Aircraft of World War II

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, which was used by the US Air Force for the duration of World War II, is perhaps the most famous device used by the Americans in the war.

The B-17 was designed in 1934 as a response to a request made in May by the US Air Corps for a unit that had to meet these requirements: multi-engine, capable of carrying at least 2,000 pounds (907 kg) of bombs on a minimum distance of 1,020 miles (1,640 km) at a speed of 200 miles/h (320 km/h) and beyond. Although Boeing was working drawings of another, more heavy bomber, the model 294 or XB 15, the design and implementation of new aircraft proceeded rapidly and the prototype model 299, as it was called by Boeing, rose for the first time in flight in July 1935.

This prototype is sometimes called, erroneously, XB-17.

Power was provided by four radial engines Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet that erogavano 750 HP each; The defensive armament consisted of five machine guns single 0.30 inch (7.62 mm), while the offensive load could reach 4,800 pounds (2,177 kg). Although the prototype was destroyed in an accident, his performance was so encouraging that the USAAC ordered the construction of 14 YB-17, later renamed Y1B-17. The first of this group was delivered in December 1936 and was equipped with radial engines Wright GR 1820 of 930 HP. The first 13 aircraft of this group were all the same, while the fourteenth was the only Y1B-17A, equipped with turbo-superchargers for engines, which allowed to reach a maximum speed of 311 miles/h (500 km/h) and a maximum altitude of operation of 30,000 feet (9,144 m); these variants were then incorporated into all models B-17 that followed.

This allowed the pilots to be able to look directly at the track out of the cab without having to meander during taxiing planes as they had the spare wheel in the queue. It was a very versatile machine, but not too popular with crews because unlike his predecessor B-17, which had proved incredibly robust being able to return to base with vital parts badly damaged, the B-24 was not can withstand severe damage in combat. Paradoxically, this was due to its advanced structural characteristics (especially the wing, designed with laminar profiles and high aerodynamic characteristics) that were translated but in a weak structure, that often, if hit in the strengths, could divest of cracking net. Despite its weaknesses, ended the war as the US air more built (over 18,000 aircraft) and together with the B-17 bomber immediately became the leading USAAF. Slightly bigger, faster as the B-17 had a share against lower operational and this meant that was hit and knocked down more frequently at the hands of enemy air defenses. Heavily armed, was equipped with 10 Browning machine guns caliber 12.7mm positioned on turrets. The B-24, however, it was very difficult to fly and with its fairly rigid controls did not make life easy for pilots especially in maintaining the tight formations. Access to the crew was in the back of the plane. To get to the cockpit of the inside passage was very tight especially considering that he also wore a parachute. Very often this difficulty in the transition to head forzaramente queued compromised the ability to save in case it was necessary to launch the plane in flight because it was the only way out. For this reason, the Liberator was nicknamed by the crews "The Flying Coffin".

His Majesty the Spitfire.

This plane is a legend of the air, a real brand, and its image is inextricably linked to the British victory in the Battle of Britain. It is one of the few, perhaps the only one, whose name evokes some images even at a profane things aviation history.

Excellent defensive machine, heavily armed, very agile, fast uphill. His victory against the archenemy Bf-109 was nevertheless a worthy final of his career war, at least considering the GM II: the early Bf-109E against Spit Mk I to the last Bf-109K against Spit Mk XIV, and thousands thousands of aerial combat have left a very wide literature and many memories from the pilots, often become aces such as Jonnie Johnson, or Adolph Galland, who in turn was shot down by a Spitfire belonging to 303 Sq. June 21 1941.

The Spitfire is not a single plane with various changes and improvements, but a complete family of aircraft that he was a bit 'all roles and has adapted to not less than 10 years of technology evolution, from the first Spitfire with their 1,000 hp Merlin engines and propellers bipala, the last with the Griffon from over 2,000 hp and 5-bladed propellers metal or even two counter-blade propeller. Propellers and engines that alone weighed about the same as the Spitfire Mk I.

Admired and envied even by enemies, the aircraft was able to earn the respect and esteem of every front, the adventure stories of his pilots also fascinated contenders helping to enrich the prestige of the RAF which was considered the Arma Aerea for excellence.

