Grumman A-6 Intruder

The Grumman A-6 Intruder was a carrier-borne, subsonic, attack aircraft, which was in service with the US Navy between 1963 and 1997. It saw extensive combat action during the Vietnam War, providing fire support to US ground troops in Southeast Asia. It was also used in the 1991 Gulf War against Iraqi targets, flying 6,444 sorties during that armed conflict. This aircraft was also in service with the US Marine Corps.

As a prototype (YA2F-1), the Grumman A-6 first flew on April 19, 1960. After three years of flight tests and improving the avionics and weapon system, this naval aircraft was finally introduced on October 10, 1963, as the A-6A Intruder, when Grumman delivered the first batch of 32 aircraft to the US Navy. They were the first operational squadron Intruders. The A-6B was basically an A-6A, which was modified to carry the new AGM-78 anti-radiation missile. The A-6E would be an improved version of the Vietnam era A-6A, being fitted with more powerful engines. The EA-6A would be the electronic warfare version, from which the EA-6B Prowler would be developed.

Below, the US Navy's A-6E variant in flight, with ID # 532.

Technical Description

The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an all-weather, two-seat, twin-engine, carrier-based aircraft. It featured a mid-wing configuration (mounted on mid portion of fuselage), with a negative dihedral of one degree. The wings had a 25° sweepback at the quarter chord and they could be folded for storage convenience. The A-6E variant was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8B turbojet engines, which developed 9,305 pounds of thrust.

The fuselage of the Intruder was semi-monocoque, which was made of aluminum and tapered towards the tail. However, the ventral area was composed of a deep structural keel beam of steel and titanium. The wings and the tail vertical and horizontal stabilizers were of multi-beam construction, with machined aluminum skins and honeycomb trailing edges. It was fitted with a pair of air brakes mounted on the rear portion of fuselage. The landing gear was a conventional tricycle arrangement, with the addition of the catapult tow link to the nose strut.

Specifications (A-6E)

Type: all-weather, attack aircraft

Length: 16.69 m (54 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Span: 16.15 m (53 feet)

Wing Area: 49.13 m² (529 sq. feet)

Height: 4.93 m (16 feet, 2 inches)

Power Plant: two Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8B turbojet engines

Maximum Speed: 1,037 km/h (644 mph)

Range: 1,627 km (1,011 miles)

Service Ceiling: 12,925 m (42,405 feet)

Armament: 8,125 kg (18,000 lb) of bombs.

Avionics: AN/APQ-112 track radar for moving and stationary targets; forward looking infrared sensor and laser designator mounted turret under the nose.

Crew: two

Below, the YA2F-1 prototype in July 1960.

The Grumman A-6 Intruder in action (video)

Below, the A-6E version, VF-176, landing on the deck of USS Forrestal

Intruders flown by US Marine Corps pilots.

Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe

The Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe was a twin-engine utility aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. It was similar to the Royal Air Force Avro Anson. Being very reliable and adaptable, it was employed in different roles during this armed conflict, such as transport, ambulance, and trainer. It was massively produced with a total of 1,350 aircraft built.

The prototype of the Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe, the V1, made its maiden flight in the Summer of 1935. It was a six-seat transport, with two crew members housed in a separate cabin under an upward-hinging canopy. It was soon followed by a second prototype, the V2, which featured two MG-15 machine guns set up in the aircraft nose and behind the flight deck. After almost two years of trials, it entered service with the Luftwaffe in July 1937 in two versions: the Fw 58A-0 and the Fw 58A-1, a utility transport and navigation trainer respectively. The Fw 58B-1 was a bomber trainer, while the Fw 58B-3 a rescue trainer. But the best remembered variants were the Fw 58G-1 and 58G-3, which were air ambulances (Sanitätsflugzeug).

Below, the first Fw 58A-0 Weihe, retained by the manufacturer to transport Kurt Tank, who was the chief designer of the German firm.

