Vought F4U-5N Corsair

The Vought F4U-5N Corsair was a carrier-borne night fighter aircraft in service with the US Navy. It was a specialized variant of the F4U, which had been used in WW2. It saw combat action in the Korean War with great effectiveness. Derived from the F4U-5, it was fitted with an AN/APS-19 radar on the outer panel of the starboard wing in 1950. It also featured an extra radio antenna behind the rudder. Heavily armed with four 20-mm cannons and four .50-caliber machine guns, it was a lethal night interceptor.

The Vought F4U-5N was driven by a more powerful machine; a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-32WE radial engine, delivering 2450-HP. The fabric covering on the outer wing panel was deleted and replaced with metal. This resulted in a reduction in drag. Also, the canopy was enlarged to a blown design and it was higher than on the F4U-4 version. It also had considerable flak armor protection. Chance Vought produced 223 F4U-5 aircraft, from which 120 would be converted to F4U-5N.

Specifications

Type: night fighter

Length: 10.21 m (33 feet, 6 inches)

Wingspan: 12.50 m (41 feet)

Wing Area: 29.2 square meters (314 sq. ft.)

Empty Weight: 4,461 kg (9,835 pounds)

Powerplant: one 2,450-HP, Pratt & Whitney R-2800-32W, piston engine, with water injection.

Maximum Speed: 744 km/h (462 mph)

Range: 1,658 km (1,030 miles)

Armament: four 20-mm cannon; four 12.7-mm machine guns.

Below, the Grumman F4U-5N in flight over Dallas in 1950.

The night fighter in flight after taken off from the deck of the USS Antietam.

The Argentinean Navy winterized version; the F4U-5NL

Below, the same variant of the F4U, with wings folded.

 

Grumman F7F Tigercat

The Grumman F7F Tigercat was the first twin-engine, carrier-based fighter used by the US Navy. It was also the first operational shipboard fighter aircraft to be fitted with tricycle landing gear. It was designed to take off and land from the new Midway-class of large carriers. The Tigercat was heavily armed as it was fitted with four .50-caliber M2 Browning machines guns and four 20-mm cannons. The F7F-2N and F7F-3N variants were the Navy's night fighters as they were equipped with radars.

The first of the two prototypes, the XF7F-1, made its maiden flight on December 2, 1943. Grumman's test pilot Robert Hall was at the controls. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-22W piston engines, each of which delivered 2,100 HP. It would crash in May 1944. However the test program would continue with a second prototype. Finally, the aircraft was introduced into service in September 1944 as the F7F-1. Although it was a heavy fighter, it was a very fast aircraft, with an excellent performance. However, because of its size and deck-landing issues, the US Navy deemed it unsatisfactory for operations from a carrier. Thus, it would almost exclusively operate from land naval bases.

Although the Grumman F7F Tigercat entered service too late to take part in World War II, it would see combat action in the Korean War. Along with the F4U Corsair, Tigercats of the US Marine Corps flew more than half of the night interdiction mission during the war. They also carried out ground-attack missions in support of ground troops.

Technical Characteristics

The Grumman F7F was a twin-engine monoplane, fitted with straight shoulder wing. The outer portion of wing could be folded for storage, but since it operated mainly from land bases it was unnecessary. It had a elongated all-metal fuselage, with a long nose, which would feature a radome for the SCR-720 radar in the F7F-3N version. The F7F-2D had two separate cockpits with bubble canopies, one for the pilot and the other for the navigator/controller. Its landing gear was of the tricycle type.

Specifications (F7F-3)

Type: heavy fighter

Length: 13.83 m (45 feet, 4 inches)

Wingspan: 15.70 m (51 feet, 6 inches)

Wing Area: 42.27 square meters (455 sq. ft.)

Height: 5.05 m (16 feet, 7 inches)

Powerplant: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W, Double Wasp, 18-cylinder, radial piston engines, which produced 2,100 HP each.

Maximum Speed: 700 km/h (434 mph)

Range: 1,931 km (1,200 miles)

Ceiling: 12,404 m (40,700 ft)

Armament: four 20-mm cannons in wing roots; four 12.7-mm machine guns in nose; one torpedo under fuselage, or 454 kg of bombs/rockets.

