04.02.2010, 14:26
The Ki-84 was a remarkable "fighter" and very good looking when it worked.
One might ask oneself, with it's fantastic performance, why didn't we see more of them instead of A6M's, Ki-61's, Ki-44's a few N1K's and even Ki-43's? Especially at the end of the war?
Fighter and Combat plane are not the same thing. Which plane gives you more bang for the buck and yet has good performance? Did the Ki-84 have good armor and pilot protection? Could it carry 4,000lb's of bombs? Could it operate off a carrier? When defining "best", you have to ask best at what?
I know the poll was for the P51D-20, 190A8 and Ki-84 but if we're talking about the ultimate W.W.II airplanes excluding jets, what about the F4U-4, P-51H, P47N, F7F? Although the F8F was a screamer down low, it's performance fell off to average for the period above 10,000ft and was more of a point defense fighter with light armament. With the DH103 (Hornet) and TempestII/SeaFury coming online these were at the peak of piston airplane performance as well.
For all around performance of piston fighters I'd go with the Hornet (range,speed,climb,guns). For all around best combat plane I'd go with the F4U-4 (good range, speed, climb, armor, guns, best single engine ordnance load).
BB
One might ask oneself, with it's fantastic performance, why didn't we see more of them instead of A6M's, Ki-61's, Ki-44's a few N1K's and even Ki-43's? Especially at the end of the war?
Fighter and Combat plane are not the same thing. Which plane gives you more bang for the buck and yet has good performance? Did the Ki-84 have good armor and pilot protection? Could it carry 4,000lb's of bombs? Could it operate off a carrier? When defining "best", you have to ask best at what?
I know the poll was for the P51D-20, 190A8 and Ki-84 but if we're talking about the ultimate W.W.II airplanes excluding jets, what about the F4U-4, P-51H, P47N, F7F? Although the F8F was a screamer down low, it's performance fell off to average for the period above 10,000ft and was more of a point defense fighter with light armament. With the DH103 (Hornet) and TempestII/SeaFury coming online these were at the peak of piston airplane performance as well.
For all around performance of piston fighters I'd go with the Hornet (range,speed,climb,guns). For all around best combat plane I'd go with the F4U-4 (good range, speed, climb, armor, guns, best single engine ordnance load).
BB