[CaptainHaplo]

No fair - you can't just ask us to pick 1!

Fighter - toss up between the FW 190 and F4U. The only problem with the F4U was the long nose and radial engine that took out many a pilot. It wasn't known as the "Ensign Eliminator" for nothing!
The P-61 was a night fighters dream. The P-47 deserves mention.
What suprises me most - folks mentioned the Mosquito - but no Beaufighter? A beauty of a bird with a long and distinguished history...

The P-51? Most over-rated warbird by those that don't know any better. Yes - by the time the war ended it had matured into a decent fighter, but its history of design errors (like wings that were too thin so the guns had to be installed at an angle - leading to major jams) and simple lack of common sense (Look on the bottom - the big radiator - one bullet and your streaming Glycol and overheating before you get home...). Honestly ... UGH!

My favorite Axis fighters in the Pacific - again not even mentioned - were probably the Ki61 Swallow (or "Tony" to the Allies) and the K1N1 Shinden (George). The Tony wins on looks, the George on performance.

In Axis Europe - if I can't have the FW190, the FW192/194's were amazing planes. Then again - so was the DO335, though it never saw combat (it fled the only possible engagement). The HE-162 and ME163 also do not escape my list of "fav's", though I would never want to land on a skid or sit beside 2 extremely combustible fuel tanks....

Attack Aircraft - I can't believe no one even mentioned the A-20 Havoc. Maneuverable, tough and packing a punch, it was a true ground attack monster for its day.

Bombers - Yes, I love the B-17. But my favorite was the B-26 Maurader. A medium bomber with great speed and good maneuverability along with a respectable bomb load, she was a true beauty in the sky. A little unstable (thus her nickname that can't be repeated here), she is simply top of my list when it comes to this category.

Just my $0.02....