10 of the best fighters in modern warfare

The Chance Vought F4U Corsair served in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, Fleet Air Arm, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the French Navy Aéronavale.It was a carrier capable fighter aircraft that saw service in WW II and the Korean Conflict. The demand for the aircraft put a strain on Vought’s manufacturing capacity which resulted in Goodyear also producing the Chance Vought F4U Corsair.Goodyear built Corsairs were given the designation of FG. The aircraft produced by Brewster was given the designation F3A.Over 12,000 Chance Vought F4U Corsairs were manufactured and delivered into the combat theater in 1940. The last Corsair was delivered to the French in 1953. F4U Corsairs were manufactured by Vought, in 16 separate models. It had the longest production run of any piston-engine fighter in U.S. history. The first Corsair ace was 2Lt. Kenneth A. Walsh, who racked up a total of 21 kills during the war.The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger (Shrike) was a single seat German aircraft produced for combat in WWII. The single-engine Fw 190 fighter aircraft was designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s.It was powered by a radial engine. The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration. The cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes of a wheel. The Fw 190 had plenty of power.It lifted larger loads then it’s counterpart the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The Luftwaffe used this aircraft in a variety of roles which included, a fighter by day, a fighter-bomber, a ground-attack aircraft and, to a lesser degree, nighttime fighter.The Fw 190 was the backbone of the Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force), along with the Bf 109. Along the Eastern Front, the Fw 190 was versatile enough to use in Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings). It specialized in ground attack units and achieved success in destroying Soviet ground forces.The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and several other Allied countries throughout WW II. The Spitfire was used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s.The Spitfire was produced in large numbers by Vickers-Armstrong. More of these aircraft were produced than any other British aircraft. The Spitfire was designed to be a short-range but high performance interceptor aircraft.The Spitfire units had one of the lowest attrition rates and a higher victory-to-loss ratio than most aircraft in Britain’s arsenal. View the list »
The North American P-51 Mustang was a long-range, single-seat fighter-bomber used during World War II, and the Korean Conflict. The Mustang was conceived, designed and built by North American Aviation (NAA).It was only 102 days after the contract was signed for the P-51 Mustang to be built. The prototype NA-73X airframe was "rolled out" in 1940. After the engine was installed it took flight on Oct. 26, and soared into military history.In 1944, General James Doolittle told the fighters to stop flying in formation. This was because German aircraft were flying through their formation before the P-51 Mustangs could react.He also told the pilots to stop flying with the bombers and to attack the Luftwaffe wherever it could be found. Doolittle's tactic was for the P-51 Mustang groups to be sent in before the bombers in a "fighter sweep.” This allowed the fighters to intercept German fighters as they were gathering into formation.The result of this change in tactics caused the Luftwaffe to lose 17 percent of its fighter pilots in about a week, The Allies were able to establish air superiority because of the P-51’s new and unconventional method of fighting the Germans. 

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Fighter aircraft, also known as combat aircraft, are designed to be used as instruments of warfare. The primary function of a fighter plane is for air-to-air combat against another aircraft.

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A fighter can also be used for ground attacks such as bombing. The signature characteristics of fighters are their speed, maneuverability, and small size relative to other combat aircraft.

The main purpose of combat aircraft is to establish air superiority over a battlefield. Since the advent of modern warfare beginning in World War I, the most important things are achieving and maintaining air superiority. This is an essential part of winning in conventional warfare.

It wasn’t until after WW I that fighter aircraft become known as fighters. England’s Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force called their aircraft “scouts” until the early 1920s. The United States Army called our fighters “pursuit” aircraft starting in 1916 until 1940.

The French tagged their fighters as chasseur, while the German Jagdflugzeuge aircraft were known as hunter or hunting aircraft. Russians called their aircraft exterminators. The Israelis named theirs simply battle planes.

The following list was complied after doing some research on combat aircraft. The ranking of the aircraft on this list is a result of a MilitaryFactory.com study. MilitaryFactory.com’s list has the most comprehensive factors in determining the top aircraft.

According to their site, fighter aircraft are chosen based on a specific set of criteria, which include the following:

Based on production numbers, combat performance and a general assessment of their effect during their particular period in aviation history.

