What is (in your opinion) the BEST fighter plane that has EVER served in the Navy / Marine Corps?

Discussion in 'Main Forum' started by TOPGUN1991, Jun 16, 2012.

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  1. TOPGUN1991 Naval Aviation Hopeful!

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    Just for fun: What is your favorite / or in your opinion the very BEST fighter plane the Navy or Marines have EVER taken to the skies?
    TOPGUN1991, Jun 16, 2012
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    Brett327 Magnum!

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    We've been down this road before. It gets ugly (and stupid) from here.
    Brett327, Jun 16, 2012
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  3. TOPGUN1991 Naval Aviation Hopeful!

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    Really? So... What is YOURS? :)
    TOPGUN1991, Jun 16, 2012
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  4. dtxz Looks Lost

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    [IMG]
    dtxz, Jun 16, 2012
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    helolumpy What the hell is a PCN??

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    Any aircraft that I'm at the controls of is the greatest aircraft ever!
    helolumpy, Jun 16, 2012
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    BusyBee604 Skyhawkaholic!

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    Taking a chance on being stupid (I'm already ugly)! Breaking it down to 2, prop & jet...

    Prop: Grumman F6F "Hellcat".

    Jet: Chance Vought F8U "Crusader".
    JMHO
    *Now mind your manners, kiddies!;)
    BzB
    BusyBee604, Jun 16, 2012
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  7. MIDNJAC is clara ship

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    It's not like I have experience in either of these, but the two I'd give a first born to fly would have been the F-8 and the RA-5C. You can't say this about a lot of jets, but they look sexy and fast even parked on the ground. I almost missed my takeoff clearance from Sherman field last month while drooling over an A-5 sitting within view of the hold short.
    MIDNJAC, Jun 16, 2012
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    phrogdriver liberty risk

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    The "best?" What are the criteria? Actual performance? Well, the newest one is probably the best, so lets just hand it to the newest one: the F/A-18E/F. I'd be willing to bet that all else being the same, it would defeat its predecessors. Are we done now?

    Are you talking about ability relative to its opponents at the time? Length of service? Drool factor? These things can get silly, and are inherently meaningless.
    phrogdriver, Jun 16, 2012
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  9. Renegade One Well-Known Member

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    Crap...part of being here is making a stand and defending it, so here goes:

    Given the Navy/Marine SHARED mission of CAS, I'd probably have to vote for the "F4" family...Grumman F4Fs from the "Cactus Air Force" on Guadalcanal, the Vought F4U Corsair (and all of its variants...A4U in the case of VMA-323 "Death Rattlers" for example...) in Korea, and the McDonnel-Douglas F-4 family of Marine fighter/bomber jets that flew out of Chu Lai, Da Nang, yadda yadda yadda...in Viet Nam.
    Renegade One, Jun 16, 2012
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  10. jmcquate Well-Known Member

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    SBDs put alot of Japanese tonnage on the bottom of the Pacific and wasn't to shabby at air to air.
    jmcquate, Jun 16, 2012
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    Fog Old RIOs never die: They just can't fast-erect

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    Best purely ACM machine was probably the F-8 Crusader, but the best all-around fighter would have to be the F-14B (big engines) Tomcat. As much as I hate to say it, it wasn't the F-4 Phantom - had to be fought just so, mostly in the vertical, and it had no gun. JMHO.
    Fog, Jun 16, 2012
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  12. Malo83 Active Member

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    My favorite :cool:
    Skyraider_A-1H-J_1969_-_00000033_-_.jpg
    and yeah she downed a few Migs!
    Malo83, Jun 16, 2012
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  13. craftingraptor Dreaming about the P-8A

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    1) Fun on an aviation forum? Never heard of it!
    2) You be crazy, started all these threads like this. The mods don't quite know what to do with you yet, but you make a mistake and they be all up on you like a fat kid on butter.
    3) My favorite plane (makes me jealous that the marines get to have all the fun).

    [IMG]
    craftingraptor, Jun 17, 2012
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    phrogdriver liberty risk

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    ^^^Weirdo.
    phrogdriver, Jun 17, 2012
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    PropAddict Now with even more awesome!

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    Hello, Pot?
    Yeah, man, this is Kettle. . .have you seen the aircraft I fly?
    PropAddict, Jun 17, 2012
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    villanelle Nihongo dame desu

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    [IMG]

    I may be reaching a bit on the "fighter" part, but...
    villanelle, Jun 17, 2012
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  17. SteveG75 Retired and starting that second career

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    In keeping with the theme of not USN/USMC aircraft has been posted yet (RAF Harrier does not count ( check wing roundels)), how about this little guy? Probably the most influential naval fighter of the first half of WW2.
    [IMG]
    SteveG75, Jun 17, 2012
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  18. Renegade One Well-Known Member

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    The Military Channel has probably done a "Top 10" episode on fighters...although I don't think they use "drool factor"...but probably should.
    Renegade One, Jun 17, 2012
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    helolumpy What the hell is a PCN??

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    Why does a guy who's Custom Title is "Dreaming of the P-8" pick the Harrier? How about the PBY Catalina or the venerable P-3??
    helolumpy, Jun 17, 2012
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    phrogdriver liberty risk

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    The OP's question was about "fighter planes." Oops, the Harrier's not one of those either!
    phrogdriver, Jun 17, 2012
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  21. Harrier Dude Living the dream

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    The one he pictured is.
    Harrier Dude, Jun 17, 2012
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  22. SteveG75 Retired and starting that second career

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    Maybe this picture will work...
    [IMG]
    SteveG75, Jun 17, 2012
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  23. Renegade One Well-Known Member

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    Nah...if you're talking "most influential...of the first half of WWII", my vote is split between the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire. Real "game changers"...even before we, as a nation, went "all in".
    Renegade One, Jun 17, 2012
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  24. craftingraptor Dreaming about the P-8A

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    My mistake posting an RAF one. Not sure what you mean by 'roundels'. I take it by the others' posts here, that there isn't a "fighter" version on the US side (only attack)?
    craftingraptor, Jun 17, 2012
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  25. SteveG75 Retired and starting that second career

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    Hey, I did say most influential "naval" fighter. LOL.
    SteveG75, Jun 17, 2012
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