Yokosuka D4Y Suisei

The Yokosuka D4Y Suisei was a dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Its Allied reporting name was "Judy". The D4Y was one of the fastest dive-bombers in the entire war, and only the delays in its development hindered its service, while its predecessor, the more robust but slower Aichi D3A remained in service for years. Despite this limited use, the speed and the range of the D4Y was nevertheless valuable, and the type was used with success as reconnaissance aircraft as well as in kamikaze missions.

Production of the D4Y1-C continued in small numbers until March 1943, when the increasing losses incurred by the D3A resulted in production switching to the D4Y1 dive-bomber, the aircraft's structural problems finally being solved. Although the D4Y could operate successfully from the large and fast fleet carriers that formed the core of the Combined Fleet at the start of the war, it had problems operating from the smaller and slower carriers such as the Hiyō class which formed a large proportion of Japan's carrier fleet after the losses received in the Battle of Midway. Catapult equipment was therefore fitted, giving rise to the D4Y-1 Kai model.

The last version was the D4Y4 Special Strike Bomber. This one-seat kamikaze aircraft, capable of carrying one 800 kg (1,760 lb) bomb, was put into production in February 1945. It was equipped with three RATO boosters for terminal dive acceleration. This aircraft was an almost ideal kamikaze model: it had a combination of speed (560 km/h/350 mph), range (2,500 km/1,550 mi) and payload (800 kg/1,760 lb) probably not matched by any other Japanese aircraft.




The D4Y5 Model 54 was a planned version designed in 1945. It was to be powered by the Nakajima NK9C Homare 12 radial engine rated at 1,361 kW (1,825 hp), would have a new four-blade metal propeller of the constant-speed type, and would have more armour protection for the crew and fuel tanks. Ultimately, 2,038 of all variants were produced, mostly by Aichi.

The D4Y was actually faster than the A6M Zero. Some were employed as D4Y2-S night fighters against the high flying B-29 Superfortress bombers late in the war, a unique role for a single-engine dive bomber. The night fighter conversions were made at the 11th Naval Aviation Arsenal at Hiro. Each D4Y2-S had all bomb equipment removed and a 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannon with its barrel slanting up and forwards (similar to the German Schräge Musik system) installed in place of the gunner's cockpit. However, the lack of radar for night operations and slow climb rate, combined with the B-29's high ceiling, made the D4Y2-S ineffective as a night fighter. Little is known of their operations.


General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Length: 33 ft 6 in (10.22 m)
• Wingspan: 37 ft 9 in (11.50 m)
• Height: 12 ft 3 in (3.74 m)
• Wing area: 254 ft² (23.6 m²)
• Empty weight: 5,379 lb (2,440 kg)
• Loaded weight: 9,370 lb (4,250 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Aichi Atsuta AE1P 32 liquid-cooled inverted V12 piston engine, 1,044 kW (1,400 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 550 km/h (342 mph)
• Range: 1,465 km (910 mi)
• Service ceiling: 10,700 m (35,105 ft)
• Rate of climb: 14 m/s (2,700 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 180 kg/m² (37 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.25 kW/kg (0.15 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2× forward-firing 7.7 mm machine guns
• 1× rearward-firing 7.92 mm machine gun
• 500 kg (1,102 lb) of bombs (design), 800 kg (1,764 lb) of bombs

** Yokosuka D4Y Suisei - Warbird Fare

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Yokosuka P1Y Ginga

The Yokosuka P1Y Ginga (Galaxy) was a twin-engine, land-based bomber developed for the Japanese Imperial Navy in World War II. It was the successor to the Mitsubishi G4M and given the Allied reporting name "Frances".

The P1Y was designed by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal to Navy specification 15-Shi, calling for a fast bomber with speed matching the Zero, range matching the G4M, a 907 kg (2,000 lb) bombload, and the ability to dive-bomb as well as carry torpedoes. As the result, the construction suffered from excess complexity, difficulty of manufacture, and poor serviceability. Problems with the availability of enough reliable Nakajima Homare engines led to their replacement by the Mitsubishi Kasei in the P1Y2-S night-fighter version.




The first flight was in August 1943. Nakajima manufactured 1,002 examples, which were operated by five Kokutais (Air Groups), and acted as land-based medium and torpedo bombers from airfields in China, Taiwan, Marianas, Philippines, Ryukyu, Shikoku, and Kyūshū. During the last stages of the war the P1Y was utilized as a kamikaze aircraft against the United States Navy during the Okinawa Campaign in Operation Tan No. 2.

A night fighter version, the P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora), with Mitsubishi Kasei engines, was equipped with radar and Schräge Musik style (upward firing as well as forward firing) 20 mm cannon. A total of 96 were produced by Kawanishi, but due to inadequate high-altitude performance against B-29s, many were converted back to Ginga bombers.


General characteristics

• Crew: 3
• Length: 15.00 m (49 ft 2⅜ in)
• Wingspan: 20.00 m (65 ft 7¼ in)
• Height: 4.30 m (14 ft 1¼ in)
• Wing area: 55 m² (592 ft²)
• Empty weight: 7,265 kg (16,020 lb)
• Loaded weight: 10,500 kg (23,149 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 13,500 kg (29,762 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Nakajima NK9C Homare 12 18-cylinder radial engines, 1,361 kW (1,825 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 547 km/h (295 knot, 340 mph) at 5,900 m (19,400 ft)
• Cruise speed: 370 km/h (200 knots, 230 mph) at 4,000 m (13,125 ft)
• Range: 5,370 km (2,900 nmi, 3,337 mi)
• Service ceiling: 9,400 m (30,840 ft)
• Wing loading: 191 kg/m² (39.1 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.20 kW/kg (0.16 hp/lb)

Armament

• 1× flexible, nose-mounted 20 mm Type 99 cannon
• 1× flexible rear-firing 13 mm Type 2 machine gun
• 1× 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of bombs or
• 1× 800 kg (1,800 lb) torpedo

** Yokosuka P1Y Ginga - Warbird Fare

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Aichi B7A Ryusei

The Aichi B7A Ryusei (Shooting Star) Allied reporting name "Grace" was a large and powerful carrier-borne torpedo-dive bomber produced by Aichi Kokuki KK for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during the Second World War. Built in only small numbers and deprived of the aircraft carriers it was intended to operate from, the type had little chance to distinguish itself in combat before the war ended in August 1945.

the B7A first flew as a prototype in May 1942, but teething problems with the experimental NK9C Homare engine and necessary modifications to the airframe meant that the type did not enter into production until two years later in May 1944. 9 prototype B7A1s were built and 80 production version B7A2s completed by Aichi before a severe earthquake in May 1945 destroyed the factory at Funakata where they were being assembled. A further 25 examples were produced at the 21st Naval Air Arsenal at Omura.