Below, the Grumman F7T Tigercat in flight in 1947.

The F7F-2N night fighter variant. Notice the two-seat cockpit.

The F7F-2D drone controller version.

Grumman F8F Bearcat

The Grumman F8F Bearcat was a carrier-borne fighter which was in service with the US Navy from 1945 to 1955. It was an impressive combat aircraft, very maneuverable, and it was even faster than the F6F Hellcat. It was designed as a low to medium-altitude, piston-engine dogfighter. However, its destine was marred by the advent of the jet fighter.

Although it did not see combat action in WW2, The Grumman F8F did indeed fly combat sorties but for the French Navy against the Vietminh at the end of the French Indochina War (1946-1954) in the ground-attack role. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the US Navy decided not to commit Bearcats to combat, preferring to use the Vought F4U Corsair instead, because of the latter bomb-load capacity.

The prototype of the Bearcat, the XF8F-1, performed its maiden flight on June 25, 1944. It featured the first bubble canopy design for a navy combat aircraft. This featured improved visibility to a large degree. This prototype was equipped with the already proven Pratt & Whitney R-2800 series piston engine, with water injection. The first production aircraft was the F8F-1, which differed from the prototype in some details; to improve directional stability, a dorsal fin was added to the leading edge of the tail vertical stabilizer, and the span of the tail horizontal stabilizer was increased by 12 inches to improve longitudinal stability.

Technical Characteristics

The Grumman F8F Bearcat was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It was fitted with dihedral, low-wing, with square tip. Its outer third portion was foldable for carrier storage. Ailerons were located on the folding panel of wings, while the trailing edge flaps were on its fixed portion. Like the wing, the fuselage were of all-metal construction. The retractable landing gear featured long legs.

Specifications (F8F-2)

Type: naval fighter

Length: 8.38 m (27 feet, 6 inches)

Wingspan: 10.82 m (35 feet, 6 inches)

Wing Area: 22.7 square meters (244 sq. ft.)

Weight: 3,470 kg (7650 pounds)

Powerplant: one 2,250-HP, Prat & Whitney R-2800-30W, air-cooled, radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 719 km/h (447 mph)

Range: 1,770 km (1,100 miles)

Ceiling: 12,405 m (40,700 ft)

Armament: four 20-mm M3 cannons.

Below, front view of an F8F-1 variant parked at a naval airbase in California in 1946.

A Bearcat in flight from the USS Boxer carrier. Pilot: D.C. Caldwell in 1948.

 

Below, the F8F with outer wing panels folded.

 

Grumman F8F aircraft formation from Glenview Naval Air Station in 1949.

Grumman F6F Hellcat

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a fighter aircraft in service with the US Navy during World War II. Being one of the fastest combat airplane in WW2, it replaced the F4F Wildcat to overcome the lethal threat posed by the Mitsubishi A6M Zero in the skies over the Pacific Ocean. With 12,275 Hellcats made between 1942 and 1945, it was one of the most massively produced aircraft in American history.

The XF6F-1 prototype flew for the first time on June 26, 1942. From its first flight, it had all the marks of a successful design. The prototype proved to be stable and easy to fly. Only some minor tail flutter was cleared up by strengthening the aft structure. After only six months of test flights, the Grumman F6F Hellcat was introduced into service in January 1943, with the first deliveries of the aircraft to the VF-9 based on USS Essex.

Although it was sturdy and heavy, the Hellcat was very fast, maneuverable, and stable as it became the outstanding dogfighter of the war in the Pacific. It was only slightly surpassed by the Vought F4U Corsair in speed. Aside from being agile, the Grumman F6F Hellcat was rugged and solidly-made. This endowed the aircraft with the capacity to sustain a lot of enemy gunfire and still be able to bring the pilot back to the carrier. The aircraft was driven by a powerful machine; a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp, 18-cylinder, radial engine, which put out 2,000 HP.

Technical Characteristics

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a single-seat, single-engine, low-wing monoplane. Its fuselage was an all-metal construction, with frames and bulkheads being made with aluminum channels or angle sections. Longerons and stringers, made of similar materials, stretched from nose to tail, creating a grid-like pattern with the frames. The pilots was protected from enemy gunfire by a series of flat, homogeneous steel plates, which were set up from front to the rear of cockpit. The canopy was made of five pieces and it could be slid back on a track with a hand crank. Landing gear wheels folded up backwards into wing.