Technical Description

The Focke-Wulf Fw 58 was a twin-engine monoplane. It featured dihedral, cantilever low-wing, while the fuselage consisted of welded steel trusses covered by fabric, with some metal skinning around the nose. The wing, which was built around metal spars, was braced to the fuselage by a strut. The tail section consisted of a horizontal stabilizer mounted over the rear portion of fuselage and propped up by a pair of struts, a fin and a large rudder behind it. Landing gear was retractable.

Specifications (Fw 58B-1)

Type: transport/air ambulance/trainer

Length: 14 m (45 feet, 11 inches)

Wing Span: 21 m (68 feet, 11 inches)

Wing Area: 47 m2 (505.92 square feet)

Height: 3.90 m (12 feet, 9 inches)

Power Plant: two Argus As 10C, 8-cylinder, inverted 'V', piston engines, each one generating 240 HP.

Maximum Speed: 270 km/h (168 mph)

Range: 800 km (497 miles)

Service Ceiling: 5,600 m (18,375 feet)

Below, the FW 58G-1 version, complete with red cross markings. Photo taken in 194.

Grumman HU-16 Albatross

The Grumman HU-16 Albatross was an American search and rescue flying boat. It was in service with the US Air Force, the US Coast Guard, and the US Navy from 1949 to 1983. The Hellenic Navy also used this amphibious aircraft. Formerly known as the SA-16, a total of 466 Albatross flying boats were built between 1947 and 1961. It was used in the Korean and Vietnam War, plucking dozens of downed pilots and crew members out of the hostile waters.

The Albatross prototype, the JR2F Pelican, first took to the air on October 1, 1947. It was officially introduced in December 1949 as the SA-16A (HU-16A), when the US Air Force received its first batch of 99 flying boats. This branch of the United States military would acquire the largest number of Albatross, with a total of 305 seaplanes, which included the HU-16B version, with a wider wing span. In March 1952, it entered service with the US Coast Guard as the HU-16E. The HU-16C (formerly designated UF-1) would be used by the US Navy.

The ASW Albatross

In May 1961, the anti-submarine warfare version of the Albatross made its first flight. The development of this variant had begun in 1960 as part of a Military Defense Aid Program (MDAP) project to produce an anti-submarine patrol aircraft suitable for the air forces of friendly nations. Two prototypes were built first for the trial period. It was the most radically different of the Albatross family.

This combat seaplane had a bulbous upswept nose radome, which housed an AN/APS-88 search radar. It was also fitted with a magnetic anomaly detector boom, which was extendable from its tail. This was designated SHU-16B, with a total of 13 being used by the Greek Air Force. It was armed with two homing torpedoes and Mk-54 depth charges.

Below, a United States Coast Guard HU-16E Albatross flying along the eastern coast.

Technical Description

The Grumman HU-16 Albatross was a twin-engine, amphibious monoplane, with shoulder-mounted wings. It was of conventional, all-metal construction, consisting of a deep "V" two-step hull. The wing featured fixed leading edge slots, outboard of the float pylons. The purpose of these slots were to enhance low-speed performance and handling characteristics. It had landing gear for on the ground operations; this retracted up and flush into wells on the hull sides. It was powered by two Wright R-1820-76, air-cooled, radial engines, each one producing 1,425 horsepower.

Specifications (HU-16A)

Type: search and rescue seaplane

Length: 18.49 m (60 ft, 8 in)

Wing Span: 24.38 m (80 ft)

Wing Area: 77.39 m2 (833 sq. ft)

Height: 7.39 m (24 ft, 3 in)

Power Plant: two 1,425-HP, Wright R1820-76A-94 Cyclone, 9-cylinder, air-cooled, piston radial engines.

Maximum Speed: 383 km/h (237 mph)

Range: 4,310 km (2,680 miles)

Service Ceiling: 7,560 m (24,800 ft)

Crew: 4/ or 6

A Grumman HU-16 Albatross of the Japanese Navy in 1957 (video)

Below, a US Navy UF-1 (HU-16C), with dry floaters.

