The Five Most Iconic Planes of World War II

[@MrDDiRusso]

Errata: first image of Bf 109 is ME 262.

[@jamesheracklis4020]

Yeahhhh, that was a bad one, I was about to comment as well. Can you imagine if the Germans had jets starting in the 1930s?

[@natsune09]

Then they use the same photo for the ME262 later. Now that is kind of funny.

[@johnniemiec3286]

Thank you. Someone had to say it.

[@goldblackbrownwhite]

@@jamesheracklis4020 Aircraft manufacturer Heinkel had engines working in 1937 and prototypes flying in August '39 and September '40 : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_178 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_280 ...would have been devastating for the allied air forces, if they had been properly developed. Fortunately they weren't...

[@marcbeebee6969]

AAA Simon hahaha

[@DoBraveryFPS]

Here's the correct answer. No particular order, but I include why.. Stuka--Blitzkrieg icon Zero--unstoppable adversary icon. Spitfire--defiance icon. P-51--US strategic bombing icon. This US slot was once held by P-40 "Sharkteeth" defending the underdog icon (no comment lol). Me-262--icon for technological advancement.

[@I_Echion]

Id say Hawker Hurricane whould be a honerable mention

[@Otokichi786]

If the RAF had to rely on only the Supermarine Spitfires on hand, German would be the official language of the UK.;)

[@wpjohn91]

Would of said it is right up there

[@geezergeezer1]

Agreed about the Hurricane. This is an over-simplification, but during the Battle of Britain it had twice the kill-rate of the Spitfire.

[@davyt0247]

@@geezergeezer1 yep the Hurricane had more kills than all other planes and defenses, combined.

[@lancelittleton3269]

The Hurricane is really what saved Britian not the Spit. Hurricanes were the backbone of Britian and they had them in much greater numbers than the Spitfire at the start of the war and during the Battle of Britian. Hurricanes accounted for over 60% of all Luftwaffe kills and although the Spitfire was slightly better at dealing with 109's, the Hurricane was plenty capable. The Spitfire was also the 'prettier' plane and found on all of Britain's posters.

[@goldblackbrownwhite]

'When I saw the silver Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was up' -> Als ich die silbernen Mustangs über Berlin sah, wusste ich, dass das Spiel vorbei war. '...,the jig was up...' in this case is more likely '...,it was game over...' Some sources claim Göring said: 'When I saw the silver Mustangs over Berlin, I knew that the war was lost.' -> Als ich die silbernen Mustangs über Berlin sah, wusste ich dass der Krieg verloren war. A bit late, but correct realization by an arrogant drug addict in the end...

[@goldblackbrownwhite]

@Amy Sternheim Indeed. The story of Albert Günther Göring is really amazing...an unsung hero, who died without any public recognition for his humanitarian efforts being branded by his family name.

[@AlexBoots303]

Danke schön.

[@goldblackbrownwhite]

@@AlexBoots303 You're welcome!

[@ClaymooreEOC]

Great to see Blaze Simon interjecting more :D

[@kamneelamin6358]

¹

[@colinp2238]

This reminds me of my school days in the 1960s. We had a guest speaker, a Polish pilot of a Spitfire during the Battle of Britain. He was telling his story of the battle, "I vos flying over ze Channel and I looked up und on my tail vere zees two Fokkers." A lot of giggling prevailed, the Headmaster steps forward to explain, "Fokkers were Luftwaffe aircraft." The fighter ace adds, "Oh ja und zeese Fokkers ver Messerschmitts!"

[@spacecadet35]

This is the first time I have ever heard the FW190 as "slow". For a long period, they were the only German fighter that could catch a Mosquito. Later on the Bf109s got heavier and heavier, especially the Gustav variant. But the Fw190 was built on the philosophy of putting the biggest possible engine in the smallest possible airframe. To the best of my knowledge every production variant of the FW190 was faster than the contemporary Bf109.

[@oldenweery7510]

It's a minor point, but one of the things about the FW190 that better than the Bf109 was its landing gear. Just as RAF pilots liked the takeoff and landing stability of the Hurricane's "legs," which opened outward, as opposed to the Spit's, which opened inward. The Spitfire gear's narrow spacing and the length of its propellor blades made getting airborne and back down again "dicy," particularly from the common wartime grass airfields. Lots of Spits ground-looped or their props threw divots. The nice, wide stance of the FW190's gear had the same advantage over the Bf 109's narrower gear. Stay safe.

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

Yep I was confused too, especially since my grandfather always told me how fast and agile his Fw was compared to most other airplanes he flew with and against.

[@NinjaMG]

The desingn of FW 190 always looked to me as a ancient chariot. Big, roaring power at front, light carriage at back. Suitable for "gladiatorial" fight.

[@Trumpisscum-420]

My knowledge only comes from TV shows on the History Channel and the Military Channel and video games but I've never heard the FW190 refered to as "slow" either.

[@brandonstrife9738]

@@oldenweery7510 The 190 was faster than every other german fighter till 1944.

[@NexNecis2001]

As an American, I would like to hear more about the British Lancaster bomber.

[@robertbruce1887]

NexNecis2001: With all the great aircraft your country produced in WW2, great of you to take interest in aircraft from your fellow British Allies.