Note: The reason this list is not called the top 10 fighters of all-time is because one day, there might be some better aircraft built that could make this list obsolete. Therefore, this Examiner is being careful not to call anything the "best of all-time."

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  • The North American P-51 Mustang was a long-range, single-seat fighter-bomber used during World War II, and the Korean Conflict. The Mustang was conceived, designed and built by North American Aviation (NAA).It was only 102 days after the contract was signed for the P-51 Mustang to be built. The prototype NA-73X airframe was "rolled out" in 1940. After the engine was installed it took flight on Oct. 26, and soared into military history.In 1944, General James Doolittle told the fighters to stop flying in formation. This was because German aircraft were flying through their formation before the P-51 Mustangs could react.He also told the pilots to stop flying with the bombers and to attack the Luftwaffe wherever it could be found. Doolittle's tactic was for the P-51 Mustang groups to be sent in before the bombers in a "fighter sweep.” This allowed the fighters to intercept German fighters as they were gathering into formation.The result of this change in tactics caused the Luftwaffe to lose 17 percent of its fighter pilots in about a week, The Allies were able to establish air superiority because of the P-51’s new and unconventional method of fighting the Germans. 
  • The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and several other Allied countries throughout WW II. The Spitfire was used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s.The Spitfire was produced in large numbers by Vickers-Armstrong. More of these aircraft were produced than any other British aircraft. The Spitfire was designed to be a short-range but high performance interceptor aircraft.The Spitfire units had one of the lowest attrition rates and a higher victory-to-loss ratio than most aircraft in Britain’s arsenal. 
  • The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger (Shrike) was a single seat German aircraft produced for combat in WWII. The single-engine Fw 190 fighter aircraft was designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s.It was powered by a radial engine. The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration. The cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes of a wheel. The Fw 190 had plenty of power.It lifted larger loads then it’s counterpart the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The Luftwaffe used this aircraft in a variety of roles which included, a fighter by day, a fighter-bomber, a ground-attack aircraft and, to a lesser degree, nighttime fighter.The Fw 190 was the backbone of the Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force), along with the Bf 109. Along the Eastern Front, the Fw 190 was versatile enough to use in Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings). It specialized in ground attack units and achieved success in destroying Soviet ground forces.
  • The Chance Vought F4U Corsair served in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, Fleet Air Arm, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the French Navy Aéronavale.It was a carrier capable fighter aircraft that saw service in WW II and the Korean Conflict. The demand for the aircraft put a strain on Vought’s manufacturing capacity which resulted in Goodyear also producing the Chance Vought F4U Corsair.Goodyear built Corsairs were given the designation of FG. The aircraft produced by Brewster was given the designation F3A.Over 12,000 Chance Vought F4U Corsairs were manufactured and delivered into the combat theater in 1940. The last Corsair was delivered to the French in 1953. F4U Corsairs were manufactured by Vought, in 16 separate models. It had the longest production run of any piston-engine fighter in U.S. history. The first Corsair ace was 2Lt. Kenneth A. Walsh, who racked up a total of 21 kills during the war.
  • The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft that was set to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in the United States Navy.The F6F Hellcat resembled the Wildcat but was a new design. It was powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt and Whitney R-2800.It was built at the same plant that created the Navy’s Chance Vought F4U Corsair and the Army and Air Force’s P-47 Thunderbolt. Some military observers tagged the F6F Hellcat as the "Wildcat's big brother."It was perhaps best known for its role as a rugged, well designed carrier fighter. It came into combat duty to counter the Mitsubishi A6M and helped to secure the United States' air superiority in the Pacific Theater. Hellcats are credited with destroying 5,223 aircraft while in service. The U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm all used the Hellcat. 
