IF you were able to fly ANY WW2 era fighter plane into combat,  which would you choose?

When in combat,  what plane would you NOT want to see/go up against.

Just a good way to see what everyone likes/flies on the board (as i am new here)

For me, the answer is simple for the first question, 

On duty the last day of the war,
F7F Tigercat

Loved the plane since i first saw it at EAA in 87,  and the first time i flew it on flight sim,  I flew it like I may have in a past life?  Odd as that may sound, the first time i flew it on CFS1, then on CFS2,  i loved it, could dog fight with it,  and fly aerobatics/air races, and whatever else.  Ive heard others dont like it at all.  How can you not like that acceleration?  I think most people try to out turn others in dog fights,  Which is a big NO NO in the Big cat.  Speeds the answer.  Another big plus on the BigCat is,  its a Grumman plane.  We all know how rugged the Wild and Hellcats were.  So its safe too assume that the Tigercat, with 2 engines, and 4 machine guns/4 cannons was going to be just as, if not even more rugged.  Ive read about some that took some serious beatings in Korea on ground attack missions and got the pilot/radar operator back.

My answer for what i would NOT want to go up against is easy also.  Zeros or Spitfires.  I never tangled too much with Spits,  but the Zeros give me problems.  Of course if i can get a good jump on them, the Tigercats great shooting platform gets the kills easy enough.  But if i miss that split second of a shot,  the zeros gone.....  If it wasnt for my speed/acceleration in the Tigercat,  a Zero can easly go from being in front of you, to behind you, in a flash.


My next choice after the Big Cat would be a Corsair (for those of you who dont consider the Tigercat a WW2 era plane, Even though Grumman was working on the first idea/versions of it by 1940 already (Skyrocket anyone?)



I remember one night back a few years ago when i would fly ALOT online,  a guy in a zero would pull a split S anytime i would get behind him.   I finally got him after about the 5th time,  by pulling out a page Mavericks book.....        I came in on my attack approach,  INVERTED  (no i wasnt giving him the Bird)   So I came in inverted,  sure enough he goes to do his split S,  and i just ease on down into it and blow his wing off....    He then text me and asks "Howd you finally pull that off with me?  your still in the Tigercat right?"   And I say "Its classified,  go watch TopGun"   and amazingly enough,  he figured it out!!!!! 


So,  after my babbling,  Whats all of your fav planes to fly into a circus with?  What dont you want too see in the sky against you?  Any plane out there that you would NEVER take into a fight?   (Ive actually sucked in Mustangs,  i cant ever shoot anything in those)

Wonder with those counter rotating propellors, how well can an MB5's turn?

My favorite plane to fly is of course... the Corsair.

the plane I would hate to go up against... an N1K2 George

I have to agree with Corsair Freak that the Corsair would be excellent to fly. Or an intruder Mosquito, or an He 219 Uhu.

I would not like to be in a fight with a P-51 or a P-38J/L. The P-51D is something I dread in air combat (when I'm up against it that is ).

dcunning, have you ever played CFS3? You can get the Dornier Pfeil (two models of it are available actually) you showed us if you play it. I do think the Pfeil would be good to fly... 8)

I suppose i should add the Bearcat to lists of planes i wouldnt want to see.....

I dont think any pilot would have wanted to tangle with a Bearcat....   out climb, out turn, and keep up with anything.....  weird that its not a more popular flight sim aircraft.

Spitfire IX, no ifs no buts 8)

erm... the F9F panther wasn't in existence during WWII was it?

I thought they had flying prototypes by the end of the war

Quote:


There were 2 prototypes assembled

The Kikka prototypes' first flight was on August 7 (the day after the atomic bomb, was dropped on Hiroshima) at Kisarazu Naval Air Base with pilot LtCdr Susumu Takaoka. 

He made a second attempt four days later (two days after the atomic bomb, was dropped on Nagasaki) but aborted the takeoff and crashed into Tokyo Bay.  The second Kikka prototype never flew.

Nakajima started work on the Ki 201 Karyu without official approval or funding in late 1944, so work progressed slowly. The first flight was to be December 1945 - January 1946 so the only prototype was never finished.

BEAR

Quote:


The first XF9F-2 prototype (BuNo 122475) began engine ground running tests in October of 1947. The maiden flight took place from Bethpage on November 21, 1947, test pilot Corwin H. "Corky" Meyer being at the controls.

BEAR

Generally you can figure the P/R-2800-22W to be good for 427mph & the PW/RW-2800-34W versions to be at 435mph.

The "bethpage" Grumman fan group claims 450mph & I have seen one claim as high as 460mph, but no details are given.

I would expect the -3P version to be faster (15mph?) then the standard -3 single seat fighter but it has no guns.  

We never finished our Tigercat before we moved on to CFS3 but we do a have a CFS2  F8F-2 powered by the PW/R-2800-30W at netwings.

This has the older 1% V-2.80.53 flight package but it still flys pretty well.



BEAR

Quote:


A guy flying a P-51H 487mph at 25,000 feet might tend to disagree with him.

I think the Tigercat is the best looking twin engine prop fighter ever built.  Sorry we never got it done, but maybe in CFS3 after MAW gets released.