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General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Furious on September 11, 2003, 02:07:12 PM

Title: Best Plane
Post by: Furious on September 11, 2003, 02:07:12 PM
Kinda an offshoot of the "Jug was best fighter of WW2" thread.

Scenario:

"AirKill 2112", a game show in the future that pits one pilot in his choice of WW2 prop fighter against another pilot in a WW2 prop fighter in a duel to the death for your viewing pleasure.  Real planes; one guy lands, the other is dead.

If you were a contestant in the above show, what plane would you choose?
Title: Best Plane
Post by: ra on September 11, 2003, 02:15:28 PM
F8F.
Title: Re: Best Plane
Post by: Curval on September 11, 2003, 02:21:08 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Furious
If you were a contestant in the above show, what plane would you choose?


Spitfire.
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Scootter on September 11, 2003, 02:32:14 PM
"Best Plane"  for what?

F8F would be lousy at long range transport, don't ya think?:)
Title: Re: Best Plane
Post by: Mini D on September 11, 2003, 02:43:44 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Furious
Kinda an offshoot of the "Jug was best fighter of WW2" thread.

Scenario:

"AirKill 2112"
There can be only one:

Red Barchetta

It will leave all aloy air cars stranded at the river's side.

MiniD
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Furball on September 11, 2003, 02:53:18 PM
Tempest
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Rutilant on September 11, 2003, 03:01:24 PM
262! :p (Hey, i WOULD be fightin for my life ya know!)
Title: Best Plane
Post by: palef on September 11, 2003, 04:30:22 PM
Sea Fury
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Kaz on September 11, 2003, 04:35:18 PM
Yak 3
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Westy on September 11, 2003, 04:44:53 PM
He said  "prop fighter."

I choose you P-72!
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Citabria on September 11, 2003, 05:54:26 PM
definitely red barcheta
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Ack-Ack on September 11, 2003, 06:00:38 PM
P-38K


ack-ack
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Widewing on September 11, 2003, 06:05:49 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Westy
He said  "prop fighter."

I choose you P-72!


I would too! Projected max speed of 505 mph at 25k (only tested to 490.4 mph without WEP), 480 mph on the deck (actual flight data), climbed to 20k in under 5 minutes!!!!

This light-weight, 3,600 hp development of the P-47 would would have dominated all comers. Simply the highest performing prop fighter ever built. It was only months away from production when the War Department cancelled it in favor of full P-80 production.

An order for 100 was on the books, to be armed with 4 of the new high velocity M9 37mm cannons. Republic had already started on tooling and jigs when the order was cancelled.

My regards,

Widewing
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Gixer on September 11, 2003, 06:12:42 PM
F8F Bearcat!


...-Gixer
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Urchin on September 11, 2003, 07:06:05 PM
Well, since the only knowledge I have of how the planes actually performed is from AH... Spit 9.
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Heinkel on September 11, 2003, 07:11:54 PM
The pre-1.08 AH N1K2-J.
Title: Best Plane
Post by: HeLLcAt on September 11, 2003, 07:13:49 PM
Yeah I would have to go with the F8F Bearcat.
Title: Re: Best Plane
Post by: Octavius on September 11, 2003, 07:15:58 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Furious

"AirKill 2112


hey, i like rush
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Octavius on September 11, 2003, 07:17:24 PM
I'd go with the Wright Brother's Kittyhawk... armed with a .45.
Title: Best Plane
Post by: GScholz on September 11, 2003, 08:44:16 PM
1 on 1 id take a Spit 9 late version, Yak-3 or one of them late war Japanese monster turners.
Title: Best Plane
Post by: mos on September 11, 2003, 10:45:34 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Ack-Ack
P-38K


ack-ack

Why the K and not the L?

P-38L (because I don't know anything about the K, apparently)
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Arlo on September 11, 2003, 10:51:11 PM
What's the prize? Get to keep the plane? Free fuel and maint until someone kills ya? Chicks, fame, money?
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Ack-Ack on September 11, 2003, 11:17:51 PM
Quote
Originally posted by mos
Why the K and not the L?

P-38L (because I don't know anything about the K, apparently)




Whatever happened to the P-38K (http://home.att.net/~C.C.Jordan/P-38K.html)


Ack-Ack
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Karnak on September 12, 2003, 01:25:37 AM
Most of you seem to be ignoring the whole "WWII" thing.