Born as Fury Monoplane, sought to continue the project monoplane version of Fury, one of the best and finest hunting among the older generation. Created by Sidney Camm of HG Hawker Engineering Company, created in 1933 around the new engine RR PV 12 and responsive to the specific F.5/34, which called for a hunt with 8 light machine guns, really an impressive increase compared to the two normally course at the time. Consider that the first specification for an Italian fighter monoplane spoke of a plane armed with a single machine gun (but 12.7), increased to two only later. After this specification were issued the F.36/34 and the new Hurricane flew November 6, 1935, soon surpassing the 483 km/h (300 mph), with the PV 12 that according to the latest specification was to get to 1,025 hp to 4,500 m, a far cry from the Kestrel that potentiate, for example, the first Bf-109.

The Hurricane monoplane, in a shiny metallic gray livery, was actually a mixture of new technologies - in aerodynamic terms - like the wing monoplane, retractable by the providential wide track, closed cockpit, radio, but the reality behind the fuselage 'cockpit was in welded steel tubes covered with wooden structures which were given the painted canvas, remained so in the future.

 The Hurricane was a formidable fighter for 1937, when he entered the service had no equal in the world. But you could not ignore that its structure only partially metallic, and its thick wing were not entirely acceptable for the evolution necessary for the following years: even with upgraded engines, it would not be possible to significantly exceed the speed Hurricane base.

Although the first models, equipped with Allison engine cylinders in line, they were, good low-altitude aircraft, it was only with the adoption of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, mounted on later models, the Mustang was able to give the best of himself.

The essential simplicity of the design, coupled with a pleasant look and aerodynamic, constituted a great potential for development and the consequence was that the Mustang excelled in two fields: powerful fighter bomber operating at low altitude and high altitude escort fighter with long range . In the first as the Mustang was able to develop a formidable firepower, including the firing of rockets and bombs; in the second role, thanks to extra tanks that were dropped when empty, was the first Allied fighter escort to make raid down over Berlin and Tokyo.

In every respect the Mustang was a big plane, much loved by the pilots and crews of the escorting bombers and greatly feared by the Japanese and German pilots. With the engine Merlin Mustang had phenomenal qualities of speed both up and acceleration. All this, combined with excellent maneuverability, made him a fighter truly superlative performance.

Lavochkin was appointed Chief Designer of OKB-301 in 1937. His office has designed and built thousands of fighter planes during World War II, from Lavochkin LaGG-1 until the Lavochkin La-9.

The first fighter Lavochkin was designated I-22 and was also the first of the triad of new Soviet interceptors to take flight, exactly March 30, 1939. As happens from there in 2-3 years with the fighters '5 Series' Italian, and Indeed, as already happened with 'Series 0', the three competitors will all have some success and everyone will be rewarded by production contracts, but without resemble very much less be subject to the same development and operational success.

Lavochkin - or Lavochin, depends transilitterazione - together with Gorbunov and Gudkov, had given rise to a hunting simple and robust, relatively good-looking, but he had the problem of the choice of strategic materials, or rather, the choice not to use them .

It was in fact the only one of the three that was built entirely of wood, except of course for the basic elements such as the shopping cart, the weapons, the engine, the ailerons (metal and coated canvas).

The retractable landing gear and the engine M-105P were signs of a relative modernity, and certainly worthy of note was its top speed of 605 km / h.

The weapons were high rates of fire, two and one ShKAS ShVAK.

Again designated as I-301, then took the name of LaGG-1.

But for the production became LaGG-3.

The Stuka was also famous for "the scream" that emitted launching into beaten against a target. in almost all versions, in fact, was mounted in the basket a siren that you drove with the beaten and emitted, in fact, a kind of scream. This served to terrorize the enemies on the ground and, for this reason, the Stuka earned a reputation even more terrible, the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka also said (in German Sturzkampfflugzeug, literally "combat aircraft swooping"), was a bomber swooping wing single-engine configuration with inverted gull wing. Although designed in 1933 by the German Junkers GmbH, the Stuka remained in production for over nine years, staying for the duration of the war, essentially unchanged in structure and basic configuration, test the overall validity of the machine. Were built more than 5,700 copies in a dozen versions, which fought on all fronts.