[@phantomechelon3628]

As a Brit I always thought the B-17s were pretty iconic. Far prettier anyway.

[@neilleng9188]

Nothing else had the bomb bay capacity of the Lancaster.!! ​@@robertbruce1887

[@freesk8]

The British Mosquito was a cool plane, too!

[@fatdaddy1996]

Hatfield is in Canada is it?

[@markstott6689]

De Havilland whilst a British company also had plants in Canada and Australia. The Mosquito was built overseas. It was designed and built in Britain.

[@markstott6689]

For me the Mosquito is the most beautiful plane ever built.

[@markstott6689]

If I had the money the 1/48th Tamiya version would be on my wishlist too.

[@sglenny001]

@@wildrose2748 bro that's because DeHaveln is the aircraft comply

[@Lord_Foxy13]

The Spitfire and Seafire could alone be a megaproject...

[@DarkKatzy013]

Yes

[@leahfairs2392]

Agreed!

[@sglenny001]

Yees

[@kinglouiev9530]

The Hurricane peasants did most of the dirty work while the Spitfire knights get all the credit.

[@bigdundee12345]

Done, its on mega channel

[@surferdude4487]

I would like to hear more about the Russian IL2 tank buster.

[@llYossarian]

As a diehard fan of the sims there are a shocking few videos to be found of actual IL-2s in action...

[@annescholey6546]

Alongside the Lavochkin and the Petlyakov.

[@joshuabennett3059]

I would love to see more on the BF109 and the F4-U Corsair

[@SilvesterHumaj]

My 3 favorite aircraft of all time are: 1. Messerschmitt Bf109E 2. Chance-Vought F4U Corsair 3. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (Habu)

[@themeach011]

Corsair is a beautiful plane I'm partial to the Mustang myself. I had a pretty cool r/c one when I was a kid

[@estudiordl]

Yes

[@trevisagie]

Yes

[@BCJames-nn7nw]

The Corsair was absolutely awe inspiring and terrifying. If a pilot survived his early days in the "Ensign Eliminator" and the its peculiarities (such as the difficulty landing it on a carrier...a problem solved by British pilots) then this was the best plane of the war.

[@mugofbrown6234]

The Hawker Hurricane! During the Battle of Britain it shot more enemy aircraft than all other weapons (including the Spitfire) combined. It was more robust, quicker to produce and easier to repair. It paved the way for sort of close air support that is taken as read, seeing service as a "flying tin opener" in North Africa, on Catapult Armed Merchantmen and escort carriers during the Battle of the Atlantic. It flew as a fighter- bomber in Burma helping to defeat Imperial Japan and even during D Day as a fast armed courier taking important dispatches between the front line and HQ back in the UK. It was designed by Sir Sydney Camm, the genius behind the Hawker Fury, Demon, Typhoon, Tempest, Sea Fury, Hunter, etc. Without the Hurricane British history books could be telling a terrible tale. The Avro Lancaster? Amongst other talents it could carry the first atomic bombs without modification, unlike the B29. 617 Squadron are an iconic unit in part because this aircraft was so versatile. Even though it was born of failed Avro Manchester with it's terrible Rolls Royce Vulture engines it still remains one of the finest aircraft ever designed. Please do a Biographics video on Sir Sydney Camm and Capt.Eric Brown, RN; the best aircraft designer and the best test pilot to come out of Great Britain.

[@Mugdorna]

I would argue that Winkle Brown was the greatest test pilot ever. Something crazy like 1200 types flown.

[@mugofbrown6234]

@@Mugdorna Yes. 2000 odd deck landings too. Records that may well never be broken.

[@5t0n3d-G4m3r]

A more accurate translation from that day would have been " Oh Scheiße"

[@jantschierschky3461]

Nope

[@thejudgmentalcat]

Looked it up, then felt dumb. Of course!

[@jorgehca90]

Oh shit translation

[@psikeyhackr6914]

Now see, you didn't cover the coolest looking plane of the war: P-38 Lightning!

[@kinglouiev9530]

Nah the most coolest airplane of WW2 is the C.714. French Aviation at its finest & a wooden wonder. Its radiator & long nose gives it an expressive look of derp.

[@mekolayn]

F-82 was better looking

[@psikeyhackr6914]

@@mekolayn Where did it fight in WWII?

[@ronnelson7828]

Coolest looking airplane... ..ever? P-38!

[@kinglouiev9530]

@@psikeyhackr6914 Korea which is a sequel to both WW2 & Civil War Mao China edition. I heard WW3 Nukeapocalypse was a canceled sequel cuz McArthur was fired from the production team.

[@Govthos]

P38 Lightening or as the Japanese called, The Fork-tailed Devil.

[@cynicalmedic252]

It was the Germans that called the P-38 the Fork-tailed Devil (der Gabelschwanz-Teufel). The Japanese called it "two planes, one pilot."

[@thedamnyankee1]

Two top american aces flew the P-38. And also, my grandfather.

[@steeljawX]

Honestly any of the twin fuselage crafts are honorable mentions if not an entire topic for a MegaProjects video. Getting the thing to be airborne and maneuverable and practical (to have 2 flyboys up there instead of 1) couldn't have been as simple as duct taping 2 P-51's together to make 1 F-82.