A HU-16A of the US Air Force flying over the coast of California.

Grumman S-2 Tracker

The Grumman S-2 Tracker was a carrier-based, anti-submarine warfare aircraft used by the US Navy during the Cold War. The original designation was S2F. It performed its maiden flight as the XS2F-1 on December 4, 1952. This first prototype was powered by two Wright R-1820 engines, each delivering 1,500 horsepower. In all, 1,269 Trackers were produced, including 100 under license by de Havilland of Canada. The S-2E was the most numerous version, while the S-2T had turboprop engines and was a conversion for civil aviation.

After fourteen months of trials, this naval aircraft entered service on February 25, 1954, as the S2F-1, which was nicknamed 'the Stoof' by the American pilots. In 1962, the US Navy changed its designation and called it the 'S-2 Tracker', which was the first anti-submarine warfare aircraft specially designed for such role. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, it flew sorties over the Caribbean Sea in search of Soviet submarines. Despite its satisfactory service, it would be replaced by the Lockheed S-3 Viking aircraft in 1974.

Below, a photo of the XS2F-1 prototype in flight.

Technical Description

The Grumman S-2 Tracker was a four-seat, twin-engine aircraft, which was fitted with straight shoulder wing. It had an all-metal fuselage, which was made of aluminum alloy. For hunting submarines, this naval aircraft featured a belly-mounted radome containing an AN/APS-38 search radar and a retractable magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) boom, which protruded backwards from the tail.

The Tracker's wings had a special folding system, which was different from other carrier-borne aircraft's. The hinge line was angled, allowing the starboard wing to be folded forward in front of the port wing. This arrangement gave the aircraft the lowest possible profile for storage aboard carriers. To improve its lift efficiency, the aircraft employed a fixed wing slot on the undersurface of the outer wing panels to the rear of the wing leading edge.

Specifications (S-2E)

Type: anti-submarine warfare aircraft.

Length: 13.26 m (43 ft, 6 in)

Wing Span: 22.12 m (72 ft, 6 in)

Wing Area: 46.08 m2 (496 sq. ft)

Height: 5.07 m (16 ft, 8 in)

Power Plant: two Wright R-1820-82WA piston engines, each producing 1,525 HP.

Maximum Speed: 404 km/h (250 mph)

Range: 1,480 km (920 miles)

Service Ceiling: 6,125 m (20,000 ft)

Armament: two torpedoes; depth charges; rockets.

Crew: 4

Below, the Tracker parked on a naval base, with folded wings.

The S-2E version in flight, with the MAD tail boom fully extended.

Below, the aircraft in flight around 1973.

Grumman F9F Cougar

The Grumman F9F Cougar was a carrier-borne jet fighter, which was in service with the US Navy from 1952 to 1974. It was among the first fighters to be armed with guided air-to-air missiles. It was also Grumman's first swept-wing combat aircraft. A total of 1988 aircraft were built between 1951 and 1960. This jet fighter never went to war as it was introduced too late for the Korean conflict, and, when the Vietnam War began, it was too slow and obsolete.

The Grumman F9F Cougar was developed from the F9F Panther, which was its straight-wing predecessor. As a matter of fact, it was the latest upgrade of the Panther, whose straight wings were replaced with swept wings. The prototype, the XF9F-6, first flew on September 20, 1951 and, after more than a year of flight trials, it was introduced into service on December 15, 1952, as the F9F-6 version, which had much better performance than the Panther at high speed due to its swept wings. It was powered by one Pratt & Whitney J48-P-6 jet engine. The F9F-6P was its photo-reconnaissance variant. The F9F-8 was the final development of the whole F9F series.

Below, a photograph of the final version of F9F in flight, armed with two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

Technical Description

The Grumman F9F Cougar was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It was fitted with swept mid-wing and an all-metal fuselage. Air for its Pratt & Whitney J48 engine was provided through a pair of triangular air intakes located in wing roots. The cockpit canopy allowed the pilot to have a good visibility; in the two-seat trainer variant, the cockpit was much larger and more comfortable. A simple ranging radar was fitted into an undernose bulge in fuselage.