In an attack dive against ground targets the greatest operational flaw lay in violent lateral acceleration experienced by the pilot, not having available at that time in chemical suits differentiated compression fainted at the height of the effort (coinciding with the release of the bomb).

So not being able to regain control of the plane ended up crashing to the ground ...

The German designers solved the problem by designing an automatic "recall" of the bar that was activated before the dive, and that allowed to bring back to share the plane after the attack in case of fainting of the pilot, who had so everything time to recover his senses and control apparatus.

The V1, whose official theme was Fi103, named after the first manufacturer, the Fieseler AG Kassel, was a flying bomb Luftwaffe, namely a small unmanned aircraft powered by a Pulsejet placed above the fuselage and launched by a rocket in hydrogen peroxide on a direct rail inclined towards the objective.

The V2, whose official theme was A4 (Aggregat 4), was a single-stage liquid propellant missile, 14 meters high mass 12 tons, with a payload of nearly a ton of high explosive, suborbital trajectory, range of about 300 km, equipped with remote control and gyroscopic guidance. His project can be traced back to 1932; building in series began in 1943 and until the end of the war were built 5789 specimens; the use in war began on September 8, 1944, with the bombing of London.

The V3 was a great gun range (200 km) with a rod of the caliber of about 10 cm long and 120 meters, encased in a reinforced concrete structure; the principle of operation was based on turning on the next charge of launch regularly arranged along the barrel, in the side chambers. The project, disguised under the name of Hochdruckpumpe ("high pressure pump"), reached the operational phase in May 1943, when it began the construction of a large battery to Mimoyecques underground, on the French coast of the English Channel, 150 km from London ; battery included two sets of 25 reeds, oriented to hit the British capital at the rate of one per minute saves.

Produced by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company of Buffalo, New York, as the version with linear motor of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk, was never a plane exceptional characteristics (mainly because of its engine, underpowered at high altitude); However, it was also built in a large number of specimens, and its remarkable strength (along with its wide availability in the early months of the entry into the war) made it one of the most important hunting for the events in American aviation first phase of the Second World War, between 1941 and the summer of 1943.

Versions supplied to the US military (USAAC and, later, USAAF) were known as Hawk 81 (up to P-40E) or Warhawk (from P-40F and on), while those delivered to Commonwealth countries on the basis of Lend-Lease agreements ("Lend-Lease") were known as Tomahawk (equivalent versions P-40A, B and C) or Kittyhawk (equivalent to the P-40D and later versions).

The B 25 Mitchell formed together with the North American Douglas A 20 Havoc and the Martin B 26 Marauder, the backbone of the operating units of supportive 'USAAF during the second world war.

The Mitchell, in particular, proved a versatile aircraft that immediately attracted the popularity. Although he had no heavy offensive load, its armament with a piece of heavy artillery, good for both offensive and defensive purposes, was particularly feared by German pilots, Italian and Japanese.

It was the plane with which Jimmy Doolittle performed his famous bombing raid on Tokyo to give a strong signal to Japan in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was quite a feat because the planes took off from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet: was unthinkable starting with a plane of that size from a runway so short.

Were built a total of about 10,000 specimens, including versions PBJ-1 patrol ships and F-10 for reconnaissance.

Was used in all theaters of operation and was used by several countries, including Britain (which received more than 900), Australia, China, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union.

It is considered as one of the best medium bombers of the conflict.

The nickname "Mitchell" is in honor of General Billy Mitchell, one of the first major supporters of the use of air power for military purposes.

Used by the RAF in 1942, together all'Handley Page Halifax was the main strategic bomber of the RAF and other air forces of the Commonwealth countries. It was used primarily as a bomber night.

The Lancaster, an evolution of the troublesome Avro Manchester, was designed by Roy Chadwick and was powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin, or, in one version, Bristol Hercules engines.

He entered service in 1942 and became the main heavy bomber used by the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other Commonwealth countries. The "Lanc" as he was affectionately known, thus became one of the most famous planes and most successful of the Second World War, launching 608,612 tons of bombs in 156,000 sorties carried out and by placing more than 12,000 mines in enemy waters.

In all were made 7,378 Lancaster (except prototypes), 430 of which are in Canada and 3,932 were lost in action.

