Military aircraft of the ussr of the second world. Aviation of the ussr: aircraft of the second world war. Start of serial production
Many countries entered the Second World War with obsolete types of combat aircraft. This applies, first of all, to the countries of the anti-fascist coalition, while the Axis countries, which were the first to start active operations (Germany, Japan), re-equipped their aviation in advance. The qualitative superiority of the Axis aviation, which managed to gain air supremacy, over the aviation of the Western powers and the USSR is largely explained by the successes of the Germans and Japanese at the initial stages of World War II.
TB is short for heavy bomber. It was created in the design bureau A.N. Tupolev back in 1930. Equipped with four piston engines, the aircraft developed a maximum speed of less than 200 km / h. The service ceiling was less than 4 km. Although the aircraft was armed with several (from 4 to 8) 7.62-mm machine guns, with its tactical and technical characteristics (TTX) it was an easy prey for fighters and could only be used with a strong fighter cover or against an enemy that did not expect an attack ... TB-3 at low speed and flight altitude and huge dimensions was a convenient target for anti-aircraft artillery, including at night, as it was well illuminated by searchlights. In fact, it became obsolete almost immediately after it was put into service. This was shown by the Sino-Japanese war that began in 1937, where TB-3s fought on the Chinese side (some with Soviet crews).
In the same 1937, the production of the TB-3 ceased, and in 1939 it was officially withdrawn from the armament of bomber squadrons. Nevertheless, its combat use continued. So, on the first day of the Soviet-Finnish war, they bombed Helsinki and achieved success there, since the Finns did not expect an attack. By the beginning of World War II, more than 500 TB-3s remained in service. Due to the huge losses of Soviet aviation in the first weeks of the war, ineffective attempts were made to use the TB-3 as a night bomber. In connection with the commissioning of more advanced machines, by the end of 1941 the TB-3 was completely retrained into a military transport aircraft.
Or ANT-40 (SB - high-speed bomber). This twin-engine monoplane was also developed at the Tupolev bureau. By the time it was put into service in 1936, it was one of the best front-line bombers in the world in terms of its performance characteristics. This was shown by the civil war that began soon in Spain. The USSR in October 1936 delivered the first 31 SB-2s to the Spanish Republic, in total there in 1936-1938. received 70 of these machines. The combat qualities of the SB-2 turned out to be quite high, although their intensive combat use led to the fact that by the time the Republic was defeated, only 19 of these aircraft survived. Their engines turned out to be especially unreliable, so the Francoists converted the captured SB-2 with French engines and, in this form, used them as training ones until 1951. SB-2s also performed well in the skies of China until 1942, although they could only be used under fighter cover - without it they would become easy prey for Japanese Zero fighters. Enemies had more advanced fighters, and the SB-2 was morally completely obsolete by the beginning of the 40s.
By the beginning of World War II, SB-2 was the main aircraft of the Soviet bomber aviation - it accounted for 90% of the aircraft of this class. On the very first day of the war, they suffered heavy losses at the airfields. Their combat use, as a rule, ended tragically. So, on June 22, 1941, 18 SB-2s attempted to strike at the German crossings across the Western Bug. All were shot down 18. On June 30, 14 SB-2, together with a group of other aircraft, attacked German mechanized columns while crossing the Western Dvina. Lost 11 SB-2. The next day, while trying to repeat the attack in the same area, all nine SB-2s participating in it were shot down by German fighters. These failures forced the production of SB-2 to be discontinued that summer, and the remaining such vehicles were used as night bombers. The effectiveness of their bombing was low. Nevertheless, SB-2 continued to be in service until 1943.
An aircraft designed by N.N. Polikarpov was the main fighter of the Soviet Air Force in the first year of the war. In total, about 10 thousand pieces of these machines were produced, almost all of which were destroyed or suffered an accident before the end of 1942. The I-16 possessed many advantages that were evident during the war in Spain. So, he had a retractable landing gear, he was armed with automatic aviation 20-mm cannons. But the maximum speed of 470 km / h was clearly insufficient to fight enemy fighters in 1941. I-16s suffered heavy losses already in the skies of China from Japanese fighters in 1937-1941. The main drawback was poor handling. The I-16 was deliberately made dynamically unstable, since it was mistakenly assumed that this quality would make it difficult for the enemy to fire at it. This, first of all, made it difficult for him to control his pilots and made it impossible to purposefully maneuver in battle. The plane often fell into a tailspin and crashed. The obvious combat superiority of the German Me-109 and the high accident rate forced the I-16 to be withdrawn from production in 1942.