But in that spirit, de Haviland Hornet or Spitfire F.21
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Furious on September 12, 2003, 01:26:41 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Arlo
What's the prize? Get to keep the plane? Free fuel and maint until someone kills ya? Chicks, fame, money?


What more do you need than chicks, fame and money?

Damn, I should have added that you had to choose only planes that met AH's inclusion criteria.  No prototypes and saw combat.
Title: Best Plane
Post by: svalan on September 12, 2003, 01:43:43 AM
Then i fly an real Dutch plane the D-21 .

(http://members.lycos.nl/DeeJay/FokkerDXXI.jpg)


svalan
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Furball on September 12, 2003, 03:36:39 AM
lol that thing is awful.

looks like someone thought up the paint job after spending a little too much time in Amsterdam.. ;) :D
Title: Best Plane
Post by: hogenbor on September 12, 2003, 03:42:18 AM
In the 'just too late' scenario : DeHavilland Hornet (just go and read the performance figures and what Cpt. Eric Brown had to say about this plane).

In the 'actual combat at large scale' scenario : P-51B (because that's what I'd choose in AH).

The P-38K and P-72 (Did that ever fly???), P-51H, F8F, SeaFury. Tempest late versions, Martin Baker MB5, Supermarine Spiteful, La-9 & 11 all would be great though. But what would be be the best?
Title: Best Plane
Post by: hogenbor on September 12, 2003, 03:49:18 AM
lol@furball

The D-21 (XXI)  is a non flying replica but the paintjob is accurate. The photograph doesn't do it justice though. I've been there too, I have some pics of it that might be slightly better.

The orange triangles and rudder were painted after an incident where the Germans shot doen a Dutch plane, claiming that our insignia looked too much like British ones. This was before the 10th of May 1940 of course (the day the Germans invaded).
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Zanth on September 12, 2003, 12:28:06 PM
(http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/images/do335-7.jpg)

413 mph (665 kph) sustained, 477 mph (765km/h) with emergency boost

4,600 ft/min (1400m/min)

Two 20mm MG 151/20 machine guns above the nose
Two 30mm Mk 103 cannon mounted in the wings.
One 30mm Mk 103 cannon firing through the propellor hub.

And in case things didn't work out it had this ejection seat.

(http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/images/do335-10.jpg)

The upper tailfin and the rear propeller were equipped with explosive bolts to seperate them from the fuselage to avoid impacting the pilot in the case of ejection.
Title: Best Plane
Post by: vorticon on September 12, 2003, 03:01:35 PM
depends what i was fighting...i would have to go with the spit 9 if i couldent find out earlier though
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Shiva on September 13, 2003, 01:12:48 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Zanth
Two 20mm MG 151/20 machine guns above the nose
Two 30mm Mk 103 cannon mounted in the wings.
One 30mm Mk 103 cannon firing through the propellor hub.


To be fair, Zanth, that was the Do-335B-2; the Do-335A-1 only had two 15mm Mk151/15 and 1 30mm Mk 103 in the nose, although it did have provision for an SC500 or two SC250 bombs in a fuselage bomb bay and either two SC250 bombs or drop tanks on wing hardpoints. There is some argument whether the A-1 had Mk 151/20 cannon replacing the Mk151/15 cannon; since no A-1 models survive (sole surviving example is Do-335A-0 VG+PH, Wk.Nr. 240102,  in the NASM collection), and the historical documentation is equivocal, it remains speculation.

The Do-335B-2 had the Mk 151/15 cannon replaced by Mk151/20, and two additional 30mm Mk 103 cannon mounted in the wings, with the leading-edge fuel tanks repositioned to the outer wings and the bomb bay sealed and filled with an additional fuel tank. Two prototypes, designated M13 and M14, were completed. Because of the additional weight, the landing gear was strengthened, with a larger nose wheel that had to rotate 45° during retraction to fit inside the fuselage, and an armored canopy was fitted. The M13 made its first flight in October 1944 and the M14 was completed in November, but none saw actual combat. The M13 received extended wingtips and the 30mm nose mounted cannon of the M14 was removed to reduce weight. The M13 was destroyed before the end of the war but M14 was captured and evaluated until 1948 by the French Army.