The wings had a sweepback of 35 degrees and it could be folded for storage in aircraft carrier. The F9F-6 and F9F-7 had wing leading edge slats, which were deleted in the F9F-8. This latter version also had larger wings and larger wingroots. Two additional 150-gallon tanks could be carried under the wings. The operational fighter Cougar had four 20-mm cannons set up in nose of aircraft. The last version was also armed with guided air-to-air missiles.

Specifications (F9F-8)

Type: carrier-borne jet fighter

Length: 13.54 m (44 ft)

Wing Span: 10.52 m (34 ft)

Wing Area: 31.31 m2 (337 sq. ft)

Height: 3.37 m (12 ft)

Power Plant: one Pratt & Whitney J48-P-8A jet engine, producing 7,148 lb of thrust)

Maxium Speed: 1,135 km/h (704 mph) - Mach 0.919

Range: 1,610 km (998 miles)

Ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)

Armament: four 20-mm M-2 cannons; two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles; 1,816 kg of bombs.

Below, a F9F-8, id 141073, from VF-112  in flight in 1962, flying over the Pacific.

One Blue Angels' F9F-8, with wings folded, in the mid 1960s. It was marked with blue and gold.

Below, one F9F Cougar flying above a straight-wing Panther.

Below, the XF9F-6 in flight in February 1952.

Mil Mi-6 Hook

The Mil Mi-6 'Hook' was a Soviet military transport helicopter, which was widely used during the Cold War. Designed by Mikhail Mil in 1954, the prototype V-6 Shestjorka performed its maiden flight on June 5, 1957, and it entered service the following year. It was the first Soviet helicopter fitted with turboshaft engines, instead of piston engines. At the end of the 1950s, it was the largest helicopter in the world. It was also built in large numbers, being also employed by the armed forces of Eastern European countries and by North Korea and North Vietnam.

The Mil Mi-6 Hook was in service with the Red Army, from Europe to the Far East Asia, both as a troop transport and a heavy equipment transporter. Up to 70 well-accoutered paratroopers could be carried or a 13-ton load. Since it was a rear-loading helicopter, equipped with rear clam-shell doors and a ramp, it could also transport military vehicles. It was a very reliable and stable helicopter. The most widely built version was the Mi-6T, which was also acquired by the Peruvian Air Force.

Below, the Mi-6T version in 1980. It would be retired from service in 2002.

Technical Descriptions

The Mil Mi-6 was a two-engine heavy helicopter, with an all-metal fuselage. It was fitted with short-span, shoulder wings and fixed landing gear. The aircraft was powered by two Soloviev D-25V turboshaft engines, each delivering 5,500 horsepower. The main rotor had five blades, while the tail rotor had three. It was the first helicopter in the world to exceed 300 km per hour, reaching the maximum speed of 310 km/h.

Specifications

Type: transport helicopter

Length: 33.18 m (109 feet, 6 inches)

Rotor Diameter: 35 m (114 feet, 10 inches)

Height: 9.86 m

Weight: 27,240 kg (59,500 pounds)

Power Plant: 2 Soloviev D-25V turboshaft engines

Maximum Speed: 310 km/h

Range: 1,450 km (900 miles)

Ceiling: (14,700 feet)

Below, the Mil Mi-6 in 1959 as it takes off a Soviet military base.

The blue-print drawing of the Hook.

Below, inside view of the Mi-6, looking backwards. You can see the rear ramp.

Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache

The Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache (Dragon) was a transport and rescue helicopter employed by the Luftwaffe during World War II. The prototype V1 first flew on August 3, 1940, being originally developed for the Deutche Luft Hansa, the German civil airline. After its trials performance, the Air Ministry of the Third Reich became interested in the aircraft and ordered 39 helicopters for evaluation in a variety of roles.

