F-51 Hawken

Cost:

Before you beat the Campaign:

60000 Credits

After you beat the campaign:
20000 Credits

The Widow costs 205 Coins.

It seems appropriate to start with what is probably the most popular plane in the game, the mighty F-51 Hawken.  Modeled after the F-15 Eagle, this weapons class plane is a true brute.  It is not the fastest plane out there but it sure as hell packs a punch.  This plane is arguably the strongest weapons class plane in the fleet.  Fast locking speeds, fast missile reloading, decent agility, high damage inflicting ratings.  The Hawkens specialty is its fast missile reloading.  With a Hawken, you will be able to fire off more missiles in a shorter amount of time than most of your adversaries. One of the only other planes that can fire missiles faster (fully upgraded) is the FA-88 Hurricane (although the Hurricane packs quite a bit less damage).

If you have a fully upgraded Hawken, expect to obliterate lesser planes and lower skilled players fairly easily (much more easily than I can with my agility class Thresher).