WW2 airplanes anyone?
 

I'm a big fan of airplanes since I was a kid, and more specifically of the 1935-1960 combat airplanes. I know a lot about them, but from an aesthetics point of view, I have some clear favorites. And without further ado, here they are!

JU-87 (Stuka)
http://www.aircraftaces.com/images/junkers-87-stuka.jpg

Many people says it's horrible, but for me it's close to perfection! :thumbsup

ME-110
http://www.aviation-history.com/mess...t/bf110-8a.jpg

Spitfire
http://mstation.org/images/JSJ_PC_Su...Spitfire_4.jpg
Wings are dorky, but I love its side silhouette, and as a whole, it's amazing (not to mention how good it was)

Hurricane and Tempest
http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/c...hurricane1.jpg
Both from Hawker, I like them both :thumbsup

B-17
http://www.flugzeuginfo.net/acimages/b17g_stedman.jpg
Some people hates the huge vertical stabilizer and rudder, but I think it looks pretty cool and distinctive (not to mention a big part of this airplane success). Of course, the B-29 was uber-cool, but the B-17 is the real thing

Hawk/Mohawk
Although used by France and UK, it was developed by USA. Dork look, but really cool, I think this and the Stuka are the planes people automatically think about when answered about WW2 planes

http://www.austinsms.org/coppermine/...wk%20IV_13.jpg

F6F Hellcat
Perfection!
http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraf...-Two-Views.jpg

P-61 Black Widow
If you don't think this is cool, you need a head check! (the black version is even better)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...arp.750pix.jpg


Mitsubishi Zero
It comes as no surprise that the coolest WW2 plane is a Japanese one. Of course, the infamous ZERO! Just drool!
http://f8onpmu.devhub.com/img/upload/huiiiu.jpg

and if the Zero wasn't enough, take a look at the J2M Raiden...
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EqDRuwd3Xz.../raidenkr_.jpg

or the Tony..
http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories...1_hien_ito.jpg

...or the Ki-21!
http://f8onpmu.devhub.com/img/upload/fgbss547.jpg

Ilyushin Il 2
An iconic Russian airplane
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/alb...e=16805&size=1

MIG-3
A/S/L?

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/images/mig3tb_4.jpg

Macchi Saetta
The king of dork, but cool in its own particular way

http://warandgame.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/mc200.jpg

Post your fave! :thumbsup

Was always a fan of the bf 109 k4. Can't argue with a 30mm cannon and a big ass engine.

http://media.moddb.com/images/groups...44/bf109k4.jpg

yes, amazing one as well :)

my grandfather, who passed recently, left me some of his franklin model planes. Pretty cool

http://www.world-war-2-planes.com/im...quito_full.jpg

pretty sure that one of them.

the other looks similar to the b-17 you posted, obviously was a german plane though. I'll look it up and post it later.

That one is more interesting to me than the rest though because he said that he remembers one swooping down towards the street he was on in England. It was flying so low that he could see the gunners face in the ball turret on the bottom of the plane. He had to duck into a movie theatre to avoid gunfire.. Definitely not something I have had to do in my lifetime...

(Stuka) sound is best :)

p-61 is cool.. found this

http://www.maam.org/p61/p61_recovery.htm

ah, it probably was a Heinkel He-111. My first scale model!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...of_Britain.jpg

I love all things WW2, but not an expert in planes of the era. This, however, is beautiful...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...arp.750pix.jpg

Check this out:

stuka was the first thing that came to mind,I used to make model war planes as a kid

cool pics

The most beautiful plane ever made.

In the UK, people would say the Spit every single time.

I've never given them much thought but as I've grown older I've seemed to have gained a greater appreciation for those that blazed the trail before us. Especially those that were put in such precarious positions.

Several years ago I went to an all P-51 Mustang show at the Kissimmee FL airport. There were some on display including an all chrome one and it was cool to walk between them and see their proud owners. In front of me a crowd quickly grew as they followed a man along the tarmac over to a VIP area. I asked someone who is that and they looked at me and said " That's Chuck Yeager ". A true american hero. :)

Somewhere I have a few VHS-C tapes I took from that day as I walked around. Now I wish I had that appreciation back then and the camera gear to go with it.

I've always been fascinated with the idea of shooting thru the propeller.

.

ME 262 - the first jet fighter. it came too late.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...f_the_USAF.jpg

http://www.ww2shots.com/gallery/d/65...-air+force.jpg

A quick google search and I found this writeup and a few pics that describes the
P-51 Mustang event I went to. I sure would like to do it again.

http://www.vermontel.net/~tomh/gml.html

P-51 mustang...

