The A-36 Apache can be considered as a United States Army version of the successful North American P-51 Mustang piston-engine fighter. The USAAF bought this version first, but full priority was later given to the fighter version, and no more than 500 A-36’s were built. It was unofficially known as ‘Invader’. Its … Read more
During the Second World War, Germany was considered to be the first nation in the world to utilize the use of jet-powered airplanes in their campaign. This was later followed by Italy who achieved jet-powered flight through the introduction of their N1 (also known as the CC.2) aircraft. The N1 (CC.2) WW2 … Read more
The notorious and fearsome A6M Reisen is better known in the annals of history, and in the minds of the pilots who faced it, as the Zero. The A6M was a fighter conceived, “specs-first” by the Japanese Navy in 1937. The plane they wanted was to be a carrier- based, highly maneuverable, long range fighter … Read more
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a lightweight Japanese fighter aircraft. It was under operation by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) from 1940 to 1945. The origin of its official designated name was in such a way that “A” denoted a carrier-based fighter, “6” for the sixth such model built for … Read more
The Mitsubishi A5M was the world’s first monoplane shipboard fighter and the direct ancestor of the famous Mitsubishi A6M ‘Zero’. It was a single-seat ship based fighter aircraft developed during the mid-1930s and used during the Second World War, especially as a fighter-trainer. It was in 1934, when the Imperial Japanese Navy … Read more
September, 1939: the Third Reich divisions and military aircraft invade Poland, an ally of both France and the U.K. A few weeks later, some RAF units are based in France. At the time, the RAF equipment still is in a transitional stage, both biplanes and monoplanes are used (such as the Spitfire … Read more
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3(A Single-seat interceptor fighter aircraft, powered by a 1,007 kW (1,350 hp) Mikulin AM-35A piston engine) was one of the most modern fighters of the Russian air force, at the start of the War on the Eastern Front. It was a result of an urgent improvement on the MiG-1 or … Read more
The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet) was two-seat tactical aircraft fighter for ground-attacks and reconnaissance operations. It was a further development of the unstable Me 210 system and eventually gave way to dedicated fighter production for Germany. It took its first flight in 1942 and was also used as a bomber destroyer … Read more
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet (Comet) was a single-seat interceptor fighter that operated briefly at the end of Worl War 2, from 1944 to 1945. It was the fastest and one of the most radical aircraft of that war. History would tend to confirm that if the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet had … Read more
Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraft Works) developed the Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun. It was a German built designed as a two-seat sports/recreation aircraft for competition in the 4th Challenge de Tourisme Internationale (1934). It was an all metal construction. Later, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane used many of the same design features. … Read more
The Martin PBM-3 / PBM-5 Mariner was a World War 2 era flying boat used in the maritime. The Mariner first appeared in 1937 and it first flew in 1939 as the Martin Model 162 project, giving birth to the prototype XPBM-1 as a twin engine flying boat with a high-mounted monoplane … Read more
The Macchi MC.200 Saetta (Lightning) was an Italian fighter aircraft developed when Italy entered the Second World War. It was a single seat fighter plane created by Dr Mario Castoldi, chief designer of the Aeronautica Macchi Company. The Macchi MC.200 Saetta (Lightning) was the first Italian design to have a cantilever low-wing … Read more
The Macchi C.202 Folgore (Thunderbolt) was an Italian fighter aircraft developed during the World War II. It was built by Macchi Aeronautica. It was less known outside Italy but was the best plane of the Regia Aeronautica, i.e, Italian Air Force, during the conflict. The Folgore showed that Italy can design and … Read more
One of the not-so famous WW2 aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy was the Aichi M6A Seiran. Translated as “Mountain Haze”, the M6A Seiran was designed to be an attack floatplane which was to be launched aboard the IJN’s I-400 class submarines. Submarines were to carry two to three Aichi M6A … Read more