Despite the keen interest shown by the German government, only a total of 20 Fa 223 Drache helicopters were ever completed, with only a small number being actually flown in operational duties. The production was stopped because Allies had bombed the factory in Bremen. After the war, the US forces seized two of them in May 1945. In September, 1945, one of them, flown by its original German crew, became the first helicopter in history to cross the English Channel.

Below, the Drache flying transport sorties in 1943, in Germany.

Although it looked cumbersome in appearance, the Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 was a reliable and effective helicopter, with a useful internal and external load-carrying ability. The type never reached service in the anti-submarine role, but it was employed in transport, reconnaissance, and mountain rescue operations.

Technical Description

The Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache was a single-engine, twin-rotor helicopter. It had a large fuselage, whose airframe was made of steel tubes covered by plywood and fabric. Each one of the rotors was mounted separately on a large gantry-like and awkward-looking outrigger, which stuck out laterally from each side of fuselage, revolving in counter rotation to avoid out of control spinning. The posterior portion of fuselage ended up in the tail section, with a fin with rudder and a horizontal stabilizer on top. The cockpit was located in the nose of helicopter and it was enclosed in a round Plexyglass structure. Landing gear was fixed.

Specifications

Type: transport and rescue helicopter

Length: 12.25 m (40 feet, 2 inches)

Rotor Diameter: 12 m (39 feet, 4 inches)

Overall Span: 24.50 m (80 feet, 5 inches)

Height: 4.35 m (14 feet, 3 inches)

Power Plant: one 1,000-HP, BMW 301 R, 9-cylinder, radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 175 km/h (109 mph)

Range: 700 km (435 miles)

Service Ceiling: 2,010 m (6,595 feet)

The Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 in operation (video)

 

Below, the Drache during trials in 1940.

Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri

The Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri (hummingbird) was a German helicopter developed for the Kriegsmarine during World War II. It was a small, single-seat, open-cockpit flying machine, which saw operational service, as a prototype, in the Mediterranean Sea. A total of 24 Kolibris were built. Due to its excellent performance during flight tests, an order for 1,000 helicopters was requested. However, it never entered mass production, because Allied bombing raids destroyed the BMW and Flettner industrial facilities.

Below, the Kolibri during trials in September 1941, aboard a German vessel. Operationally, it was employed on spotting duties.

The first prototype of the Flettner Fl 282 made its maiden flight in August 1941. It began carrying out operational duties in the Summer of 1942, taking off from the landing pad on German warships. It flew reconnaissance and patrol sorties for convoy protection duties. The convoy ships carried military supply to the Axis troops in North Africa. It was discovered that as the helicopter pilots gained experience, the Kolibri could be flown in bad weather conditions. This early type of flying machine was extremely maneuverable, reliable, and stable, even in poor weather, as it became the basis for future helicopter development during the postwar period.

Technical Description

The Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri was a compact, single-seat helicopter, without a tail rotor. It was fitted with two opposite-rotation main rotors set up above the fuselage. These counter-rotation rotors compensated the lack of a tail one. They were turned by two drive shafts engaged by a gearbox on top of fuselage. The fuselage airframe was made of steel tubes, which were covered by hardened fabric. The helicopter was equipped with fixed tricycle landing gear.

The Fl 282 was powered by one BMW Bramo Sh 14A, 7-cylinder, radial piston engine, developing 160 horsepower. This engine was mounted in the center of fuselage, with the open cockpit located in the nose of frontal portion of helicopter. The posterior portion of fuselage tapered to a point, above which the tail fin was set up. The tail had an unusual large rudder for stability.

Specifications

Type: single-seat reconnaissance helicopter.

Length: 6.56 m (21 feet, 6 inches)

Diameter of Rotors: 11.96 m (39 feet, 2 inches)

Height: 2.20 m (7 feet, 2 inches)

Power Plant: one 160-HP, BMW Bramo Sh 14A, 7-cylinder radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 150 km/h (93 mph)

Range: 170 km (106 miles)

Ceiling: 3,300 m (10,825 feet)

The Flettner Fl 282 during WW2 (video)

 

Below, The Kolibri, V7 prototype, in 1942. It was fitted with a glazed nose, which was one of the many variations.

