ME262 was not good, but it was the first to see combat.
I’m surprised the Spitfire and FW 190 were not considered.
Indeed. ME262 is fun and interesting, but did not make a difference in the war.
Spitfire, FW 190 and P-51 Mustang would be better choices.
The ME262 was not that dominant because they weren’t that many of them. The Yak-3 was really good, despite the bad quality of the build.
Disagree on the Mig-21. There were just lots of them. The Mig-15 was much better during its time.
Spitfire and P-38 in WW2 merely because of their longevity.
The Spitfire had the same engine as the Merlin powered
P-51 Mustang. The Mustang had twice the fuel capacity and twice the range of a Spitfire though. Due to its lake of range, the Spitfire was useless as a bomber escort.
For bomber escort and fighter superiority missions, the
P-51 Mustang was the best fighter of WWII. The P-47 was the best fighter-bomber due to its air-cooled radial engine, 8 50-caliber machine guns, and bomb load capacity. Fighters with a liquid-cooled engine like the P-51 and Spitfire were much more vulnerable in ground attack missions.