U.S. Fighter Aircraft with the Most Confirmed Kills in World War II

During World War II, American fighter aircraft played a major role in establishing air superiority across multiple theaters. Planes like the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-38 Lightning combined speed, durability, and heavy armament to take on both aerial and ground targets.

These aircraft were used in bomber escort missions, strafing runs, and dogfights, helping the Allies maintain control of the skies. Over time, certain fighters stood out for the number of confirmed enemy aircraft they destroyed.

Here’s a look at the U.S. fighter aircraft with the highest confirmed kills during World War II and what made them so effective.

19. FR Fireball

Confirmed kills: 0
Manufacturer: Ryan Aeronautical Company
Type: Jet Fighter
Year: 1945
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 3,488 kg
Engine: One General Electric J31-GE-3 turbojet rated at 1,600 lbf; one Wright R-1820-72W Cyclone radial engine rated at 1,350 hp
Top speed: 650 kmh
Service ceiling: 13,137 m
Range: 2,610 km
Armament: 4×12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns, 2x454kg bombs, 8x127mm rockets

This aircraft did not see combat before the war ended, and it had limited squadron service.

18. P-80 Shooting Star

Confirmed kills: 0
Manufacturer: Lockheed Corporation
Type: Jet Fighter
Year: 1945
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 3,819 kg
Engine: One Allison J33-A-35 centrifugal compressor turbojet engine rated at 4600 lbf (20.46 kN) / 5400 lbf (24.02 kN) with water injection
Top speed: 965 kmh
Service ceiling: 14,000 m
Range: 1,930 km
Armament: 6×12.7mm AN/M3 Browning machine guns, 8x127mm unguided rockets, 2x454kg bombs

This aircraft saw no air-to-air combat in World War 2 as it came in to service late in the war.

17. P-43 Lancer

Confirmed kills: 0-10 (likely closer to 0)
Manufacturer: Republic Aviation Company
Type: Fighter
Year: 1941
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 2,713 kg
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney R-1830-49 14-cyl air-cooled radial piston engine rated at 1,200hp
Top speed: 573 kmh
Service ceiling: 10,970 m
Range: 1,046 km
Armament: 2×12.7mm cowl M2 Browning machine guns, 2×12.7mm wing M2 Browning machine guns

There is no meaningful total as this aircraft saw limited combat use and was primarily used for reconnaissance.

16. P-66 Vanguard

Confirmed kills: 0-10 (likely closer to 0)
Manufacturer: Vultee Aircraft Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1941
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 2,374 kg
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G air-cooled 14-cylinder radial engine rated at 1,200hp
Top speed: 547 kmh
Service ceiling: 8,595 m
Range: 1,368 km
Armament: 4×0.3in machine guns, 2×0.5in machine guns

There is no real reliable figure for this aircraft as it saw limited and mixed combat service.

15. P-63 Kingcobra

Confirmed kills: ~1-50
Manufacturer: Bell Aircraft Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1943
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 3,100 kg
Engine: One Allison V-1710-117 liquid-cooled V-12 engine rated at 1,800hp
Top speed: 660 kmh
Service ceiling: 13,100 m
Range: 3,540 km
Armament: 1x37mm M4 cannon, 2×12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns in nose, 2×12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns in wings

There is no real reliable figure for this aircraft as it was largely exported to the USSR.

14. P-26 Peashooter

Confirmed kills: ~4
Manufacturer: The Boeing Company
Type: Fighter
Year: 1934
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 996 kg
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney R-1340-7 Wasp radial engine rated at 600hp
Top speed: 337 kmh
Service ceiling: 8,350 m
Range: 1,020 km
Armament: 2×7.62mm M1919 Browning machine guns or 1x .30cal and 1x .50cal machine guns, 2x45kg general purpose bombs or 5x14kg anti-personnel bombs

This aircraft was credited with a few kills in the 1930s with early war actions.

13. BF2C Goshawk

Confirmed kills: ~5
Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Type: Biplane Fighter
Year: 1934
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 1,509 kg
Engine: Wright R-1820-04 Cyclone air-cooled radial engine rated at 770hp
Top speed: 362 kmh
Service ceiling: 8,230 m
Range: 1,167 km
Armament: 2×7.62mm Browning machine guns, 1x215kg bomb under fuselage or 2x53kg bombs under wings

There is no reliable source for confirmed kills as this aircraft saw limited operational use in early World War 2.

12. P-36 Hawk

Confirmed kills: ~6
Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1938
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 2,116 kg
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney R-1830-13 Twin Wasp air-cooled radial piston engine rated at 1,050hp
Top speed: 518 kmh
Service ceiling: 9,860 m
Range: 1,046 km
Armament: 1×0.30in machine gun, 1×0.50in machine gun

There were only a small number of kills according to US totals, but it had more notable service with other operations.

11. CW-21

Confirmed kills: ~20
Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1939
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 1,534 kg
Engine: Wright R-1820-G5 nine-cyl air-cooled radial engine rated at 850hp
Top speed: 505 kmh
Service ceiling: 10,500 m
Range: 1,014 km
Armament: 2×12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns, 2×7.62mm M1919 Browning machine guns

There is no single authoritative total as this aircraft saw limited combat use.

