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tonytales 21st Mar 2022 01:38

Comparison between early jet fighters
 
I have not seen any comparisons in fighting qualities between early British jet fighters, Vampires and Meteors, and the early American ones, P-80 Shooting Star and the P-84 Thunderjet. I have excluded the Bell XP-59 Aitacomet which was a failure. I don't believe the P-84 was very good as an air-to-air combatant but I might be wrong. I suppose I should throw in the ME-262 too.
Four of these aircraft stayed in production for years in various forms and modifications speaking well of their original forms. In a beauty contest, I think the P-80 wins but the real question is: How do these five fighters stack up against each other?







DownWest 21st Mar 2022 07:08

How about the Mig-15? It was in action against others.

Asturias56 21st Mar 2022 08:20

For the early jet fighters you can only match their performance against the Me-262 and the MiG-15 as the US & UK ones never saw action against each other in 3 party air forces IIRC.

I knew (quite well) two RAF officers who had flown Meteors (Australian) and F-86's (US) against MiG-15's in Korea

They thought that an F-86 in the hands of an "average" pilot could beat any MiG-15 most days but that an "average" Meteor pilot would be in trouble against an "average" MiG 15 pilot most days

rich34glider 21st Mar 2022 08:24


Originally Posted by DownWest (Post 11203030)
How about the Mig-15? It was in action against others.

It may have been in action against most of them, but not really comparable technology, which is the point of the question I think.

In fact the Me-262 is the only swept wing in the group .. amazing technology for 1942!

Severely underpowered compared to the Mig 15 with it's gift of the British engine though.

Less Hair 21st Mar 2022 09:08

Chuck Yeager test flying the MiG-15.


chevvron 21st Mar 2022 14:47


Originally Posted by tonytales (Post 11202984)
I have not seen any comparisons in fighting qualities between early British jet fighters, Vampires and Meteors, and the early American ones, P-80 Shooting Star and the P-84 Thunderjet. I have excluded the Bell XP-59 Aitacomet which was a failure. I don't believe the P-84 was very good as an air-to-air combatant but I might be wrong. I suppose I should throw in the ME-262 too.
Four of these aircraft stayed in production for years in various forms and modifications speaking well of their original forms. In a beauty contest, I think the P-80 wins but the real question is: How do these five fighters stack up against each other?



Check back issues of 'Aeroplane Monthly' circa 1980/1985; they did a whole series of profiles of all these types.

brakedwell 21st Mar 2022 17:12

I flew Vampires and Meteors in the 1950's and looking back at them, neither was very impressive.

longer ron 21st Mar 2022 21:07


Originally Posted by rich34glider (Post 11203052)
In fact the Me-262 is the only swept wing in the group .. amazing technology for 1942!
.

The Me 262 ended up with 'Swept Wings' more by accident than design,the 18.5 deg of 'sweep' did not really add much to the performance envelope - it was adopted as a crude 'fix' for other problems as the design 'matured' into a production aircraft.


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