Your favorite WWII Aircraft

[GT182]

Originally Posted by MH

Another twin tailed beast i like:

So you know MH.... there will be one flying one of these days out of Reading, PA by the Mid Atlanctic Air Museum. This one was brought back from Indonesia back in 1990 off of Mt. Cyclopes. Today she sitting on her landing gear. Still work to be done. And once finished she'll be the only flying P-61 in the world. I've even had hands on working on a bit of the restoration.

Check it out here.... www.MAAM.org This is also the home of the World War II Weekend, held the first weekend of June every year. This year will be the 23rd year. Direct link to their P-61.... http://www.maam.org/p61.html

My favorite WWII aircraft is the B-17, seeing my uncle was a togglier in Mission Belle back in 1941.. a B-17F.

Others are:
P-51
P-61
P-38
Hurricane
Spitfire
and a whole bunch more.

Here's a B-17F that was in a movie of the same name.

[fireftr18]

After giving it much thought, I have to go with the B-17.
The B-17 was designed specifically to fight WW2. Looking at history, I don't think it was coincidental.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_...lying_Fortress

[Sung]

Fast'n loud
my favorite

[August]

Originally Posted by GT182

my uncle was a togglier in Mission Belle back in 1941

Ok I think you meant "Memphis Belle" but for the life of me I can't figure out what you mean by "togglier".

[Jimbuna]

The togglier was responsible for arming and dropping the bombs in lieu of a bombardier. As the war progressed, the bombing formations would drop when the lead aircraft dropped, and the need for skilled bombardiers decreased. Dropping bombs involved flipping (or toggling) the switch(es) that result in activating the bomb release mechanisms. This is the origin of the title "togglier", a combination of toggle and bombardier. The lead aircraft crew would include a skilled "group" bombardier, and many of the other crews would utilize toggliers...

http://www.401stforum.com/forumhome/....php?f=1&t=947

I can only speak for my crew in the Mediteranean....99 BG (B17G). The armorer on my crew was the left waist gunner...and he was selected to function as the togglier. As to training....it was a simple matter of a checkout on the bomb bay door switches and bomb release intervalometer. If a crew flew without the Bombardier, the armorer funtioned as the togglier. Shortly before reaching the target, the Navigator notified the armoroer/togglier to come forward to the Bombardier's position and work the bomb release controls. After "Bombs Away", he returned to the left waist gunner position. When a crew was selected for the lead, a Bombardier (usualy the Squadron Lead Bombardier who was the most expert) flew and the otherwise togglier stayed in his left waist position. There was a change in tactics which was felt to be more accurate in having one Bombardier to drop from the lead ship and the rest of the formation to open the bomb bay doors when the lead ship opened its bomb bay doors and drop when the lead ship dropped. This meant that the other 5 a/c in the formation had toggiliers.

http://forum.armyairforces.com/Bomba...ier-m7336.aspx

[August]

Thanks Jim.

I learn something new every day!

[Oberon]

Triiiiiiicky.

I do love the Fairey Swordfish, the good old stringbag. She was reliable, could carry just about anything, could be modified for extra range (replace the spotter with a fuel tank) and was so slow that the Bismarcks AAA computer couldn't calculate a proper lead range.



The Spitfire is, obviously, a good choice, likewise the Hurricane, the Rolls Royce Merlin purr. I think the Spitfire has one of the most modified designs in history, going well into the mark twenties and lasting into the 1950s/60s in various nations. The Hurricane was a reliable workhorse, the unsung hero of the Battle of Britain, and that endears it to me a little bit more than the Spitfire because God knows I love an underdog



Now, for a different approach for a Brit. The Bf109. A fascinating design, comfortable to fly, a good climbing fighter, and the engine is very well made. The engine noise itself is almost as beautiful as the Merlin purr, with that supercharger whine as it tears past you. I have to agree that the E series was the most beautiful of the 109s although I do like the Trop version of the Gustav. Just don't mention the undercarriage or the glass nose of the early versions...



Now for the plane that won the war (TM), the P-51 Mustang. A classic example of when British and American co-operation goes right (that and the Firefly). The early models without the bubble canopy are a bit mweh, but when you get to the D, well, you're doing it right.
Had the pleasure of attending several P-51 flypasts, as well as witnessing (briefly) the memorable sight of an F-15 and P-51 flying in formation. Something that always gets me with the P-51 is not the Merlin engine, it's the noise the air makes as it goes through the 50 cal MG barrels. Anyone who's witnessed a P-51 in a dive will know what I mean.