The Hellcat's wing center section was very stout and strong, and it held the main gear, the catapult hooks, fuselage and outer wing panels together. The aircraft foldable wing panels carried the fighter's guns and ammunition as well as the outboard flaps and ailerons. The wing panels and center wing were built in a similar way, with a slanted front spar, a rear spar extending out past the inner edge of the aileron and an aileron support spar, which was called a "rib intercostal member". Ribs extended from leading to trailing edge, while stringers ran the full span of wings.

Specifications (F6F-5 variant)

Type: single-seat, carrier-based fighter.

Length: 10.23 m (33 feet, 7 inches)

Wingspan: 13.08 m (42 feet, 10 inches)

Wing Area: 31.03 square meters (334 sq. ft.)

Height: 3.99 m (13 feet, 1 inch)

Powerplant: one 2,000-HP, Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W radial engine

Maximum Speed:  620 km/h (380 mph)

Range: 1,675 km (1,040 miles)

Service Ceiling: 11,500 m (37.500 feet)

Armament: six 12.7mm (.50-cal.) Browning M2 machine guns set up in wings; six 127mm rockets; 907 kg of bombs.

Below, two F6Fs flying over New York City. The photo was taken after the war in the Pacific.

 

The prototype XF6F-2 in 1942.

 

Below, two F6F-5P reconnaissance aircraft in August 1945.

 

A Grumman F6F-3 variant in flight in June 1943.

 

The Hellcats in action in the Pacific in 1944 (video)

 

Grumman F4F Wildcat

The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an iconic carrier-borne fighter used by the US Navy in the Pacific Theater of World War II. It was the second naval fighter monoplane, replacing the Brewster F2A Buffalo, which was the first one. Introduced in February 1940, a total of 7,825 Wildcats were produced, with the F4F-3 and the F4F-4 being the main variants. It was also employed by the US Marine Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force.

Although it lacked the speed and outstanding performance and maneuverability of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Grumman F4F Wildcat had a rugged and well-built fuselage and airframe as it could take up a lot of beating and still be able to fly. It also had considerable and lethal firepower, being equipped with six .50-caliber machine guns. In the hands of skilled and determined pilots, it was able to compile distinguished records during its first year of combat. When its successor, the F6F Hellcat, was not available yet, the F4F Wildcat played a key role in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway in May and June 1942, respectively.

Although the first prototype of the Wildcat, the XF4F-1, was not a trim monoplane but a high performance biplane, the US Navy saw that this biplane design was already outdated. Thus, on July 28, 1936, the Bureau of Aeronautics awarded Grumman a contract for the XF4F-2, which would be the first monoplane developed by this contractor. This aircraft was powered by one Pratt & Whitney SC-G twin-wasp 14-cylinder, air-cooled engine. It was first flown on September 2, 1937, by pilot Robert L. Hall.

Technical Characteristics

The Grumman F4F was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It featured dihedral, cantilever mid-wing, with squared-off tips. The wing and the fuselage were of an all-metal construction and utilized the newly developed 230-series airfoils. The ailerons were made of aluminum and covered with fabric. Split flaps were fitted to the wing trailing edge.

The airframe was all-metal, with stressed alloy aluminum skin. The cockpit was rather cramped and visibility was not good enough. The pilot was protected by a thick armor steel plate set up behind his seat. The fuel tanks were located in the wings and held 606 liters (158 gallons) of aviation gasoline.

Specifications (F4F-4)

Type: single-seat, carrier-based fighter

Length:  8.50 m (28 feet)

Wingspan: 11.60 m (38 feet)

Height: 3.60 m (12 feet)

Weight: 2,612 kg (5,746 pounds)

Power Plant: one 1,200-HP, Wright R-1830-36 Cyclone, radial piston engine, with two stage and two-seep supercharger.

Maximum Speed: 512 km/h (318 mph)

Range: 1,239 km (768 miles)

Ceiling: 12,010 m (39,400 feet)

Armament: six 12.7-mm (.50-cal.) Browning, air-cooled machine guns. Two 45-kg bombs.

