Greatest ever Fighters

[Ed Anger]

I was watching a "Greatest Ever" marathon on the Military Channel,

There's your problem.

[Neil]

I'm still waiting for Neil to post in  here that the greatest-ever fighter is, in fact, a dreadnought.

Well, I don't really have to when others are willing to do it for me.  I mean, let's look at it:  Range, armament, durability, aesthetics.  The only things that conventional fighters have going for them are speed and climb rate.

[Berkut]

and the F-15 doesn't even make the list!

Why would it? It hasn't seen much air-to-air combat in its career, Timmay.  You chemo fuckstick.

Then why does the F-14 belong? I think the -15 has seen more combat than it has...

[Neil]

and the F-15 doesn't even make the list!

Why would it? It hasn't seen much air-to-air combat in its career, Timmay.  You chemo fuckstick.

Then why does the F-14 belong? I think the -15 has seen more combat than it has...

Because the F-14 was actually good.

Also, Top Gun.

[The Minsky Moment]

P-47 Just because the P-51 lovers are like the Tims of aviation history.

No love for the Corsair? 

[Valmy]

The triplane has to be the most over-rated plane of WWI.  Manfred von Richtofen made it famous and he didn't get most of his kills in it.  It was awesome at climbing and diving but it was never really popular with German pilots.  The Fokker D. VII was the favorite aircraft of the German pilots.

But then Rene Fonck was the best fighter pilot of WWI so why don't we talk about how great the SPAD XIII was the greatest fighter plane of all time?

[Eddie Teach]

I'm still waiting for Neil to post in  here that the greatest-ever fighter is, in fact, a dreadnought.

Well, I don't really have to when others are willing to do it for me.  I mean, let's look at it:  Range, armament, durability, aesthetics.  The only things that conventional fighters have going for them are speed and climb rate.

I'd definitely rate them low for range, I mean there's 30% of the planet that's completely inaccessible.

[Neil]

I'm still waiting for Neil to post in  here that the greatest-ever fighter is, in fact, a dreadnought.

Well, I don't really have to when others are willing to do it for me.  I mean, let's look at it:  Range, armament, durability, aesthetics.  The only things that conventional fighters have going for them are speed and climb rate.

I'd definitely rate them low for range, I mean there's 30% of the planet that's completely inaccessible.

Maybe, but a full fuel tank could get them 10-12,000 km.  Name a contemporary fighter with that kind of range.

[Ed Anger]

The triplane has to be the most over-rated plane of WWI.  Manfred von Richtofen made it famous and he didn't get most of his kills in it.  It was awesome at climbing and diving but it was never really popular with German pilots.  The Fokker D. VII was the favorite aircraft of the German pilots.

But then Rene Fonck was the best fighter pilot of WWI so why don't we talk about how great the SPAD XIII was the greatest fighter plane of all time?

Nobody cares about Frogs. Germans are cooler.

[Neil]

The triplane has to be the most over-rated plane of WWI.  Manfred von Richtofen made it famous and he didn't get most of his kills in it.  It was awesome at climbing and diving but it was never really popular with German pilots.  The Fokker D. VII was the favorite aircraft of the German pilots.

But then Rene Fonck was the best fighter pilot of WWI so why don't we talk about how great the SPAD XIII was the greatest fighter plane of all time?

Nobody cares about Frogs. Germans are cooler.

And this is key.  The reason that Napoleonic France was so cool is the exact same reason that France in the 20th century is treated with utter contempt.

[PDH]

P-47 Just because the P-51 lovers are like the Tims of aviation history.

No love for the Corsair? 

Pappy does give the Corsair a +1 to rep...

[Norgy]

JAS Gripen would probably be the best ever in a game made by a certain Swedish company. 

[grumbler]

But then Rene Fonck was the best fighter pilot of WWI so why don't we talk about how great the SPAD XIII was the greatest fighter plane of all time?

Because X is the best pilot, Y is the best airplane? 

The Spad XIII should probably be in the running, though I think its relatively poor maneuverability might make it lose out to the Camel, despite its superior speed.  OTOH, it being in service for so long has to give it an edge over aircraft like the D.VII.

[Valmy]

Because X is the best pilot, Y is the best airplane? 

I was lampooning labelling the Fokker Triplane the best of WWI simply because Richtofen flew it for 20 of his kills.

[grumbler]

No love for the Corsair? 

The Corsair lacked the legs to be truly great at Pacific A-A fighting.  It could take a lot of punishment, though (unlike the far more fragile P-51), and so it proved to be one of the great ground attack planes of the war (much like the P-47, only with more legs).