[@velvetunderground9835]

The P38 was one of the first 3 planes that came to mind along with the spitfire and mustang

[@tylerv9174]

@@thedamnyankee1 my great uncle was an ace in one

[@tknispel]

Simon, when you made mention of the Messerschmit BF 109, the picture shows the 262. Love the videos though, keep up the good work!

[@adrianus13]

Came here to say this, and that they do this all the time on all of their channels...

[@badhippo]

Simon struggles with numbers

[@verneblestien315]

Did the same thing for the F4-U Corsair, that wasn't a picture of the Bent Wing Bird.

[@thephoenixscotland]

I take it you didn't see the other comments, made hours before yours that said the same thing then?

[@David-jv6bs]

@@verneblestien315 Not quite: It was the XF4U-1 (Corsair) prototype. Later versions moved fuel storage from wings to forward fuselage, giving it the long nose.

[@Lazy_Tim]

Megaproject. The Snowy Mountain River Scheme. Just have a look at it .

[@Moshe_Kraintz]

Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the Consolidated PBY Catalina for the next video

[@michisob1]

True. Dude got a OBE for it, definitely would be a nice video.

[@--enyo--]

I’d really like to see this. Also the cultural impacts.

[@yt.personal.identification]

Tried to suggest this before And 'Parks' broadcasting the moon landing as the ultimate side project. Who doesn't want to see 'The Dish' for research?

[@Lazy_Tim]

@@yt.personal.identification I love that movie and to know it as largely based on facts just makes it even better.

[@beowulfsrevenge4369]

Could you do the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II also called the Warthog. Not really a mega project plane but still and amazing aircraft!

[@shaunoleary9774]

The Warthog should be in a top five purpose built planes of all time. Spitfire, P-51, B-52, A-10, and C-4.

[@lazuardifirdaus1698]

Bbbbbrrrrrrrrttttt

[@Trumpisscum-420]

I spent a couple summers working on a boat doing commercial crabbing. A-10's out of Martin State Airport and Aberdeen Proving Grounds would do weapons practice on a small island in the Chesapeake Bay. The Coast Guard did a good job of keeping you at least 3 miles from the island but sometimes we could sneak a little closer to get a better look. Even at 3 miles out though seeing the Vulcan cannon let rip was one hell of a sight. The bomb runs were fun too.

[@rab52764]

I think the F-4U Corsair deserves at least an honorable mention.

[@nunyabidniz2868]

Outlasted the Mustang; F4Us were still being used for ground support in Korea; the 'stang was relegated to civvy air racing & 3rd world air forces by then...

[@velvetunderground9835]

Absolutely the coolest...

[@moss314]

It got a mention in the video. Watch it again.

[@Robert80072]

So was the model number(?) meant as a innuendo? As in F@!k for you.

[@ihavenoname3014]

@@Robert80072 of course not. "F" = "Fighter" designation. "4" was its model. "U" indicated production by Chance Vought.

[@andyb6018]

I'd say the Stuka dive bomber is worth a mention. That sound alone is as iconic as it gets.

[@macuss87]

Translation of "The jig is up" to german, das Spiel ist aus

[@bobjaydenmarley7406]

Eher die scheise ist am Dampfen :D

[@johnniemiec3286]

Ed Rooney anyone?

[@todddougherty9492]

I don’t think he meant the literal translation. I think he means what would be the English translation to a phrase that means “we are finished”?

[@cedricfranzen8558]

@@bobjaydenmarley7406 that's closer to "when the shit hits the fan" :P

[@bobjaydenmarley7406]

@@cedricfranzen8558 hmm :D

[@kenduncan3221]

You really have to go to about 15 or 20 to get all the iconic airplanes of WW2. A list of 5 really does no justice to all of them. Planees lift of but were iconic. B17, B29, Corsair, Hellcat, Mosquito, Lancaster, Stringbag Typhoon, BF109, Ju88, Kate, Val, Betty, Yak3 ,Yak9, Il-2 just to name some of them.

[@marcbeebee6969]

B17 flying Fortress. Look how badly damaged They came Back. Excelent plane Great real Stories Simon you can make a Video in a few interessing cases with the b17

[@ELCADAROSA]

Especially the infamous B17 with tail number "666".

[@skyerose501]

The american factory at willow run or the german jet fighters would be excellent megaproject videos.

[@brianrockwood2018]

I'd love the Willon Run factory, my Dad worked there for GM until it finally closed about 10 years ago. Supposedly at one time it was the largest building in the world in terms of square footage but I've never been able to actually find evidence for that. It is massive though...I once stood directly in the middle of the plant and you couldn't see the end of either side of the building, it was THAT big. At it's peak I believe it employed more than 40,000 people and it was using up so much of the surrounding area's electricity that the county made them build their own coal fired power plant just so the surrounding areas wouldn't have any power shortages. It truly was a fascinating place.

[@johnbockelie3899]

Kurt Tank stated to the high command " if this plane doesn't work, you can kill me ". FW 190 . Designer. He later on after the war went on to work for Boeing.

[@slapdaddyj]

@skye, totally beat me to it! Willow Run would be great!