In June 1944, IJN Taihō, the only Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier then large enough to operate the B7A Ryusei in its intended role, was sunk during the Battle of the Philippine Sea before enough B7As were even available to embark. Thereafter, the B7A was relegated to operating from land bases, primarily with the Yokosuka and 752nd Kokutais. The Japanese completed only one other carrier capable of operating the B7A, IJN Shinano, but she was sunk by an American submarine in November 1944, just ten days after being commissioned.


General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 11.49 m (37 ft 8.33 in)
• Wingspan: 14.40 m (47 ft 3 in)
• Height: 4.07 m (13 ft 4.5 in)
• Wing area: 35.40 m² (381.041 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,810 kg (8,400 lb)
• Loaded weight: 5,625 kg (12,401 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 6,500 kg (14,330 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Nakajima NK9C Homare 12 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 1,360 kW (1,825 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 567 km/h (306 kn, 352 mph)
• Range: 3,038 km (1,888 mi)
• Service ceiling: 11,250 m (36,910 ft)
• Rate of climb: 9.6 m/s (1,889.8 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 158.9 kg/m² (32.5 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.24 W/kg (0.147 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2× 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons in wings
• 1× 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Type 1 or
• 1× 13 mm (0.51 in) Type 2 machine gun in the rear cockpit
• 800 kg (1,764 lb) of general ordnance or
• 1× 800 kg (1,764 lb) torpedo

** Aichi B7A Ryusei - Warbird Fare

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Aichi D3A Val

The Aichi D3A, Allied reporting name "Val" was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor. The Aichi D3A was the first Japanese aircraft to bomb American targets in World War II, commencing with Pearl Harbor and US bases in the Philippines, such as Clark Air Force Base. During the course of the Second World War, the Val dive bomber sank more Allied warships than any other Axis aircraft.

Armament was two forward-firing 7.7 mm (.303 in) Type 97 machine guns, and one flexible 7.7 mm (.303 in) Type 92 machine gun in the rear cockpit for defense. Normal bombload was a single 250 kg (550 lb) bomb carried under the fuselage, which was swung out under the propeller on release by a trapeze. Two additional 60 kg (130 lb) bombs could be carried on wing racks located under each wing outboard of the dive brakes.




Starting with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the D3A1 took part in all major Japanese carrier operations in the first 10 months of the war. They achieved their first major success against the Royal Navy during their Indian Ocean raid in April 1942. Val dive bombers scored over 80% hits with their bombs during attacks on two heavy cruisers and an aircraft carrier during the operation. During the course of the war, Val dive bombers had to frequently combine their attacks upon enemy warships with the IJN Kate torpedo plane; consequently enemy vessels were often sunk by a combination strike of bombs and torpedoes.


General characteristics

• Crew: Two (pilot and gunner)
• Length: 10.2 m (33 ft 5 in)
• Wingspan: 14.37 m (47 ft 2 in)
• Height: 3.85 m (12 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 34.9 m² (375.6 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,408 kg (5,309 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,650 kg (8,047 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Mitsubishi Kinsei 44, 798 kW (1,070 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 389 km/h (205 kn, 242 mph)
• Range: 1,472 km (795 nmi, 915 mi)
• Service ceiling: 9,300 m (30,500 ft)

Armament

• 2 × fixed, forward-firing 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 machine guns
• 1 × flexible, rearward-firing 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 92 machine gun
• 1 × 250 kg (551 lb) or 2 × 60 kg (132 lb) bombs
  
  

** Aichi D3A Val - Warbird Fare

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Dornier Do 335 Pfeil

The Dornier Do 335 Pfeil (Arrow) was a World War II heavy fighter built by the Dornier company. The Pfeil's performance was much better than other twin-engine designs due to its unique "push-pull" layout and the much lower drag of the in-line alignment of the two motors. The Luftwaffe was desperate to get the design into operational use, but delays in engine deliveries meant only a handful were delivered before the war ended.

There are many advantages to this design over the more traditional system of placing one engine on each wing, the most important being power from two engines with the frontal area (and thus drag) of a single-engine design, allowing for higher performance. It also keeps the weight of the twin powerplants near, or on, the aircraft centerline, increasing the roll rate compared to a traditional twin. In addition, a single engine failure does not lead to asymmetric thrust, and in normal flight there is no net torque so the plane is easy to handle. The choice of a full "four-surface" set of cruciform tail surfaces in the Do 335's design, allowed the ventral vertical fin–rudder assembly to project downwards from the extreme rear of the fuselage, in order to protect the rear propeller from an accidental ground strike on takeoff.




First flew on 26 October 1943 under the control of Flugkapitän Hans Dieterle, a regular and primary Heinkel test pilot, were surprised at the speed, acceleration, turning circle, and general handling of the type; it was a twin that flew like a single.

French ace Pierre Clostermann claimed the first Allied combat encounter with a Pfeil in April 1945. He describes leading a flight of four Hawker Tempests from No. 3 Squadron RAF over northern Germany, when he intercepted a lone Do 335 flying at maximum speed at treetop level. Detecting the British aircraft, the German pilot reversed course to evade. Despite the Tempest's considerable low altitude speed, the RAF fighters were not able to catch up or even get into firing position.



