5 Criminally Underrated World War II Planes

World War II saw the creation of many different aircraft. You often hear about the famous ones like the Spitfire, Mustang, and others from the period. But there were other planes that played a role in the war, even if they didn’t become as famous. Some were made in large numbers, yet they still don’t get mentioned as much. We’ll highlight five of these underrated but still important planes.

CAC Boomerang

The first plane is the CAC Boomerang. This was a fighter plane designed and built in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1942 and 1945. During the 1930s, Australia realized that both Germany and Japan were becoming more aggressive, so they needed to boost their aircraft industry. At the start of the war, Australia got many fighters from Britain, but as the war got tougher, Britain struggled to supply even themselves with enough planes. Australia decided they needed their own plane and thus created the Boomerang. They produced only 250 of these planes in different versions. The Boomerang was very maneuverable, but it wasn’t very fast because Australia didn’t have access to top-notch engines. Early in the war, the Boomerang was mostly used for home defense. As the war progressed, it was used for ground support, aerial recon missions, and even search-and-rescue operations. Australian World War II history fans appreciate the Boomerang, and many of these planes are still preserved today.

FIAT G.55 Centauro

Next up is the FIAT G.55 Centauro, an Italian fighter plane introduced in 1943. Only 349 of these planes were built, including 75 after the war was over. Italian pilots really liked this aircraft. When they flew it against other top fighter planes of the era like the Spitfire and the Mustang, the Centauro could hold its own. Even some German pilots thought the Centauro was better than their own planes, like the BF 109. Unfortunately, it was made too late in the war and not in large enough numbers to make a big difference.

Grumman F8F Bearcat

The third plane on our list is the Grumman F8F Bearcat. This American aircraft was an evolution of the Wildcat and Hellcat fighters. Over a thousand Bearcats were built, but development didn’t start until late 1943, and the plane wasn’t introduced until May 1945. This means it missed most of the war. The idea for the Bearcat came from a meeting between Grumman and experienced Wildcat pilots. One of the main goals was to improve the plane’s ability to climb quickly. Also, the Bearcat needed to be small enough to operate from smaller aircraft carriers. The result was a powerful and maneuverable plane that could even break speed records. Although it was used by the Navy after the war, the rise of jet planes soon made it less important.

Hawker Tempest

Another underrated plane is the Hawker Tempest from Britain. Developed from the Hawker Typhoon, the Tempest was introduced in January 1944. It was created to fix some problems the Typhoon had, especially at high altitudes. The new design featured a different wing for better performance. The Tempest became one of the most powerful fighter planes of World War II. It was especially useful in intercepting V1 flying bombs and in ground attack roles. The Tempest was also effective against enemy jets at low altitudes. Britain built 1,702 of these planes, but they are often overshadowed by other British planes like the Spitfire and Mosquito.

Douglas A-20 Havoc

Finally, we have the Douglas A-20 Havoc, also known by other names depending on the version, like DB-7, Boston, and P-70. Manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, it first flew in 1939. The U.S. Army Air Forces didn’t initially show much interest in this plane. However, the French placed a large order for it, which led to some design changes. The A-20 ended up being a versatile plane. It was easy to fly and could be used as both a fighter and a bomber, although it wasn’t great at either role. Despite this, it found uses in every combat theater of the war and became a favorite among pilots for its flexibility and ease of use. A total of 7,478 of these planes were built by 1944.