Apart from these you can remember the aircraft derived from Lancaster: 202 Manchester, the Lancastrian Transport, 253 York line, the 604 Lincoln, which were derived the final bombardment and 185 Shackleton maritime patrol.

It was equipped with an extremely powerful engine, 2,000 HP or more, and it was fast, especially at high altitudes. It was also heavily armed with eight 12.7 mm machine guns and its robustness allow him to return to base even if very damaged.

Since the early months of 1943 was used intensively on all fronts, contributing significantly to consolidate the supremacy ally in the last two years of war.

It was built at a total of 15,678 copies (at a cost of $ 83,000 each of the time) with winning colors USAAF the remarkable total of 3,752 victories in combat against the loss of 824 machines and, after the war, he served in the air forces of fifteen countries, including Italy.

It was the most controversial fighter aircraft used by the US during World War II.

It was the first fighter in the world to have a tricycle gear and always the first to have the engine installed in the center of the fuselage, behind the driver.

But his engine proved totally inadequate at high altitude, and, both in Europe and in the Pacific, the P-39, as an interceptor, found himself outclassed and was gradually relegated to secondary roles.

The Bell P-63 fighter plane Kingcobra was a single-engine low-wing developed by the US Air Force Bell Aircraft Corporation in the early forties and used during the Second World War.

Evolution of the previous P-39 Airacobra, launched in an attempt to correct the defects of that model, the United States Army Air Forces not evaluated never suited for combat, relegating him to the role of tow targets.

As a result, nearly two-thirds of the production was assigned to the Soviet Union and about 300 units to units of Free France. He was initially assigned the provisional designation XP-39E, but the amount of changes convinced the military authorities to consider a new model by assigning it a name of its own.

At his appearance, in 1939, was a revolutionary aircraft, extremely innovative, thanks mainly to the fuselage double girder, the two engines with turbochargers Allison V inside the cross tail and the landing gear in tricycle front.

The plane flew at the end of the thirties, and a copy was lost because swoop came to exceed 840 km/h, going in a regime of compressibility high Mach number because of its subtlety; this problem, which entailed the loss of effectiveness of the flight controls, was also found on other aircraft (eg. on the P-47).

In 1939, flew over the United States from coast to coast, in just 7 hours and 2 minutes with only two stops for refueling, a performance which in those days was incredible. 

The P-38 was probably the quietest fighter in history, given that the discharges were muffled by the turbo General Electric of the two motors Allison, and forgave many piloting mistakes but its roll rate was too low for him to excel as a fighter dogfights.

Among the various innovations of the Lighting was the fact of being the first interceptor dell'USAAC twin engine and the first with tricycle front, with the first head rivets embedded on the surface of the fuselage, with the teardrop canopy, capable of 400 miles per hour and the first fighter to two fuselages.

The official designation was obtained by dialing the "A" for "aircraft embarked", "6" because it was the sixth model built for the Japanese Navy and the "M" initial manufacturer: Mitsubishi. The A6M was usually called by the Allies as the "Zero", a name sometimes associated by mistake to other fighters such as the Nakajima Ki-43.

In addition to zero, the model was called by the Americans with other nicknames, such as "Zeke", "Hamp" and "Hap".

The Japanese called it Reisen (Zero Fighter), Americans Zeke (diminutive of Zechariah), but it was the same airplane, the small, acrobatic and elusive of the Mitsubishi A6M.

Why Zero, and why Zechariah?

Zero because it entered service for the Navy lmperiale in the year of Christ 1940, corresponding to the year 2600 the mythological calendar of the Rising Sun; if it entered service in 1936 (2596) it would be called Type 96, if in 1939 (2599) Type 99.

As for Zechariah, is explained by the fact that the code allied planes taking Japanese male names if they were fighter - Tony, Oscar, George, Frank - if female bombers - Sally, Betty, Nell, Peggy.

For Japan the Zero was, in fact, much more than an airplane, but the symbol of the air power of the Empire.

For the Allies it was much more of a relentless opponent, but a nightmare and at the same time a myth.

So Adolf Galland, absolute icon of the German, described the Messerschmitt 262 "Schwalbe" record holder's first fighter in history with jet engine to enter into operational service.

