Special Report

The Fastest US Military Planes of World War II

24/7 Wall St. Staff

Published: January 18, 2024 11:35 am

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)

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Top speed: 346 mph
• Year entered service: 1945
• Production run: 856
• Crew: 4
• Roles: Transport

19. Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk

Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr

• 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

Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr

• 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

Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr

• 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

Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr

• Top speed: 357 mph
• Year entered service: 1945
• Production run: 118
• Crew: 10
• Roles: Ground attack (bombing, strafing), training

15. Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Source: icholakov / iStock via Getty Images

• 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

Source: Courtesy of the Official United States Air Force Website, released into the Public Domain

• 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

Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr

• 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

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Falconu00c3u0082u00c2u00ae Photography

• 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

Source: rancho_runner / iStock via Getty Images

• 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

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• 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

Source: richard neville / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr

• 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

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• 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

Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat u00e2u0080u009812267... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Alan Wilson

• 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

Source: US Air Force / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

• 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

Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr

• 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

Source: 37467370@N08 / Flickr

• Top speed: 441 mph
• Year entered service: 1945
• Production run: 36
• Crew: 2
• Roles: Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance

2. Vought F4U Corsair

Vought F4U Corsair 7 (CC BY 2.0) by Tony Hisgett

• 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

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Top speed: 577 mph
• Year entered service: 1945
• Production run: 1,715
• Crew: 1
• Roles: Air-to-air combat fighter, close-air support