Best Fighter Aircraft ever built. Top 5

[crusader377]

Since we had an enjoyable discussion on the best fighter planes in WW2. I wanted to expand on it in this post and wanted to get everyone's opinion on the best 5 fighter aircraft ever built. The criteria I'm using for my five are a mix of historical significance and performance for the time period. So here are my five and the reasons why:

1) Spitfire: Without the Spitfire, it is uncertain if Britain would have won the Battle of Britain in 1940, if Britain was defeated in 1940 the whole outcome of WW2 could have changed and since WW2 was the biggest event of the 20th century, Spitfire wins solely for significance. Also one of few WW2 aircraft to remain highly competitive throughout the War. Third, its excellent Rolls Royce Merlins became the powerplant for Number 2 on the list the P-51 Mustang.

2) P-51 Mustang: The P-51 ability to escort the bombers all the way to Germany allowed the Allies to cripple German war industry. Allowing the allies to win the war sooner. Strong performance

3) F-4 Phantom: Really set the standard of a modern multi-role fighter although it was orginally designed as a Naval Interceptor. Prior to the Phantom, America and to a lesser extent its allies build large numbers of single mission planes but after the Phantom, multirole aircraft became more common. Great performance for its era, Excellent longevity, its issues were corrected in the next generation fighters like the F-15 and F-16 which cemented America's lead in the air.

4) F-15 Eagle: Set the standard for the modern air superiority fighter, has been a top fighter plane for nearly 50 years now. Fully cemented Americans Air Dominance in the sky. In 2021 the F-15 is still being built while its supposed replacement the F-22 has been out of production for nearly 10 years.

5) F-86 Sabre: Best early cold war fighter. Very successful over Korea and widely exported


These are my 5, what are your thoughts?

[chuckman]

Here's 18...take your pick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4TxgyL564s

BTW, your five are on here.

[Grand58742]

Tough one to list a top 5 and I'm going to limit it to the jet age, but...

1) No doubt, hands down, number one can't be anything other than the F-15. Still in production almost 50 years after its first flight and still reigning champ in the skies with an 104-0 kill ratio. Plus, it's been adapted from "Not a pound for air to ground" into one of the premier interdiction aircraft of our time. I don't think there will ever be a more successful fighter out there that's been adapted to so many roles. Plus, who needs more than one wing to fly?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxJcEz3h4tU

2) MiG-21 (and foreign produced variants like the J-7/F-7) Giving the Soviets some love here, they came up with a simple fighter that worked extremely well. It was dangerous in a close in dogfight as our pilots learned over Vietnam and was simple enough for even Third World Air Forces to operate with ease. It's pretty much the AK-47 of the jet world as it was heavily exported, easily produced and (from reports) fairly easy to fly. There are various upgrades that actually can make it relevant in today's air battles as well.

3) F-16 (and variants). Again, it has adapted into roles unthought of from its time on the drawing board. From its inception as a simple daytime fighter to where its at today with its CAS, SEAD and interdiction role, its still viable even in the days of stealth and high tech. Still in production along with the F-15, the designers continue adding widgets and new items that keep it in the front of the pack when it comes to fighters.

4) (tie) Mirage III (and derivatives including the Mirage 5, Cheetah, Nesher) and the F-5 Tiger series. Two more fighters that started off life as simple and cheap to operate aircraft. Both of these ended up with impressive records as fighters and as ground attack aircraft. Both enjoyed long production runs (and in the case of the Mirage) had variants that continue to fly today with upgrades. Both of the fighters were pretty much the West's answer to the MiG-21 and served/are serving well around the world.

5) F-86 Saber. I went back and forth with this, but when it comes down to sheer adaptability and longevity, the F-86 has served extremely well and I include the variants of the F-86D, the Candair versions and the FJ-2/3 and FJ-4 in this list. It was one of those designs that they kept tinkering with to keep it relevant. From the skies over Korea to Pakistani pilots that used them very effectively against India, it certainly left a legacy behind.

[SteyrAUG]

Probably not the best anything, but I feel like the Marine Harrier should be on that list simply because it can vertical takeoff.

[Tony617]

Tough one to list a top 5 and I'm going to limit it to the jet age, but...