The V12 prototype in July 1942.

Dornier Do 24

The Dornier Do 24 was a long-range, rescue and maritime patrol flying boat. It was used by the Luftwaffe in the North Sea, Mediterranean, and Baltic Sea coastal regions, during World War II. A total of 279 Do 24s were produced in different variants. The Dutch, French, and Swiss also made this flying boat under license before Germany invaded France and the Low Countries in May 1940.

The Dornier Do 24 had been designed to meet the Royal Dutch Navy's requirement for a maritime patrol aircraft, which would be used in the Dutch East Indies, in the Far East. The prototype V3 made its maiden flight on July 3, 1937. After several flight tests, it entered service with the Dutch Navy in November 1937, as the Do 24K-1 version. A total of twelve were delivered to Holland before the German invasion of France and the Low Countries. Although the prototype was fitted with three Junkers Jumo 205 diesel engines, the final production variant for the Dutch was powered by Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines. Nine Do 24Ks would be sent to the East Indies to fight against the Japanese.

Below, the V1 prototype, powered by three Junkers Jumo 205 diesel engines, in 1938.

Although the Luftwaffe showed little interest in this flying boat at the beginning, two prototypes of the Dornier Do 24, which had been stored in a hangar, were hastily upgraded and fitted with defensive armament (one 20mm cannon and one 7.92mm machine gun) in March 1940. These two maritime aircraft were delivered to the Luftwaffe's Kampfgeschwader 108. for special operations during the German invasion of Denmark and Norway. After the fall of Holland in German hands in late May 1940, the Dutch De Schelde and Fokker companies would keep producing the flying boat for the German Luftwaffe. Thus, eleven would be delivered as Do 24N-1 in the fall of 1941. By the end of 1944, a total of 170 flying boats had been delivered to Germany from the Dutch factory assembly lines.

Technical Description

The Dornier Do 24 was a three-engine monoplane flying boat. It featured straight, braced parasol wing. It had a two-step, all-metal hull, with the rear portion curving slightly upwards and ending up in a twin-fin tail. Wide sponsons stuck out from each side, giving the hydroplane stability when it was on water. The Do 24T-1 version was powered by three BMW Bramo 323R-2 Fafnir, 9-cylinder, radial engines, each rated at 1,000 horsepower. These engines were mounted side by side on the wing above the cockpit/cabin, which was big enough for a crew of six.

Specifications (Do 24T-1)

Type: rescue and maritime patrol hydroplane.

Length: 22 m (72 feet, 4 inches)

Wing Span: 27 m (88 feet, 6 inches)

Wing Area: 108 m2 (1,162.5 sq. feet)

Height: 5.75 m (18 feet, 10 inches)

Power Plant: three BMW Bramo 323R-2 radial engines.

Maximum Speed: 331 km/h (206 mph)

Range: 4,700 km (2,920 miles)

Service Ceiling: 7,500 m (24,605 feet)

Crew: 6 men

Below, the V3 prototype, which would become the Do 24K-1, the Dutch version, in flight in 1939.

The Do 24T-1, German variant, which excelled in the rescue role.

Dornier Do 18

The Dornier Do 18 was a German maritime patrol and air/sea rescue flying boat. It was used by the Luftwaffe during World War II, flying sorties off the coast of Norway and Denmark on the North Sea, and along the coastal areas of the Baltic and Mediterranean Sea. The Do 18a prototype made its maiden flight on March 15, 1935, serving with the civil airliner Lufthansa along with the Do 18c prototype, under the civilian designation Do 18E.