French fighter Morane-Saulnier MS.406
The backwardness of the I-16 is clearly visible when comparing it with the MS.406, which formed the basis of the French fighter aviation by the beginning of World War II, but was already noticeably inferior in its performance characteristics to the German Me-109. It developed a speed of up to 480 km / h and was a first-class aircraft when it entered service in 1935. Its superiority over Soviet aircraft of the same class affected Finland in the winter of 1939/40, where, piloted by Finnish pilots, they shot down 16 Soviet aircraft, losing only one of their own. But in May-June 1940, in the skies over Belgium and France, in battles with German aircraft, the ratio of losses was the opposite: 3: 1 more for the French.
Fiat CR.32 Italian fighter
Italy, unlike the main Axis powers, did little to modernize its air forces by the outbreak of World War II. The most massive fighter was the Fiat CR.32 biplane, which entered service in 1935. For the war with Ethiopia, which had no aviation, his fighting qualities were brilliant, for the Spanish Civil War, where the CR.32s fought for the Francoists, seemed satisfactory. In the air battles that began in the summer of 1940, not only with the British Hurricanes, but also with the already mentioned French MS.406, the slow-moving and weakly armed CR.32s were absolutely helpless. Already in January 1941, it had to be removed from service.
Warplanes are birds of prey of the sky. For more than a hundred years they have shone in warriors and at air shows. Agree, it's hard to take your eyes off the modern multipurpose devices stuffed with electronics and composite materials. But there is something special about aircraft from World War II. It was an era of great victories and great aces who fought in the air, looking into each other's eyes. Engineers and aircraft designers from different countries have come up with many legendary aircraft. Today we present to your attention a list of the ten most famous, recognizable, popular and best aircraft of the Second World War according to the version of the [email protected].
Supermarine Spitfire
The list of the best aircraft of World War II opens with the British Supermarine Spitfire fighter. He looks classic, but a little awkward. The wings are shovels, the heavy nose, the bubble-shaped lantern. However, it was the Spitfire that bailed out the Royal Air Force by stopping German bombers during the Battle of Britain. German fighter pilots found with great displeasure that British aircraft were in no way inferior to them, and even superior in maneuverability.
The Spitfire was developed and put into service just in time - just before the outbreak of World War II. True, there was an incident with the first battle. Due to a radar malfunction, the Spitfires were sent into battle with a phantom enemy and fired at their own British fighters. But then, when the British tried the advantages of the new aircraft, it was not used as soon as it was used. And for interception, and for reconnaissance, and even as bombers. A total of 20,000 Spitfires were produced. For all the good things, and above all for the salvation of the island during the Battle of Britain, this aircraft takes the honorable tenth place.
The Heinkel He 111 is exactly the plane that British fighters fought with. This is the most recognizable German bomber. It cannot be confused with any other aircraft due to the characteristic shape of its wide wings. It was the wings that gave the Heinkel He 111 the nickname “flying shovel”.
This bomber was created long before the war under the guise of a passenger plane. It showed itself very well back in the 30s, but by the beginning of World War II it began to become obsolete, both in speed and maneuverability. It held out for a while due to its ability to withstand high damage, but when the sky was conquered by the allies, Heinkel He 111 was "demoted" to a regular transport. This aircraft embodies the very definition of a Luftwaffe bomber, for which it receives the ninth place in our rating.
At the beginning of World War II, German aviation did whatever it wanted in the sky of the USSR. Only in 1942 did a Soviet fighter appear that could fight on equal terms with the Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs. It was "La-5" developed in the Lavochkin design bureau. It was created in a great hurry. The aircraft is designed so simply that the cockpit does not even have the most elementary instruments like an artificial horizon. But the pilots liked La-5 immediately. In the very first test flights, 16 enemy aircraft were shot down on it.
La-5 bore the brunt of the battles in the skies over Stalingrad and the Kursk Bulge. Ace Ivan Kozhedub fought on it, it was on it that the famous Alexei Maresyev flew with prostheses. The only problem of La-5 that prevented it from climbing higher in our rating is its appearance. He is completely faceless and expressionless. When the Germans first saw this fighter, they immediately gave it the nickname "new rat". And all because it was very much like the legendary I-16 aircraft nicknamed "the rat".
