VOTE: What is the most important US made aircraft in RAF history?

[Park82]

After the tremendous success of our last RAF Benevolent Fund poll, in which the Tornado won the vote for the RAF’s greatest post-WW2 fighter jet, we have decided to run another poll.

This time the vote is to decide:

What is the most important US-made aircraft in RAF history?

To vote, visit our special new 90th anniversary microsite, by clicking on the link below:

90 faces of the RAF Benevolent Fund

About "90 Faces of the RAF Benevolent Fund":

To celebrate our 90 years of work since being established by Lord Trenchard in 1919, our new microsite features 90 stories about our beneficiaries, history, fundraisers and supporters.

If you visit you can listen to Winston Churchill's famous 1951 radio broadcast on behalf of the RAFBF, watch videos of beneficiaries and serving personnel describe how we help, learn about the enormous support we enjoy among the RAF family and the various ways we are celebrating our 90th anniversary this year.

 

[windscorpion]

I was going to vote for the Mustang but it wasn't on the list.

 

[Salty Dog]

The Douglas C-47 "Dakota" - not on the list

 

[riksavage]

The Mustang was designed in Britain, fitted with a Merlin engine and built in the US. Not sure whether the RAF flew Mustangs. For long range work requiring a fghter to escort the night time bombing raids they used Mosquitos. For CAS they used Typhoon and Tempest.

I would go with the Liberator bomber

 

[B3LA]

The P51 was based on the Curtis P-40 which was a 100% American design by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
The british refitted it with a much more powerfull Rolls-Royce engine, but the P-51 is still an US design.
I would have have voted for the "Little Buddy" myself, as a long range daylight bomber escort it was invaluable.

 

[B3LA]

The P-51 was based on the Curtis P-40 which was a 100% American design by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
The British refitted it with a much more powerful Rolls-Royce engine, but the P-51 is still an US design.
I would have have voted for the "Little Buddy" myself, as a long range daylight bomber escort it was invaluable.

 

[windscorpion]

The RAF did fly Mustangs, its main importance comes from the fact it was designed for the RAF and thus came about because of them though admittedly it's main impact in the war was with the USAAF.

 

[Cucullain]

I would have to agree that the B-24 Liberator was the most important aircraft for the RAF. It arrived at a time when the activities of the U boats in the North Atlantic was a major threat to England's ability to carry on the war. The range of the B-24, when it arrived, allowed Coastal Command to close "the gap" in the Atlantic so that there was no part of the North Atlantic that was safe from air attack for the submarines. Thus it could be argued that the Liberator guaranteed the continued existance of the RAF at the time.
While the P-51 served in the RAF it was never a major part of it's fighter strength. This role was fulfilled by the various versions of the Spitfire. The long range of the Mustang was not a major requirement for the RAF at the time as it conducted night bombing which did not have the same requirement for fighter cover that the day bombing by the U.S. had.

 

[riksavage]

The P-51 was based on the Curtis P-40 which was a 100% American design by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
The British refitted it with a much more powerful Rolls-Royce engine, but the P-51 is still an US design.
I would have have voted for the "Little Buddy" myself, as a long range daylight bomber escort it was invaluable.

You are right, the Mustang was designed in the US to British specifications at a fixed cost, and the RAF did fly them.

 

[gf0012-aust]

aircraft that did sterling work WW2

P40 warhawk/tomahawk/kittyhawk
B24 liberator

significant after the war for range and reach in the cold war - The Washingtons

off the list I'd say Chooks and Hercs.

 

[StevoJH]

And the Herc is in front with 145 Votes followed by the Phantom with 112 votes while the Chinook languishes in fourth place after the Liberator with 28 votes.

 

[Park82]

Dakota added

After strong demand we have added the Douglas Dakota to our vote to find the most important US-made aircraft in RAF history.

At the moment the Hercules and Phantom are battling it out for top spot, with the Liberator and Chinook a good way behind. Five other choices are scrapping it out for the remaining votes.

Please add your vote now and let us know what you think. Just visit:

90 faces of the RAF Benevolent Fund

and make your choice!

 

[Tommy Enfield]

The Liberator

In my opinion it was the Liberator as It boasts the record of U-Boats sunk by any warplane during WWII, (around 72, I believe, including shared victories) helping to win the longest battle of that conflict. It was also chosen by Winston Churchill himself as his personal transport.

Regards,
Tommy

 

[Tommy Enfield]

P-51 is pretty much an American Product

The Mustang was designed in Britain, fitted with a Merlin engine and built in the US. Not sure whether the RAF flew Mustangs. For long range work requiring a fghter to escort the night time bombing raids they used Mosquitos. For CAS they used Typhoon and Tempest.

Hi,

As far as know the P-51 was designed in the US to fulfil a RAF requirement, during the dark days of the Battle of Britain, in a record 122 days timeframe.

Then came the Merlin-Mustang formula that we all are familiar with.

Regards,

Tmmy

 

[Tommy Enfield]

North American P-51

The P-51 was based on the Curtis P-40 which was a 100% American design by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
The British refitted it with a much more powerful Rolls-Royce engine, but the P-51 is still an US design.
I would have have voted for the "Little Buddy" myself, as a long range daylight bomber escort it was invaluable.

Hi,

I think the P-51 was designed by North American Co. not Curtis to a novel laminar-flow wing desing.

Rgrds

Tommy

 

[Park82]

1 week left of poll!

Many thanks for your votes to find the most important US-made aircraft in RAF history.

We will be closing down the poll at the end of next week so please, if you haven't voted yet, make your choice now - there is still time to change the outcome! Just click on the link below to vote.

90 faces of the RAF Benevolent Fund

At the moment the Phantom is leading the Hercules by about 30 votes, with all other options trailing far behind. We are a little surprised that there have not been more votes for the Liberator or Catalina, but the Phantom does seem to enjoy some serious support!