At least 16 prototype Do 335s were known to have flown on a number of DB603 engines. The first preproduction Do 335, were delivered in July 1944. Approximately 22 preproduction aircraft were thought to have been completed and flown before the end of the war, including approximately 11 A-0s converted to A-11s for training purposes.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1, pilot
• Length: 45 ft 5 in (13.85 m)
• Wingspan: 45 ft 1 in (13.8 m)
• Height: 15 ft (4.55 m)
• Wing area: 592 ft² (55 m²)
• Empty weight: 11,484 lb (5,210 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 19,500 lb (8,590 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Daimler-Benz DB 603A 12-cylinder inverted engines, 1,287 kW, 1,726 hp (1,750 PS) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 474 mph (765 km/h)
• Combat radius: 721 mi (1,160 km (half load))
• Service ceiling: 37,400 ft (11,400 m)

Armament

• 1 × 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 103 cannon
• 2 × 20 mm MG 151 cannons
• 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) bombload

** Dornier Do 335 Pfeil - Warbird Fare

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Martin B-26 Marauder

The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe.

After entering service with the U.S. Army, the aircraft got a reputation as the "Widowmaker " due to the early models' high rate of accidents during takeoff and landings. The Marauder had to be flown by exact airspeeds, particularly on final approach and when one engine was out. The 150 mph (241 km/h) speed on short final was intimidating to pilots who were used to much slower speeds, and whenever they slowed down below what the manual stated, the aircraft would stall-out and crash. The B-26 became a safer aircraft once crews were re-trained and after aerodynamics modifications (increase of wing span and incidence, to give better take off performance, and a larger fin and rudder). After aerodynamic and design changes, the aircraft distinguished itself as "the chief bombardment weapon on the Western Front" according to a United States Army Air Forces dispatch from 1946. The Marauder ended World War II with the lowest loss rate of any USAAF bomber. A total of 5,288 were produced

The B-26 Marauder was used mostly in Europe but also saw action in the Mediterranean and the Pacific. In early combat the aircraft took heavy losses but was still one of the most successful medium-range bombers used by the U.S. Army Air Forces. The B-26 was initially deployed on combat missions in the South West Pacific in the spring of 1942, but most of the B-26s subsequently assigned to operational theaters were sent to England and the Mediterranean area.



By the end of World War II, it had flown more than 110,000 sorties and had dropped 150,000 tons (136,078 tonnes) of bombs, and had been used in combat by British, Free French and South African forces in addition to U.S. units. In 1945, when B-26 production was halted, 5,266 had been built.


General characteristics

• Crew: 7: (2 pilots, bombardier, navigator/radio operator, 3 gunners)
• Length: 58 ft 3 in (17.8 m)
• Wingspan: 71 ft 0 in (21.65 m)
• Height: 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
• Wing area: 658 ft2 (61.1 m2)
• Empty weight: 24,000 lb (11,000 kg)
• Loaded weight: 37,000 lb (17,000 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-43 radial engines, 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 287 mph (250 knots, 460 km/h) at 5,000 feet (1,500 m)
• Cruise speed: 216 mph (188 knots, 358 km/h
• Landing speed: 114 mph (90 knots, 167 km/h))
• Combat radius: 1,150 mi (999 nmi, 1,850 km)
• Ferry range: 2,850 mi (2,480 nmi, 4,590 km)
• Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
• Wing loading: 46.4 lb/ft² (228 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.10 hp/lb (170 W/kg)

Armament

• 12 × .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns
• 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg)

** Martin B-26 Marauder- Warbird Fare

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North American B-25 Mitchell

The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.

The B-25 was named in honor of General Billy Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. The B-25 is the only American military aircraft named after a specific person. By the end of its production, nearly 10,000 B-25s in numerous models had been built.




The B-25 first gained fame as the bomber used in the 18 April 1942 Doolittle Raid, in which 16 B-25Bs led by the legendary Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, attacked mainland Japan four months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The mission gave a much-needed lift in spirits to the Americans, and alarmed the Japanese who had believed their home islands were inviolable by enemy troops. While the amount of actual damage done was relatively minor, it forced the Japanese to divert troops for the home defense for the remainder of the war. The raiders took off from the carrier USS Hornet and successfully bombed Tokyo and four other Japanese cities without loss. However, 15 subsequently crash-landed en route to recovery fields in Eastern China. These losses were the result of the task force being spotted by Japanese fishing vessels forcing the bombers to take off 170 mi (270 km) early, fuel exhaustion, stormy nighttime conditions with zero visibility, and lack of electronic homing aids at the recovery bases. Only one landed intact; it came down in the Soviet Union, where its five-man crew was interned and the aircraft confiscated. Of the 80 aircrew, 69 survived their historic mission and eventually made it back to American lines.

B-25 on Doolittle Raid

General characteristics

• Crew: six
• Length: 52 ft 11 in (16.1 m)
• Wingspan: 67 ft 6 in (20.6 m)
• Height: 17 ft 7 in (4.8 m)
• Wing area: 610 sq ft (57 m²)
• Empty weight: 21,120 lb (9,580 kg)
• Loaded weight: 33,510 lb (15,200 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 41,800 lb (19,000 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Wright R-2600 "Cyclone 14" radials, 1,850 hp (1,380 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 275 mph (239 kn, 442 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 230 mph (200 kn, 370 km/h)
• Combat radius: 1,350 mi (1,170 nmi, 2,170 km)
• Ferry range: 2,700 mi (2,300 nmi, 4,300 km)
• Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
• Rate of climb: 790 ft/min (4 m/s)
• Wing loading: 55 lb/ft² (270 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.110 hp/lb (182 W/kg)

Armament

• 12–18 × .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns
• 2,000 lb (900 kg) ventral shackles to hold one external Mark 13 torpedo
• 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) bombs + eight 5 in (130 mm) high velocity aircraft rockets (HVAR)
• 6,000 lb (2,700 kg)

** North American B-25 Mitchell - Warbird Fare

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Fairey Firefly

The Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War-era carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It was superior in performance and firepower to its predecessor, the Fulmar, but only entered operational service towards the end of the war. Designed around the contemporary FAA concept of a two-seat fleet reconnaissance/fighter, the pilot and navigator/weapons officer were housed in separate stations. The design proved to be sturdy, long-ranging and docile in carrier operations, although the limitations of a single powerplant in a heavy airframe reduced overall performance.




The Fairey Firefly served in the Second World War as a fleet fighter but in postwar service, although it was superseded by more modern jet aircraft, the Firefly was adapted to other roles, including strike operations and anti-submarine warfare, remaining a mainstay of the FAA until the mid-1950s.

The Firefly was designed by H.E. Chaplin at Fairey Aviation; in June 1940, the Admiralty ordered 200 aircraft "off the drawing board" with the first three to be the prototypes. The prototype of the Firefly flew on 22 December 1941.