The C-47, or DC-3, whichever you prefer to use.
A classic example of a design done right. Rugged, reliable, and still going strong. I'm lucky enough to live under the flight path of a chap who lives in Holland who flies a Dakota, so periodically I hear that beautiful engine drone as it flies over. Always makes me think of the brave men who paradropped from them over France and Holland during the war.



The B-17. This one crept on to my list when I purchased the A2A accusim version of the B-17 for Flight Simulator X. I'm now fairly sure I could start up the real thing if I ever needed to, and boy is she a lovely aircraft to play around with. Again though, it makes me think how lucky I am to fly with no AAA shooting at me, but she is a tough cookie. Although I do grimace when I consider the fate of the poor ball gunner on B-17s whose undercarriages collapse on landing...



Other honourable mentions include the Tempest and Typhoon, in particularly the 1b variant of the Typhoon with the bubble canopy. The Fw-190, butcher bird, a high altitude killer. The Gotha Go-229, fantastically beautiful design but never used, and the Lancaster...because...well, it's the Lancaster, does it need any other reason?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by August

Thanks Jim.

I learn something new every day!

Me too...I googled it moments before posting the links

[GT182]

In a nutshell.... Toggliers dropped when the bombardier in the lead B-17 of the formation dropped his bombs. That's how it's been explained by former bombardiers from WWII that I've met and talked to.

I've been up in a couple of B-17s and had numerous rides in them. I can say that the view from the nose, sitting in the gunner/bombardier's seat is one awesome place to be. However, I can only imagine how scarry it was in that seat back in WWII flying over Germany. My uncle lost approxamately 8" of his thigh bone from a flack hit. Fortunately he didn't lose his left leg, but was always in pain from the steel plate that doctor's used to save the leg so he could walk. And in the winter months of NY the bitter cold raised hell with it. It's also one of the reaons he survived the war... he was sent home never to fly or fight again.

[sublynx]

The Bf 109 G2.

[BossMark]

[fireftr18]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Lancaster...because...well, it's the Lancaster, does it need any other reason?

I know what you mean. Big, ugly, and clumsy. But there is just something about them that makes you love 'em.

[Cybermat47]

Messerschmitt Bf-109 E-4



This particular one was flown by Helmut Wick when he commanded JG2 in November 1940. I've made a model of it!

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by Sung

Fast'n loud
my favorite

I always felt that the P-47 was underrated by many the P-51 takes all the glory when in fact it was the P-47 that started really wearing down the down the Luftwaffe in late '43 and early 44' before the P-51B came onto the scene.Also the highest scoring wing in the 8th Air Force was equipped with P-47s though out the war.

The P-47 was much better at ground attack being much more durable than the P-51.The P-51 was a bit prone to battle damage in comparison to other US designed aircraft even pilots that had much success in them will tell you this if they are honest.

The P-40 is another underdog it was by no means the best design but it held the line for a while and in the CBI some untis flew them well into 1944.Units in Europe often went from the P-38 or P-47 to the P-51 CBI units went from the P-40 to the P-51D and some units went to later model P-38s imagine the jump in ability those pilots enjoyed.

I am surprised so far no fans of Russian Japanese or Italian aircraft.

Lets give these guys some credit.

One of my favorites is the La-5/7 series they where fairly impressive aircraft and many of the higher scoring VVS aces achieved most of their kills in La's.The La-7 had a 14 cylinder radial that produced 1,850HP most Soviet fighters where light weight and agile the La-7 could top out at around 411MPH.


A favorite Japanese aircraft of mine would be the Kawanishi N1K Kyofu it was a float plane fighter that the Japanese later resigned a bit to develop the N1k1 Shinden.It was powered by a 14 cylinder radial engine and put out 1,400HP.Only 89 N1Ks where ever produced but the design showed great potential and the Shinden was subsequently developed from it.


For the Italians I really like the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79.This aircraft was first designed in 1934 as an air racer.It actually set some world records in the 1930's for carrying a weight of 4,410lb load over 1,240 mi at an average speed of 266MPH.It was powered by 3 9 cylinder radial engines pushing out 960 HP each a bit anemic by WWII standards but this plane gets high marks more for its looks like all things Italian.

[BossMark]

Supermarine Spitfire