North American P-51 Mustang
The Americans had many types of fighters in World War II, but the most famous among them was, of course, the P-51 Mustang. The history of its creation is unusual. The British already at the height of the war in 1940 ordered the aircraft to the Americans. The order was fulfilled and in 1942 the first "Mustangs" of the British Royal Air Force went into action. And then it turned out that the planes are so good that they will be useful to the Americans themselves.
The most noticeable feature of the R-51 Mustang is its huge fuel tanks. This made them ideal fighters for escorting bombers, which they successfully did in Europe and the Pacific. They were also used for reconnaissance and assault. They even bombed a little. Especially the Japanese suffered from the Mustangs.
The most famous US bomber of those years is, of course, the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress". The four-engine, heavy, machine-gunned bomber Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress spawned many heroic and fanatical stories. On the one hand, the pilots loved it for its ease of control and survivability, on the other hand, the losses among these bombers were indecently high. In one of the sorties, 77 of the 300 Flying Fortresses did not return. Why? Here we can mention the complete and defenselessness of the crew from fire in front and the increased risk of fire. However, the main problem was the persuasion of the American generals. At the beginning of the war, they thought that if there were a lot of bombers and they were flying high, then you could do without any escort. Luftwaffe fighters have denied this misconception. The lessons they taught were harsh. The Americans and the British had to learn very quickly, change tactics, strategy and aircraft design. Strategic bombers contributed to the victory, but the price was high. A third of the Flying Fortresses did not return to the airfields.
The fifth place in our ranking of the best aircraft of the Second World War is occupied by the main hunter for German aircraft Yak-9. If "La-5" was the workhorse that endured the brunt of the fighting at the turning point of the war, then the Yak-9 "is the plane of victory. It was created on the basis of the previous models of Yak fighters, but instead of heavy wood, duralumin was used in the construction. This made the aircraft lighter and left room for modifications. What they just did not do with the Yak-9. Frontline fighter, fighter-bomber, interceptor, escort, reconnaissance and even courier aircraft.
On the Yak-9, Soviet pilots fought on equal terms with the German aces, who were greatly frightened by its powerful cannons. Suffice it to say that the best modification of the Yak-9U was affectionately nicknamed by our pilots “The Assassin”. The Yak-9 became a symbol of Soviet aviation and the most massive Soviet fighter aircraft during World War II. The factories sometimes assembled 20 aircraft a day, and in total, almost 15,000 of them were produced during the war.
Junkers Ju 87 (Junkers Ju 87)
Junkers Ju-87 "Stuka" - German dive bomber. Due to the ability to fall vertically on the target, the Junkers laid bombs with pinpoint accuracy. Supporting the fighter offensive, everything in the Stuka structure is subordinate to one thing - to hit the target. Air brakes prevented acceleration during a dive, special mechanisms retracted the dropped bomb away from the propeller and automatically brought the plane out of the dive.
Junkers Ju-87 is the main aircraft of the Blitzkrieg. He shone at the very beginning of the war, when Germany was on a victorious march across Europe. However, later it turned out that the Junkers were very vulnerable to fighters, so their use gradually faded away. True, in Russia, thanks to the advantage of the Germans in the air, the Stuka still managed to fight. For their characteristic non-retractable chassis, they were nicknamed "bast shoes". The German pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel brought additional fame to the Stukas. But despite its worldwide fame, the Junkers Ju-87 was in fourth place in the list of the best aircraft of the Second World War.
In an honorable third place in the ranking of the best aircraft of the Second World War is the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero carrier-based fighter. This is the most famous aircraft of the war in the Pacific. The history of this aircraft is very revealing. At the beginning of the war, he was almost the most advanced aircraft - light, maneuverable, high-tech, with incredible flight range. For the Americans, Zero was an extremely unpleasant surprise; it surpassed everything they had at that time.
However, the Japanese worldview played a cruel joke with Zero, no one thought about protecting him in an air battle - gas tanks burned easily, the pilots were not covered by armor, and no one thought about parachutes. When hit, Mitsubishi A6M Zero flashed like matches, and the Japanese pilots had no chance to escape. The Americans, in the end, learned how to fight the Zero, they flew in pairs and attacked from a height, avoiding the fight on bends. They released the new Chance Vought F4U Corsair, Lockheed P-38 Lightning and Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters. The Americans admitted their mistakes and adapted, but the proud Japanese did not. Obsolete by the end of the war, the Zero became the kamikaze plane, a symbol of senseless resistance.