Below, the F4F-3 version in flight as it banks left in the skies over California.

First production Wildcat out of the factory in 1940.

Below, a historical photo of a Grumman F4F Wildcat in flight in early June, 1942, right before the Battle of Midway.

 

A squadron of Wildcats on the flight deck of the Enterprise aircraft carrier.

 

A color photo of two F4F-4 variants in flight.

 

Grumann F4F Wildcat in action (video)

Grumman F3F

The Grumman F3F was a carrier-borne fighter in service with the US Navy from 1936 to 1943. The emergence of the F4F Wildcat monoplane in 1940 put this biplane fighter out of combat missions when World War II broke out in the Pacific. Thus, it would be relegated to perform secondary duties until it was phased out.

The  development of the Grumman F3F was an attempt on the part of the US Navy contractor to rectify all the shortcomings of the F2F predecessor, mainly in the area of directional stability and stall characteristics. In addition, the new fighter biplane gained superior performance. Thus, the fuselage of the XF3F-1 prototype was lengthened by twenty one inches over the earlier aircraft. The purpose of this alteration in length was to improve longitudinal stability. The F3F also had larger wings than its predecessor.

The prototype XF3F-1 performed its maiden flight on March 20, 1935, with Grumman test pilot Jimmy Collins at the controls. However, this trial aircraft would suffer two crashes before mass production was ordered. In order to improve its spin recovery characteristics, Grumman would fit it with a much larger rudder and sturdier controls. Additionally, two hinged panels were installed under the fuselage to the rear of the tailhook opening. The upper wing beam and aileron bell cranks would also be strengthened. Thus, the first production variant of the aircraft, the F3F-1 entered service in January 1936.

Specifications

Type: carrier-based, single-seat biplane.

Variants: F3F-1, F3F-2, F3F-3

Length: 7.1 m (23 feet, 2 inches)

Wingspan: 9.75 m (32 feet)

Height: 3.17 m (10 feet, 9 inches)

Weight: 1,477.8 kg (3,258 pounds)

Powerplant: one Wright 1820-22 Cyclone, air-cooled, radial engine, delivering 950 HP.

Maximum Speed: 389.4 km/h (242 mph)

Range: 1,327.6 km (825 miles)

Armament: two .30-caliber machine guns; two 110-pound bombs, one under each wing.

Below, a Grumman F3F-2, BuNo 0994, on an airfield in 1938.

The F3F in flight. It was assigned to the commanding office VF-6 and had insignia red section markings and a true blue tail.

A flight formation of F3F-2s near San Diego, California, in 1940.

Grumman SF-1

The Grumman SF-1 was an American scout biplane used by the US Navy in the 1930s. It was based on the FF-1 fighter airframe. The prototype had been designated XSF-1 and it first flew on August 20, 1932. After several test trials at Naval Air Station Anacostia, the US Navy ordered 34 SF-1s, which were delivered for service between February 15 and July 12, 1934.

Technical Characteristics

The Grumman SF-1 was a two-seat, single-engine biplane. Its fuselage was of all-metal semi-monocoque construction. Its wings were made of aluminum, covered with fabric. Meanwhile, the horizontal tail surfaces and all control surfaces were also all-metal. The external aileron mass balances of the Grumman FF-1 were removed on the SF-1. Landing gear (the front wheels) were retractable.

The SF-1 was powered by one Wright R-1820-78 Cyclone, air-cooled, radial engine, which could put out 750 HP. The engine was enclosed in a Townend ring cowling, which was similar to the one installed on the FF-1. This powerplant had individual exhaust stacks for each cylinder.

Below, three SF-1 aircraft flying in echelon formation in Oakland, California, in 1937.

 

The same scout biplane parked at a US Navy airbase in 1936.

 

Grumman FF-2

The Grumman FF-2 was a fighter trainer biplane used by the US Navy before World War II. It was developed in the Naval Aircraft Factory, in Philadelphia, from the FF-1 and it shared similar characteristics. It was in service between 1936 and 1942. It was a light, maneuverable and safe trainer.