[@elsden722]

Boring... Why's it always gotta be american stuff

[@CrazyNikel]

@@elsden722 Spotted the jealous hater *and you using an American website Ahaha.*

[@QuantumAscension1]

Eh, the FW-190 doesn't really strike me as iconic. The Junkers Ju 87 'Stuka' Dive bomber would have filled the spot much better imo, especially given the psychological effect of its sirens and its critical role in the blitzkrieg tactics early in the war.

[@amatthew1231]

The 190 was the primary axis fighter, is just isn't featured in media like allied aircraft so that's why you probably think that. Going by the numbers it was the most produced and used German aircraft of the war.

[@thephoenixscotland]

As you said 'in my opinion'. This is the writers opinion. So who is wrong?

[@QuantumAscension1]

@@thephoenixscotland no one’s wrong, but I’d assume Simon would like to hear feedback since he tells us to comment in the comment section, lol

[@thephoenixscotland]

@@QuantumAscension1 WHAT!? This is the Internet ... someone is always wrong ;)

[@DreAmeoba1]

The Stuka was the first dive bomber, & terrorized everyone at first, but turns out it was fairly easy to shoot down (the siren didn’t help, too much bark with its bite, alerting anti air gun crews on the ground, making it easy to line up, & shoot) it became largely obsolete by 1941..(they later slapped 40mm machine gun pods on the wings, & used it as a tank buster, still outclassed by the Soviet Il2 Sturmovich).....

[@lowercherty]

Fighter pilots make movies, bomber pilots make history.

[@dcviper985]

Two things: The B-29 Superfortress should qualify as a mega project in its own right. The development was hugely compressed and they started building the thing before it was finished. (Something, something 737 MAX) Also, a great movie quote from "Flight of the Intruder": Fighter pilots make movies, bomber pilots make history

[@Otokichi786]

1. Supermarine Spitfire ("Super Marine," Mr. Whistler? "Bismarck" says "Nein!";) 2. North American P-51 (The UK wanted P-40s, but got something much better.) 3. Messerschmitt Me-262 (An experimental aircraft that had the bugs worked out in combat.) 4. Mitsubishi A6M Zero (A lightly built aircraft with the emphasis range and maneuverability, with fatal results.) 5. Focke-Wulf FW-190 (The backup fighter that could do everything well, unlike the Bf-109.) **Have you left out anything? Nope, you left out EVERYTHING else, that's all. The Russians would be the most upset, since the Yak, Lavochkin, MiG and Ilyushin aircraft met and chased the Luftwaffe out of the Soviet Union. The "Shark Mouth" paint scheme: www.aircorpsart.com/blog/the-origins-of-shark-mouth-nose-art/ If you read about the P-40, you will find that it could and did match the A6M Zero with the RAAF defending Australia.

[@Tedinator01]

Let’s not forget how well the P-40 performed in China as well with the AVG (Flying Tigers).

[@gottalovethephilippines5417]

this is typical from an American point of view, the Messerchmitt BE-109 should be there, the Mosquito, the Lancaster...

[@nastypiglosi1788]

@Gotta Love the Philippines there's only one American plane on the list 🤡🤡🤡

[@csjrogerson2377]

"The Russians would be the most upset, since the Yak, Lavochkin, MiG and Ilyushin aircraft met and chased the Luftwaffe out of the Soviet Union." What a load of utter nonsense. The Russian Army pushed out the Germans and the Russian air force followed. The Germans shot down Russians in their hundreds - daily. At the very end of the was the Russians got to parity with Me 109s and Fw190s.

[@UncleQ57]

​@csjrogerson2377 Russians got air superiority in early 1943. It was one of the critical success factors in Kursk battle in mid-1943. Besides, according to American (!) studies, 60% of German aces died on Eastern front.

[@jimstiles26287]

The B-29 should be a Megaproject. It cost more to develop and produce than the atomic bomb.

[@justinpipes85]

You're telling me that the B-29 cost more than 1940s $2 billion? The Manhattan project employed hundreds of thousands of Americans across numerous states.

[@justinpipes85]

Ok. I looked it up and then refound this comment. They built almost 4000 B-29 and only three wartime atomic bounds. I think the comparisons is off. But you are correct.

[@justinpipes85]

@SLCPunkednice name. "the devil's in the house and he turned my mom into a bull." I looked it up. That's what my second comment is about. But comparing programs that used already existing technology to create almost 4000 airplanes is not the same as a program that created just three bombs.

[@DavidOfWhitehills]

Sounds like bullshit.

[@justinpipes85]

@SLCPunked i did read that. And the prototype cost just over three million. The majority of the cost was the production of the almost 4000 airplanes. O.P. even says development and PRODUCTION.

[@alanrogers7090]

The North American P-51 Mustang was originally requested by the British as simply, a license-built Curtiss P-40, which is what they "thought" they wanted. North American countered with the offer of a completely new aircraft to be designed and built with-in 120 days, (four months), or it will be FREE. As you stated, they built the prototype within 102 days. In this configuration, it was not only bought by the British, as the Mustang Mk. 1, but also by the American's as the A-36 Apache dive bomber. After a few of the airframes were fitted with the Merlin engine, (which had two-stage super-turbo chargers - allowing higher altitudes), It became the fighter everyone says was America's Best Overall fighter. I think this deserves its own story. [Skye suggests the Willow Run factory built by Henry Ford to make copies of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. More than half of all Liberators were built there. By the end of the war, they were being made at the rate of one bomber per hour. This also deserves its own episode.]

