Making a list of top ten aircraft of the Second World War might trigger the Third World War among aircraft enthusiasts. Design, performance rates, numbers, combat experience — everyone has a different opinion. The dispute could last for ages, and a consensus might never be reached.
But what about the top ten worst aircraft of World War Two? Is it possible to make a list of aircraft that were so bad that no one wanted to fly them? Well, the selection is a bit narrower than for the best aircraft, but there are still quite enough to pick ten of the most horrifying.
The following aircraft were monuments of obsoleteness, engineering failures, and wasted money.
1. Blackburn Botha – Great Britain
Blackburn Botha is one of the rare aircraft in the history of aviation that has been replaced with an older version. It happened after a very brief war career that began in 1939 and lasted for only 18 months.
As a reconnaissance plane/torpedo bomber, Botha had quite a long list of drawbacks. It had a very small cockpit and no rear facing windows, which was very unusual for a reconnaissance plane. As a bomber, the aircraft was very slow with a maximum speed of 249 mph. It was also very unsteady and difficult to control due to a heavy and unstable airframe.
