Best all time fighter aircraft

[The Range]

Hi guys,

I was wondering which fighter aircraft do you guys consider the best in history. I mean the best for its time. The one that has been way superior to its rivals at the time it has been in service.

[STANDTO]

Hasn't this been done already?

[Biggus]

Endlessly.....

[Biggus]

Still, my entry for best fighter of WW2, a carrier based aircraft....


The Great Geek Manual Picture of the Week: Crashed X-Wing Fighter

[BEagle]

F-15C - utterly brilliant in all respects.

[green granite]

Focker triplane.

[airborne_artist]

Best is one thing, but most important is another. Hurricane Mk1 - rugged, fast to build, easy to fix, easier to fly than the Spitfire, and most importantly, available in large enough numbers in time for the Battle of Britain.

[GrahamO]

Horten 229

More ahead of its time than the F35 and I am sure we are glad it never saw service.

[Wensleydale]

if you believe the "Top Ten Fighters" documentary that is endlessly repeated on Sky - the answer is the P-51 Mustang. (But it is an American made programme. The Spit came 6th I believe).

[Willard Whyte]

P51D gets my vote. Best of American and British.

[Lantern10]

IMHO This takes some beating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LveSc8Lp0ZEg.

[Wildpilot]

There's only one and it was built by Supermarine.

[Robert Cooper]

Not again !!!

[Buster Hyman]

Still, my entry for best fighter of WW2, a carrier based aircraft....


The Great Geek Manual Picture of the Week: Crashed X-Wing Fighter

Clearly photoshopped! I mean, who in their right mind would land an X-wing with the S Foils in Attack position?

[typerated]

F-15 I would guess.

If you belive the hype it has something like a 200-0 kill ratio.

Can't think of anything that comes close to that.

Remind me why we got the Tonka ADV instead?

[typerated]

Or perhaps the F-16 and the Shar, they also have a summat to nil kill ratio.

[howiehowie93]

Little Nell !

[Halton Brat]

As one who had the enormous privilege to fly both land-based & carrier versions, I regard the Wiggins Aerodyne as the pinnacle of Fighter a/c design.

[Phoney Tony]

Nimrod Mr2

Beat every submarine in a fight.

Carried AA missiles to the fight 3000 miles away!

[cazatou]

Best for its time? That depends on the circumstances and the Oppositions response. For example - 264 Sqn RAF went into action with their Boulton & Paul Defiants on 12 May 1940 and by 31 May had claimed 65 EA destroyed. Such success was short lived and the aircraft was quickly relegated to the Night Fighter role as daylight losses mounted.

On the other hand I would suggest that the People of Malta in the early 1940's would insist it was 3 Sea Gladiators named "Faith, Hope and Charity".