As World War Two ravaged the continents of Europe and the Islands of the Pacific, the way in which armies fought was forever changed by the emergence of airpower as the dominant force in determining the offensive and defensive capabilities of a nation.
Replacing the battleship as the primary means of force projection and ordinance delivery, airplanes both carrier and land based proved a much better way to launch initial attacks and defend against enemy movement. Also acting as a deterrent, the value of having an air fleet was proven as alongside the ships docked in Pearl Harbor, the planes in Hawaii were specifically targeted to cripple any immediate response from the United States.
With both the Allied and Axis powers fielding airplanes, the development and innovation of aircraft was accelerated as the need for faster, tougher and more powerful planes escalated as the war dragged on. In this article, we look at several of these amazing aircraft in - all the best planes from WWII ranked.
15 Jet Killer
You know a plane is good when, despite being propeller driven, it manages to defeat a next generation adversary. The Lavochkin La-7 did precisely this when it became the first to kill a jet powered fighter. With better performance specs than its nearest German rival, this Russian fighter proved itself a dominant airspace defender.
14 Wolf Pack Leader
When a military branch known for its daring exploits is wary or fears an enemy airplane, you know that plane must be a true terror. This was the case when bomber commands of the allied armies considered the F190 as a dangerous adversary. With superior speed, handling and excellent armaments, the Germans knew they had the best and utilized it to its fullest extent.
13 Sentinel At Sea
Serving in both WW2 and the Korean War, the Vought F4u Corsair is a three bladed, inverted gullwing machine of war. Having numerous encounters with the Japanese in the Pacific, this fighter was hailed as the first plane able to match the feared Zero and was considered as the best fighter in the Pacific theater.
12 Beastly Bomber
A carrier based torpedo bomber, the Nakajima B5N played a pivotal role during the raid at Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea and Midway. Considered as the best of its type during its time, it was only during the later years of the war that its deficiencies became evident as opposing pilots learned of its poor armor and offensive capabilities.
11 Rattle The Reich
With its distinctive twin booms and central section, the P38 Lightning was an advanced fighter bomber that caused the German military to worry over its capabilities; range, firepower, and durability. Having battled both the Nazi's and Japanese, this mighty aircraft was also the main plane of raiding team that hunted and killed the notorious Imperial Navy admiral Yamamoto.
10 Rock The Enemy
A true British warrior and older than the Spitfire, the Hurricane served in all fronts where the RAF was doing battle. An agile and capable fighter, the Hurricance is credited as shooting down more than 1,500 enemy aircraft, more than the total of all other British planes combined.
9 Battle Bred
From 1939 to 1945, the Yak 3 efficiently served the Russian wartime efforts with its robust build and easy maintenance. As one of the smallest, most agile fighters during the war, its small stature and ability to quickly maneuver made it favorite among Russian pilots.
8 Ride Of The Kamikaze
The Nakajima KI-43, also known as the Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon) was an airplane used by the Japanese Air Force which served as their main fighter craft supported by the Zero. As favorite of the imperial pilots, this plane later gathered the sad distinction as the plane was used for Kamikaze runs late in the war.
7 Here Comes The Thunder
A naming misnomer when it was introduced but has stuck on since. The P in P47 Thunderbolt, actually stands for Photo(for use in Reconnaissance). Designed as a light fighter, the final version ended up more like a flying tank (double the weight of the Spitfire), which made it one of the sturdiest, most powerful aircraft of the era.
6 Fear The Sound
The JU87 Stuka, with a propeller driven siren meant to cause panic and fear to its targets was one of the Luftwaffe's most effective aircraft. Built as a dive bomber, the Stuka rained bombs all across Europe and caused more damage in terms of efficiency compared to the V2 guided bombs.
5 The Russian Response
As Russia slogged on through the latter stages of WW2, the development of a newer Yak aircraft to meet the needs of the front gave rise to the Yak-9. Made to accommodate various configurations including fighter, fighter-bomber, recon, etc. the Yak-9 was so good it earned recognition from a German ace, saying it was the best Russian plane he encountered.
4 Wermacht Workhorse
The list of duties of the BF109 makes for an impressive resume - A day/night fighter, an interceptor and a capable ground attack aircraft. All these were possible due to the advanced engineering on the plane that made the allies review their own fleet to speed up development of a potential counter to this 400+ Km/h capable aircraft.
3 Zeroed On Target
Considered as the face of the Japanese Air Force during WW2, the Mitsubishi Zero managed to score important victories for the empire in several battles in the Pacific, including leading the force that decimated the biggest naval base of the US at Pearl Harbor.
2 British Savior
As Winston Churchill thanked the few who saved so many, it is without a doubt that the Spitfire and its pilots were among those he meant to address. As the Battle of Britain proved, the legendary performance of the venerable Spitfire alongside its brethren in the Royal Air Force proved to be more than a match to the invading Luftwaffe fleet.
1 The American Hero
The P51 Mustang became an iconic aircraft due to its outstanding performance in various theaters during WW2. Armed with six .50-cal machine guns or with 10 5-inch rockets or 2,000 lbs bomb ordinance, the P51 drew praise from its pilots and instilled fear to its enemies and until today is considered as one of the best fighters in history.