The modifications made to the FF-1 to obtain the FF-2 included the installation of dual flight controls, the removal of the tail hook and the addition of an engine exhaust collector ring to replace the individual exhaust stacks. The carburetor heat was also bled off the exhaust collector ring. Finally, an HF/RDF radio was installed as a five stranded loop antenna was set up between the upper and the lower starboard wings. Despite of the fact of being a trainer, it kept the three machine guns of its predecessor.

Specifications

Type: naval trainer

Length: 24 feet, 6 inches (7.47 m)

Wingspan: 34 feet, 6 inches (10.52 m)

Height: 11 feet, 1 inches (3.38 m)

Weight: 3,076 lb (1,395.2 kg)

Powerplant: one 750-HP, Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 207 mph (333.1 km/h)

Below, the Grumman FF-2 at the Alleghany County Airport. It has the Navy/Marine reserve insignia.

Sideview drawing of the FF-2 indicating the addition of the exhaust collector ring and the removal of the tail hook.

 

Grumman FF-1

The Grumman FF-1 was an American naval fighter, which was in service with the US Navy in the 1930s. Its prototype, the XFF-1, took to the air for the first time on December 29, 1931. After satisfactory completion of several tests in Anacostia, deliveries of the first 27 production aircraft began in April 1933. They were assigned to the USS Lexington's VF-5B Squadron of the US Navy. They would be withdrawn from front line service in 1936, to be replaced by the F3F-1.

Technical Characteristics

The Grumman FF-1 was a two-seat, single-engine biplane. The upper wing had the maximum span. Both planes were joined together by inverted N shaped struts and a slanting metal tube on each side. The front landing wheels were retractable, folding outwardly into the aircraft fuselage sides, right behind the engine.

Specifications

Type: naval fighter

Length: 7.46 m (24 feet, 6 inches)

Wingspan:  10.5 m (34 feet, 6 inches)

Height: 3.35 m (11 feet, 1 inch)

Weight: 1,395.2 kg (3,076 lb)

Powerplant: one 750-HP, Wright R-1820-78 Cyclone, air-cooled, radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 333.1 km/h (207 mph)

Range: 1,178 km (732 miles)

Ceiling: 6,827.5 m (22,400 feet)

Crew: 1

Armament: three .30-calibre machine guns.

Below, four Grumman FF-1 fighters of the VF-5B Squadron in 1934.

The XFF-1 prototype in early 1932.

Below, a FF-1 taking off from the flight deck of USS Lexington (CV-2)

 

Curtiss P-1 Hawk

The Curtiss P-1 Hawk was an American combat aircraft in service with the US Army Air Force between 1925 and 1932. It was the first fighter to be designated under the simplified system that had been adopted by the US Army in 1924. It had been developed from the PW-8 aircraft, and the first batch of the aircraft were delivered to the 27th and 94th Pursuit Squadrons, where they were operational for a few years.

The Curtiss P-1 airframe structure was versatile. Its design would be the basis of many subsequent designations and sub-types. Its power plant consisted of one Curtis V-1150, 12-cylinder, water-cooled, piston engine, which was rated at 435 HP. This engine had a two-bladed propeller. The main variants were the P-1B, P-1C, and the P-1D; these had larger wheels. The P-1C had wheel breaks.

Technical Characteristics

The Curtiss P-1 was a single-seat, single-engine biplane, which had an open cockpit. The upper wing was larger and set up forward in relation to the lower wing for better ground visibility for the pilot. Ailerons were fitted in the upper wing, which was joined to the lower one by sturdy pipe struts. Landing gear was fixed.

Specifications

Type: fighter aircraft

Length: 7 m (23 ft)

Wingspan: 9.60 m (31 ft, 6 in)

Wing Area: 23.4 square meters (252 sq. ft)

Height: 2.67 m (8 ft, 9 in)

Engine: one Curtiss V -1150-3 piston-driven

Maximum Speed: 248.5 km/h (154.4 mph)

Range: 480 km (300 miles)

Drawing of the P-1 fighter.

 

Below, a photo of the Curtiss P-1D of the 43rd School Squadron.

Yakovlev Yak-15

The Yakovlev Yak-15 was a jet fighter developed by the Soviet Union in the Post-War period. The prototype first flew on April 24, 1946, entering service on June 10, 1947. At that time the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 jet fighter was also introduced into service with the Soviet Air Force. Yakovlev produced 280 Yak-15 aircraft between 1946 and 1947.

