de Havilland Mosquito

The de Havilland Mosquito, DH.98, was a WW2 light-bomber and night-fighter aircraft, which was in service with the British RAF from 1941 to 1963. It was one of the most successful and efficient warplanes of World War II. The key to its success was its capacity to adapt to different combat role and the power of its twin Merlin engines, which gave it the speed to outfly almost every other bomber and fighter. 7,781 Mosquitoes in 43 variants were built in England, Canada, and Australia.

The de Havilland Mosquito had been designed in October 1938 by Geoffrey de Havilland, R.E. Bishop, and C.C. Walker. Made entirely of wood, to offset the demand for metal, the prototype (W4050) first flew on November 25, 1940. It was flown by Geoffrey de Havilland Jr., with John E. Walker as navigator. The aircraft was powered by two Rolls Royce Merlin 21 piston engines, each delivering 1,460 horsepower. Although its first flight was quite satisfactory, displaying outstanding performance and flying faster than the Hawker Hurricane, the powerplant would be upgraded in production versions. After many test flights, it was finally introduced into service on November 15, 1941.

Below, a Mosquito B.Mk XVI light bomber belonging to the No. 571 Squadron.

The main version of the DH.98 Mosquito was the B.Mk IV. No. 105 Squadron was the first unit to receive and operate it. Its first combat mission took place on May 31, 1942. It was an air raid on Köln. Crews learned to use the Mosquito speed as the main method of evading enemy fighters, for this variant was entirely unarmed. However, the night fighter version, NF.Mk II, XII, XIII, and XVII was equipped with four 20mm cannons mounted in aircraft nose. Thus, this variant differed from the bomber in being well-armed and in having strengthened wing spars. The fighter-bomber variant FB.Mk XVIII, on the other hand, had four .303-cal. machine guns in nose, and one 57mm cannon under the forward portion of fuselage.

Technical Charasteristics

The de Havilland Mosquito was a two-seat, twin-engine monoplane, whose fuselage was built with wood. It had shoulder wings, with straight leading edge. The wing trailing edge tapered towards the tip at an angle; ailerons were long and flaps narrow and square. The tail horizontal plane was elliptical, with elevator and rudder covered with hardened fabric. Landing gear was retractable. Bombs were carried in an internal bay, while rockets were carried externally under each wing.

The Mosquito was fast and nimble. High-speed, precision bomb strikes and maneuverability and destructive weapons became the stock-in-trade features of both the bomber and fighter models. Almost four dozens versions carried out all the war time missions, from inserting spies behind enemy lines to photo-mapping enemy territory. The night fighter variant was fitted with an AI Mk.IV radar, which helped it to shoot down many German bombers at night.

Specifications

Type: night fighter/light bomber

Length: 12.73 m (41 ft, 9 inch)

Wing Span: 16.51 m (54 ft, 2 inch)

Wing Area: 40.41 m2 (435 sq. ft.)

Height: 4.65 m (15 ft, 3 inch)

Powerplant: two 1,710-HP, Rolls Royce Merlin 76, V-12, liquid-cooled piston engines.

Maximum Speed: 655 km/h (407 mph)

Range: 2,092 km (1,300 miles)

Service Ceiling: 11,885 m (39,000 ft)

Crew: 2

Armament: fighter bomber Mk.VI version had four 20mm Hispano-Suiza cannons under the forward portion of fuselage, and four .303-cal (7.7mm) machine guns in nose. Four 227-kg (500-lb) bombs for the light bomber variant.

Below, FB. Mk VI of No 143 Squadron armed with eight rockets.

de Havilland Mosquito B.Mk IV in 1943.

FB Mk XVIII during D-Day on June 6, 1944.

Below, an Australian Air Force Mosquito flying over New Guinea.

A Mosquito night fighter Mk.II. You can see the radar antenna sticking out of the aircraft nose.

Read More

Vultee Vengeance

The Vultee Vengeance was an American two-seat dive-bomber used by the British Royal Air Force during World War II. It saw extensive combat service in the Far East, especially in India and Burma, providing fire support to Allied forces (Chindits and Marauders) in their military counteroffensive campaign against the Japanese, known as the Burma Campaign.

