Best Fighter Of The Century, It has to have been or is operational. No X-planes. Options

[Jumpshot724]

This is tough....I would say the F-22 however it's never been proven in battle. As far as hard evidence goes I would say the F-86 Sabre, F-4 Phantom, and F-14 Tomcat. However I also say there is no bad fighter if it has air-to-air kills under it's belt

[Outlaw nz]

F-14 Tomcat has always been the best fighter for me. Watching them taking off of a carrier always does it for me. F-14A for the 20th Century, F-14D for the 21st Century. A Fighter that went before its time

[Daniel2986]

You make it sound like flying to Germany was a normal occurance before the P-51. For the bombers, maybe. When the Mustang was re-introduced with the Rolls-Royce engine, it completly revolutionized the bombing campaign over Germany. Now, the B-17's had an escort who could not only fly in with them, they could also make the trip home as well. To say the P-51 has been placed on a pedistal it dosen't belong, is pure rubbish, sir.

To pick a single fighter is far too hard for me.

Pre modern era: P-51 Mustang
Modern era: F-15 Eagle

I'll have to agree with my friend Sapper on this one.

-Daniel

[nukeD]

the P51 when it comes to classics. the FW190 may have been a great plane too, but I don't like it...
and with the modern ones....the F-16 imo

[Claustie]

How about Eurofighter Typhhon. That thing shifts!!!!!

[mk747]

XX : P38 Lightning
XXI : MIG 31


MK747

[kc135dood]

Definitly the P-51.....since it shot down Jet Aircraft once upon a time ago.......... shows how good it is!

Modern- My fav F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger

-Dave

[AName]

However I also say there is no bad fighter if it has air-to-air kills under it's belt

A guy from my school hit a bird with a Cessna 172... does that count?

[kc135dood]

A guy from my school hit a bird with a Cessna 172... does that count?

Oh, I think that surely counts, LOL NICE!

-Dave

[Dan_Taylor]

Well, I never saw this topic - I guess it shows how often I visit the Military forum.

But, I'll HAVE to go with the Spitfire. Without her, Britain (and perhaps a lot of the world) would be a lost cause, under a different control and our lives would be completely different. Pretty nice title to hold. Oh, and she sounds damn good.... she did a fly-by with the Lancaster and Hurricane at RIAT 2006, and also did a display on her own. I still have yet to find another aircraft like her...

I am a bit particular to the Typhoon too. That thing's amazing.... but the Saab Grippen for noise I had my ears thoroughly cleansed shall we say.

Dan.

[charliepapa]

Fw-190 was actually a better plane than the Spitfire, it came too late and in too little numbers to actually affect the course of the war.

Wrong, the FW-190 was introduced in '43. It was a better figher than the Early spits, but the XI was designed to spread FW-190s over fields like butter, and they did.

The Hurricane is a "better" all around fighter though. Cheaper, faster to built, more repairable, but in a dogfight i'd take the Spitfire. With more ammunition that thing would own everything.

I'd probably go with the Spitfire for pre-jetage, and the MiG-29 for today. Remember, missiles do the fighting now, with guns and dogfights (which is for proper fighers) the F-15E would get crunched by a lot of things. The MiG-29 and SU-27's will kill everything easily. Only one which would have a fighting chance would be our Typhoon.

Best one at carrying missilies? Probably the Tomcat.

[Archangel]

Wrong, the FW-190 was introduced in '43. It was a better figher than the Early spits, but the XI was designed to spread FW-190s over fields like butter, and they did.

The Hurricane is a "better" all around fighter though. Cheaper, faster to built, more repairable, but in a dogfight i'd take the Spitfire. With more ammunition that thing would own everything.

I'd probably go with the Spitfire for pre-jetage, and the MiG-29 for today. Remember, missiles do the fighting now, with guns and dogfights (which is for proper fighers) the F-15E would get crunched by a lot of things. The MiG-29 and SU-27's will kill everything easily. Only one which would have a fighting chance would be our Typhoon.

Best one at carrying missilies? Probably the Tomcat.

None of the planes you mentioned has been proven against the F/A-22 Raptor. So i'd say for the time being nothing can beat the Raptor.

[iambenwyatt]

None of the planes you mentioned has been proven against the F/A-22 Raptor. So i'd say for the time being nothing can beat the Raptor.

I'd say the F/A-22 Raptor too although the F-16 comes a very close second and the Spit an even closer 3rd!

[Ghostrider]

I'd have to say a Cessna 172 with VTOL engine kit (see here), wing mounted rockets, a rearward gunner (50 cal), a couple AIM-9's, a phoenix, and a forward mounted A-10 cannon. Ownage.

[iambenwyatt]

I'd have to say a Cessna 172 with VTOL engine kit (see here), wing mounted rockets, a rearward gunner (50 cal), a couple AIM-9's, a phoenix, and a forward mounted A-10 cannon. Ownage.

Cessna..... are you listening? This is what the customer really wants! LOL

[Davister]

My vote is for the Spitfire (or was it the Hurricane?). It fended off the entire Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain with 4 to 1 odds against them, and they had the only (I think) eliptical wings of any fighter.

To say ... dosen't belong, is pure rubbish, sir.

I believe the word you are looking for is " floccinaucinihilipilification ". (A comparison of something to nothing.)

[bluebird121]

My vote is for the Spitfire (or was it the Hurricane?). It fended off the entire Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain with 4 to 1 odds against them, and they had the only (I think) eliptical wings of any fighter.

I liked the Spitfire, very much, as they were also my mum's favourite plane , but I am sure that i
Contrary to popular belief, it was the Hurricane, not the Spitfire that saved Britain during the dark days of 1940. The turn-around time (re-arm, refuel etc.) for the Spitfire was 26 minutes. That of the Hurricane, only 9 minutes from down to up again. During the Battle of Britain the time spent on the ground was crucial and as one fitter/mechanic of No. 145 Squadron quipped: "If we had nothing but Spits we would have lost the fight in 1940."

The Spitfire was an all metal fighter, slightly faster, had a faster rate of climb and had a higher ceiling, while the Hurricane had a fabric covered fuselage, was quicker to repair and withstood more punishment. With the for's and against's of both fighters they came out about even. The majority of German planes shot down during the four month period were destroyed by Hurricanes. For much of the Battle of Britain, the Spitfires went after the German BF 109s at the higher altitudes, while the Hurricanes attacked the bomber formations flying at lower altitudes. This cost the enemy a total of 551 pilots killed or taken prisoner. During the war a total of 14,231 Hurricanes and 20,334 Spitfires were produced. The famous Rolls-Royce 'Merlin' engine evolved through 88 separate marks and was fitted in around 70,000 Allied aircraft during the six years of war.

[F-14 Tomcatter]

Mine...The old Dinosaurs of yesteryear....The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat

[BA767]

Being English, i'm gonna have to go with the Spitfire!

[Hamilton]

For me, I would choose the SU-30 and ofcourse the F-15!

Regards,
HamiltonAir