[@wilsonwhite6387]

The p51 did not have turbo driven superchargers, they had mechanical driven superchargers. The p51a had a single stage mechanical driven supercharger and later models had two stage mechanical driven superchargers. The P47 and the P38 had tubo superchargers.

[@travis_thompson]

The Mustang wasn't designed as a long range fighter. The British wanted North American to license build Curtis P40s and Dutch kindleburger said they could build a better one in the same time it would take to tool up for the P40. The long range thing was simply stuffing extra fuel tanks in and under it and putting a Merlin in there.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

You got it regarding the genesis of the P-51 Mustang.

[@khamullordoftheeastelings390]

Republic P47, Chance Vougt F4U, Grumman F6F, Bf109, Tempest, Typhoon, B17, B29, Yak 9 and Yak 3, Il 2 Sturmovik, Ju 87 Stuka, Hawker Hurricane, SBD Dauntless, B24 Liberator, He 111 and Mosquito are equally as famous Aircraft and If I were to suggest a megaproject, it would be the F2G-1 Super Corsair with a 3000hp engine

[@yottamg]

Ilyushin Il-2 should be on this list by all means. It was the most mass produced plane of the whole WWII and is still the single most produced military aircraft design in aviation history, as well as one of the most produced piloted aircraft in history.

[@tsartomato]

and its game has 50 damn sequels under its belt probably the only plane anyone 30 and under could name

[@samdesplancke3906]

ThE mE 163 kOmEt WaS bEtTeR

[@thunberbolttwo3953]

@@samdesplancke3906 At killing its own pilots.

[@portaltwo]

All good choices, but........P47 THUNDERBOLT! The indestructible "jug".

[@adamorosz7840]

The opinionated world of 'the best fighter of WWII' - you've really waded into this one, Simon! Might I suggest the Mosquito...

[@wimalky1]

Perhaps you could breakdown the top 5 Allied and top 5 Axis aircraft. So many good aircraft to showcase from that horrible war!

[@billbaker3565]

The P-38 Lightening is a good candidate for Part 2.

[@K2edg]

IMHO the five most iconic ww2 fighters imho were the Spitfire, Hurricane, ME109, JU87 Stuka, P51 Mustang.......... Stuka was a legend among the ailed ground forces for it's famous dive bomber siren. The most extreme and crazy fighter had to be the Komet, but a famous line said the Komet killed more German pilots than Ailed said it all (the fuel in a komet would literally dissolve the pilot if there was a leak)

[@K2edg]

There could be an argument for the Zero being an Iconic fighter too.

[@robertmosher7418]

The Spitfire should have been saved for last as it was the mainstay in the UK for the entire war and it was probably the sexiest badass in the sky.

[@crazydrummer181]

It and the Mustang are the best looking. B-17 is the coolest bomber.

[@Lenzcarpentry]

Sideprojects - most iconic tanks of WWII

[@llYossarian]

There were probably only the two allied units that flew P-40's with the shark-tooth paint job in WW2 (112 RAF in Africa and the American Volunteer Group the "Flying Tigers" in China). The crazy bit is that they took the idea from Luftwaffe units where it was popular on BF 110's and Focke-Wulf 190's.

[@KimHarderFog]

The Stuka is sorely missing, since it has become synonymous with the sound of airplanes of that era, with the undermounted siren.

[@johnreske1558]

The "soo locks" part of st lawerence seaway. Got the midwest opened

[@Jimblefy]

Awesome factual video Simon and team. Thanks :)

[@5stardave]

The Vought F4U Corsair, the only WWII fighter with continued production through the Korean War.

[@eddieconroy212]

Great video, I did think the 109 would be on there and possibly the Stuka?

[@rukeyazu8669]

I feel like the Stuka dive bomber should’ve been on the list. I’d be surprised if most people couldn’t recognize the sound of its sirens.

[@liferlanceadventures1465]

Why did it have those?

[@rukeyazu8669]

@@liferlanceadventures1465 for the intimidation factor.

[@fentontuck9998]

Yeah, i was surprised it wasn't on there

[@whatnotbutter7470]

@@liferlanceadventures1465 altitude indicator

[@DoBraveryFPS]

Nothing represented the Blitzkrieg more than the Stuka. It was basically the icon for the fall of Europe.

[@glennhardacre5366]

Don't know if anyone has already commented but there were over 20,000 spitfires built

[@kevinbays3408]

The wooden Wonder! de Havilland 'Mosquito'! One of the fastest piston engine planes of the war, second to the 'Lightning'. Higher ceiling than a 'B29' and one version carried an auto loading 6 ponder Anti-Tank cannon. Built in peoples sheds & workshops. Probably the best all-round plane of the war , but just never seems to get mentioned!

[@tacitdionysus3220]

Most iconic FIGHTERS of WW2 - yeah OK. But if you are just talking planes, the C-47 (ubiquitous transport), B-24 Liberator (bomber and maritime patrol with a key role in the Battle of the Atlantic), the PBY Catalina (for it's role at Midway and everywhere else), the DH Mosquito (for innovation) and the Avro Lancaster (for bomb lifting performance) would have to be front runners.

