Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

[First time Juke]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

Belgians had ordered these.....

http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewster_Buffalo

Wonder why they went for a R-37.

Brewster is cute and is from 1937 !

[W J Pearce]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

Okay, since there is mention of "geek factor", I guess I'll go ahead and post.

I think the Renard R-36 looks better than the Renard R-37. Never liked that spinner:

http://aviher.ibelgique.com/preservation/renard/r36-19.jpg

If we are going to talk about Curtiss Hawks, I say the YP-23 is the best looking. Below is the XP-23 which did not look as good. The Y did not have the supercharger so the cowl was much cleaner, but I could not find a good picture of it in the 1 minute that I looked.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/060906-F-1234P-011.jpg

As far as biplanes go, I like the Italians. The Fiat CR.32 for inlines and CR.42 for radials.
CR.32:

http://www.zulloweb.org/photo/aviation/RA_AMI/fiat_cr32.jpg

CR.42

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2007/02/images/cr42_general_01.jpg

But then there is the Caproni-Chiodi CH.1 fighter prototype that was especially beautiful in it's red/white/green colors.
Model in color:

http://www.internetmodeler.com/2005/december/aviation/Ch-21.jpg

Real thing:

http://rareaircraf1.greyfalcon.us/picturesd/it4.jpg

The Russian stuff is always a bit weird. Some photos at certain angles look nice but other angles make it look, well not-so-nice. The Yatsenko I-28 is a good example of that (sorry for the drawing but once again I could not find the photo I was looking for)

http://ww2photo.mimerswell.com/air/su/yatsen/04420.jpg

I always liked the Romanian IAR 80

http://home.mit.bme.hu/~tade/ac-pict/Varia-AF/iar-80a.jpg

And the Czech Avia B.35 (photo is actually a B.135 but they were very similar)

http://www.vojsko.net/photo/letecka/stihaci/b-35.2_02.jpg

Of course the Spitfire, P-36, P-38, P-39, He100 are all great too.

But to bring it back to Air Racing, how about the Wedell-Williams XP-34? Yeah, I know it was never built. Based on the Wedell-Williams Model 45 is was quite the looker. But after Jimmie Wedell, Walter Wedell, and Harrry Williams were all killed in separate accidents, along with the performance of the P-36, the XP-34 was cancelled. Here is the model 45.

http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/aviation/45.jpg

I won't even get started on civil or Schneider aircraft.

Okay, back to work......

[Skyracer]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

The old cliche, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", definately applies to this subject.

[Leo]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

Especially concerning the Buffalo....

[W J Pearce]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

The old cliche, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", definately applies to this subject.

Very ture. As long as the XP-31 does not get any votes, I think we are okay. It is the AgCat of fighters.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2852491111_2ef75da01b.jpg?v=0

[Peashooter]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

That IAR-80 is pretty cool!

[johnnyrace]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

Was any airplane ever more appropriately named than the Brewster Buffalo ?

[johnnyrace]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

I know this is another airplane that resembles the Curtiss P-37...and I am not sure what it was...but its gotta be attractive to somebody

http://www.longpix.com/unk.jpg

[First time Juke]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

Especially concerning the Buffalo....

Well the FAF Buffalo had 33/1 killratio over enemies. It was 1000 lbs lighter than the 200 hp stronger US Navy used version.

Model 239 ( nicknamed pyllyvaltteri = butt walther ) was able to out turn the I-16s and Lagg-3s etc..until 1943.

Brewster in a playground after the war:

[Leo]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

and I am not sure what it was

Looks like an attempt to put an in-line on a Northrop Gamma...

Well the FAF Buffalo had 33/1 kill ratio over enemies.

Not disparaging it's record, although in US service it was a dog. It just ain't pretty. But that is, after all, only my opinion and worth about that much!
Brewster products had a reeeeal bad rep during the war. The Corsairs they built were held from combat due to quality, their speed and manuevering restricted.

[W J Pearce]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

I know this is another airplane that resembles the Curtiss P-37...and I am not sure what it was...but its gotta be attractive to somebody


http://www.longpix.com/unk.jpg

It is a Northrup Gamma that Jacqueline Cochran bought and had modified including the installation of a Curtiss Conqueror engine with a special supercharger (NC13761). The idea was to cruise @ 20,000 feet and 240 mph for 3000 miles for the London-Melbourne race in 1934. But the aircraft had supercharger trouble and missed the race after being forced down twice en route to the start.

Howard Hughes rented and repaired it for a trial cross country flight he made and Cochran entered it in the 1935 Bendix, but had more trouble. It was re-engined with a P&W after that, but crashed 3 more times. Ultimately it ended up in North Africa.

(Above compiled from "Aircraft of Air Racing's Golden Age" by Robert and Ross Hirsch)

[Skyracer]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

Looks like an attempt to put an in-line on a Northrop Gamma...

In fact it was...sort of. It's a Northrop Gamma 2G powered by a Curtis Conqueror. See additional info here: http://aerofiles.com/_north.html and here http://www.aerofiles.com/north-gamma2g.jpg

This is likely the only picture of the aircraft in this configuration as it crashed (due to engine failure) on the delivery flight. During the subsequent rebuild a P&W Twin Wasp was installed. Do a little nosing around on the net, fascinating racing and speed record history.

[First time Juke]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

Okay, since there is mention of "geek factor", I guess I'll go ahead and post.

I think the Renard R-36 looks better than the Renard R-37. Never liked that spinner:

http://aviher.ibelgique.com/preservation/renard/r36-19.jpg

---------snip----------

But to bring it back to Air Racing, how about the Wedell-Williams XP-34? Yeah, I know it was never built. Based on the Wedell-Williams Model 45 is was quite the looker. But after Jimmie Wedell, Walter Wedell, and Harrry Williams were all killed in separate accidents, along with the performance of the P-36, the XP-34 was cancelled. Here is the model 45.

http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/aviation/45.jpg

I won't even get started on civil or Schneider aircraft.

Okay, back to work......

I took liberty to bring more Renard pics here since that John Parker link did not work in my computer.

http://www.geocities.com/bonenne/Renard_R-36_R-37_R-38.html

Bon appetit ...or enjoy !

[AlisoBob]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

I'm going out on a limb..... The Hughes H1



Wind tunnel designed, Fully retractable gear, fully cowled radial, flush rivets, BIG root farings, adjustable propeller, enclosed cockpit, and sympathetic controls ( ailerons & flaps).

A warbird? no.

Does every warbird built after 1938 ( regardless of country of origin) have direct lineage back to this very plane?

You bet!!!!

Agree or not, this is the most beautiful ( both in appearance AND in design) Pre WWII "Fighter", ever conceived.

There will never again be a visionary like H/H

[First time Juke]

Re: Most beautiful prewar ( WW II ) fighter ac ?

I agree that Howard Hughes H -1 was a really cool looking AC.

I have also wondered whether the IAR 80 that was constructed/designed in 1938 was slightly influenced by HH-1 of 1935 ?

http://www.historynet.com/iar-80-romanias-indigenous-fighter-plane.htm

Here below the 1942 JUMO-211 engined version profile.