Best looking WWll aircraft.?

Question

I mean.... of all of them.
Pretty sure the Spitfire is going to win, but there are some that never get mentioned. esp twin engine types .
Partial to radial engine types & anything w/ a Merlin in it.
Jets don't count though the ME 262 was cool.
Would like to see what comes in 2nd.

OK.
Got some sleepers in there as well as all my faves.
I said Spitfire because of the romance & the new but still old school look.
P51D nasty & sleek but almost too modern. The sound of a "Merlin Mustang" is unique as mentioned.
Never heard one before, but I knew what it had to be without looking up.. at an airshow.
P47 razorback, F4U definitely not pretty but very cool.
Glad to see the Mosquito & P38 in there also, but the B25 got left out.
Really did not care much for most types the bad guys flew.
Really a tough choice so I may see what the voters say.
Thanks all.

Answer 1

The Chance Vought F4U Corsair or the P-38 Lightening.

The Corsair was powered by a P&WR2800 engine that deveolloped more than 100 HP per cylinder. The P-38 used Allison V-12's with a 1760cu" displacement and pushing over a 1000 HP per engine.

The P-51 built by North American, (they build great aircraft, but couldn't put a manual together if their lives depended on it,) was powered by a V-12, liquid cooled engine, designed by Rolls Royce as the Merlin and produced by Packard. Some things do sound better than a Harley.

And let's never forget a key question about the superiority of Merlins, and their variants, that was mentioned by a friend of mine; "Do you really want to go into combat in an aircraft that has more plumbing than you?"

Fly the Friendly Skies!
JT

Answer 2

You were right about the Spitfire (early Marks especially). The fact that it took three times as long to make a Spitfire as it took to make a 109 almost lost the Brits the war (all those curvy shapes made manually with a hammer and english wheel).

I've always liked the Mosquito so it takes second place. Not only is it beautiful, it was faster than the Spitfire (or anything else until 1944) and could do pretty much any mission it was assigned including night fighting, recce, secure transport, and target marking. It had the same bomb capacity as a B17 and it bombed Berlin in broad daylight in 1943 while Goebels and Goering were making a speech.

Answer 3

The P38 Lightning.

http://www.p-38online.com/images/motion.jpg

Answer 4

At the very end of the war DeHavilland came out with a smaller derivation of the Mosquito called the Hornet (first filght July 1944). Some claim it to be the fastest reciprocating engined aircraft ever in squadron service. While it was in #6 Squadron, RAF before VE-day it did not see combat service in WW-2 but did serve in the RAF until 1955. When it was retired it was the last piston powered fighter in the RAF inventory

Answer 5

Tempest, Sea Spitfire (Seafire) with wings folded, looked like a ballerina on the flight deck
TA-190 (High altitude FW, long wings, looked sharp)
JU-488 looked sharp, re-designed nose
Any Italian aircraft, even the CR-42, all looked graceful, even when on the ground, not to many of them built, though.
Soviet MiG 1/3
P-47 Razorback Thunderbolt, looked like a hog on the ground, but in the sky,Fast, powerful, lethal cool looking.
P-39, looked good on ground/air
F7F Tiger cat, was built in WW2, but to late for action
Japan's Dinah recon aircraft, really cool looking

Of course the Spit and Mustang, but you wanted some "outside the box"?

Answer 6

Well the spitfire has been regarded as being the perfect image of a fighter. I draw and I've been trying to design a plane that looks tougher than any WWII plane, but it never comes out the way I've hoped.
I think the b-29 looks good too.

Answer 7

B-17.

Answer 8

For twins I really like the look of the Douglas A-26 Invader. Sleek light bomber and attack aircraft.
Single engine Pursuit/ fighter, there is only one, The P-51D

Answer 9

P-40 Warhawk. Tough looking airplane, had style.

But the P-51 will probably win the vote.

Answer 10

Spitfire's gonna win???

Well, aesthetically the Spit's planform is a lot clumsy, the plane makes a "T", the wing too much to the front and too tiny tailplanes.

For me its the P-51 Mustang. Proportional, graceful and lethal.