[@dudepool7530]

5:02 Simon has finally given up on Siri, and just resorted to asking us. More reliable, and quicker I'm guessing. Plus, ya know, when you say something, we actually listen lmao. Allegedly.

[@spacecadet35]

The Me262 may have been the first jet fighter to reach a combat squadron, but they were not the first "operational" jet fighter. The Gloster Meteor achieved that status about two weeks ahead of the ME262. While the Me262 flew in a squadron first, these were trials aircraft and there is debate about whether they even carried any armament besides a pistol on the pilots belt.

[@jacobdrum]

The Tuskegee Airmen is actually a perfect Megaproject video.

[@Kadeo-ms6qw]

They aren’t a project, it would make a great biographics video

[@toospooky051]

Nah it would be a Biographic. But I'd smash that like button for a Tuskegee Airman video.

[@CosRacecar]

It's so weird when you watch an old TopTenz video with a beardless Simon standing in front of a green screen.

[@jimmydepersis3130]

Megaprojects request- The M1 Abrams tank. My father was a gunner on one during the Persian Gulf war. He said the Iraqi soldiers were in awe. They couldn't believe how fast and deadly they were. Towards the end of the war they would surrender at the sight of one. Probably didnt help they had old WW2 era Soviet tanks.

[@crazyeyez1502]

The Iraqi version of the t72 was not a ww2 era tank.

[@superhero7464]

@@crazyeyez1502 Okay, what was it then? I have no idea myself, but if you're going to say what it isn't, you should probably say what it is too.

[@crazyeyez1502]

@@superhero7464 a version of the t72.... a tank introduced in 1971...

[@superhero7464]

@@crazyeyez1502 lol, thanks for clarifying. I was planning on buying a T72 for my dad for Christmas, just wanted to confirm before I dropped a million on it.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:40 - Chapter 1 - Super marine spitfire 3:20 - Chapter 2 - North american P51 Mustange 5:30 - Chapter 3 - Messerschmitt ME 262 6:50 - Chapter 4 - Mitsubishi A6M zero 8:15 - Chapter 5 - Focke wulf FW 190

[@riesa85]

Finnish flying aces would have a problem with this list, granted the Brewster was only good in Finnish air forces hands, but the fucking BF-109 made our aces the highest ranked after Axis aces...

[@SRFriso94]

I'd say that the Merlin Engine itself would make for a good Megaprojects, given how many were made during the war and how many planes used them, but Curious Droid already did that pretty much spot on. Dunno, maybe a collab with him would be cool, two bald British blokes explaining technical history would be great. As for another ive, well, five iconic bombers from WWII would be an obvious next step.

[@batticusmanacleas510]

Two Bald British Blokes should be the name of Simon's next channel.

[@simonjackson7269]

And the non Supercharged version that powered many tanks...the MENTOR

[@AluminumOxide]

Next, a space factory called the Space Station Processing Facility

[@leahfairs2392]

Please include the mosquito on the part two of this one. It’s a super cool airplane! I can’t remember the name, but you should do the Soviet plane that the Night Witches used. Better yet, do a video about the Night Witches themselves on one of your many epic channels. They were badass. Thanks for the awesome videos Simon!

[@zackosteen749]

P38 Lighting. More Flying Ace's than any other plane.

[@tonychapman5908]

Flying against aging Japanese aircraft with novice pilots,didnt fair so well in europe

[@chesspiece81]

The Hurricane and Spitfire discussion always leads to an argument between Jeremy Clarkson and James May

[@mugofbrown6234]

They complimented each other. Fish without chips? Cheese without pickle? Hence my little rant about the wonderful Hurricane. 👍

[@chesspiece81]

@@mugofbrown6234 oh no doubt one wouldn't have been as successful without the other

[@mugofbrown6234]

@@chesspiece81 Yes. The need for fighters at such a crucial time and the faster production of the Hurricane plus it's ease of maintainence was vital but the superior performance of the Spitfire and it's ability to be developed further to keep up wirh, then out perform the axis aircraft played a huge part in gaining control of the skies.

[@connorhixenbaugh1567]

Ahhhh just in time. Just got up to date on everything else and saw this came out 1 minute ago 😆

[@skyerose501]

Lol yess

[@michaelalbert1291]

Great video! Part 2 needs to include the P-38 Lightning and the F4U-Corsair

[@baronvonscharfenberg]

P-38 Lightng and B-17 Flying Fortress. Limiting this list to only 5 wasn't very bright.

[@mobius1engage562]

Yes the p38 is my favorite ww2 plane. I'd love to see a video on that

[@Alliesisthemostmedicalstudent]

P-38 is just the cualified one because b17 is a bomber and he did say FIGHTERS on the start

[@shanemize3775]

Well done. You should definitely do a part 2.

[@73THUNDERDOME73]

Do a video on the US’s lend-lease policy in ww2 Cheers from Tx 🥃

[@brandongaines1731]

I agree with other comments about the P-38 Lightning and (for the most part) the DeHaviland Mosquito - both really epic twin-engine aircraft that played major roles in the Allies winning the war in their respective theaters. Few people know this, but the P-38 actually had the best kill ratio of the entire war! And the Mosquito was a key instrument in many major battles, including a liberation attempt at a Nazi prison. And - correct me if I'm wrong, guys - but I believe that both aircraft also used the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine! Speaking of which, the Merlin engine itself would make a GREAT MegaProjects video!