The Vultee Vengeance had first been developed and produced in the USA by Vultee as the V-72. It was a private venture in the late 1930s. It had been exported to Brazil, France, and the Soviet Union. Having witnessed the effectiveness of the Junkers Ju-87 dive-bomber as a flying artillery during the Battle of France, Great Britain wanted to have their own specialized dive-bomber. Thus, in 1940, the RAF placed an order for 700 V-72s. As a result, the Vultee's factory in Nashville began churning it out by the hundreds. In British service, it would be designated the Vengeance Mk I, II, III, and IV versions, with a total of 1,205 dive-bombers being delivered to the RAF.

Below, the Vultee A-35 Vengeance in American service in 1943 flying over Tennessee.

When the United States of America entered the war in December in 1941, the US Army Air Corps ordered 270 Vengeance dive-bombers from Vultee in early 1942, designating it as the A-31 and A-35. However, it did not live up to their expectations and almost all of them were relegated to target towing and training from the beginning as they never made it to the front line in American service. Nevertheless, this dive-bomber saw extensive combat action in World War II in British service but in the Far East. The RAF did not employ it in the European or North African theater because the fast German fighters would have wiped them out of the sky quickly.

Technical Description

The Vultee Vengeance was a two-seat, single-engine monoplane. It had cantilever mid-wing, an all-metal airframe, and retractable landing gear. Although it was rather slow, both the A-31 (Mk II/III) and A-35 (Mk IV) variants were well armed and they were able to perform almost vertical dives, which gave it precision when dropping the bombs.

Specifications (A-35)

Type: two-seat dive-bomber.

Length: 12.12 m (39 ft, 9 inch)

Wing Span: 14.63 m (48 ft)

Wing Area: 30.84 m2 (332 sq ft)

Height: 3.91 m (12 ft, 10 inch)

Power Plant: one 1,700-HP, Wright R-2600-13, Cyclone, 14-cylinder radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 449 km/h (279 mph)

Range: 3,701 km (2,300 miles)

Service Ceiling: 6,800 m (22,300 ft)

Armament: six 12.7-mm (.50-cal) M2 Browning machine guns (four wing-mounted and two in cockpit rear); two 454-kg bombs (two 500-lb).

Crew: two

Below, the RAF Vultee Vengeance Mk IV in low-level flight.

The Vengeance Mk II in England in 1942.

Below, the dive-bomber at an Allied airbase in the jungle in Burma.

A squadron of Vengeance dive-bombers in northeast India, flying toward Burma.

The Vultea Vengeance Mk II, III, and IV in the Far East, in action (video).

Read More

Douglas A-26 Invader

The Douglas A-26 Invader was an attack aircraft and light bomber in service with the US Air Force between 1943 and 1957. Despite its role of a ground-attack warplane, it scored nine air-to-air victories during World War II. From 1945 onward, it would be used as staff transport and target tug. In 1948, it would be re-designated as B-26; as such, it flew many combat missions in Korea, too. It was also used by the French Air Force during the French-Indochina War (1946-1954).

The Douglas A-26 Invader had been designed by Edward Heinemann in early 1942, resembling very much the A-20 Havoc, which was also a light bomber and attack aircraft. The prototype, XA-26, #41-19504, made its maiden flight on July 10, 1942, entering service with the US Army Air Forces in October 1943 as the A-26B version. By this time, the night-fighter variant of the aircraft had been cancelled as it was not as efficient as the Northrop P-61 Black Widow, which was more maneuverable.

Below, top view of an A-26B variant, with silver paint, in flight in early 1945, over Germany.

The Douglas A-26 was used in combat for the first time in August 1944 in New Guinea, attacking Japanese ground targets. In September 1944, the USAAF 553rd Bomb Squadron received the first 18 A-26Bs. In the European Theater, the Invader flew 11,567 combat sorties, dropping more than 18,000 tons of bombs. One aircraft was even credited with a Messerschmitt Me-262 kill. The USAAF bomb groups employed Invaders to strike enemy targets in Okinawa, Formosan, and mainland Japan.

Technical Characteristics

The Douglas A-26 Invader was a three-seat, twin-engine monoplane, with all-metal fuselage. It had dihedral, cantilever, high-mid wing. The cockpit was wider than the one on the A-20 Havoc as the pilot and navigator could sit side by side. The A-26C version was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-79 Double Wasp, 18-cylinder, radial engine, each delivering 2,000 horsepower.