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was a twin-engine multi-role jet fighter wing arrow developed and produced by the German company Messerschmitt AG in the forties. Used by the Luftwaffe during the final stages of World War II, he holds the distinction of being the first fighter in history with jet engine to enter into operational service and the first fighter twin-jet.

It is considered the most advanced aircraft used by the Germans, also forerunner of fighter jets made in the Soviet Union after the war.

According to some historical allies, with the Me 262 the German aircraft industry created a plane that theoretically could have won the war for air defense and give back to the Luftwaffe supremacy in Germany. Compared with the fighters supplied to the allies at the time, including the Gloster Meteor which would come into service shortly thereafter, the German jet proved faster and more powerfully armed.

But many problems of development delayed the entry into service and the technical problems he suffered it made an operating too few examples in order to influence the tide of the air war in Europe.

However, unlike the jet planes of the allies, which were used only for operational service and not clash with enemy aircraft, the Me 262 they shot down more than 100 aircraft, including bombers and fighters.

It was the best fighter aircraft carrier embarked on the war, even if proved extraordinarily effective even ground-based and unbeatable in the attack on the ground.

The Vought F4U Corsair was without doubt the best fighter of World War II based on aircraft carriers.

It was extremely powerful and as fighter-bomber  was so effective against the Japanese that they nicknamed him the "whistling death".

As tactical air support, he was afraid even to "hear" his wing radiators produced a hissing sound worthy of a Stuka, and the Japanese soon became very respectful of their presence.

The Vought F4U Corsair was a US fighter produced by Chance Vought Corporation (a company which later became the United Aircraft Corporation).

It was mainly used in World War II and during the Korean War. It was the best fighters boarded the aircraft carrier of World War II, although it proved extraordinarily effective even ground-based and unbeatable in the attack on the ground, in many respects superior even to the P-51 Mustang.

Despite its qualities, he spent half of his career working on bases on the ground, because, initially, the Navy considered it unsuitable for use on aircraft carriers. Nevertheless, he recorded an extraordinary amount of aerial victories.

Produced between the end of the decade to the early forties was the main hunting, usually embarked on aircraft carriers, the United States Navy in 1941 and 1942, ie in the first year of participation in the Second World War and successor, and descendant of the F3F, last the biplane fighter of the US Navy and Air Force of the entire United States of America.

The Grumman F4F Wildcat was the standard fighter of the US Navy to operate from the deck of aircraft carrier in the first two years of war and as such he was called to take the weight to counter the Japanese air offensive, mainly conducted by the formidable Mitsubishi A6M Zero (Zero fighter) .

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was developed quickly as a standard fighter of the US Navy in World War II, entering service in 1943 and remained the most important aircraft of the US Navy until the end of the conflict.

It was the direct descendant of the F4F Wildcat that, according to forecasts, had to be a useful replacement for the Navy aircraft carrier in order to better counteract the way to the Japanese fighters.

According to statistics gathered by the Defense, 75% of enemy planes shot down by American aircraft operating from aircraft carriers in all theaters of war is to be credited all'Hellcat.

In addition to the 4,947 Japanese aircraft shot down by the Germans and F6F operating from aircraft carriers, the Hellcat which started from bases on land destroyed 209 enemy aircraft, bringing the total number of victories in each military sector worldwide in 5,156.

The Greif was the only heavy bomber built in appreciable quantities from Germany.

The motors mounted in pairs were difficult to cool, and this reduced the reliability of the machine for a long time. The real solution was found in the He 277, with 4 separate engine nacelles, as well as in the He 274, for stratospheric bombing; as often happened, however, it was too late for the outcome of the war.

Designed to meet a requirement of 1936, known as Bomber A, the aircraft was originally intended to be a purely strategic bomber with the task of supporting a bombing campaign in the long run against the Soviet industry in the Urals.

The Greif had four engines mounted in pairs in tandem so as to appear outside a twin-engine; this arrangement that the Heinkel and its designer had created, had its explanation in the grounds to oppose lower air resistance than traditional 4 engines installed on the leading edge of the wing.

The problem, which materialized immediately was overheating of the engines as the plane was flying.

This is because the arrangement in tandem did not favor a good cooling of the engine mounted behind than in front despite the installation of radiators on the leading edge.