1) No doubt, hands down, number one can't be anything other than the F-15. Still in production almost 50 years after its first flight and still reigning champ in the skies with an 104-0 kill ratio. Plus, it's been adapted from "Not a pound for air to ground" into one of the premier interdiction aircraft of our time. I don't think there will ever be a more successful fighter out there that's been adapted to so many roles. Plus, who needs more than one wing to fly?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxJcEz3h4tU

2) MiG-21 (and foreign produced variants like the J-7/F-7) Giving the Soviets some love here, they came up with a simple fighter that worked extremely well. It was dangerous in a close in dogfight as our pilots learned over Vietnam and was simple enough for even Third World Air Forces to operate with ease. It's pretty much the AK-47 of the jet world as it was heavily exported, easily produced and (from reports) fairly easy to fly. There are various upgrades that actually can make it relevant in today's air battles as well.

3) F-16 (and variants). Again, it has adapted into roles unthought of from its time on the drawing board. From its inception as a simple daytime fighter to where its at today with its CAS, SEAD and interdiction role, its still viable even in the days of stealth and high tech. Still in production along with the F-15, the designers continue adding widgets and new items that keep it in the front of the pack when it comes to fighters.

4) (tie) Mirage III (and derivatives including the Mirage 5, Cheetah, Nesher) and the F-5 Tiger series. Two more fighters that started off life as simple and cheap to operate aircraft. Both of these ended up with impressive records as fighters and as ground attack aircraft. Both enjoyed long production runs (and in the case of the Mirage) had variants that continue to fly today with upgrades. Both of the fighters were pretty much the West's answer to the MiG-21 and served/are serving well around the world.

5) F-86 Saber. I went back and forth with this, but when it comes down to sheer adaptability and longevity, the F-86 has served extremely well and I include the variants of the F-86D, the Candair versions and the FJ-2/3 and FJ-4 in this list. It was one of those designs that they kept tinkering with to keep it relevant. From the skies over Korea to Pakistani pilots that used them very effectively against India, it certainly left a legacy behind.

You realize too that Russian Mig15 and the American F86 Sabre were based partially on Focke-Wulf Ta 183 design.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Ta_183

[Grand58742]

You realize too that Russian Mig15 and the American F86 Sabre were based partially on Focke-Wulf Ta 183 design.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Ta_183

What's the Ta 183's combat record?

[Honu]

What's the Ta 183's combat record?

hahahahaha designer telling hitler careful that is the only model and its made of paper

[crusader377]

What's the Ta 183's combat record?

Yep, one of I think is one of the most frustrating things about the history of WW2 is the myth that they Germans were more technologically advanced than the Allies. It is simply not true. Yes the Germans were more willing to use front line troops as beta testers for new weapons but as a whole the Germans did not have more advanced equipment.

For example, yes the Germans introduced the first successful assault rifle the STG44. However, it wasn't widely fielded and even in 1945, 2/3 of German infantry were using the Kar 98. In contrast, all U.S. infantry fully transitioned to the M1 Garand by 1943.

Yes the Germans built tanks that could overmatch the Allies like Panther and Tiger when they were working. However 70% of German Army in 1945 was still used horse drawn logistics while the U.S. and British were fully motorized even in the beginning of the war and even the Soviets were mostly motorized by 1945. Furthermore, if the war would of lasted to 1946, The U.S. with Pershing, the British with Centurion, and likely the Russians with the T-54 would have had tanks that would have overmatched Tiger and Panther. Furthermore these vehicles were actually reliable unlike Tiger and Panther.

[Honu]

You realize too that Russian Mig15 and the American F86 Sabre were based partially on Focke-Wulf Ta 183 design.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Ta_183

a huge issue it was never more than a model ! so NO and sure swept wings but they were in models and theory years before that is the only thing it has swept wings ?

tube designs were in so NO
wings on bottom vs middle ? so a NO
tail again NO

TA183 was asked for because of Allied aviation developments
mig 15 did have center based wings so maybe that had some influence but the F-86 a NO


operation paperclip of course post WWII
did help the F-86 but that was about swept wings from a 1940 paper on wind tunnel testing they used on the xp86 (time frame for the 183 does not match 1940 as it did not start until 1942) so sure the Germans and swept wings did have a influence in a sense and the XP86 / F-86 but not from the 183 and the design of the 86 was already in process at that point
when you look at why the 183 look at the fj-1 Fury throw swept wings you have the 183 IMHO

[chadbag]

In no particular order

P-51
FW-190
F-15
A6Mx Zero
Mirage (Delta winged versions)

runners up:

Bf-109
Spitfire
Harrier
F-4
Corsair