The famous Messerschmitt Bf.109 is the main fighter of the Second World War. It was he who reigned supreme in the Soviet sky until 1942. The exceptionally successful design allowed Messerschmitt to impose its tactics on other aircraft. He picked up excellent speed in a dive. The favorite technique of German pilots was the "falcon strike", in which the fighter dives at the enemy and, after a quick attack, again goes to the height.
This aircraft also had its drawbacks. The short flight range prevented him from conquering the skies of England. It was also not easy to escort the bombers to the Messerschmitt. At low altitude, he lost his speed advantage. By the end of the war, the Messers were hit hard by both Soviet fighters from the east and Allied bombers from the west. But the Messerschmitt Bf 109 nevertheless went down in legends as the best fighter in the Luftwaffe. In total, almost 34,000 of them were manufactured. This is the second largest aircraft in history.
So, meet the winner in our ranking of the most legendary aircraft of the Second World War. Attack aircraft "IL-2" aka "Humpbacked", aka "flying tank", the Germans often called him "black death". The Il-2 is a special aircraft, it was immediately conceived as a well-protected attack aircraft, so it was much more difficult to shoot it down than other aircraft. There was a case when an attack aircraft returned from a departure and counted more than 600 hits on it. After a quick repair, the Humpbacks went into battle again. Even if the plane was shot down, he often remained intact, the armored belly allowed him to land in an open field without any problems.
The IL-2 went through the entire war. In total, 36,000 attack aircraft were manufactured. This made "Humpbacked" the record holder, the most massive combat aircraft of all time. For its outstanding qualities, original design and a huge role in the Second World War, the famous Il-2 rightfully takes first place in the ranking of the best aircraft of those years.
Supermarine Spitfire opens the ranking of the best aircraft of the Second World War. This is a British fighter jet with a somewhat awkward yet attractive design. Among the unique "zest" in the appearance are:
- clumsy nose;
- massive wings in the form of shovels;
- a lantern made in the shape of a bubble.
Speaking about the historical significance of this "old man", it must be said that he saved the Royal Military Forces during the Battle of Britain by stopping German bombers. It was put into service quite during - just before the outbreak of World War II.
It is one of the most recognizable German bombers that British fighters have fought bravely. The Heinkel He 111 cannot be confused with any aircraft due to the unique shape of its wide wings. Actually, they determine the name "111". It should be noted that this vehicle was created long before the war under the pretext of a passenger plane. Later, the model proved to be excellent in terms of agility and speed, but during the fierce battles it became clear that the characteristics did not meet expectations. The aircraft could not withstand the powerful attacks of the combat aircraft of rivals, in particular from England.
At the beginning of World War II, German combat aircraft created whatever they wanted in the skies of the Soviet Union, which contributed to the emergence of a new generation fighter - La-5. The armed forces of the USSR clearly realized the need to create a powerful combat aircraft, and they managed to accomplish the task by 100%. At the same time, the fighter has an extremely simple design. The cockpit does not even have the elementary instruments needed to determine the horizon. Nevertheless, the model was immediately liked by domestic pilots due to its good maneuverability and speed. Literally for the first time after the release, 16 enemy pilot ships were eliminated with the help of this aircraft.
By the outbreak of World War II, the Americans had many good combat aircraft in service, but the North American P-51 Mustang is definitely the most powerful among them. It is necessary to highlight the unique history of the development of this weapon. Already in the midst of the war, the British decided to order a batch of powerful aircraft from the Americans. In 1942, the first Mustangs appeared, joining the British Air Force. It turned out that these fighters are so good that the United States decided to leave them in equipping its own army. The peculiarity of the North American P-51 Mustang is the presence of huge fuel tanks. For this reason, they proved to be the best escorts for the powerful bombers.
Speaking about the best bombers of World War II, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, which was in service with the American forces, should be highlighted. It was nicknamed "the flying fortress" due to its good combat equipment and structural strength. This aircraft has machine guns on all sides. Several Flying Fortress units have a legendary history. With their help, many feats were accomplished. Combat aircraft fell in love with pilots due to their easy control and survivability. To destroy them, the enemy required a lot of effort.