  • The Messerschmitt Bf 109, was designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the 1930s. It was a German World War II fighter aircraft and one of the first of its era.It included features such as an all metal monocoque construction with a closed canopy. The monocoque is a structural approach that supports loads through an object's external skin, similar to a ping pong ball or egg shell.The Messerschmitt Bf 109 had retractable landing gear and was powered by a liquid cooled inverted V-12 engine. It saw its first operational service during the Spanish Civil War.The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was still in operation at the dawn of the jet age, near the end of WWII. During the war it was the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s fighter force. Its original conception was to be an interceptor. Later models were created to perform multiple tasks such as bomber escort, fighter bomber and an all weather fighter.It could also serve as a ground attack aircraft. The Bf 109 was supplied to and operated by several states during World War II. It served as a military aircraft for many countries for several years after the war. The Bf 109 was the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced from 1936 up to April 1945.It was flown by three of Germany’s top aces during WWII, these pilots claimed 928 victories against Allied Forces mostly on the Eastern Front. 
  • The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was the United State’s most expensive aircraft at the time it was built. It was also the largest and heaviest aircraft of its day.The P-47 Thunderbolt was armed with eight .50-caliber machines, four on each wing. The P-47 Thunderbolt weighed 2,500 pounds and when fully loaded it weighed over eight tons. It was powered by a single piston engine, the R-2800 Double Wasp, designed by Pratt & Whitney. It was also used as a fighter-bomber in ground attacks. This aircraft could carry five inch rockets or a bomb load of 2,500 pounds.The Thunderbolt was a very effective short-to-medium range escort fighter in high altitude air-to-air combat. This fighter was used during WWII in both the European and Pacific theaters. Near the end of the war the P-47 Thunderbolt was known as the “hot rod” of aircraft and could reach speeds of 500 mph. Those “hot rods” were used to intercept German V-1 rockets.
  • The F-4 Phantom II was developed by McDonnell Douglass Aircraft for the U.S. Navy. It proved adaptable and was used by the Marines and Air Force. By the mid 1960s, it became a major part of our military air wings. The F-4 Phantom II was regarded by many as one of the best military aircraft designs of all time. It's said to be the pinnacle of all fighters during the Cold War-era on every level. The Phantom was capable of carrying over 18,000 pounds of weapons on nine external hardpoints. A hardpoint, or weapon station, is any part of an airframe designed to carry an external load.It could carry air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and a multitude of bombs. The F-4 Phantom II was a tandem two seat fighter with twin-engines. It's purpose was as an all-weather long range supersonic, (mach 2.2), interceptor jet fighter. The Phantom is credited with downing at least 280 enemy aircraft over Vietnam. It flew sorties in the first Gulf War and left the service in 1996. Starting in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, which includes speed and altitude records.     
  • The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 was a subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the USSR in 1952. The MiG-17F was built on the successes of its predecessor the MiG-15, which appeared in the Korean Conflict.The MiG-17F design cured the high-speed handling issues of the MiG-15 series. It also provided an increase in maximum speed and altitude capability.MiG-17s were used to intercept enemy bomber, it wasn't designed for air-to-air combat, also known as dog-fighting, with other fighters. The MiG17F saw action in the Vietnam War and American pilots were at their mercy because of its powerful canons. It was lightweight and agile against the heavier missile laden U.S. Vietnam-era fighters which gave the MiG-17 a tactical advantage. Most MiG-17s carried air-to-air missiles but was capable of downing enemy aircraft with its ruthless cannons. 
  • The Sopwith Camel was first used on the Western Front in 1917. It was a British First single-seat biplane fighter manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company.The Sopwith Camel had a short-coupled fuselage; with a heavy but powerful rotary engine, It could lay down a concentrated rain of fire from its twin synchronized machine guns.It’s dual machine-guns often made short work of enemy fighters, bombers and dirigibles. It was a difficult aircraft to handle but to the experienced pilot, it provided an unmatched maneuverability.The Sopwith Camel was a superior aircraft and the best Allied fighter of WW I. It recorded 1,294 kills against enemy aircraft. It was also used in ground-attacks after it became outclassed by newer fighters. Because of its agility in combat it's one of the most remembered Allied aircraft used in WW I. 
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, Dothan Marine Corps Examiner

Joseph graduated from Parris Island on December 17, 1981. He then went to Fort Sill, Ok for his MOS training as an 0844 (FDC). He was stationed at 29 Palms, California with 4th Battalion 11th Marines HQ Battery. He was a survey/metro-man that supported the artillery battalion. He did some forward...

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