Pretty clear on the topic, now state your reason 
Spitfire!
The eternal fighter 
I second that, nice curves, good maneuverability.
The P-38 had faults (as every other fighter had) but it was being built from the first of the war to the last.
Saburo Sakai, the top surviving Japanese Navy ace, felt that range was very important. With long legs you could pick when and where to strike. In fact, Erich Hartmann, the Top German Ace of World War 2, wrote about how he would pick the time and place to make his attacks and did not like to make hasty attacks.
Speed was also considered more important that maneuverability. With an advantage of speed you have the ability to dictate the engagement. You can attack at will and break off contact if the situation becomes unfavorable.
Firepower and armor are also critical. The less effective the weapons are the more the pilot will have to substitute skill. The less effective the armor, the more likelihood any hits will be fatal.
But the most important quality is a pilot who knows his aircraft and knows the enemy’s (and that’s something we should all remember.)
I choose the P-38 for its range, speed, firepower, and armor protection.
And as Johannes Steinhoff said, when in an article where they asked him which was the most dangerous allied fighter, he said the P-38, because it was so hard to see and moved so fast it could be upon you before you realized it.
Deaf
P-51 Mustang was the best! I still have to chance to use it since it is still used for air shows 
I always liked the Yak stable of fighters in WW2.The Yak3 always seemed to me a great blend of speed,manouverability,firepower and damnable good looks.
I believe the Germans issued orders to their pilots not to get involved with them at low level.
Well this was a hard choice for me but I had to pick the Jug mainly partially because it is probably the most underrated of fighters except perhaps the P-38. Sure the P-51 was probably the best combination of speed, range, maneuverability, and fire power during the war but the P-47 still had good range and was more rugged than the P-51 and packed more fire power while still being fast and pretty maneuverable especially for its size. Not to mention it was just as effective in the ground attack role as some of the planes purpose built as fighter bombers.
Ever notice the top ETO aces used P-47s and the top PTO used P-38s. Just an observation.
Deaf
both planes are so indestructible,. i believe there were trials by the germans by putting more armors into FW190, however this was not working as the main foes of these fighters were bombers albeit carries more firepower, especially on the rear end.
It first entered service in September 1940, so the statement is only true if you are just counting US involvement in WW2
And as Johannes Steinhoff said, when in an article where they asked him which was the most dangerous allied fighter, he said the P-38, because it was so hard to see and moved so fast it could be upon you before you realized it.
Deaf
oddly enough the P-38 in its various marks was slower than other Allied fighters in European service.
P-38L 414 mph
P-51D 437 mph
P-47D 435mph
Spitfire XIV 447mph
First statement true enought, nothing can beat Spitfire and Me 109 on its seniority over the war in the term of fighters, the two true long standing archrival.
i would opt for P47 instead of P38 in the sense of psy effect on the enemy.
me and redcoat, was once the opposite advocate of one hot arguments over the superiority of P47 somewhere,… 
I admire the Spitfire, and think well of most of the other choices.
However: I Chose Others, Name them.
Ta152 H1
Do 335 B2
P47 J
Each of the above represents a significant peak of Piston-engined development, each was superlative in manoeuverability, and was capable of absorbing significant battle damage and surviving it, to bring the pilot back to base.
I grant that my choices only saw limited combat action, or testing for it.
However, the Ta152 H1 and P47 J both have well-known ancestors and thus can be said to have established track records.
The Do335 Pfeil was tested operationally, and may have been briefly encountered in combat. Clostermann refers to having met a Pfeil, as does (from memory) Gabreski, or it may have been Yeager.
Therefore, on the basis of existing records, the above three piston-powered aircraft are my choices.
Respectful Regards, Uyraell.
Not exactly.
The speeds given for each of those aircraft were at different altitudes and different power settings. Some were at 100 percent military and others at WEP.
You have to find out what each one’s speeds were at several different altitudes at specific power settings.
This gives a bit of a hint.
http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/URG/p38.htm
YP-38: 405 mph at 20,000 ft.
P-38F-15-LO: 347 mph at 5,000 ft.
P-38F-15-LO: 351 mph at 10,000 ft.
P-38F-15-LO: 395 mph at 25,000 ft.
P-38G-1-LO: 345 mph at 5,000 ft.
P-38G-1-LO: 360 mph at 10,000 ft.
P-38G-1-LO: 400 mph at 25,000 ft.
P-38J-25-LO: 360 mph at 5,000 ft.
P-38J-25-LO: 390 mph at 15,000 ft.
P-38J-25-LO: 414 mph at 25,000 ft.
But… P-38J’s max speed at 25,800 was 421 mph.
But even it does not indicate if at 100 pct military or WEP.
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/p-38/p-38.html
Gives some good data on the P-38 but it’s not inclusive.
Here is another way to view the matter from the P47s viewpoint.
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/p-47/p-47.html
BTW, this website, http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/ has some of the best after action encounter reports for P-47 and P-51 pilots I’ve ever seen! Has Spitfire and other British aircraft to as well as ME-109 and FW-190 data.
Deaf
Hi, there !!
Mmmhhh, if we’re talking about “beauty” litterally, I’m not quite sure aircraft
such as the P47 or the Do335 can be considered.
Two statements, therefore :
A) Beauty: nr.1 is the Spitfire for sure, in each and every Mk; nr.2 the Ki84
Hayate, nr.3 the Macchi Mc202.
B) To be in : in combat I would have liked to be sitting in a P47D; the animal
could stand major hits and at the same time give no chance to an opponent
getting in it’s gunsight.
Bye.
Bruno.
Not in the same category as the ones mentioned but one which did exceedingly well in a different fighter application against Japan: the Beaufighter.
Once described as ‘two engines closely followed by an airplane’
Ah, but what a lovely pair of quiet engines followed by an aeroplane which packed a huge punch, which was beautifully suited for attacking shipping which was a critical part of the Pacific War.
http://fighterworld.com.au/fwjs/Fighters%20of%20the%20RAAF/A8%20DAP%20Beaufighter.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2003/hc13.htm (Note the typical ‘victor’s history’ perspective on war crimes against the Japanese survivors.)
For me Me 109 simple and easy to fly with , and in some period of the war deadly
Fw-190 for me please, fine aircraft, few vices and excellent shooting platform as well. Although the Heinkel 280 was apparently better.
I haven’t chosen a fighter, because like one’s children, you love them all…
And they are difficult to compare as an early War fighter will obviously not match up well against a final generation Spitfire or P-51H. But I’ll give the P-40 Tomahawk some recognition as it was a very under-appreciated and possibly underrated fighter aircraft that did have some difficulty with the opposition Zero, Oscar, and Me109. Yet, flown correctly, it could hold its own against (or even consistently better) any of those fighters and was actually more maneuverable at low level than the 109. Yet, even in its home country, USAAF commanders regarded it as little more than a ‘stop-gap’ fighter until newer and more capable designs were produced…