The Yak-15 was lighter, easier and simpler to fly than the MiG-9. However, during combat operations, sometimes it showed some shortcomings during landing due to failure of the main landing gear and the tail shock absorbers. But it would soon be fixed, making of this Soviet fighter a very reliable aircraft. Thanks to the maneuverability it displayed in flight, it would be used by a number of acrobatic teams of the Soviet Union and some Eastern European countries.

Technical Characteristics

The Yakovlev Yak-15 was single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It was fitted with straight mid-wing, which tapered towards the tips, with a large wing area and wingspan. This was due to the fact it had been developed from the Yak-3 piston-engine fighter of WW2. The tailplane (horizontal stabilizer) had the same shape of wing, and its tail fin had a large rudder.

The Yakovlev Yak-15 had an all-metal fuselage. The jet engine was set up under the forward fuselage, with the air intake in the nose. The landing gear was retractable, with the wheels folding inwards.

Specifications

Type: fighter aircraft

Length: 8.7 m (28 ft, 7 in)

Wingspan: 9.2 m (30 ft, 2 in)

Wing Area: 14.85 square meters (159.8 sq ft)

Power Plant: one Klimov RD-10 turbojet engine.

Maximum Speed: 786 km/h (489 mph)

Ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)

Range: 1,020 km; combat range: 510 km (320 miles)

Armament: two 23mm Nudelman-Suranov cannons.

The Yakovlev Yak-15 fighter in flight in 1948.

The  prototype drawing

Yakovlev Yak-36

The Yakovlev Yak-36, 'Freehand', was a Soviet experimental aircraft of the Cold War. This jet VSTOL prototype performed its maiden test flight on January 9, 1963. Only four aircraft were built and the project was cancelled a year later.

Technical Characteristics

The Yakovlev Yak-36 was a single-seat, twin-engine aircraft, with cropped-delta mid-wing. The swept-back tailplane was mounted on its large tail fin. It was powered by two Tumansky R-27-300, axial flow, turbojet engines. These were mounted in the forward fuselage. The aircraft had a large nose for the two air intakes. As in every jet aircraft, its length was superior to its wingspan.

Specifications:

Type: X interceptor aircraft

Length: 17 m (55 ft, 9 in)

Wingspan: 10 m (32 ft, 10 in)

Height: 4.5 m (14 ft, 9 in)

Weight: 5,300 kg (11,684 lb)

Maximum Speed: Mach 0.85

Armament: two 23mm GSh-23L cannons.

Below, the 'Freehand' in its second test flight in 1963.

Blue print of the Yakovlev Yak-36

Albatros D.III

The Albatros D.III was a German fighter used during World War I. Performing its maiden flight in August 1916, it was first encountered by Allied pilots in early 1917. It would be produced in large numbers, with more than 1,800 aircraft being built. It was in service both with the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian forces.

The Albatros D.III was developed from the D.I and D.II airplanes. Thus it would adopt the sesquiplane layout, which had been favored by Nieuport earlier in the war. 'Sesquiplane' literally means '1 1/2 wing'. It entered service in late December 1916, but it saw combat action in January 1917. In the Summer of 1917, it would officially and slowly be superseded by the D.V.

The Albatros D.III was liked and acclaimed by the German pilots as it was a very maneuverable aircraft, with an excellent rate of climb. During the month of April, 1917, the British Army suffered severe losses as 151 English biplanes were shot down by this German fighter in dog-fights on the Western Front.

Technical Characteristics

The Albatros D.III was a single-seat, single-engine biplane. The wing structure was the typical all-wood Albatros type formula, with twin box spars located well forward. The front spar was connected to the leading edge with a plywood capping strip. The steel-tube-framed ailerons were unbalanced, with an inverse taper. Both wing decks were joined together with "V"-shaped struts.

Although it was a very maneuverable biplane, it had one drawback. Since it had adopted the French Nieuport wing plan, the Albatros inherited the French fighter's main weakness; the single-spar lower wing had a tendency to collapse under the stress of a prolonged dive or excessive maneuvers, making it to overturn during landing. However, at any rate, the D.III was still far superior to any Allied fighter of the time.

