Hi Folkses!
Afraid all this about Mustangs and Tomcats etc leaves me cold. I have a taste for the slightly more unusual I guess. Such as the sole Typhoon night fighter, Australian Mk VIII Spitfires, New Zealand F4U Corsairs, Fairey Fulmar, and Bristol Beaufighter. However, I do have a particular soft spot for the Commonwealth Boomerang. Tough little bird cobbled together in next to no time out of next to nothing, but a cracking little fighter for all that.
Incidentally, I read in this column comments about Harriers not being fighters? Certainly the ordinary Harrier isnt, but the Sea Harrier definitely is!!! They fought in the '82 Falklands war, and as our colonial cousins would say “kicked ass!”, with no losses in air to air combat, which for a subsonic fighter in this day and age aint bad going!!!
Hey Chris, welcome to the forum…I’m like you, all of the favorites, are not really my favorites either. I enjoy mainly night fighters and such, and don’t favor too many jets (except for the A-10!!!) My favorite fighter though is the P-40 Warhawk. It just has so much pizazz!!!
ChrisJH666 hi
and welcome to the forums [#welcome]
you’re rigt about the exemplary record of the sea harrier when used in the falklands, and how it is only now that the US have finally come up with a new better S/VTOL aircraft.
better start building those kits though, as by the time our government is finished with the defence budget, our pilots will be flying 1/48 replicas because we won’t have any of the real things left!![}:)]
[soapbox][#offtopic]
apologies for the rant!![:p]
enjoy the forums, evryone’s real friendly.
regards,
nick
my favorite would have to be the p-40 also. the design mainly is the reason. love that preditor look.
F-4, F-4, F-4, need I say more.
Welcome aboard the decks are clean, so climb aboard and set sail.
f4f wildcat, small, tough, legendary
kinda cute too!
Maybe you can guess…
(this is a clue)
I don’t know if I could ever pick a favorite, I just like them all so much. They’re all endearing to me for a different reason.
In the thread that I started last February 2003, “What’s your favorite fighter?”, I stated that the AV-8x wasn’t a fighter, and it isn’t: it’s sole purpose is as an attack aircraft, not a fighter. It does carry Sidewinders for defense. The Sea Harrier is different: one of it’s primary missions IS as a fighter. 'Nuff said. [:)]
My favorite fighter, as mentioned in the previously mentioned thread, is the F4U Corsair. Beautiful aircraft. Then the F-16 would be my next choice, then maybe the P-51, then the X-35, then the…
Me 262; it was a fightin’ jet in World War II and it still looks so damn cool. Gary
I really don’t have one favorite.
USA P-38 Lightning
GB Tempest
Japan Ki-84 Frank
Germany Me109
Sweden J-35 Draken
USSR Mig-15/17
France Rafale
Canada CF-100
Australia Boomerang
Italy MC202
that about covers it JOHN
Oh… definitely Bruce Lee! [8D]
Frank
My favorite WWII era fighter would be the F-4u Corsiar in any given version. It just looks incredible. My favorite jet fighter would be either the F-4 Phantom of the F-14 Tomcat. In any version. But I must say i have a real soft spot for the SR-71. I really like the design of the X-29 and the soviet S-37. The forward swept wings captivate me.
I’m boring I guess, the FW 190A-8.
World War II
FW-190: Beautiful plane…also, incredibly fast and nimble; unless I’m mistaken, they were one of the war’s best high-altitude fighters? Especially with the Ta-152 variants.
Hawker Tempest: Pretty underrated, in my book. They were armed like a tank, had a supercharger (or turbocharger…I don’t know the difference) for high altitudes to improve upon the Hawker Typhoon, and again, looked very agressive yet sleek.
F6F-3 Hellcat: The plane that won the Pacific Air war for the US Navy, I’d say. I’m astounded at how much battle damage those fighters would take, and then go on to make a successful trip to a carrier. The photos of shot up Hellcats in the Squadron/Signal book are really impressive.
Modern:
A-10 Thunderbolt II (I know, not a fighter by any stretch of the imagination, but still…)
MiG-21 Fishbed
F4 Phantom
F-15C Eagle
There are tons more planes that I love, but these are my favorites. I’m sure I could think of plenty more though.
bbaerst hi[:)]
re the fw 190, it high altitude performance (where all the US bombers and their escorts were to be found) was it’s weakness not it’s strength, hence the need for the development of the ta 152. cool looking plane though.[:D]
regards,
nick
I have to go with the Fw190, though I would point out that the D series aircraft were the ones designed specifically for high altitude work, with the radial engined aircraft at their best below 14,000 ft.
Close second in my books has to be the 262, simply because of the way it looks.
Karl
Lets see here. WW2 I would have to go with any FW190, Me262, Do 335, Ki61, Ki84, Ki100, P-47, P-38, P-40, P-39, Hawker Typhoon, Hawker Tempest and Mc202 and 205, Mig-3, Yak 1, 3, and 7.
Modern era I would have to say F-4, F-105, F-102, F-106, F-14, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-8, F-22, F-35, any SAAB Fighter, Panavia Tornado, Eurofighter, Mig 15,17,19,21,23,27,29, Su27 series.
Needless to say there are plenty more that i did not list and plenty more that i will end up liking.[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
Well, I’d have to say that my favorite production aircraft of WW2 would have to be ANY of the Griffon powered Spitfires, or the Fw-190D-9.
My two favorite aircraft that were non-production are as follows:
Boeing XF8B-1 (probably never heard of this one, huh?)
This was Boeing’s submission for the competition that was eventually won by the Douglas AD-1.
And the Martin AM-1 Mauler, another brute of an airplane. This also lost to the Skyraider.
Modern aircraft, most definitely the F-4 Phantom.
Jeff Herne
My favorite is the F-4 Phantoms. You can deck out the various versions in either Marine, Navy or Air Force decals.