What fighter would you fly into combat? and. ....

[Demo]

so to be safe I'll say an F-4U1A Corsair and i would not want to see any 262s or Kikkas

[AvHistory]

I thought they had flying prototypes by the end of the war

There were 2 prototypes assembled

The Kikka prototypes' first flight was on August 7 (the day after the atomic bomb, was dropped on Hiroshima) at Kisarazu Naval Air Base with pilot LtCdr Susumu Takaoka.  

He made a second attempt four days later (two days after the atomic bomb, was dropped on Nagasaki) but aborted the takeoff and crashed into Tokyo Bay.  The second Kikka prototype never flew.

Nakajima started work on the Ki 201 Karyu without official approval or funding in late 1944, so work progressed slowly. The first flight was to be December 1945 - January 1946 so the only prototype was never finished.

BEAR

[Demo]

lol i was talking about F9F prototypes

[AvHistory]

lol i was talking about F9F prototypes

The first XF9F-2 prototype (BuNo 122475) began engine ground running tests in October of 1947. The maiden flight took place from Bethpage on November 21, 1947, test pilot Corwin H. "Corky" Meyer being at the controls.

BEAR

[MadTIGERmaN]

Awesome stats AV on the Cats
Just curious as to what you have the top speed of the Tigercat -3 at?  and not the night fighter version.

Ive seen the -3N listed at the normal 435ish range.... but once saw the single seat -3 listed at 455,  figure drop the radar gear.....  probably would add some speed.

I saw that same history channel show too,  and kept waiting for them to end with "But non of this mattered as the allies had the 2 Cats coming,  which out classed these planes anyway......."    :(  but no mention of the cats at all

[AvHistory]

Generally you can figure the P/R-2800-22W to be good for 427mph & the PW/RW-2800-34W versions to be at 435mph.

The "bethpage" Grumman fan group claims 450mph & I have seen one claim as high as 460mph, but no details are given.

I would expect the -3P version to be faster (15mph?) then the standard -3 single seat fighter but it has no guns.

[MadTIGERmaN]

And a fine Bearcat it is.  :)


I talked to the guy who flew Kalamazoos Tigercat through email once,  and he said no WW2 STOCK (now thats the key ward) propellar driven plane would catch the Tigercat.  

Course the pilot of the plane always thinks its better then it is (me included).

But you definetly cant ask for a better shooting platform then the Tigercat, not to mention youll have ammo much longer then anyone else.

[AvHistory]

[quote]And a fine Bearcat it is.

[MadTIGERmaN]

ah, but the trick is "catch"

the Tigers great acceleration will get it to top speed so fast,  it could just get enough distance....   that it could fly to safe ground and the enemy would break off.

and i suppose he probably was only including the P51D's as most people would.   and if the Tcat could hit 450,  like some suggest... who knows.