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Which WW2 aircraft would you pick?


General Jumbo

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Hi all,

 

Just out of idle curiosity and for a bit of fun, i thought i would pose this hypothetical question to the BMs on here...!

 

"If you were aircrew during WW2, what aircraft type would you choose to fly/fly in and why...?"

 

Mine would be the fighter bomber version of the Mosquito. Reasons being that it had excellent performance, better than average survivability rates and carried a navigator (my sense of direction is appalling). 

 

GJ

Edited by General Jumbo
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Spitfire XIVe lowback. Just because it's my favourite warbird, and I'd opt for the lowback for the greater visibility. I think it could hold it's own at that late point of the war, and also by that stage, it was nearly over B) I seem to recall that Eric Brown picked the XIVe as his number one choice out of all the WW2 fighters.

 

Mossie is a good choice, and if I had another, I would have liked to have a go at the B-26 Marauder.

 

Steve

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Tempest Mk.V. By mid 1944 air combat had already migrated to medium or low level, where this type was at her best. Also, abundant raw engine power and unforgiving quartet of 20-mm Hispanos, certainly something something to be reckoned with. Cheers

Jure

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42 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

That's a bit unfair, my two top picks gone already, though as Ginger Lacy said, (I think) proper Spitfires had high backs. I'd be a bit keen on a Beaufighter too.

Steve.

 It's funny, but I never thought that the bubble canopy particularly suited the Mk XVI, but I think it looks good on the Mk XIV. Who am I to argue with Ginger Lacey.....but I would have wanted the extra visibilty. 

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Guess that the first answer would be another question: to do what ? Fighter ? Recce ? Bomber ?

If it's just about what I'd have liked to fly in, I'd probably have two different answers...

Answer number one, depending on the aircraft I'd like to be in because I like aircrafts and so on: a Spitfire, of the latest variant available.

Answer number two, based on the realisation that I have to go to war in that aircraft and that one important thing everybody wishes in war is surviving: a Mosquito bomber. Not that I'd mind a Mosquito in general, a truly great aircraft. When it comes to survivability however the Mosquito would have been one ot the best bet while at the same time contributing quite a lot to the effort against the enemy.

 

P.S. not being British however I may have had to choose something from my own Country and then the answer would probably be a Fiat G.55 as this was overall the best Italian aircraft in WW2. Clearly being so outnumbered as Italian forces were during the war, survival chances would have been not particularly high

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What about the two F-14’s that appear in the “WW2” film The Final Countdown - they would have been pretty handy! 

 

Seriously though. I’d be happy to strap myself into a P-51 Mustang, seems like a good mount to take to the air.

On Seconds thoughts a Wellington with its strong geodetic structure might get me home again to enjoy a few more pints and a jolly singalong with the lads back at the ‘Red Lion’. 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

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Depends on the job:

 

Early to mid war fighter/interceptor - Merlin engined Spit

Late war fighter - Tempest V

Escort fighter - P-51D

Fighter bomber/ground attack - Mossie FB.VI

Bomber: Lanc or a B-24

Photo recce: One of the PR Mossie variants

Transport: C-47

 

There's probably more but that will do for now!

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47 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Well i think my Screen name is a dead give away for an answer. So Vought F4U -1a Corsair. 

So is mine - another vote for a late Tempest V. Failing that, I'd have to defect and go for a D-9... or would the Tempest be the defection ? :think::confused:

Edited by tempestfan
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I know this question is just a bit of fun but it made me think of its very sobering corollary: which aircraft would you NOT have wanted to go to war in?  Think of all the candidates: from the Battle, Lerwick, Botha, Buffalo and Vildebeeste all the way through to the marginally acceptable like the Blenheim, early Halifax and Fulmar.  Then think of the thousands who did and paid the ultimate price. 

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Yes, I was thinking similarly, a nice Stearman or Tiger Moth to amble around the sunny countryside along way away from the shooting, especially if I got sent stateside or to an empire school...as long it wasn’t in Canada in mid-winter!

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3 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Well i think my Screen name is a dead give away for an answer. So Vought F4U -1a Corsair. 

In that case I claim the F4U-4. The best of the wartime Corsairs. But that's late war so until it arrives I claim the P51D but until that enters service I would like to fly the Hurricane seeing as the Spitfire is already claimed. Nice stable gun platform. 

Now the only thing to figure out how I start in the RAF and end up in the US Navy?

Edited by noelh
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1 hour ago, noelh said:

 

Now the only thing to figure out how I start in the RAF and end up in the US Navy?

Eagle squadron volunteer ? Gregory Boyington was a volunteer in the AVG. When they were being absorbed into the USAAF he flat out refused to stay. He made his way home to america and Petitioned the USMC for reinstatement to the Marines. Id imagine you could do it that way. That or opt to fly seafires and transfer to a RN Corsair unit ?  

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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As WWII fighter types go, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the P-39 Airacobra.

 

Reading about it in Chuck Yeager's autobiography and in the hands of the VVS, it sounds like it was quite a performer "in the weeds".

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