Armament

The Douglas A-26B variant had six 12.7-mm (.50-cal) M2 Browning machine guns set up in its nose, plus two 12.7-mm in dorsal turret, and other two 12.7-mm machine guns in turret on belly of aircraft. This warplane had an internal bomb-bay, which had a capacity to carry up to 1,814-kg (4,000-pound) of bombs.

Specifications (A-26B)

Type: attack/light bomber

Length: 15.62 m (51 ft, 3 inch)

Wing Span: 21.34 m (70 ft)

Wing Area: 50.17 m2 (540 sq. ft.)

Height: 5.57 m (18 ft, 3 inch)

Powerplant: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27, air-cooled radial piston engines.

Maximum Speed: 572 km/h (355 mph)

Range: 2,255 km (1,400 miles)

Service Ceiling: 6,735 m (22,100 ft)

Crew: 3 (pilot, navigator, gunner)

Below, the XA-26 prototype in September 1942.

The A-26C parked by the side of a USAF base in California in 1946.

Below, a restored Invader in an open museum in Colorado.

Below, an echelon of three Douglas JD-1, which was the US Navy version of the Invader.

The Douglas A-26 Invader in action (video)

 

Read More

Douglas A-20 Havoc

The Douglas A-20 Havoc was a twin-engine attack aircraft and light bomber employed by the US Army Air Forces during World War II. In British service, it was designated Boston. Although it was not the fastest warplane in its class, it was rugged and could take up a lot of beating. It was also an efficient flying machine, especially when carrying out attack missions at low levels. It also handled well and pilots could fly it as if it were a fighter. By late 1944, it would partially be replaced by the Northrop P-61 Black Widow.

The A-20 Havoc had been designed by Jack Northrop and Edward Heinemann in 1938. The prototype, the Douglas DB-7, performed its first flight on January 23, 1939, and it would be introduced into US Army Air Forces service two years later on January 10, 1941. Nevertheless, the French Air Force had acquired 70 of them in December 1939. Thus, it was first used in combat by French pilots in May 1940, during the German invasion of France. Most of these aircraft were flown to North Africa, to Morocco, by the Free France pilots. Although it became renowned in American and British hands, it was the Soviet pilots who made good use of it, as the Red Army Air Force received 3,125 Havocs from the Americans.

Below, the first production Havoc, the A-20A version.

In service with the British RAF, the Douglas Boston was used both as a bomber and as a carrier for Turbinlite, which was a powerful search lite used to illuminate Luftwaffe bombers at night so that the RAF Hurricanes could intercept them. As the Douglas A-20 Havoc, the aircraft entered service as a heavily-armed attack bomber. Havocs of all versions saw a lot of action, operating in the Pacific as well as in the North African and European Theater. They strafed and bombed Japanese troops, and they also supplied vicious fire support to invading Allied forces during the Normandy landings in June 1944, attacking German defensive lines.

Technical Description

The Douglas A-20 Havoc was a three-seat, twin-engine, mid-high wing monoplane, with underslung engine nacelles. In order to give the pilot good visibility, the cockpit was fitted forward of the propeller arc. It had good handling at low levels and at landing. The aircraft was fitted with tricycle landing gear and it could take off and land from short runways.

The A-20 had a high-strength aluminum alloy, semi-monocoque fuselage, with its movable control surfaces being fabric-covered. The wing was also of all-metal construction, being built around a single spar and it consisted of six section or panels. The aircraft was made in a series of easily assembled substructures to enable its shipment in broken down form.

Specifications (A-20G)

Type: attack aircraft/light bomber

Length: 14.63 m (48 ft)

Wing Span: 18.69 m (61 ft)

Wing Area: 43.11 m2 (464 sq. ft.)

Height: 5.36 m (18 ft)

Powerplant: two Wright R-2800-23 Double Cyclone, radial piston engines, each producing 2,625 HP.

Maximum Speed: 546 km/h (340 mph)

Range: 1,754 km (1,087 miles)

Service Ceiling: 7,865 m ( 25,800 ft)

Crew: 3

Armament: six forward-firing 12.7mm (.50-cal) M2 Browning machine guns mounted in nose; two 12.7mm machine guns in dorsal turret at the back of cockpit; two 12.7-mm machine guns in ventral position.

The A-20B variant in flight in 1943.

Below, the British version, the Douglas Boston III.

An underbelly view of an A-20G variant as it flies over, with id number 57.

Below, the same aircraft, with #57, in flight around 1944.