Specifications

Type: single-seat biplane fighter

Wingspan. Upper deck: 9 m (29 ft, 6 in); lower deck: 8.73 m (28 ft, 8 in)

Wing Area: 20.56 square meters (221.3 sq. ft.)

Length: 7.35 m (24 ft, 1 in)

Height: 2.8 m (9 ft, 2 in)

Power Plant: one 200-HP, Austro-Daimler, 6-cylinder, water-cooled, in-line piston engine.

Maximum Speed: 188 km/h (117 mph)

Armament: two 8mm machine guns.

The D.III doing an overhead pass in May 1917.

Below, the Albatros D.III on a German landing strip near the Western Front in the Summer of 1917.

 

The Albatros waiting to take off for another combat mission, with skull and cross bones painted on fuselage.

 

Two D.IIIs on an airbase near Cambrai, northeastern France.

Yakovlev Yak-25

The Yakovlev Yak-25, "Flashlight", was the first proper all-weather fighter aircraft to be fitted with adequate search radar. The prototypes first flew in 1952 and it was introduced into service with the Soviet Air Force in 1955. The original design would become known in the West as "Flashlight-A".

The version of the Yakovlev Yak-25 with a single-seat canopy and a glazed nose became Type "B".  The Type C was similar but it was fitted with a solid radome in the nose and longer engine unit. Meanwhile Type D had slight wingtip extensions and only one cannon, while the other fighter variants carried two 37mm cannons.

Technical Characteristics

The Yakovlev Yak-25 was a two-engine plane. It had swept-back, mid-wing. The tailplane was also of the swept-back design and it was mounted on a large fin. As all jet fighter aircraft, its fuselage was all-metall. All versions, except Type B, it was fitted with a two-seat cockpit.

The Yak-25 was a very remarkable fighter of the period, with the most interesting point of the design being the zero-track tricycle landing gear. The outrigger units were located at the wingtips. The aircraft was powered by two Klimov VK-5 jet engines, which developed 6,500 lbs of thrust. After a few years, its speed was not fast enough to catch up with the modern American bombers of the day. This led to the development of the Yakovlev Yak-28.

Blue Print drawing of the Yak-25

 

Photo of the "Flashlight", as it was known in the West, taken in 1955.

North American F-86 Sabre

The North American F-86 Sabre was a jet fighter, which was in service with the US Air Force from 1949 to 1965. It was an iconic combat aircraft of the Cold War era, actively taking part in the Korean War. In this armed conflict, it would often engage its Soviet counterpart, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, in dog-fights in the skies over Far East Asia. Total production of all versions of the Sabre exceeded 9,000 aircraft.

The prototype, the XP-86, performed its maiden flight on October 1, 1947. It was flown by test pilot George Welch and it was escorted by a P-82 plane. After several test flights, it was finally introduced into service on March 14, 1949, in the F-86A early version. In December 1950, it would be sent over to Korea, thus becoming the first US swept-wing jet aircraft used in combat missions. At the beginning, it was not a match to the extremely maneuverable MiG-15. However, the F-86A would be upgraded into the F-86E and the F-86F, becoming fit to confront the Soviet fighter.

Technical Characteristics

The North American F-86 Sabre was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It featured swept wing, which was mounted low on its all-metal fuselage. Its tailplane was also swept back at the same angle, with the whole surface working as elevator as it was movable. The air intake was located in the nose of aircraft, which was powered by one General Electric J47-GE-13 turbojet engine.

Specifications (F-86E)

Type: fighter aircraft

Dimension:

- length: 11.43 m ( 37 ft, 6 in)

- wingspan: 11.31 m (37 ft, 1 in)

- wing Area: 26.76 square meters (288 sq. ft)

- height: 4.47 m (15 ft, 5 in)

Performance:

- maximum Speed: 1,086 km/h (675 mph) at 762 m (2,500 ft) of altitude.

- range: 1,263 km (785 miles)

- service ceiling: 14,722 m (48,300 ft)

Armament:

- six 12.7mm (.50-calibre) machine guns.

- sixteen 127mm rockets/ or two 454-kg bombs.

Below, the F-86F version in flight in skies over the USA in 1954.

 

The prototype of the F-86, performing test flight number 26, on November 21, 1947.

 

Two F-86E used in Korea in 1952.