The primary variant of the aircraft used during the Second World War was the Mk I, which was used in all theatres of operation. In March 1943, the first Firefly Mk Is were delivered but they did not enter operational service until July 1944 when they equipped 1770 Naval Air Squadron aboard HMS Indefatigable. The first operations were in Europe where Fireflies carried out armed reconnaissance flights and anti-shipping strikes along the Norwegian coast. Fireflies also provided air cover during strikes on the German battleship Tirpitz in 1944.




Throughout its operational career, the Firefly took on increasingly more demanding roles from fighter to anti-submarine warfare stationed mainly with the British Pacific Fleet in the Far East and Pacific theatres. Fireflies carried out attacks on oil refineries and airfields and gained renown when they became the first British-designed and -built aircraft to overfly Tokyo.


General characteristics

• Crew: Two (pilot & observer)
• Length: 37 ft 7¼ in (11.46 m)
• Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.57 m)
• Height: 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m)
• Wing area: 328 ft² (30.5 m²)
• Empty weight: 9,750 lb (4,432 kg)
• Loaded weight: 14,020 lb (6,373 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Griffon IIB liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,730 hp (1,290 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 316 mph (275 kn, 509 km/h) at 14,000 ft (4,300 m)
• Range: 1,300 mi (1,130 nmi, 2,090 km)
• Service ceiling: 28,000 ft (8,530 m)
• Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 5 min 45 sec

Armament

• 4 × 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons
• 8 × RP-3 "60 lb" rockets
• 2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bomb

** Fairey Firefly - Warbird Fare

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Mitsubishi G3M Nell

The Mitsubishi G3M was a Japanese bomber used during World War II. In terms of the latter, the G3M was originally designed as a model without any form of defensive weaponry or machine guns, but purely as a bomber craft, with its high-altitude performance being regarded sufficient to evade enemy anti-aircraft guns and its high speed in combination with the planned high performance Mitsubishi A5M fighter envisaged as an armed escort being considered sufficient to counter any form of enemy fighters. Even in the low-speed, low-level role of torpedo bomber, the superior fighter escort - combined with the G3M's high speed - was considered sufficient against any form of ship-based AA guns or carrier-based fighters.

The G3M first saw combat in Japan's expansionist campaigns on the Chinese mainland in what became known as the Second Sino-Japanese War, where the G3M was able to exploit its long-range capability. When the Pacific War erupted in 1941, after the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, the G3M was by this time considered to be antiquated but still 3 front-line units (the 22nd to 24th Koku Sentai) were operating a total of 204 G3M2s in four Kokutai (Naval Air Corps) in the central Pacific and of these 54 aircraft from the Takao Kokutai were deployed from Formosa in the opening of the Battle of the Philippines.

The G3M was famous for taking part in the sinking of two British capital ships with the more advanced Mitsubishi G4M "Betty", on 10 December 1941. "Nells" from the Genzan Kokutai provided important support during the attack on the HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse (Force Z) near the Malayan coast. Prince of Wales and Repulse were the first two battleships ships ever sunk exclusively by air attack while at sea during war. A G3M of the Mihoro Air Group was involved in a dogfight with a Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat of No. 205 Squadron RAF near the Anambas Islands on 25 December 1941, in which the Catalina was shot down.




From 1943, the majority of "Nells" served as glider tugs, aircrew and paratroop trainers and for transporting high-ranking officers and VIPs between metropolitan islands, occupied territories and combat fronts until the end of the war.


General characteristics

• Crew: 7
• Length: 16.45 m (53 ft 11½ in)
• Wingspan: 25 m (82 ft 0 in)
• Height: 3.68 m (12 ft ⅞in)
• Wing area: 75 m² (807 ft²)
• Empty weight: 4,965 kg (10,923 lb)
• Loaded weight: 8,000 kg (17,600 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Mitsubishi Ha-45 Kinsei radial engine, 1,075 hp (791 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 375 km/h (203 kn, 233 mph)
• Cruise speed: 280 km/h (151 kn, 174 mph)
• Range: 4,400 km (2,730 mi)
• Service ceiling: 9,200 m (30,200 ft)
• Rate of climb: 6 m/s (1180 ft/min)

Armament

• 1× 20 mm Type 99 cannon in rear dorsal turret
• 4× 7.7 (.303 in) Type 92 machine gun
• 800 kg (1,764 lb) bombs or
• 1× aerial torpedo

** Mitsubishi G3M Nell - Warbird Fare

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Handley Page Halifax

The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing. The Halifax was also operated by squadrons of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Free French Air Force, and Free Polish Air Force, and after the Second World War by the Royal Egyptian Air Force, the Armée de l'Air and the Royal Pakistan Air Force.

The Halifax was originally intended to be used to bomb the Soviet Caucasus oil fields. The raids were to be carried out from Syrian and Lebanese territories. However, the first Halifax entered service with No. 35 Squadron RAF at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in November 1940, while Syria and Lebanon were already ruled by Vichy. Therefore its first operational raid was against Le Havre on the night of 11–12 March 1941.

In service with RAF Bomber Command, Halifaxes flew 82,773 operations, dropped 224,207 tons (203,397 tonnes) of bombs and lost 1,833 aircraft. In addition to bombing missions, the Halifax served as a glider tug, electronic warfare aircraft for No. 100 Group RAF and special operations such as parachuting agents and arms into occupied Europe. Halifaxes were also operated by RAF Coastal Command for anti submarine warfare, reconnaissance and meteorological roles. Postwar, Halifaxes remained in service with the RAF Coastal Command and RAF Transport Command, Royal Egyptian Air Force and the Armée de l'Air until early 1952. The Pakistan Air Force which inherited the planes from the RAF continued to use the type until 1961.

A number of former RAF Halifax C.8s were sold from 1945 and used as freighters by a number of mainly British airlines. In 1948, the air freight market was in decline but 41 civil aircraft were used in the Berlin Air Lift operating a total of 4,653 freight sorties and 3,509 sorties carrying bulk diesel fuel. Nine aircraft were lost during the airlift but as the aircraft returned to England most civil Halifaxes were scrapped. The last civilian operated Halifaxes were withdrawn from service in late 1952.