Top view of an A-20K Havoc in flight over Europe in 1945.

Read More

Dewoitine D.520

The Dewoitine D.520 was a fighter aircraft used by the French Air Force during World War II. It was also employed by the Luftwaffe after the French lost the Battle of France to Germany in June 1940. Although it lacked a powerful engine, it performed very well at all altitudes as it was maneuverable and had great handling qualities. It was one of the few modern fighters available to the French when Germany invaded France on May 10, 1940.

The Dewoitine D.520 was designed in 1936 by Robert Castello, who was the chief designer of Emile Dewoitine. It was the answer to a French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) requirement. The prototype made its maiden flight on October 2,1938, and entered service in 1939. It would become the most capable fighter of French design used in the early days of the war. The French pilots fought courageously and the D.520 acquitted itself well against the German fighters. The Luftwaffe seized 411 aircraft, while the rest were operated by Vichy France air force.

Technical Characteristics

The Dewoitine D.520 was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane, with all-metal fuselage. It had dihedral cantilever low wing, with a long main single spar reinforced by a secondary one. The landing gear retracted inwardly into the belly of fuselage. The cockpit was set up a long way aft of the engine cowling, making landing not an easy task. The forward fuselage contained the fuel tank. The 20-mm cannon magazine was located between the tank and the engine.

Specifications

Type: fighter

Length: 8.60 m (28 ft)

Wing Span: 10.20 m (34 ft)

Wing Area: 15.97 m2 (172 sq. ft.)

Height: 2.57 m (8 ft)

Powerplant: one 935-HP, Hispano-Suiza 12Y 45, inline pistone engine, with supercharger.

Maximum Speed: 535 km/h (332 mph)

Range: 890 km (553 miles)

Service Ceiling: 10,500 m (39,440 ft)

Armament: on 20mm Hispano Suiza cannon; four 7.5mm MAC 34 M39 machine guns mounted in wings.

Crew: one

Below, a Free France pilot, Hardouin, flying his D.520 over Morocco in 1942.

A restored aircraft taking off from a French civilian airstrip in 1990.

Below, a RAF pilot flying a D.520 in 1945 after the war. It had fallen in German hands in 1940 and it was restored and tested by the British RAF.

One of the first production Dewoitine D.520 in 1939

Read More

Northrop P-61 Black Widow

The Northrop P-61 Black Window was a twin-engine, twin-boom night fighter aircraft used by the US Army Air Forces during the last year of World War II. It was the biggest, heaviest, and most lethal night fighter in that armed conflict. However, it was certainly fast and maneuverable for a warplane of that size, and it was fitted with one of the most advanced radar of that period; a SCR-720. It fought in every theater of WW2, from the Far East and the Pacific to the European Theater of Operations.

The United States had been at war for almost six months, when the prototype, the XP-61, first took to the air on May 21, 1942. The designer was Jack Northrop, who wanted to create a night fighter able to use air-to-air radar to destroy enemy aircraft in the dark after sunset. After two years of test flights, the aircraft finally entered service on May 1, 1944, when a batch of P-61A was assigned to the 6th Night-Fighter Squadron at Hickham Field, on Oahu, Hawaii. On July 6, 1944, the Black Widow racked up its first air-to-air victory; a Japanese Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' bomber. Meanwhile in Europe, the first unit to receive this night fighter was the 422nd NFS on May 9, 1944, at Scorton RAF Station.

Below, a P-61B flying over Southern California in 1945. It had the Gloss Black camouflage.

Production of the Northrop P-61 totaled 706 aircraft of all versions; P-61A, P-61B, and P-61C, which were the most numerous. The F-15A would become the photographic reconnaissance variant of the P-61C, being fitted with six cameras and a new, clear-view canopy. The difference between the P-61A and the P-61B was that the length of the cone nose was extended in the second version to be able to house the new upgraded radar; the SCR-720. The P-61A had an older radar variant; a SCR-520.

Technical Characteristics

The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was a three-seat, twin-engine monoplane, with a twin-boom configuration. It had an all-metal fuselage and mid-wings. It was equipped with tricycle-type landing gear. Each boom was a continuation of the each engine nacelle, ending up in the tail assembly (empennage), which included the vertical and horizontal stabilizer, with the elevator. The rudder and elevator were made of fabric-covered aluminum alloy.