The Yak-9 should be added to the rating of the best aircraft of the Second World War, which is considered one of the most dangerous hunters for German aircraft. Many experts consider it to be the personification of the new century, due to its complex design and good performance. Instead of wood, which was most often used for the base, "Yak" uses duralumin. It is a versatile combat aircraft that has been used as a fighter-bomber, reconnaissance aircraft and sometimes as a courier vehicle. It is light and agile, while having powerful cannons.
Another German dive-type bomber that is capable of vertically falling on a target. This is the property of the German armed forces, with the help of which the pilots managed to plant bombs on the enemy's aircraft with pinpoint accuracy. Junkers Ju-87 is considered the best aircraft of the Blitzkrieg, which helped the Germans at the beginning of the war to "march" victoriously through many zones of Europe.
Mitsubishi A6M Zero should be added to the list of the best military aircraft of the Patriotic War. They were exploited during the battles over the Pacific Ocean. The representative of A6M Zero has a rather distinguished history. One of the most advanced aircraft of World War II proved to be a very unpleasant enemy for the Americans, due to its maneuverability, ease and range of flight. The Japanese have spent too little effort building a reliable fuel tank. Many aircraft could not resist enemy forces due to the fact that the tanks exploded quickly.
In World War II, the Germans had the following aircraft, here is a list with photographs:
1. Arado Ar 95 - German double seaplane torpedo bomber
2. Arado Ar 196 - German military reconnaissance seaplane
3. Arado Ar 231 - German light single-engine military seaplane
4. Arado Ar 232 - German military transport aircraft
5. Arado Ar 234 Blitz - German jet bomber
6. Blomm Foss Bv.141 - prototype of a German reconnaissance aircraft
7. Gotha Go 244 - German medium military transport aircraft
8. Dornier Do.17 - German twin-engine medium bomber
9. Dornier Do.217 - German multipurpose bomber
10. Messerschmitt Bf.108 Typhoon - German all-metal single-engine monoplane
11. Messerschmitt Bf.109 - German single-engine piston low-wing fighter
12. Messerschmitt Bf.110 - German twin-engine heavy fighter
13. Messerschmitt Me.163 - German fighter-interceptor
14. Messerschmitt Me.210 - German heavy fighter
15. Messerschmitt Me.262 - German turbojet fighter, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft
16. Messerschmitt Me.323 Giant - German heavy military transport aircraft with a carrying capacity of up to 23 tons, the heaviest land aircraft
17. Messerschmitt Me.410 - German heavy fighter-bomber
18. Focke-Wulf Fw.189 - twin-engine two-boom triple tactical reconnaissance aircraft
19. Focke-Wulf Fw.190 - German single-seat single-engine piston monoplane fighter
20. Focke-Wulf Ta 152 - German high-altitude interceptor
21. Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor - German 4-engine long-range multipurpose aircraft
22. Heinkel He-111 - German medium bomber
23. Heinkel He-162 - German single-engine jet fighter
24. Heinkel He-177 - German heavy bomber, twin-engined all-metal monoplane
25. Heinkel He-219 Uhu - twin-engine piston night fighter equipped with ejection seats
26. Henschel Hs. 129 - German single-seat twin-engine specialized attack aircraft
27. Fieseler Fi-156 Storch - small German aircraft
28. Junkers Ju-52 - German passenger and military transport aircraft
29. Junkers Ju-87 - German two-seater dive bomber and attack aircraft
30. Junkers Ju-88 - German multipurpose aircraft
31. Junkers Ju-290 - German long-range naval reconnaissance aircraft (nicknamed "Flying Cabinet")
1. Kokusai Ki-105
In 1942, during the fighting in the Pacific, Japan realized that it needed large aircraft, which could deliver provisions and ammunition necessary for conducting a mobile war against the allied forces. At the request of the government, the Japanese company Kokusai developed the Ku-7 aircraft. This huge double-girder glider was large enough to carry light tanks. The Ku-7 was considered one of the heaviest gliders developed during World War II. When it became clear that the fighting in the Pacific was dragging on, the Japanese military leaders decided to focus on the production of fighters and bombers instead of transport aircraft. Work on improving the Ku-7 was continued, but it went on at a slow pace.