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/354077/thu...H-large570.jpg

too soon?

My favorite is the Hawker Sea Fury.

Here is mine.

http://www.mrpheer.com/pics/seafury/1.jpg

http://www.mrpheer.com/pics/seafury/2.jpg

http://www.mrpheer.com/pics/seafury/3.jpg

http://www.mrpheer.com/pics/seafury/4.jpg

http://www.mrpheer.com/pics/seafury/5.jpg

http://www.mrpheer.com/pics/seafury/6.jpg

http://www.mrpheer.com/pics/seafury/7.jpg

http://www.mrpheer.com/pics/seafury/8.jpg

I didn't want to go into the jet era, the ME-262 was not only amazing, but the bar to measure every jet until early 70s. Probably the most copied airplane ever. Furthermore, the Arado 555 and 581 brought concepts that the latest generations of planes are using, only that 40-50 years earlier. Those Germans really did know how to build stuff.

They also had some funny looking jets! :)

http://discaircraft.greyfalcon.us/picturesc/met6.png

wtf? i have never seen that one...

focke wulf ta-183 huckebein :2 cents:

.... and its romulan sister:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Modell_kl3.png

the designer exiled in Argentina after war and he designed the Pulqui 2 for Peron after the ta-183 models

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...lqui_II_04.jpg

You have good taste harvey I built models of many of the cool ones you posted as a kid. That P-61 is probably my favorite.

Friend of mine flew USAF out of Iran to bomb Eastern Europe. They had been warned but when a 262 flew by, the we shitless.
A propeller fighter later got them and they went down over Yugoslavia. When he woke up on the ground, his flight suit was off, but his parachute D-Ring was still in his hand so tight, he had to pry his fingers open. Saved by partisans, he hid out for weeks before rescue. One night he ate with a group and the host was a guy named Tito. One night they crawled up on a German airbase to count planes. In peasant custom, afraid of capture and being accused of being a spy was scarier than ever flying.
Few years back, he was building the faster single seater prop jobs in the world. One of their customers was testing one, when the canopy blew off at full speed. Pilot landed and wasn't even fazed. Now that's one guy with brass balls.

edit.. guess it wasn't a 163.. but I'll leave the post anyway..

It's a 163 (comet), was an attempt by the Germans to have a fast interceptor able to take out US bombers. It used a rocket as the engine so it climbed like a bat out of hell, but only had enough fuel to get the pilot up to 9 or 10 thousand feet then it had to glide back to the ground.

Basic idea was to launch them make a climbing pass though the bomber formation then make a descending pass before gliding in for a landing. They didn't work out very well and scored about as many kills as they had in losses, plus several blew up on the ground before even getting airborne if I'm not mistaken.

As for that 262 I'm pretty sure that one is a replica made by the same guys that built this one..

Beautiful aircraft's

My sons bedroom is pretty much filled up with WW2 model aircraft.
I have collected them myself since I was 11 and passed them on to my boy.
I have a hand painted (1960's) Halifax and Lancaster, I also have a Manchester and a bristol a Freccia Machi, Mig 3, B17, 24, 25, 29. 2 Mosquitos that are both hand panted from over 40 years ago, a Spitfire, hurricane a typhoon (not the EF2000).
I'm very proud of the German aircraft I have as most are limited edition for the 70's.
I have a few US dive bombers along with the P40, P51 and the F4U.
I have a few Japanese bombers such as the 3 Mitsubishi's and a water landing anti sub bomber and yes the ZERO.
Im putting together now a 1944 DC3 transport plane thats from the late 60's still in the box that I found at a garage sale.
I'll find, build or repair at least 4 a year adding them to the collection.

can't go past the bf109, its a masterpiece.

http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpo...re/Bf109AK.jpg

yeah, i dont think there is an original ME 262 with the original jet engines left. the replicas are using different jet engines since the original ones were too unreliable

but the czech airforce was flying a copy called Avia S-92 until 1951

polikarpov i-16

Different era but I love the A10.

http://www.armybase.us/wp-content/up...o-take-off.JPG

The top part of my right arm sleeve is WW2 planes... I love them.

Kicking Palne
 

Wow! That must have cost a few $$$$

To fly at that airport, what insurance did you need?
Around here, you need a $2 million liability, to fly at the local county parks grass strips. Amazing, since you only need a minimum liability policy, to drive your car, at about $150,000 .
WTF???

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n-flight-2.jpg

The warthog, badass.

I carry $2,500,000 in liability insurance. Costs me $65 per year and is required at most of the places that I fly.

Serious hobby, very, very nice!

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I built WWII plane models my entire childhood. Good memories.