The wing structure of the P-61 was divided into seven sections; two wing tips of welded magnesium alloy; two outer panels; two inner wing panels; and the spar section (front and rear), which extended through the crew nacelle (pod). The wing trailing edge had long ailerons and short flaps, which were mounted on the wing inner panel, between the engine and crew nacelle fuselage.

Armament

The Black Widow was fitted with four 20mm cannons mounted on fuselage belly; four 12.7mm (.50-cal) M2 Browning machine guns set up in fuselage roof turret; pylons for four 454-kg (1,000-pound) bombs, or rockets.

Specifications (P-61B)

Type: night fighter

Length: 15.11 m(15 ft)

Wing Span: 20.11 m (66 ft)

Wing Area: 61.53 m2 (662 sq. ft)

Height: 4.47 m (15 ft)

Powerplant: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65, 12-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engines, each generating 2,000 HP.

Maximum Speed: 589 km/h (365 mph)

Range: 2,172 km (1,350 miles), with drop tanks.

Ceiling: 12,445 m (40,800 ft).

A Northrop P-61 Black Widow flying over England.

Below, the P-61A of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron at the airbase in England in August 1944.

The P-61C at an English airbase in 1945.

Below, the prototype XP-61 in 1943. Notice that it had only two machine guns in dorsal turrets instead of the four in the production version.

The XP-61B in flight with the identification number 118877.

Below, front view of the Black Widow in action in the skies over Germany in late 1944.

The Black Widow in action in WW2 (video)

 

Read More

North American P-51 Mustang

The North American P-51 Mustang was the fastest fighter aircraft in service with the US Army Air Forces during World War II. It was also the most massively produced, with 15,586 aircraft in different versions. The P-51D was the most abundantly built, with 8,156. Thanks to its long range capacity, it often flew sorties as a bomber escort. It was also used in ground-attack and dive-bombing missions due to its excellent handling and bomb-load capability. Like the P-47 Thunderbolt, it was really a tank-buster.

The P-51 Mustang had originally been designed in 1940 in answer to a British government requirement, with North American Aviation winning the bid. The prototype tested by the RAF was the NA-73, which made its maiden flight on October 26, 1940. The X-51 was the US Air Forces prototype. Most of the earliest fighters that rolled out of American factories were supplied to the British Royal Air Force. Due to their impressive low-level speed and range, it would also be assigned to the ground support role. It was introduced in 1942 as the P-51A in the United States, and as the Mustang Mk I in Great Britain.

Below, a P-51D variant flying in the skies over California in 1946.

When the P-51 was fitted with more powerful engines, as in the P-51C and P-51D, the Mustang became an excellent fighter at high altitude, too. They were flown by more aces than any other Allied fighter. Their prey even included the Messerschmit Me-262 jet. It first saw combat action flying escort missions for the RAF bombers in November 1943. By mid 1944, the Mustang had been upgraded with a new Rolls Royce Merlin engine and a new bubble cockpit as fire power had been increased to six 12.7mm (.50-cal) machine guns. Along with the Hawker Tempest, it was the most lethal fighter in the European Theater of Operations. After WW2, it would also see action in Korea.

Technical Characteristics

The North American P-51 Mustang was a single-seat, single-engine, low-wing monoplane. Its fuselage was of all-metal construction, with a long nose to make room for its powerful inline, 1,590-HP, 12-cylinder engine. The radiator was located on the fuselage ventral side (belly of aircraft), giving it a characteristic bulge. The airframe and metal skin was rugged, being able to withstand a lot of beating and still be able to fly.

Specifications (P-51D)

Type: fighter/fighter-bomber

Length: 9.83 m (32 ft, 3 inch)

Wing Span: 11.29 m (37 ft)

Wing Area: 21.83 m2 (235 sq. ft)

Height: 3.71 m (12 ft, 2 inch)

Powerplant: one Packard-built, Rolls Royce Merlin, 'V', 12-cylinder, inline, air-cooled piston engine, delivering 1,590 HP.

Maximum Speed: 716 km/h (445 mph)

Range: 1,207 km (750 miles)

Ceiling: 12,770 m (41,900 ft)

Armament: six 12.7-mm M2 Browning machine guns; 127mm rockets; two 454-kg bombs.

Below, a restored P-51 at a California airfield.

A P-51D version in flight around 1945.

Below, the P-51B variant. Notice it had a different cockpit than later versions.

The North American P-51 Mustang in action during WW2 (video).

Read More