[@daveaunkst6232]

B29 would be interesting for a Mega Project. I think there is only one still flying.

[@kevinbays3408]

There are two flying 'Fifi' & 'Doc'.

[@pauld6967]

@@kevinbays3408 Ah, you beat me to it. 🙂 I have had the good fortune to log time in 'Fifi' and was one of the original donors to return her to flight status all those decades ago. Where does the time go? LOL. I was very happy to see 'Doc' join her in flying status. 🙂 Especially after losing 'Kee Bird' so close to having that plane fly again. ☹️

[@Alliesisthemostmedicalstudent]

I think theres two flyable b29 this day

[@user-ln6bq1gc9t]

-Comment Investigation Agency Agent: - "Everybody put your hands on a keyboard! Start typing ! Noow! This is not a drill ! "-

[@DarkKatzy013]

P-51 mustang Mega-project please. Or the Spitfire and it's aircraft carrier variant the Seafire

[@mikel6668]

Great Video

[@Afronaut64]

I think the *Junkers Ju 87* should have been on the list atleast as an honourable mention

[@carinamchugh4436]

So clearly Simon we’re going to be on a air plane kick for a while, so maybe a video on what Ford did with mass production when it came to assembling bombers and the like during WWII as some of those factors and how quickly they were turning out aircraft was truly astonishing. Also I know this Chanel is knew but have you thought making a Chanel call Aviation-Projects (or something to the like.) I feel that would be right up your alley. But if you ever take a break from videos about things that fly it would be awesomely see a Megaprojects video on the construction of the Sears Tower in Chicago. Or on deep dish pizza that would be fun. 😆 As for fighters that you missed. RNAF Swordfish torpedo bomber, a plane so outdated it actually came full circle and was a great use in the early days of WWII, especially in the hunt for the Bismarck. USAAF Thunderbolt a true beast of the European theater. German 109 Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber, one of the most feared dive bomber of all time, especially when used by Flieder corps 10. And of course there’s the Japanese Oscars. Thanks again for all you’re videos and how well done they are. Please don’t forget to feed Danny and unchain him from the radiator every so often. P.s. how are those zebra masks coming Simon?

[@Chuck-PK]

Sorry, you forgot the Avro Lancaster my good sir. You can make up for it with a video on the Avro Arrow, your Canadian fans demand it. Have a nice day.

[@kevinbays3408]

I agree, some little known facts about the 'Lancaster' are; 1] It was the first nuclear bomber. 6 'Black Lancasters' were built and ready to use at least 6 months before the B29 because they couldn't get the bombs in it until they finally came up with the 'Silverline' version and even this used the Lancaster's bomb release gear! 2] The Lancaster had the biggest payload & 3] As a test bed the Lancaster became the first British bomber to be fitted with jet engines.

[@AniruddhaRairikar]

You showed the ME262 instead of the 109 in the spitfire part and one of the aircrafts in the mustang part was a Yak-3

[@beachboy0505]

Mention the Shell high octane fuel. The Allies had this fuel and gave the Allied airmen an advantage.

[@SilvesterHumaj]

Exactly, the German Bf109s used cheap, crappy low grade 87 octane like a Ford farm tractor or economy car.

[@nickdanger3802]

1939 Esso (Standard Oil) first 100 octane for RAF Wright Field USA wwiiaircraftperformance.org/100-octane/banks-fuel.pdf

[@erikrick]

Idea: Arsenal of Democracy or maybe just Willow Run

[@Tedinator01]

or even the B-24

[@templarw20]

Ah the Mustang. Really excelled when they finally put British engines in it.

[@MiscMitz]

The closest I could find is, "das Spiel ist aus" It is actually "the game is over" Game Over Man!

[@alecmoriarty]

The B-17 should definitely be number 1 on the list. Memphis Belle, anyone?

[@Alliesisthemostmedicalstudent]

He said FIGHTERS not bombers at the first place

[@scottstambaugh8473]

I have always wondered why some American planes like the P51 seem to be so prevalent in Europe, but not in the Pacific. The reverse was true with other planes. I wonder if that is just an impression, or if it was a reality. And why? Why would that be true? Models just more suited to the different theaters?

[@willgillespie4840]

Whoever the editor is, they either don’t know their planes or couldn’t be bothered to put up pictures of the correct one.

[@spookerd]

I now realize the purpose of Sideprojects is so I can get a rapid pace feed of Simon videos. Seems like they're averaging between 5-10 minutes so I can marathon them to get my Simon fix.

[@AllenLinnenJr]

"Necessity is the mother of invention" is a myth. Most of the war "inventions" were invented before the war started. The war merely incented people to put these into production. Thus, a better aphorism would be, necessity is the mother of production.

