The United States was driven by innovation and the necessity to develop some of the fastest airplanes of the time. As a result, they produced nearly two-thirds of all Allied military equipment used during the Second World War, including 297,000 aircraft. These aircraft played a significant role in helping to turn the tide in favor of the Allies by bolstering the Allies’ military capabilities and playing a transformative role in both air offense and defense during World War II. (These are the WWII bombings that involved the most planes.)
24/7 Wall St. reviewed WW2 Aircraft Ranked-by-Speed, a list compiled by Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, aircraft, arms, and more to determine the 20 fastest U.S. military planes of WWII. Military aircraft were ranked based on their top speed. Only military planes that had production runs of more than 30 were considered, while prototypes and concept aircraft were excluded. Supplemental information about the year entered service, crew size, and roles also came from Military Factory.
Renowned for both its speed and maneuverability, the North American P-51 Mustang performed the role of both a fighter and bomber escort and with a maximum speed of 437 miles per hour and a range of over 950 miles, it became iconic throughout the war. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning also makes this list as one of the fastest U.S. military planes of WWII. The P-38 had a top speed of 414 miles per hour and a range of over 2,200 miles. The Lightning demonstrated its effectiveness in varied roles such as interceptor, fighter-bomber, recon, and night fighter, solidifying its status in WWII aviation history.
It should be noted that most of the planes that make this list played roles in air-to-air combat and had small operating crews. Also, planes more toward the top of this list tended to have higher production runs. (These are the most-produced aircraft by any nation during WWII.) These aircraft contributed to the eventual victory of the Allied Powers by pushing the boundaries of aviation technology and leaving a mark on the history of military aviation.
Here’s a look at the fastest U.S. military planes of World War II.
20. Lockheed C-69 Constellation (Model L-049)
- Top speed: 346 mph
- Year entered service: 1945
- Production run: 856
- Crew: 4
- Roles: Transport
19. Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk
- Top speed: 351 mph
- Year entered service: 1941
- Production run: 1,180
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, ground attack (bombing, strafing)
18. Douglas A-26 / B-26 Invader
- Top speed: 355 mph
- Year entered service: 1944
- Production run: 2,452
- Crew: 3
- Roles: Ground attack (bombing, strafing), close-air support, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance, training
17. Republic P-43 Lancer
- Top speed: 357 mph
- Year entered service: 1941
- Production run: 272
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, ground attack (bombing, strafing), intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance, training
16. Consolidated B-32 Dominator
- Top speed: 357 mph
- Year entered service: 1945
- Production run: 118
- Crew: 10
- Roles: Ground attack (bombing, strafing), training
15. Boeing B-29 Superfortress
- Top speed: 358 mph
- Year entered service: 1943
- Production run: 3,970
- Crew: 10
- Roles: Ground attack (bombing, strafing), search & rescue, aerial refueling, transport, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance, training
14. North American A-36 Mustang
- Top speed: 365 mph
- Year entered service: 1943
- Production run: 500
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, ground attack (bombing, strafing), close-air support
13. Northrop P-61 / F-61 Black Widow
- Top speed: 366 mph
- Year entered service: 1943
- Production run: 742
- Crew: 3
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
12. Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
- Top speed: 378 mph
- Year entered service: 1941
- Production run: 16,800
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
11. Grumman F6F Hellcat
- Top speed: 380 mph
- Year entered service: 1943
- Production run: 12,272
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Ait-to-air combat fighter, interception, ground attack (bombing, strafing), close-air support, maritime
10. Bell P-39 Airacobra
- Top speed: 386 mph
- Year entered service: 1941
- Production run: 9,588
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, interception, ground attack (bombing, strafing), close-air support
9. Bell P-63 Kingcobra
- Top speed: 410 mph
- Year entered service: 1943
- Production run: 3,303
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat, close-air support
8. Lockheed P-38 Lightning
- Top speed: 414 mph
- Year entered service: 1939
- Production run: 9,923
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, ground attack (bombing, strafing), intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
7. Brewster F3A (F4U-1) Corsair
- Top speed: 416 mph
- Year entered service: 1943
- Production run: 600
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, interception, ground attack (bombing, strafing), close-air support, maritime, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
6. Grumman F8F Bearcat
- Top speed: 421 mph
- Year entered service: 1945
- Production run: 1,266
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, interception, maritime
5. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
- Top speed: 433 mph
- Year entered service: 1942
- Production run: 15,660
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, ground attack (bombing, strafing), close-air support
4. North American P-51 Mustang
- Top speed: 437 mph
- Year entered service: 1942
- Production run: 15,586
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, interception, close-air support, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance, training
3. Northrop F-15 Reporter
- Top speed: 441 mph
- Year entered service: 1945
- Production run: 36
- Crew: 2
- Roles: Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
2. Vought F4U Corsair
- Top speed: 446 mph
- Year entered service: 1942
- Production run: 12,571
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, interception, ground attack (bombing, strafing), close-air support, maritime, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
1. Lockheed P-80 / F-80 Shooting Star
- Top speed: 577 mph
- Year entered service: 1945
- Production run: 1,715
- Crew: 1
- Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, close-air support
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