1942, for a number of reasons, improvements were obviously necessary. The most noticeable change was a redesign of the cockpit area to provide for a rear gunner to be equipped with a 12.7 mm BS machine gun. The engine power was increased, and the two 20 mm cannon were replaced by 23-mm cannons. This new Il-2 was designated the Il-2M. Improvements continued to be made in future production and by August 1942, front line squadrons were receiving a new version, a two-seat Il-2M, Model 3. A trainer was also produced, designated Il-2U, which duplicated all flight controls in the rear cockpit. In August 1943, the Il-2M3’s 23mm cannons were replaced by a 37-mm Ns-OKB-16 version. Additionally, a grenade launcher and a container for 200 small bombs were installed. By 1944 Il-2M3s were appearing in all-metal construction throughout and the gunner’s back and front armor plates were replaced with an integral rear armored bulkhead. Later modifications were made to the armament provisions to carry a torpedo and a Navy version was designated the Il-2T. By this time, identification of the many Il-2 sub-types had become virtually impossible.
Operationally, the Il-2 would attack tanks, gun emplacements and infantry from between 20 and 30 feet above the ground, releasing its weapons and firing fixed armament at the targets. The Il-2’s best known tactic was the so-called Circle of Death, in which the aircraft would cross the front line off to the side of the target, then reverse course and attack from the rear in a shallow dive and, after recovery, repeat the maneuver. A typical example of the Il-2’s effectiveness happened in the Battle of Kursk on July 7, 1943, when the German 9th Panzer Division lost 70 tanks in 20 minutes. There are many examples of it’s capabilities throughout the war. The Il-2 was "nick-named" the "Flying Tank", "Hunchback", "Flying Infantryman" and the Germans referred to it as ‘‘ Black Death’’.
Karnak's Note: I'd want to have the gun loadout option of either the 2 23mm cannon or the 2 37mm cannon.
Tupolev Tu-2S Bat 
Tu-2 is a twin-engine aircraft. The fuselage is round with glazed bottom of the nose section and turrets aft of the cockpit and under the fuselage. Three small round windows are located on either side of the fuselage just in front of the tailplane. High-set tapered wings are unswept. A large nacelle, containing a 14-cylinder radial engine with a four-blade propeller and main landing gear, is mounted under either wing. High-set tapered tailplane is unswept with an oval tail fin centered on either tip. Landing gear with tail wheel is retractable. First Tu-2 (project number 103) was flown on October 3, 1940. The aircraft went in production in 1942, and by 1945, over 2500 were built in several modifications, including: Tu-1 - fitted with radar; Tu-2 - first production version; Tu-2S - faster, more powerful version; Tu-2R - photoreconnaisance version of Tu-2S; Tu-2T - torpedo bomber version of Tu-2S; Tu-2U - trainer with the second set of controls; Tu-8 - improved Tu-2; Tu-12 - improved Tu-2. Some of the Tu-2 remained in service as late as 1962 with Polish air force.
Well? What do you guys think?
Sisu
-Karnak