[@marjieestivill]

Case in point from personal experience: After hurricane Katrina, where my medical examiner/pathologist/inventor brother was helping out, he saw a huge need for a way to make durable records of found bodies and body parts in a mass casualty event, so he created a device and accompanying app for inserting rfids into the body/part with identifying information taken from a gps reading of where it was found and any other identifying information entered into the record deposited into the rfid implant...because there were a couple thousand bodies from Katrina that were moved around to various storage areas and families lost bodies of their deceased family members and decomposition made then unidentifiable. The major city county government he worked for was mildly interested and perhaps mildly amused, and made a half-hearted failed effort to put it into production in case needed...until the major city had its first mass casualty event (Covid) where bodies were being moved into temporary storage areas and records identifying the bodies became mixed up. Suddenly funding and attention for putting the device into production became available...mass casualty events that overload local capacities were not a distant reality.

[@DubhghlasMacDubhghlas]

A lot medical advances did come through war. Namely with dealing with trauma. But you take the smooth hemostat clamps was created in the Korean conflict. Which end up being key in non trauma medical treatments, since they did not damage the veins. Quick cot came from war.

[@oracleofdelphi4533]

Well, Simon said that truer words have never been spoken...

[@DubhghlasMacDubhghlas]

@bro ha The smooth hemostat clamps was created by a blacksmith in Korea... under the direction of US military doctor.... No billions or millions spent. And it wasn't order by the government either. And if i remember right quick cot didn't get government funding to be created either. But once the military started using it start to RnD to see how it could be used outside of the original emergency use.

[@sphinxrising1129]

History says you are dead wrong.

[@MarshFlyFightWin]

Do you think you could do a video on the Nevada-Class Battleships as both ships had interesting careers. One of which USS Nevada tried to escape Pearl Harbor, fought at D-Day , Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, and survived 2 atomic bombs. I would say that's a mega ship. Awesome video. Hope more videos are coming.

[@nealhoffman7518]

Part 2 should cover the Corsair and Hellcats

[@gooner72]

@Simon Whistler.... A couple of things mate..... #1) the Hawker Hurricane carried out more missions and shot down more enemy aircraft than the Super marine Spitfire so it deserves more credit in my opinion. #2) whilst talking about the BF-109, you showed a picture of a ME-262. #3) you missed out the unbelievably good De-Havilland Mosquito.

[@markagambrel1022]

"The whole 9 yards" saying comes from there was 9 yards worth of ammo belt for machine guns

[@alanrogers7090]

It wasn't a generic saying, the "nine yards" referred to the ammunition carried by each machine gun on a B-17 bomber. If you ever see films or photos of the inside of a B-17, you will see wooden boxes to store the ammunition. Each gun position had its own box, sometimes two, as the tail-gunner, upper turret gunner, and belly gunner had two machine guns. (Although the belly gunner had metal tracks for its ammo as wooden boxes were too bulky for that situation.

[@JayCeF076]

You should definitely do a part 2!

[@mccabecompositions]

The FW109 wasn't too iconic, I would said the P38 Lightning was more iconic, due to the twin tails

[@johnnieangel99]

You might enjoy looking into the YB-40 Gunship. A B-17 that removed it's bombs and added a bunch more guns.

[@jaanikaapa6925]

Hurricane stopped the bombers in BoB, Spit was more against the fighters.

[@patrickbrookings]

Being half British myself, I am probably biased to say that the Spitfire is my favourite. My dad (who is from Oxford) told me all about these. And even as a kid I had a little model Spitfire plane which worked with a battery to make the propeller work.

[@user-ln6bq1gc9t]

Comment Investigation Agency Agent: "Everybody put your hands on a keyboard! Start typing ! Noow! This is not a drill ! "

[@ChewiePainting]

hi german here: the jig is up propably best translates to " das Spiel ist aus" meaning literally: " the game is over" :) great video btw thanks :)

[@thatterenceguy95]

The Spitfire just makes me think of Jeremy Clarkson and James May arguing. Edit: Also I'd argue the BF 109 should be on the list for being more iconic, even if the FW 190 was a better plane.

[@--enyo--]

Memories. 😂

[@bushmanPMRR]

I've been copy & pasting the below message for ages on your other channel, Geographics. This is a fascinating place with so much history and so many stories to tell, not least our own wedding there in 2005! I don't want to have to be spamming TWO of your channels now! Allegendly! OG Blaze reference there! Simon, please could you possibly do a video of the Rosslyn Chapel? This place is so worthy of a video! Building commenced in 1456 and took many years to complete, despite it's relatively small size. The main reason was the sheer volume of intricate carvings within. Virtually every square inch has been carved with symbols both Christian as well as Pagan, depictions from the bible and even a type of corn from America that pre-dates Columbus' supposed discovery. Two aspects that must be mentioned when discussing Rosslyn are that the Holy Grail is alleged by some to be hidden there, as portrayed in the Dan Brown novel The Da Vinci Code with Tom Hanks playing the lead role in the film. The other aspect is The Apprentice Pillar. The Master Mason carved his pillar (on the left as you look down the aisle) and apparently had to go away on some other business only to discover on his return the Apprentice mason had done his own 'freestyle' work on a pillar to the right. The apprentice's pillar was such a thing of beauty the Master mason killed the apprentice out of jealousy! This is such an amazing place with so much history and so many stories I honestly think Geographics should do a video on it.

[@GBlanchy]

This needs to be renamed top 5 iconic fighter planes of World War II

[@JayJay-ex6yo]

this deffintly needed to be a ten most list. for part two, the B-29, Ju 87 Stuka, B-17, Mosquito, IL-2