Best fighter of WWII Poll 1, 1939

I've seen this on band forums where they decide on the best song by having a poll album by album and then a final poll with all the winners. This is similar, we run a poll every week, one for every year of the war, and a final poll with the six winners in the end. The fighters are included in the year they were in service, not in the year they first flew. The first poll will include fighters in service before 1939.

Any fighters forgotten will be added to the final poll.

 

I had to delete a lot of the options because the system only allowed for ten options. Sorry about that.

 

I voted for the Bf 109E. It was really a toss-up between this and the Spitfire Mk I for me. The Spitfire was more agile and had better range, range was not the Bf 109s strongest side, but the superiour firepower of the Bf 109, remember the Spitfire Mk IB with improved firepower didn't see service until 1940, and the egde over the Spitfire in climb and dive turned the table in favour of the Bf 109.

 

I'll be moving these polls back into the Air Warfare section for you. Right now members are not allowed to create polls in that section, but they should keep working if I move them there.

 

Thanks!

These polls are lighthearted, but hopefully an interesting discussion will emerge from them.

Which brings to mind, why do you who have voted for the Spitfire Mk I think it was better than the Bf 109E-3?

 

Very predictable this one, I'm affraid - split right down the middle between the Spit and the 109 - which is probably a pretty accurate reflection of reality.

 

It's a draw again. Yes, I noticed that the competition to these two were more or less non-existent when I made the poll, but in all fairness I thought we should give some of the other aircraft a chance anyway. Maybe the next poll will be more diverse?

 

Indeed, they were both pretty evenly matched, performance-wise. It usually came down to the intangibles to decide which would win a given fight.

 

why have the MS406 and not the dewoitine 520 in this list :-?

 

I thought we should have at least one French aircraft in the poll, and the D 520 was not in service until 1940 as far as I could tell. Though it is possible that they managed to squeeze it in before the end of 1939. It will definitely be on the next poll.

 

it was just to late...January 1940 when Groupe de Chasse I/3 was the first recieving them (i thought they were earlier...my mistake).
Altough i still would have voted for the 109.

 

It would not have made much difference I think, unless we have one or two ultra-nationalistic Frenchies on the forum. It's a draw between the Bf 109 and the Spit again, but where are the arguments for the Spitfire?

 

No P-51 , hmm :-?

 

No P-51s in 1939, no.

 

Check your books CSP, how many P-51s were flying in 1939?

I've voted Bf109 in 1939, overall faster and better at altitude, especially compared to the fixed bladed prop Spitfires of 1939. A year later and it's much closed, but for 1939 I think the Bf109E has a clear edge.

 

The poll closes tomorrow, so if you haven't voted yet get it done.

 

The poll should now be closed, and the best fighter of 1939 is voted to be the Spitfire Mk I.

 

What about mitsubishi zero? Is he was active on 1939.?He was clearly betther then any USA plane in early stadium of war.

 

The Zero was not in service until 1940, and in any case clearly superior? Debateable. Both the Wildcat and P-40 properly handled performed well against the Zero, as I believe could the P-39 at lower altitudes. The Zero/Zeke had a number of very serious flaws that could be exploited.

 

You'll find the Zero in poll 2 in the quiz forum. I don't know why it hasn't been moved over here? I didn't even expect the first polls to be moved here, but I since they were I think the subsequent polls should be as well.