How many kills did it take to be considered a flying ace?

five
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace are varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.

Who is the greatest fighter ace of all time?

Erich Hartmann
Erich Hartmann is the most successful fighter pilot of all times – with 352 kills. A number that will never be surpassed. His nickname “Bubi” means “little boy” – and it’s easy to find out why he was called like that. He was also called “The black devil”.

What is significant about the flying aces?

The aces were the top pilots of each nation who had downed at least five enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Their governments promoted them to raise morale; civilians adored them for embodying courage, perseverance, and skill; and the press memorialized them as knights of the air.

When did flying aces start?

1915
The most successful fighter pilots who took part in aerial battles during the First World War were called flying aces. The term first appeared in 1915 when French newspapers described Adolphe Pegoud as a flying ace after he became the first pilot to shoot down five German aircraft.

Which fighter jet has the most kills?

F6F Hellcat. The F6F was designed to improve on the Wildcat’s ability to counter the Mitsubishi A6M Zero and help secure air superiority over the Pacific Theater. Hellcats were credited with 5,223 kills, more than any other Allied naval aircraft.

What did fighter aces do in World War 2?

Fighter aces in World War II had tremendously varying kill scores, affected as they were by many factors: the pilot’s skill level, the performance of the airplane he flew and those he flew against, how long he served, his opportunity to meet the enemy in the air (Allied to Axis disproportion),…

How many air victories do you need to be an ace?

Flying ace. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an “ace” has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more. The few aces among combat aviators have historically accounted for the majority of air-to-air victories in military history.

Are there any flying aces from the Spanish Civil War?

There were two theaters of war that produced flying aces between the two world wars. They were the Spanish Civil War and the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Who was the most famous flying ace of World War 1?

Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the “Red Baron”. He scored the most officially accepted kills in World War I and is arguably the most famous flying ace of all time. French Colonel Rene Fonck, to this day the highest-scoring Allied flying ace with 75 victories.