The US's most famous fighter aircraft of WWII

[Duggy009]

I am going out on a limb but would say "Big Beautiful Doll".

[Jerry O'Neill]

Lander's P-51 is a well known scheme, but I think the winner is Ike Kepford's Corsair.


Or perhaps this Corsair, #122, that was given it's own Citation. No other aircraft received one!


I guess the definition of "most famous" needs to be sharper.

My two cents!
Jerry

Last edited by Jerry O'Neill on Thu Dec 31, 2015 6:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Dan K]

ETO





PTO

Last edited by Dan K on Thu Dec 31, 2015 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Elwyn]

Richard Bong's P-38 would surely rate high on the list.

[Mark Allen M]

I am going out on a limb but would say "Big Beautiful Doll".

These guys, just to state a few, would most certainly beg to differ ...


Francis Gabreski


David McCampbell


David Schilling


Dominick Gentile


Richard Bong

If your talking "one of the more attractive schemes" on a US fighter plane, then your example would be right up there with the best of them.

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Thu Dec 31, 2015 7:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[sandiego89]

I vote Bong's Marge.

[CraigQ]

[BAJ]

Coming from a fairly isolated position Downunder I can remember as a kid that 1st and foremost the MOST FAMOUS (COMMONLY KNOWN ) US FIGHTER that I ever read about in WW11 was the P51B of Dom Gentile...SHANGRI LA with its very, very famous quirky boxing eagle artwork.

Not saying that other US fighters weren't as famous locally in the USA but to reach all the way to Australia as common knowledge you really were famous

Last edited by BAJ on Sat Jan 02, 2016 4:11 am, edited 2 times in total.

[JimH]

Lol boxing eagle!

[JOMiller]

I vote for "Dashing Dave" McCampbell and MINSI.
Who else has both a sever kill mission and a nine?
That levelof gunnery level expertise is unsurpassed.

Owen

[C VEICH]

Sorry, but you are all wrong.

[Obergrafeter]

Put Invasion Stripes on those Shark Noses then you have something!

[Clifford Bossie]

Who cares. I just enjoy seeing all of the great photos others have posted of planes I love!!!

And I hope people keep posting them.

Some of these photos I have seen some I have not. It is fun to scroll through and look at them all.

Last edited by Clifford Bossie on Fri Jan 01, 2016 2:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[JohnTerrell]

All I can say is that even all of the women in my family that lived through the 40's and 50's could tell you that there was a P-38 called "Marge" flown during the war (and could probably even tell you the pilot's name), but otherwise couldn't tell you the single name of any other WWII aircraft, with the exception of the "Enola Gay". It may well be a regional thing though too.

[WacoOne]

I concur with C Veich. Everyone knew about the Flying Tigers back then although we didn't know of any particular P-40 (except for John Wayne's).