In 1944, Japanese military efforts began to fail. They not only quickly lost ground to the rapidly advancing Allied forces, but also faced a fuel crisis. Most of the Japanese oil production facilities were either seized or lacked in materials, so the military was forced to start looking for alternatives. At first, they planned to use pine nuts to produce a substitute for petroleum feedstock. Unfortunately, the process dragged on and led to massive deforestation. When this plan failed miserably, the Japanese decided to supply fuel from Sumatra. The only way to do this was using the long-forgotten Ku-7 aircraft. Kokusai installed two engines on the glider, expansion tanks, essentially creating a Ki-105 flying fuel tank.
The plan was initially flawed. First, to get to Sumatra, the Ki-105 had to spend all its fuel supplies. Second, the Ki-105 was unable to carry crude crude oil, so the fuel had to first be extracted and processed in the oilfield. (Ki-105 ran only on refined fuel.) Third, the Ki-105 would have consumed 80% of its fuel during the return flight, leaving nothing for military needs. Fourth, the Ki-105 was slow and unmanageable, making it an easy target for Allied fighters. Fortunately for the Japanese pilots, the war ended and the Ki-105 program was closed.
2. Henschel Hs-132
At the start of World War II, Allied forces terrorized the infamous Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber. The Ju-87 Stuka dropped bombs with incredible precision, resulting in huge casualties. However, when Allied aircraft reached higher performance standards, the Ju-87 Stuka was unable to compete with the enemy's fast and agile fighters. Not wanting to abandon the idea of \u200b\u200bpicketing bombers, the German air command ordered the creation of a new jet aircraft.
The design of the Henschel bomber was quite simple. Henschel's engineers managed to create an airplane that was incredibly fast, especially when diving. Due to the emphasis on speed and dive performance, the Hs-132 had a number of unusual features. The jet engine was located at the top of the aircraft. This, along with the narrow fuselage, required the pilot to take a rather strange position while flying the bomber. The Hs-132 pilots had to lie on their stomachs and stare into a small glass nose to see where to fly.
The recumbent position helped the pilot resist the overload force, especially when he climbed rapidly to avoid hitting the ground. Unlike most of the German experimental aircraft built at the end of the war, the Hs-132 could have caused many problems for the Allies if produced in large quantities. Fortunately for the Allied ground forces, Soviet soldiers took over the Henschel plant before the prototypes were completed.
3. Blohm & Voss Bv 40
The efforts of the United States Air Force and the British Bomber Command played a key role in the Allied victory. The air forces of these two countries carried out countless raids on the German troops, in fact, depriving them of their ability to wage war. By 1944, Allied aircraft bombed German factories and cities almost unhindered. Faced with a significant decline in the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe (Nazi Germany's Air Force), German aircraft manufacturers began to offer ways to counter enemy air attacks. One of them was the creation of the Bv 40 aircraft (the creation of the mind of the famous engineer Richard Vogt). The Bv 40 is the only known fighter glider.
Given the declining technical and material capabilities of the German aircraft industry, Vogt designed the glider as simple as possible. It was made of metal (the cabin) and wood (the rest). Although the Bv 40 could be built even by a person with no special skills or education, Vogt wanted to make sure that the glider would not be easily shot down. Since he did not need an engine, his fuselage was very narrow. Due to the recumbent position of the pilot, the front of the glider was significantly cut. Vogt hoped that the high speed and small size of the glider would make it invulnerable.
The Bv 40 flew into the air with two Bf 109 fighters. Once at the appropriate altitude, the towing aircraft “let go” of the glider. Thereafter, the Bf 109 pilots would launch their attack, to which the Bv 40 would later join. To develop the speed necessary for an effective attack, the glider pilot had to dive at a 20 degree angle. Given this, the pilot had only a few seconds to open fire on the target. The Bv 40 was equipped with two 30mm cannons. Despite the successful tests, the glider for some reason was not adopted for service. The German command decided to focus its efforts on the creation of interceptors with a turbojet engine.
4. Rotabuggy by Raoul Hafner
One of the problems faced by military commanders during World War II was the delivery of military equipment to the front line. To address this issue, countries have experimented with different ideas. Raoul Hafner, a British aerospace engineer, had the crazy idea of \u200b\u200bequipping all vehicles with helicopter propellers.
Hafner had many ideas for how to increase the mobility of British troops. One of his first projects was the Rotachute, a small gyroplane (a type of aircraft) that could be dropped from a transport plane with one soldier inside. This was an attempt to replace parachutes during an airborne assault. When Hafner's idea didn't catch on, he took on two other projects - Rotabuggy and Rotatank. The Rotabuggy was eventually built and tested.