10. P-61 Black Widow

Confirmed kills: ~126
Manufacturer: Northrop Corporation
Type: Night Fighter
Year: 1944
Crew: 3
Empty weight: 10,637 kg
Engine: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65 Double Wasp radial engines with water injection, rated at 2,250hp each
Top speed: 589 kmh
Service ceiling: 10,600 m
Range: 3,060 km
Armament: 4x20mm Hispano M2 cannon in ventral fuselage, 4×12.7mm Browning M2 machine guns in upper turret, optional 2x726kg bombs, optional 6x127mm HVAR rockets

This night-fighter was not one of the most famous aircraft to come from the war but it still managed an impressive tally.

9. P-39 Airacobra

Confirmed kills: ~320
Manufacturer: Bell Aircraft Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1941
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 2,425 kg
Engine: One Allison V-1710-85 liquid-cooled V-12 engine rated at 1,200hp
Top speed: 605 kmh
Service ceiling: 10,700 m
Range: 1,770 km
Armament: 1x37mm M4 cannon, 2×12.7mm M2 machine guns, 4×7.62mm M1919 machine guns, optional 230kg bombs

There were roughly 320 claimed kills, but large Soviet successes appear to inflate the totals.

8. F2A Buffalo

Confirmed kills: ~450-500
Manufacturer: Brewster Aeronautical Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1939
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 2,220 kg
Engine: Wright R-1820-40 radial engine rated at 1,200hp
Top speed: 515 kmh
Service ceiling: 10,120 m
Range: 1,553 km
Armament: 4×0.50 caliber machine guns

There is no single authoritative total. The Finnish saw heavy success with this aircraft (B-239 in Finnish services) but US/Allied totals differ.

7. F4F Wildcat

Confirmed kills: ~1,300-1,400
Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1940
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 2,610 kg
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-86 double-row radial engine rated at 1,200 hp
Top speed: 515 kmh
Service ceiling: 12,000 m
Range: 1,240 km
Armament: 6×0.5in Browning machine guns, 2x100lb bombs

Although theatre totals may vary, and there is no singular reliable source, this aircraft is credited with over a thousand kills in the Pacific.

6. F4U Corsair

Confirmed kills: ~2,140
Manufacturer: Chance Vought Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1942
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 4,175 kg
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W Double Wasp 18-cyl radial engine rated at 2,450hp
Top speed: 717 kmh
Service ceiling: 12,649 m
Range: 2,510 km
Armament: 6×0.50in Browning M2 machine guns, optional 8x127mm rockets or optional 2x454kg bombs

These kills are credit to the U.S. Navy and Marines.

5. P-40 Warhawk

Confirmed kills: ~2,225
Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1939
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 2,880 kg
Engine: One Allison V-1710-39 liquid-cooled V-12 engine rated at 1,150hp
Top speed: 580 kmh
Service ceiling: 8,840 m
Range: 1,050 km
Armament: 6×12.7 Browning M2 machine guns, optional 680kg bombs

These kills are aggregated across multiple theatres.

4. P-38 Lightning

Confirmed kills: ~3,785
Manufacturer: Lockheed Corporation
Type: Heavy Fighter
Year: 1939
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 5,800 kg
Engine: Two Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled turbo-supercharged V12 engines rated at 1,600hp each (L-Variant)
Top speed: 667 kmh
Service ceiling: 13,410 m
Range: 1,770 km
Armament: 1xHispano M2 20mm cannon, 4xColt-Browning MG53-2 12.7mm machine guns, 4xM10 rocket launchers or 10x127mm rockets or 1,000kg of bombs (L-Variant)

The P-38 Lightning is one of the most iconic aircraft to come from World War 2, and its confirmed kills reflect this.

3. P-47 Thunderbolt

Confirmed kills: ~3,795
Manufacturer: Republic Aviation Company
Type: Fighter
Year: 1942
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 4,535 kg
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 twin-row 18-cylinder radial engine rated at 2,535hp
Top speed: 685 kmh
Service ceiling: 13,100 m
Range: 1,290 km
Armament: 8×12.7mm Browning M2 machine guns, optional 907kg bombs or 10x127mm rockets

These confirmed kills are the totals from the US claims.

2. F6F Hellcat

Confirmed kills: ~5,200+
Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1943
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 4,101 kg
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp 18-cylinder two-row radial engine rated at 2,000hp
Top speed: 605 kmh
Service ceiling: 11,430 m
Range: 1,755 km
Armament: 6×0.5in Browning M2 machine guns, optional six rockets under wings, optional 2,000lb of bombs

The total often cited for this aircraft is in the range of 5,216-5,223.

1. P-51D Mustang

Confirmed kills: ~5,944
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
Type: Fighter
Year: 1944
Crew: 1
Empty weight: 3,465 kg
Engine: One Packard Merlin V-1650-7 liquid-cooled supercharged V-12 engine rated at 1,695hp
Top speed: 703 kmh
Service ceiling: 12,770 m
Range: 2,655 km
Armament: 6×12.7mm machine guns, optional 907kg of bombs or optional 10x127mm rockets