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Who was it? What defines greatness, victories, legacy? I have trouble answering this question. There are many fighter pilots that may have been excellent stick and rudder guys, but without facing action against an enemy, there is no way to measure up.

So I am offering my choices, because I can't pick just one.

In terms of victories, the top gun is Erich "Bubi" Hartman, 352 victories.




Hans-Joachim Marseille was a story cut short, but supposedly a virtuoso in aerial gunnery.




Adolf Galland's story is something that should never be lost. Men like Gen. Adolf Galland are far and few, many lessons on strife, integrity, character, can be learned from his life. A true combat commander. His book The First And The Last is an excellent read.




Greg "Pappy" Boyington a fighting man's fighter pilot. A colorful history while leading VMF-214, Black Sheep Squadron.





Robin Olds fought and flew in three wars. Bob Hope said he was the best spare parts distributor of MiG parts in the world. A great tactician, gifted leader and fighter pilot.






Giora Epstein is the most successful jet ace.



Add your own.

I'd give another vote to Gregory Boyington to put him ahead in the running and I'll add Manfred von Richthofen. The Red Baron was really "the pilot's pilot".

I don't think there is any 1 right answer to this.. If we go on victories alone, I think it would be Hartmann.

Contribution to tactics? Maybe immelman, or Ricthofen, or Thatch?

Overall Contribution to Aviation? Yeager?

Most kills across the most wars? Olds?

Most kills without a gun? Ritchie?

Then there are the Israelis....

Most kills by a woman? Not sure who she is, but I know she's a Russian.

Contribution to Hollywood, and the California penal system? Cunningham?

captoveur wrote:I don't think there is any 1 right answer to this.. If we go on victories alone, I think it would be Hartmann.

Contribution to tactics? Maybe immelman, or Ricthofen, or Thatch?

Throw Oswald Boelke that gave us the Dicta Boelke

Colonel John Boyd:

http://www.aviation-history.com/airmen/boyd.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boyd_(military_strategist)

I highly recommend this book by Robert Coram:

Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War

http://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Fighter-Pilot-Who-Changed/dp/0316881465

JeffSFO wrote:Colonel John Boyd:

http://www.aviation-history.com/airmen/boyd.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boyd_(military_strategist)

I highly recommend this book by Robert Coram:

Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War

http://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Fighter-Pilot-Who-Changed/dp/0316881465

John Boyd was something else. As I posted above, he didn't face any adversaries that shot at him, so we would never know. That he was known to offer $ 20 to anybody that could beat him spoke volumes back in the days of the F-100's. For someone that was a self-professed semi-retard, he was a genius.

His EM work is impressive as well as the coined OODA loop. Great man, great book.

miamiair wrote:As I posted above, he didn't face any adversaries that shot at him, so we would never know.

Touche, Vic!

I didn't read your original post carefully enough so settled on John Boyd as a default choice. However, I do believe he deserves an honorable mention for his mock dogfight record, contributions to aerial combat, plane design, and strategic warfare. Everything changed after he was on the scene.

There is an hour long program on Boyd on the Military or History channel IIRC.

I read his book and did some more reading on him. He was great mind. It is a shame that the USAF dumped on him, but he was revered by the USMC.