General characteristics

• Crew: 7
• Length: 71 ft 7 in (21.82 m)
• Wingspan: 104 ft 2 (31.75m)
• Height: 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m)
• Wing area: 1,190 ft² (110.6 m²)
• Loaded weight: 54,400 lb (24,675 kg)
• Powerplant: × Bristol Hercules XVI radial engine, 1,615 hp (1,205 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 282 mph (454 km/h) at 13,500 ft (4,115 m)
• Range: 1,860 mi (3,000 km) combat
• Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,315 m)
• Rate of climb: 750 ft/min (3.8 m/s)
• Wing loading: 45.7 lb/ft² (223.1 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.12 hp/lb (195 W/kg)

Armament

• 8 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns, 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun
• 13,000 lb (5,897 kg) of bombs

** Handley Page Halifax - Warbird Fare

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Short Stirling

The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941. The Stirling had a relatively brief operational career as a bomber, being relegated to second line duties from 1943 onwards when other four-engined RAF bombers, specifically the Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster, took over its role.

The first three Stirlings flew a mission on the night of 10/11 February 1941 against fuel storage tanks at Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam, and from spring of 1942 the bomber started to be used in greater numbers. From May 1943, air raids on Germany started with over a hundred Stirlings at once.

Despite the "disappointing performance" at maximum altitude, Stirling pilots were delighted to discover that, due to the thick wing, they could out-turn the Ju 88 and Bf 110 nightfighters they faced. Its handling was much better than that of the Halifax and some preferred it to the Lancaster.

By December 1943 Stirlings were being withdrawn from frontline service as bombers, increasingly being used for deploying mines outside German ports, electronic countermeasures and dropping spies deep behind enemy lines at night. Also at that time, there arose a need for powerful aircraft to tow heavy transport gliders such as the GAL Hamilcar and Airspeed Horsa; the Stirling fitted this role admirably. In late 1943, 143 Mk.III bombers were rebuilt to the new Mk.IV series specification (without nose and dorsal turrets), for towing gliders and dropping paratroops, as well as 461 new Mk.IVs being produced. They were used in the Battle of Normandy and Operation Market Garden.

Stirlings were also used on Operation Glimmer on D-Day June 1944 for the precision-laying of patterns of "window" ("chaff") to produce radar images of a decoy invasion fleet. From late 1944, 160 of the special transport variant Mk V were built, which had the tail turret removed and a new opening nose added, most of these being completed after the war.

In service with Bomber Command Stirlings flew 14,500 operations, dropping 27,000 tons of bombs, losing 582 in action with 119 written off.

General characteristics

• Crew: 7
• Length: 87 ft 3 in (26.6 m)
• Wingspan: 99 ft 1 in (30.2 m)
• Height: 28 ft 10 in (8.8 m)
• Wing area: 1,322 ft² (122.8 m²)
• Empty weight: 44,000 lb (19,950 kg)
• Loaded weight: 59,400 lb (26,940 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 70,000 lb (31,750 kg)
• owerplant: 4× Bristol Hercules II radial engine, 1,375 hp (1,030 kW) each
• Propellers: Three-bladed metal fully feathering 13 ft 6 in diameter propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 255 mph (410 km/h) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
• Cruise speed: 200 mph
• Range: 2,330 mi (3,750 km)
• Service ceiling: 16,500 ft (5,030 m)
• Rate of climb: 800 ft/min (4 m/s)
• Wing loading: 44.9 lb/ft² (219.4 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.093 hp/lb (0.153 kW/kg)

Armament

• 8 x 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns
• 14,000 lb (6,340 kg) of bombs

** Short Stirling - Warbird Fare

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Fairey Barracuda

The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive bomber used during the Second World War, the first of its type to be fabricated entirely from metal. It was introduced to the Fleet Air Arm as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore biplanes. It is notable for its role in attacking the German battleship Tirpitz and known for its unusual appearance when the undercarriage was extended and wings folded.

The Barracuda first saw action with 810 Squadron aboard HMS Illustrious off the coast of Norway in July 1943 before deploying to the Mediterranean to support the Salerno landings. The following year they entered service in the Pacific Theatre. All the aircraft were withdrawn between March and July 1945.

Barracudas were used as dive bombers and played a part in a major attack on the German battleship Tirpitz. On 3 April 1944, 42 aircraft from British carriers HMS Victorious and Furious scored 14 direct hits on Tirpitz with 1,600 lb (730 kg) and 500 lb (230 kg) bombs at the cost of one bomber. The attack disabled Tirpitz for over two months.

From April 1944, Barracudas of No 827 Squadron aboard Illustrious started operations against Japanese forces, taking part in raids against Sabang in Sumatra. The Barracuda's performance was reduced by the high temperatures of the Pacific, with its combat radius being reduced by as much as 30%, and the torpedo bomber squadrons of the fleet carriers of the British Pacific Fleet were re-equipped with Grumman Avengers

Barracudas were used to test several innovations including RATOG rockets for takeoff and a braking propeller which slowed the aircraft by reversing the blade pitch. The Barracuda continued in Fleet Air Arm service until the mid 1950s, by which time they were all replaced by Avengers.

General characteristics

• Crew: 3
• Length: 39 ft 9 in (12.12 m)
• Wingspan: 49 ft 2 in (14.99 m)
• Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)
• Wing area: 405 ft² (37.62 m²)
• Empty weight: 9,350 lb (4,250 kg)
• Loaded weight: 13,200 lb (6,000 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 14,100 lb (6,409 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Merlin 32 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,640 hp (1,225 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 228 mph (198 kn, 367 km/h) at 1,750 ft (533 m)
• Cruise speed: 195 mph (170 kn, 314 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
• Range: 686 mi (597 nmi, 1,104 km) with 1,620 lb (736 kg) torpedo
• Service ceiling: 16,600 ft (5,080 m)
• Wing loading: 32.6 lb/ft² (159 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.12 hp/lb (0.20 kW/kg)
• Climb to 5,000 ft (1,524 m): 6 min

Armament

• 2 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine guns in rear cockpit
• 1× 1,620 lb (735 kg) aerial torpedo or 4× 450 lb (205 kg) depth charges or 6× 250 lb (110 kg) bombs

** Fairey Barracuda - Warbird Fare

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Mitsubishi G4M Betty

The Mitsubishi G4M was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allies gave the G4M the reporting name of Betty. The Allies usually gave Japanese fighters and floatplanes "male" names, while giving "female" names to bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. These did not come into general use until mid-1943.

