These Are History's 5 Best Aircraft Carrier-Launched Fighter Jets Ever

[rangerrebew]

June 6, 2020

These Are History's 5 Best Aircraft Carrier-Launched Fighter Jets Ever

To quality for this list, the carrier-based-fighter in question must not only have been effective, but also had significant operational impact.
by Sebastien Roblin

Here's What You Need To Remember: Despite its flaws, the Phantom proved you could combine speed, heavy payload, advanced sensors, and (eventually) decent agility in one large airplane, a principle which informs modern fourth-generation jets such as currently-serving FA-18E/F Super Hornet.
 

Designing an airplane that can fly at high speeds lugging heavy weapons loads, and yet still takeoff and land on a short flight deck a few hundred meters long has always posed a formidable engineering challenge. Sea-based fighters typically feature folding wings for easier stowage, ruggedized landing gear and arrester equipment, and greater robustness to endure the wear and tear from sea-based operations. These all literally weigh against the exquisite engineering exhibited by land-based fighters.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/these-are-historys-5-best-aircraft-carrier-launched-fighter-jets-ever-161016

[EdinVA]

Fighter JETS????
Mitsubishi A6M and Vought F4U Corsair are WWII Propeller driven....

[PeteS in CA]

These Are History's 5 Best Aircraft Carrier-Launched Fighter Jets Ever

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Vought F4U Corsair

Ummmmmm ... neither of these two fighter aircraft were jets.

Beyond that, the F9F Panther was not very successful in Korea, being a straight-wing jet while MiG-15s were swept-wing and faster. A more apt choice would have been the more successful F-8 Crusader (which served in Vietnam).

Both the F-14 Tomcat and the F-18 Hornet saw combat and performed well.

While the F4U was carrier capable, it was mostly flown from land bases in WW2 and mostly used as an attack aircraft in Korea (it was outclassed by the much newer MiG-15, though it did shoot down at least one).

If "jet" is ignored, then the F6F should replace the F4U as a carrier-operated fighter. It was the work horse that overcame the A6M.