Top Ten Fighters on Friday 7th October, 9pm on Discovery Wings debates which fighter plane should have the coveted title of the best of the best.

The programme features classic fighters like the Spitfire, modern jets like the F15 Eagle and the ultra-sophisticated F22 Raptor.

Have a look at the top ten list, watch Discovery Wings and let us know what you think is the best of the best.

Lionel

Hi Lionel,
I think that the Foke-Wulf FW-190D-9 should be added to the list as well because it was a superb fighter and gave the P-51 and the later Mk. Spitfire's a run for their money, with its greater powered Jumo engine and firepower it was indeed a fighter that should have the prestige of being in the Top Ten.

Wayne

Hasn't someone else done this kind of thing recently? Listmania I call it. Good for participation but rendered less fun by having to pick from just ten items. I don't have favourite fighters etc. because I doubt I could choose.

As regards the Wings list there are some oddities and typos. Lockhead? Lockheed Martin surely? MIG? MiG please. The Version of the Sea Harrier in the list is the new model I think so does not represent the type's success over the Falklands. Etc.

How does one adjudge 'best'? How successful it was. The F22 is not yet fully in service let alone 'combat proven'.

Moreover, how can you not include such types as the Zero or Bf 109? By far these were the most successful machines in terms of production runs and 'kills'. No doubt somewhere on the web there is a 'kill' rating so maybe you should borrow that. But then again if you did it would only have WW2 planes in it.

Can't understand the omission of the MiG-21 and the F-16. Both maunfactured in large numbers over several decades, the former having evolved greatly since the first flight of the prototype in 1955, the latter representing a revolutionary leap in technology (it was the first fly-by-wire combat aircraft) and capability (could anything else before pull 9G turns?), and both having distinguished combat records. Still a list restricted to 10 types of anything will never come close to pleasing everyone.

How can you make a list of the top ten fighters ever and have the F-22 and Harrier, but not the F-16, or the F-14? The F-16 is combat proven, handles like a dream, and is one of the most mass produced planes ever. I don't see how the Raptor even made the list, seeing as the plane has not even flown in combat yet. I'm sorry, but the F-16 should have been in the list, along with the F-14.

Umm Ok first of all you forgot.. the MIRAGEIII DA ASSAULT... MACH 4.3 SPEED... Equiped with dual 22mm Cannons and 18 sidewinders...

What about the Hawker Tempest. A superb allround fighter, or the fighter variants of the DeHaviland Mosquito?, or the DeHaviland Vampire.

One man shot down 354 planes in WW2, he was herich hartman, using a Me-109. How many planes destroyed the best mustang ace? There are a lot of german pilots who destroyed more than 100 planes in 109s.
Harrier???, why?, for shot down A4 bombers over Malvinas? for fight agaist mirages there? mirages with old misiles, and without fuel?
F18??? What it did ever? it only destroyed migs from the 60".
My list ME-109, Spitfire, ZERO, P40 "Remember the tigers in china", FW190, F86, MiG15, Foker Dr1, SopwithCamel

I dont agree the FW 190 d9 should be added to the list.... because it was only a variant of fw 190... But I just cannot believe the fw 190 (all variants) wasnt added to the list... it was simply the best fighter because it could take all the roles.... as fighter the fw 190 was more than a match to all, because of speed thoughness, weapons (4 20mm and 2 13mm or 2 7.9 mm in the first variants) , it was easy to fly... As a bomber it first variants could carry up to 1000kg and later variants could carry a 1800 kg bomb (what can u say b25 and b26??). The only problem of the fw 190 was it poor performance at hight altitudes but the mustang had that problem too until it was fitted with merlin engine (1944)..... almost at the same time the fw 190d (better than the mustang) was produced so I dont agree with the omission of the focke wulf in the list it was a fighter, fighter bomber, bomber, ground attack, reccoinanse, ect...

quote:

Originally posted by Qonlatlh:
Hi Lionel,
I think that the Foke-Wulf FW-190D-9 should be added to the list as well because it was a superb fighter and gave the P-51 and the later Mk. Spitfire's a run for their money, with its greater powered Jumo engine and firepower it was indeed a fighter that should have the prestige of being in the Top Ten.


Wayne

I believe the greatst fighter in history should be best judged by its achievements, not merely its performance.

1. The Messerschmtt Bf-109 first flew in 1935, before any of its principal adversaries, and ushered in a revolution in fighter design. It served in all European fronts from the first to the last day of the war. (It also served during the 1948 Israel-Palestine war)

2. More Bf-109 variants were produced than any other fighter aircraft in history, over 33,000. The Il-2 Stormovik was the only WW2 aircraft built in greater numbers.

3. The highest scoring aces the world has ever seen (or probably ever may) flew this aircraft.

More aces built their careers in Bf-109s than in any other aircraft. When offered the chance to transfer to the newer Focke-Wulf 190A series, many refused.

By one reckoning the Luftwaffe produced nearly 900 aces (5+ confirmed victories), and the first Allied ace (Kozuhedub, USSR, 62 confirmed victories) appears after no less than 253 Jagdwaffe pilots. Most of these men flew the Bf-109 for most or all of their WW2 career. (See http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/aces.html)

5. Given the above, it's likely that Bf-109 variants shot down more enemy aircraft than any other fighter type.

I can't argue that it was a better all-round fighter than the P-51, P-47, FW-190 or even the later Spitfires. But measured in sheer terms of its effect as a WW2 fighter aircraft, I believe it stands head and shoulders above all of them.

i think one of the best fighters is the Bf 109G2 combining speed agility and acceptable gunery

That was no Camel, but a Newport 17
Can't you guys find an editor?
And if I ever see Dauntless diver bombers portrayed as dive bombing Japanese over Pearl Harbor one more time.....I'm pulling the cable
HRMOkeefe@aol.com