Do-335B-2:
(http://www.tamiyausa.com/images/product/100/61088/header_1.jpg)
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Drunky on September 13, 2003, 08:48:01 PM
P51-1/2 D/E

Yeah...that's plane I would fly
Title: Best Plane
Post by: NOD2000 on September 13, 2003, 09:47:08 PM
I'd take a FW 190 any version would be fine.......like the Fw 190 A series i would just put abeyville boys markings on it.....american/british pilots knew they were the best and you better not mess with one of em unless you have your whole squad with you. Or even one of the "long nosed" Fw's :) i've read acounts where a mustang and thunderbolt pilots just turn and ran after spotting one of these....
Title: Best Plane
Post by: vorticon on September 13, 2003, 11:17:13 PM
i read reports where p47's were shot down being thought to be 190s
Title: Best Plane
Post by: MetaTron on September 13, 2003, 11:28:54 PM
What does it matter your just going to HO and come out dead?
Title: Best Plane
Post by: vorticon on September 13, 2003, 11:32:29 PM
how do you "come out" of your dead???
Title: Best Plane
Post by: Ack-Ack on September 14, 2003, 12:19:10 AM
Quote
Originally posted by vorticon
i read reports where p47's were shot down being thought to be 190s



Here's a story that was posted on another AH forum about that type of confusion.  It also seems like the P-51 was at times mistaken for a ME109.

Quote

P-47 Reigns Supreme over P-51 Mustang
Don Whinnem B-17 Escort Mission
352nd FG ETO -

We were escorting B-17s. I was flying Al Marshall's
wing. We got into a mixup and got separated from the
Group. I looked over my left shoulder and saw
something coming in. I called , 'Al, there's a bandit
coming in at 7 o'clock high'.

We did a scissors. Al broke left, I broke right and
when I completed my circle it looked like Al was being
shot up by an ME109 I put the throttle to the
firewall, poured on the water injection and got on his
tail. When I got within 200 yards I started firing and
got strikes all over the plane. But as soon as he was
hit he broke up sharply, and only then did I see the
square wingtips and square tail. It was a P-51!

I called our Group Commander, Col. Joe Mason, a real
tiger, and said 'Sir,there are some P-51s in the
area'. He came back, real caustic, 'The hell they are.
They're 109s. Shoot the bastards down'. 'But sir, one
of them is a P-51 and I just shot it up pretty good'.
Silence.

Well, I located the P-51 again, and by this time he
knew we were 47s, so I pulled up alongside to take a
look. I didn't know it was Glenn Eagleston, but he
looked like he was hurting. There was nothing I could
do, so I left him and joined our formation.

I got part of the story later that day and the rest of
it 3 months later. It went all the way up to the 8th
Fighter Command Hqs......A p-47 had shot up a P-51.
Col Mason had to go up there and explain it to the
brass. But our story held up. The P-51 was 150 miles
off copurse, and his camera film showed him shooting
at a P-47.

The trouble was that an FW190 and a P-47 have the same
silhouette. You have to see the planview to see the
elliptical wings.

Three months later I crash landed near a 9th AF base,
and was taken to their hospital with a banged up nose
and forehead. Eagleton was stationed there and they
knew my name from the flap at Hqs, so he looked me up
and we drank beer at the club and flew the mission all
over again.

Eagleton swore he was shooting at a FW190, and even my
camera film looked like I was shooting at a 109 to our
Intelligence Officer. Glenn said the only thing that
saved him was the armor shield behind the cockpit..
The bullets came in over his shoulder, hit the
instrument panel, knocking most of them out.. When he
got to his base it was weathered in and he was forced
to bail out. His instruments were too shot up to try
it.

And that's how Don Whinnem shot down Glenn Eagleston -
something no German pilot was able to do. Glenn ended
up with 20 1/2 confirmed victories, tops in the 9th
AF. Whinnem was no slouch either. He didn't get credit
for that P-51, but he got enough 109s and 190s to make
him an Ace.



ack-ack
Title: Re: Best Plane
Post by: Mathman on September 14, 2003, 01:10:14 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Furious
Kinda an offshoot of the "Jug was best fighter of WW2" thread.

Scenario:

"AirKill 2112", a game show in the future that pits one pilot in his choice of WW2 prop fighter against another pilot in a WW2 prop fighter in a duel to the death for your viewing pleasure.  Real planes; one guy lands, the other is dead.

If you were a contestant in the above show, what plane would you choose?


dork