The G4M had a range of over 3,700 miles achieved by structural lightness and an almost total disregard for armor protection. This proved to be its weakness when Allied opposition increased in the later stages of World War II.

As a torpedo bomber, the G4M's most notable use was in the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse off the coast of Malaya on 10 December 1941. They carried out the attacks alongside the older Japanese bombers, the Mitsubishi G3M "Nells" which were doing high-level bombing runs. The battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Repulse were the first two capital ships ever to be sunk exclusively by air attack during a war, while at sea.




When used for medium to high-altitude bombing against stationary land targets like a supply depots, seaports, or airfields, "ease of interception" was another matter entirely. Using its long range and high speed, the G4M could appear from any direction, and then be gone before many fighters could intercept them. The 20 mm cannon in the tail turret was much heavier armament than commonly installed in bombers, making dead astern attacks very dangerous for the attacking enemy fighters. Sometimes, assuming they did not catch fire in the first place after being hit in the wings by flak from the ground or machine gun bullets from enemy fighter planes, G4Ms also proved to be able to remain airborne despite being badly shot up. For example, after 751 Kokutai's attack during the Battle of Rennell Island, three out of four survivors (of 11 aircraft that went to attack) returned flying on one engine only. Near the end of the war, the "Betty" was used as a common kamikaze-carrying and launching platform, and was the usual aircraft for carrying the Ohka kamikaze rocket aircraft.


General characteristics

• Crew: 7
• Length: 19.97 m (65 ft 6¼ in)
• Wingspan: 24.89 m (81 ft 7¾ in)
• Height: 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in)
• Wing area: 78.13 m² (840.9 ft²)
• Airfoil: Mitsubishi type
• Empty weight: 6,741 kg (14,860 lb)
• Loaded weight: 9,500 kg (20,944 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 12,860 kg (28,350 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Mitsubishi MK4A-11 "Kasei" 14 cyls radial engines, 1,141 kW each
• Propellers: 4-bladed Hamilton Standard licensed Sumitomo constant speed variable-pitch

Performance

• Maximum speed: 428 km/h (230 kn, 265 mph)
• Cruise speed: 315 km/h (175 kn, 196 mph)
• Stall speed: 120 km (75 mph)
• Range: 2,852 km
• Service ceiling: 8,500 m (27,890 ft)
• Rate of climb: 550 m/min (1,800 ft/min)

Armament

• 1× 20 mm Type 99 cannon (tail turret),
• 4× 7.7 mm Type 92 machine gun
• 1× 858 kg (1,892 lb) Type 91 Kai-3 aerial torpedo or
• 1× 800 kg (1,764 lb) bomb or 4× 250 kg (551 lb) bombs

** Mitsubishi G4M Betty - Warbird Fare

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Bristol Blenheim

The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter. It was one of the first British aircraft to have all-metal stressed-skin construction, to utilise retractable landing gear, flaps, powered gun turret and variable pitch propellers. A Canadian-built variant named the Bolingbroke was used as an anti-submarine and training aircraft.

The Blenheim Mk I outshone most biplane fighters in the late 1930s but stood little chance against the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 during daylight operations, though it proved successful as a night fighter. The Mark IV variant was equally unsuccessful, suffering major losses in the early stages of the war.

On the day that war was declared on Germany a Blenheim piloted by Flying Officer Andrew McPherson was the first British aircraft to cross the German coast and the following morning 15 Blenheims from three squadrons set off on one of the first bombing missions. With the rapid advances in technology which had taken place in the late 1930s, by then the aircraft was already obsolescent. The Blenheim was regarded as a pleasant aircraft to fly, although it did have some characteristics which could catch even experienced pilots by surprise. It had become heavier as extra service equipment was installed; much of this was found to be needed through operational experience. This, coupled with the rapid performance increases of fighters, had eclipsed the Blenheim's speed advantage.


General characteristics

• Crew: 3
• Length: 42 ft 7 in (12.98 m)
• Wingspan: 56 ft 4 in (17.17 m)
• Height: 9 ft 10 in (3.0 m)
• Wing area: 469 ft² (43.6 m²)
• Empty weight: 9,790 lb (4,450 kg)
• Loaded weight: 14,400 lb (6,545 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Bristol Mercury XV radial engine, 920 hp (690 kW) each
• Propellers: Three-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 266 mph (231 kn, 428 km/h)
• Range: 1,460 mi (1,270 nmi, 2,351 km)
• Service ceiling: 27,260 ft (8,310 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min[citation needed] (7.6 m/s)
• Wing loading: 30.7 lb/ft² (150 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.13 hp/lb (.21 kW/kg)

Armament

• 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine gun
• 2 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning guns
• 2 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning guns in dorsal turret
• 4 × 250 lb (113 kg) bombs or
• 2 × 500 lb (227 kg) bombs internally and 8× 40 lb (18 kg) bombs

** Bristol Blenheim - Warbird Fare

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Bristol Beaufort

The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. Beauforts first saw service with the Royal Air Force's Coastal Command and then the Fleet Air Arm from 1940, until they were withdrawn from operational service in the European theatre in 1942. RAF Beauforts flying from Britain operated as torpedo bombers, conventional bombers and mine layers and were then used as training aircraft until being declared obsolete in 1945.

Beauforts also saw considerable action in the Mediterranean theatre; Beaufort squadrons based in Egypt and on Malta helped put an end to Axis shipping supplying Rommel's Deutsches Afrikakorps in North Africa. Beauforts were most widely used, until the end of the Second World War, by the Royal Australian Air Force in the Pacific theatre. All but six of the RAAF's Beauforts were manufactured under licence in Australia.

Although designed as a torpedo-bomber, the Beaufort more often flew as a level-bomber. The Beaufort also flew more hours in training than on operational missions and more were lost through accidents and mechanical failures than were lost to enemy fire. However, the Beaufort did spawn a long-range heavy fighter variant called the Beaufighter, which proved to be very successful and many Beaufort units eventually converted to the Beaufighter.

