Top Ten Part Two

In keeping with my earlier post about gently mocking the History Channel for its propensity to air "top ten" shows, here is my list of the top combat aircraft of World War Two. I find it amusing that my list generally isn't anything like the History Channel's list.

1. Hawker Hurricane (used in every theater, more kills than any other Allied type, long service record, stable, rugged and maneuverable)

2. Consolidated B-24 Liberator (most widely-produced US/UK aircraft, used in a wide range of roles, longer range and heavier bombload than more-famous B-17)

3. Grumman F6F Hellcat (best naval fighter of the war, best kill ratio of the war, huge rugged airplane that was nevertheless highly maneuverable)

4. Ilyushin Il-2M3 Sturmovik (progenitor of the modern armored close-air-support aircraft, built in huge numbers, a constant scourge to the Germans, powerful symbol of resistance, and delivered tremendous firepower for such an unsophisticated airplane)

5. Boeing B-29 Superfortress (hard to argue with Enola Gay and Bock's Car for sheer decisiveness)

6. Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet (aerodynamic test platform, tailless configuration, swept wings, terrible interceptor but brilliant research project)

7. Messerschmitt Me-262 (first operational jet fighter; that's got to count for something)

8. De Havilland Mosquito (fast, inexpensive, and supremely adapatable to a wide range of roles, from light bomber to fighter-bomber to night fighter)

9. TBM/TBF Avenger (big, slow and clunky, but rugged and widely used as a bomber, torpedo bomber and ASW plane. Biggest contribution was probably helping drive U-boats from the North Atlantic)

10. North American P-51 Mustang (pretty fast, nice handling, very long range, laminar-flow wing, somewhat overrated but still, Mustangs did break the Luftwaffe's back in late 1944)