The first version to be used by the Luftwaffe, as a maritime patrol flying boat, was the Dornier Do 18D. Deliveries to the Luftwaffe began in 1936, from Dornier's own Friedrichshafen factory. This variant was fitted with twin water rudders and controllable radiator flaps and it was powered by two Junkers Jumo 205C diesel engines, each delivering 600 horsepower. These machines were mounted in tandem, sharing the same shaft. By 1944, all four military variants (Do 18D, 18G, 18H, 18N( had been replaced by the more powerful and reliable Blohm und Voss BV 138 flying boat. A total of 170 flying boats were made.

Below, the Do 18D variant in flight over the North Sea.

Technical Description

The Dornier Do 18 was a four-seat, two-engine monoplane, with a fuselage adapted to take off and land from water. It was fitted with braced, straight high-wing. The engines were set up in tandem just above the wing, at the center of aircraft. Its two-step hull consisted of seven compartments, all of which were water-tight. Compartmentalized sponsons (known as Stümmel) provided lateral stability on the water, also contributing to lift in the air when taking off.

The Dornier Do 18 featured an enclosed cockpit, which housed pilot and co-pilot side by side, and radio operator and navigator immediately aft. A compartment over the rear step provided space of a defensive machine gun, with another open gun position in the nose.

Specifications (Do 18G version)

Type: maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and rescue flying boat.

Length: 19.38 m (63 feet, 7 inches)

Wing Span: 23.70 m (77 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Area: 98 m2 (1,055 sq. feet)

Height: 5.32 m (17 feet, 5 inches)

Power Plant: two Junkers Jumo 205D, 6-cylinder, piston engines, each rated at 880 HP.

Maximum Speed: 267 km/h (166 mph)

Range: 3,500 km (2,175 miles)

Armament: one 13mm MG-131 machine gun, and one 20mm MG-151 cannon. Racks for two 50-kg bombs.

Below, the Dornier Do 18 flying a sortie over the Mediterranean Sea in 1942.

The German flying boat at a Luftwaffe military base on the coast of Norway.

Blackburn Blackburn

The Blackburn Blackburn was a British deck-landing reconnaissance aircraft of the 1920s. It was in service with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm between 1923 and 1931. Designed by Major F. A. Bumpus, its first prototype, No150, first took to the air in May 1922. This would be followed by other two prototypes, with mass production beginning after several months of flight tests. A total of 44 aircraft were produced in three variants; Blackburn Mk I, Mk II, and a trainer version.

Technical Descriptions

The Blackburn Blackburn was a single-engine, two-bay biplane. The fuselage consisted of a metal airframe and fabric-covered wood. It was strengthened centrally with additional struts for deck-landing. It was fitted with folding wings and it was powered by a Napier Lion IIB, 12-cylinder, water-cooled piston engine, which generated 450 horsepower. The Mk II version was equipped with a Napier Lion V, which delivered 465 HP. The engine was arranged as a detachable power unit.

The basic structure of the Blackburn was almost identical to that of the Blackburn Dart; this reason for this was to simplify the Fleet Air Arm spares holding. Thus, it was built up with length of steel tubes fitted into joint-clusters. The center fuselage unit formed the nucleus, to which a number of sub-assemblies were bolted to form a complete airplane. Thus, the mainplanes, tail unit, and all control surfaces, except for the rudder, were interchangeable with those of the Dart.

Specifications

Type: reconnaissance, carrier-borne biplane

Length: 11 m (36 ft, 2 in)

Wing Span: 13.87 m (45 ft, 6 in)

Wing Area: 60 m2 (650 sq. ft)

Height: 3.81 m (12 ft, 6 in)

Power Plant: one 450-HP, Napier Lion IIB, 12-cylinder piston engine.

Maximum Speed: 196 km/h (122 mph)

Range: 380 miles

Ceiling: 3,950 m (12,900 ft)

Armament: two 7.7mm (.303) Lewis guns.

Crew: 3

Below a 1925 photo of the Blackburn Blackburn Mk II in flight, showing the raised center section and the simplified landing gear.

A 1922 photo of the first prototype Blackburn, No150, which would soon become the Mk I version.

Below, the Mk II trainer, No 8589, in 1926.