General characteristics

• Crew: 4
• Length: 44 ft 2 in (13.46 m)
• Wingspan: 57 ft 10 in (17.63 m)
• Height: 14 ft 3 in (4.34 m)
• Wing area: 503 ft² (46.73 m²)
• Empty weight: 13,107 lb (5,945 kg)
• Loaded weight: 21,230 lb (9,629 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Bristol Taurus 14-Cylinder sleeve valve radial engine, 1,130 hp (843 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 271.5 mph (236 kn, 420 km/h) at 6,500 ft (1,981 m).[N 12]
• Cruise speed: 255 mph at 6,500 ft (221 kn, 410 km/h) at 6,500 ft (1,981 m)[N 13]
• Range: 1,600 mi (1,400 nmi, 2,600 km)
• Service ceiling: 16,500 ft (5,030 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,200 ft/min (6.096 m/s)
• Wing loading: 42.2 lb/ft² (206 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.106 hp/lb (0.175 kW/kg)

Armament

• 3× .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers GO machine guns
• 6x .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers GO
• 1× 1,605 lb (728 kg) 18 in (457 mm) Mk XII torpedo or
• 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or mines.

** Bristol Beaufort - Warbird Fare

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Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. Despite its size, the SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced. Crew nicknames for the aircraft included the Big-Tailed Beast (or just Beast), Two-Cee and Son-of-a-Bitch 2nd Class (after its designation and partly because of its reputation for having difficult handling characteristics). Neither pilots nor aircraft carrier skippers seemed to like it. Although production problems persisted throughout its combat service, it was reported that some pilots soon changed their minds about the potency of the Helldiver.

Delays marred its production. Built for the USAAF as the A-25 Shrike, by the time it was delivered it was no longer required. Substantial orders by the British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force were both cancelled due to the poor handling of the aircraft. The Truman Committee investigated Helldiver production and turned in a scathing report, which eventually led to the beginning of the end for Curtiss. However, in spite of its problems, the aircraft was flown through the last two years of the Pacific War with a fine combat record, due to the high training of its crews.

The Helldiver was developed to replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless; it was a much larger aircraft able to operate from the latest aircraft carriers of the time and carry a considerable array of armament and featured an internal bomb bay that reduced drag when carrying heavy ordnance. Saddled with demanding requirements set forth by both the U.S. Marines and United States Army Air Forces, the manufacturer incorporated features of a "multi-role" aircraft into the design.

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 36 ft 9 in (11.2 m)
• Wingspan: 49 ft 9 in (15.2 m)
• Height: 14 ft 9 in (4.5 m)
• Wing area: 422 ft² (39.2 m²)
• Empty weight: 10,114 lb (4,588 kg)
• Loaded weight: 13,674 lb (6,202 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 16,800 lb (7,600 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Wright R-2600 Cyclone radial engine, 1,900 hp (1,400 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 294 mph (473 km/h)
• Range: 1,200 miles (1,900 km)
• Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,750 ft/min (8.9 m/s)

Armament

• 2 × 20 mm (.79 in) cannon in the wings
• 2 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns in the rear cockpit
• 2,000 lb (900 kg) of bombs or 1 × Mark 13-2 torpedo in internal bay
• 500 lb (225 kg) of bombs each on underwing hardpoints

** Curtiss SB2C Helldiver - Warbird Fare

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Handley Page Hampden

The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force serving in the Second World War. With the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane raid on Cologne. The newest of the three medium bombers, the Hampden, known as the "Flying Suitcase" because of its cramped crew conditions, after operating mainly at night, it was retired from Bomber Command service in late 1942.

A total of 1,430 Hampdens were built: 500 by Handley Page, 770 by English Electric at Samlesbury in Lancashire; and in 1940–41, 160 in Canada by the Canadian Associated Aircraft consortium. A total of 226 Hampdens were in service with eight squadrons by the start of the Second World War.

Despite its speed and agility, in operational use the Hampden was no match for Luftwaffe fighters. Consequently, its career as a day bomber was brief, but Hampdens continued to operate at night on bombing raids over Germany, and mine-laying (code-named "gardening") in the North Sea and the French Atlantic ports.

After being withdrawn from Bomber Command in 1942, it operated with Coastal Command through 1943 as a long-range torpedo bomber and as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

General characteristics

• Crew: 4
• Length: 53 ft 7 in (16.33 m)
• Wingspan: 69 ft 2 in (21.08 m)
• Height: 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
• Wing area: 688 ft² (63.9 m²)
• Empty weight: 11,780 lb (5,344 kg)
• Loaded weight: 18,756 lb (8,508 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Bristol Pegasus XVIII 9-cylinder radial engine, 980 hp (730 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 265 mph (410 km/h) at 15,500 ft (4,724 m)
• Range: 1,095 mi (1,762 km)
• Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,790 m)
• Rate of climb: 980 ft/min (300 m/min)
• Wing loading: 27.3 lb/ft² (133 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.104 hp/lb (0.172 kW/kg)

Armament

• 4-6 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine guns: one flexible and one fixed in the nose
• 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) bombs or 1 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo or mines

** Handley Page Hampden - Warbird Fare

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Vickers Wellington

The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a bomber by the larger four-engine "heavies" such as the Avro Lancaster. The Wellington continued to serve throughout the war in other duties, particularly as an anti-submarine aircraft. It was the only British bomber to be produced for the entire duration of the war. The Wellington was popularly known as the Wimpy by service personnel, after J. Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons and a Wellington "B for Bertie" had a starring role in the 1942 Oscar-nominated Powell and Pressburger film One of Our Aircraft Is Missing. The Wellington was one of two bombers named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, the other being the Vickers Wellesley.

The Wellington used a geodesic construction method, which had been devised by Barnes Wallis inspired by his work on airships, and had previously been used to build the single-engine Wellesley light bomber. The fuselage was built up from 1650 elements, consisting of aluminium alloy (duralumin) W-beams that were formed into a large framework. The geodesic structure also gave a very strong but light structure for its large size, which gave the Wellington a load and range to power ratio advantage over similar aircraft, without sacrificing robustness or protective devices such as armour plate or self-sealing fuel tanks.

The Wellington was initially out-numbered by its twin-engine contemporaries, the Handley Page Hampden and the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, but would ultimately outlast them in productive service. The number of Wellingtons built totalled 11,461 of all versions, the last of which rolled out on 13 October 1945.