Before attaching the rotor to the jeep, Hafner first decided to check what would remain after the car as a result of the fall. To this end, he loaded the jeep with concrete objects and dropped it from a height of 2.4 meters. Testing the car (it was a "Bentley") was successful, after which Hafner designed the rotor and tail to make it look like an autogyro.
The British Air Force became interested in the Hafner project and conducted the first Rotabuggy test flight, which ended in failure. In theory, the gyroplane could fly, but it was extremely difficult to control it. Hafner's project failed.
5. Boeing YB-40
When the German bombing campaigns began, the Allied bombers' crews faced a fairly strong and well-trained enemy in the person of the Luftwaffe pilots. The problem was aggravated by the fact that neither the British nor the Americans had effective escort fighters for long-range combat. In such conditions, their bombers suffered defeat after defeat. The British Bomber Command ordered a shift to night bombing, while the Americans continued daytime raids and suffered heavy casualties. Finally, a way out of the situation was found. It was the creation of the YB-40 escort fighter, which was a modified B-17 model, equipped with an incredible number of machine guns.
The US Air Force contracted the Vega Corporation to create the YB-40. The modified B-17s had two additional turrets and twin machine guns, which allowed the YB-40 to defend against frontal attacks.
Unfortunately, all these changes significantly increased the weight of the aircraft, which caused problems during the first test flights. In combat, the YB-40 was much slower than the rest of the B-17 series bombers. Due to these significant shortcomings, further work on the YB-40 project was completely stopped.
6. Interstate TDR
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for various purposes, sometimes extremely contradictory, is a hallmark of military conflicts in the 21st century. And while drones are generally considered a new invention, they've been around since World War II. While the Luftwaffe was investing in the creation of unmanned guided missiles, the United States of America was the first to put into service remotely piloted aircraft. The US Navy has invested in two projects to build unmanned aerial vehicles. The second culminated in the successful birth of the TDR "flying torpedo".
The idea to create unmanned aerial vehicles originated in 1936, but was not implemented until the Second World War began. The engineers of the American television company RCA have developed a compact device for receiving and transmitting information, which made it possible to control the TDR using a television transmitter. The US Navy believed that accurate weapons would be critical in stopping Japanese shipping, so they ordered the development of an unmanned aerial vehicle. In order to reduce the use of strategic materials in the production of the flying bomb, the TDR was built primarily of wood and had a simple design.
The TDR was originally launched from the ground by the control crew. When he reached the required height, he was taken under control of a specially modified TBM-1C Avenger torpedo bomber, which, keeping from the TDR at a certain distance, guided him towards the target. One Avenger squadron completed 50 missions using TDR, making 30 successful attacks against the enemy. The Japanese troops were shocked by the actions of the Americans, as they, as it turned out, resorted to kamikaze tactics.
Despite the success of the strikes, the US Navy became disillusioned with the idea of \u200b\u200bunmanned aerial vehicles. By 1944, the Allied forces had almost complete air superiority in the Pacific theater of operations, and the need to use complex experimental weapons disappeared.
7. Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster
In the midst of World War II, the renowned American aircraft manufacturer Douglas set out to develop revolutionary bomber aircraft to bridge the gap between light and high-altitude heavy bombers. Douglas focused its efforts on creating the XB-42 high-speed bomber capable of overtaking Luftwaffe interceptors. If the Douglas engineers were able to make the plane fast enough, they would be able to put most of the fuselage under bomb load, reducing the significant number of defensive machine guns that were present on almost all heavy bombers.
The XB-42 was powered by two engines, which were housed inside the fuselage rather than on the wings, and a pair of counter-rotating propellers. Given that speed was a priority, the XB-42 bomber accommodated a crew of three. The pilot and his assistant were inside separate "bubble" lights located next to each other. The bombardier was located in the bow of the XB-42. Defensive weapons were kept to a minimum. The XB-42 had two remotely controlled defensive turrets. All innovations have paid off. The XB-42 was capable of speeds up to 660 kilometers per hour and could carry bombs with a total weight of 3,600 kilograms.