General characteristics

• Crew: six
• Length: 64 ft 7 in (19.69 m)
• Wingspan: 86 ft 2 in (26.27 m)
• Height: 17 ft 5 in (5.31 m)
• Wing area: 840 ft² (78.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 18,556 lb (8,435 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 28,500 lb (12,955 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Bristol Pegasus Mark XVIII radial engines, 1,050 hp (783 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 235 mph (378 km/h) at 15,500 ft (4,730 m)
• Range: 2,550 mi (2,217 nmi, 4,106 km)
• Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,490 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,120 ft/min (5.7 m/s)
• Wing loading: 34 lb/ft² (168 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.08 hp/lb (0.13 kW/kg)

Armament

• 6-8× .303 Browning machine guns:
• 4,500 lb (2,041 kg) bombs

** Vickers Wellington - Warbird Fare

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Armstrong Whitworth

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War while the others were the Vickers Wellington and the Handley Page Hampden. It took part in the first RAF bombing raid on German territory, and remained an integral part of the early British bomber offensive until the introduction of four-engined "heavies". Its front line service included performing maritime reconnaissance duties with Coastal Command, while also being employed in the second line roles of glider-tug, trainer and transport aircraft.

Designed by John Lloyd, the Chief Designer of Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft to meet Air Ministry Specification issued in 1934 for a heavy night bomber. The AW.38 design was a development of the Armstrong Whitworth AW.23 bomber-transport design that had lost out to the Bristol Bombay for specification C.26/31 partly due to its Armstrong Siddeley Tiger engines.

As Lloyd was unfamiliar with the use of flaps on a large heavy monoplane, they were initially omitted. To compensate, the mid-set wings were set at a high angle of incidence (8.5°) to confer good takeoff and landing performance. Although flaps were included late in the design stage, the wing remained unaltered. As a result, the Whitley flew with a pronounced nose-down attitude, resulting in considerable drag. This "nose down" attitude was also seen in the design of the Armstrong Whitworth Ensign pre-war airliner.

The Mk.III introduced hydraulically actuated doors which greatly improved bombing accuracy. To aim bombs, the bombardier ("Bomb Aimer" in RAF terminology) opened a hatch in the nose of the aircraft which extended the bombsight out of the fuselage, but to everyone's comfort, the Mk IV replaced this hatch with a slightly extended transparency.

The Whitley first entered service with No. 10 Squadron in March 1937, replacing Handley Page Heyford biplanes, and by the outbreak of the Second World War, seven squadrons were operational with the Whitley. The majority were flying Whitley IIIs or IVs as the Whitley V had only just been introduced.

With Bomber Command, Whitleys flew 8,996 operations, dropped 9,845 tons of bombs with 269 aircraft lost in action. The Whitley was retired from all front line service in late 1942 but it continued to operate as a transport for troops and freight, as well as for paratroop training and towing gliders.


General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Length: 70 ft 6 in (21.49 m)
• Wingspan: 84 ft (25.60 m)
• Height: 15 ft (4.57 m)
• Wing area: 1,137 ft² (106 m²)
• Empty weight: 19,300 lb (8,768 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 33,500 lb (15,196 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Merlin X liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,145 hp (855 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 kn (230 mph, 370 km/h) at 16,400 ft (5,000 m)
• Range: 1,430 nmi (1,650 mi, 2,650 km)
• Ferry range: 2,100 nmi (2,400 mi, 3,900 km)
• Service ceiling: 26,000 ft (7,900 m)
• Rate of climb: 800 ft/min (4.1 m/s)
• Max wing loading: 29.5 lb/ft² (143 kg/m²)
• Minimum power/mass: 0.684 hp/lb (112 W/kg)

Armament

• 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in nose turret
• 4 × .303 in Browning machine guns in tail turret
• 12 × 250 lb (113 kg) bombs and
• 2 × 500 lb (227 kg) bombs or
• 1 × 2,000 lb (907 kg) bomb could be carried
  

** Armstrong Whitworth - Warbird Fare

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Consolidated B-32 Dominator

The Consolidated B-32 Dominator (Consolidated Model 34) was a heavy bomber made for United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and has the distinction of being the last Allied aircraft to be engaged in combat during World War II. It was developed in parallel with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress as a fallback design should the Superfortress prove unsuccessful. It only reached units in the Pacific during the summer of 1945, and subsequently only saw limited combat operations against Japanese targets before the end of the war. Most of the extant orders of the B-32 were cancelled shortly thereafter and only 118 B-32s of all types were built.

A test schedule of eleven missions was set up, followed by a plan to convert two of the 312th Bomb Group's four Douglas A-20 Havoc squadrons to B-32s. Project crews took three B-32s to Clark Field, Luzon, Philippine Islands in mid-May 1945, for a series of test flights completed on 17 June. The test crews were impressed with its unique reversible-pitch inboard propellers and the Davis wing which gave it excellent landing performance. However, they found a number of faults: the cockpit had an extremely high noise level, a poor instrument layout, the bombardier's vision was impaired, it was overweight and the nacelle design resulted in frequent engine fires.

The testing missions were mostly successful, and, in July, the 386th Bomb Squadron completed its transition to the B-32, flying six more combat missions before the war ended.

General characteristics

• Crew: 10
• Length: 82 ft 1 in (25.03 m)
• Wingspan: 135 ft 0 in (41.16 m)
• Height: 32 ft 2 in (9.81 m)
• Wing area: 1,422 ft² (132.2 m²)
• Empty weight: 60,278 lb (27,400 kg)
• Loaded weight: 100,800 lb (45,800 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 123,250lb (56,023 kg)
• Powerplant: 4× Wright R-3350-23A 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 2,200 hp (1,641 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 357 mph (310 knots, 575 km/h) at 30,000 ft (9,150 m)
• Cruise speed: 290 mph[12] (252 knots, 467 km/h)
• Range: 3,800 mi (3,304 nmi, 6,118 km)
• Service ceiling: 30,700 ft[12] (9,360 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,050 ft/min (5.3 m/s)

Armament

• 10× .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns
• 20,000 lb (9,100 kg)

** Consolidated B-32 Dominator - Warbird Fare

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