The XB-42 was an excellent advanced bomber, but by the time it was ready for mass production, the war was over. The XB-42 project fell prey to the changing desires of the US Air Force command; it was rejected, after which the Douglas company set about creating a jet-powered bomber. The XB-43 Jetmaster proved to be successful but did not attract the attention of the United States Air Force. However, it became the first American jet bomber, paving the way for other aircraft of its kind.
The original XB-42 bomber is kept by the National Air and Space Museum and is currently awaiting its turn for restoration. During transportation, his wings mysteriously disappeared and were never seen again.
8. General Aircraft G.A.L. 38 Fleet Shadower
Before the advent of electronics and high-precision weapons, aircraft were developed in accordance with a specific combat mission. During World War II, this need led to a number of absurd specialized aircraft, including the General Aircraft G.A.L. 38 Fleet Shadower.
At the outbreak of World War II, Great Britain faced a threat from the huge German navy (Kriegsmarine). German ships blocked the English waterways and obstructed logistical support. Since the ocean is large, it was extremely difficult to reconnoiter the positions of enemy ships, especially before the advent of radar. To be able to track the location of the Kriegsmarine ships, the Admiralty needed observation aircraft that could fly at low speed and high altitude at night, reconnoitering enemy fleet positions and reporting them by radio. Two companies - "Airspeed" and "General Aircraft" - simultaneously invented two nearly identical aircraft. However, the General Aircraft model turned out to be more strange.
Airplane G.A.L. 38 was formally a biplane, despite the fact that it had four wings, and the length of the lower pair was three times less than the upper one. Crew G.A.L. 38 consisted of three people - a pilot, an observer, who was in the glazed nose, and a radio operator, who was located in the aft fuselage. Since aircraft travel much faster than battleships, G.A.L. 38 was designed to fly slowly.
Like most specialized aircraft, the G.A.L. 38 eventually became unnecessary. With the invention of radars, the Admiralty decided to focus on patrol bombers (such as the Liberator and Sunderland).
9. Messerschmitt Me-328
The Me-328 was never put into service because the Luftwaffe and Messerschmitt could not decide on the functions it was supposed to perform. The Me-328 was a small conventional fighter. Messerschmitt presented three Me-328 models at once. The first was a small non-powered fighter glider, the second was powered by pulsating jet engines, and the third was powered by conventional jet engines. They all had a similar fuselage and a simple wooden structure.
However, as Germany was desperate to find a way to turn the tide of the air war, Messerschmitt offered several Me-328 models. Hitler approved the Me-328 bomber, which has four pulsating jet engines, but it never went into production.
Caproni Campini N.1 looks and sounds very similar to a jet plane, but in fact it is not. This experimental aircraft was designed to bring Italy one step closer to the jet era. By 1940, Germany had already developed the world's first jet aircraft, but kept this project a closely guarded secret. For this reason, Italy was mistakenly believed to be the country that developed the world's first jet turbine engine.
While the Germans and the British experimented with the gas turbine engine that helped bring about the first real jet aircraft, Italian engineer Secondo Campini decided to create a "motorjet" that was installed in the nose of the fuselage. In principle, it was very different from a real gas turbine engine.
It is curious that the Caproni Campini N.1 aircraft had a small space at the end of the engine (something like an afterburner) where the fuel combustion process took place. The N.1 engine was similar to the jet front and rear, but otherwise fundamentally different from it.
Although the engine design of the Caproni Campini N.1 was innovative, its performance was not particularly impressive. The N. 1 was huge, bulky, and unmanageable. The large size of the "turbocharged jet engine" proved to be a limiting factor for combat aircraft.
Due to its massiveness and shortcomings of the "motor-compressor air-jet engine" aircraft N.1 developed a speed of no more than 375 kilometers per hour, much less than modern fighters and bombers. During the first test long-range flight, afterburner No. 1 "ate" too much fuel. For this reason, the project was closed.
All these failures did not instill confidence in the Italian commanders, who by 1942 had more serious problems (for example, the need to defend their homeland) than useless investments in dubious concepts. With the outbreak of World War II, tests of the Caproni Campini N.1 were completely stopped and the aircraft was put into storage.
The Soviet Union also experimented with a similar concept, however, turbojet-powered planes were never sent to mass production.
Either way, the prototype N.1 survived World War II and is now a museum piece showcasing an interesting technology that unfortunately turned out to be a dead end.
Material prepared by Rosemarina - according to the article of the site listverse.com
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