POWER PLANT: One Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp radial engine, rated at 2,000 hp
PERFORMANCE: 380 mph at 23,400 ft
COMMENT: In Mid 1944 an improved and refined version of the famous Grumman F6F-3, the Grumman F6F-5 “Hellcat” rolled out of a brand new factory, especially built for this reason. The Pratt & Whitney engine with water injection was retained, but the cowling was modified and the windshield was improved. Provision was made for 2,000 lb of bombs under the center section and six rockets under the outer wing. Production of this version totalled 6,681 aircraft plus 1,189 F6F-5N’s night fighter with APS-6 radar in the pod of the starboard wing. The aircraft shown here was on board of USS CV-15 “Randolph” in March 1945 (Ref.: 22)
POWER PLANT: Two radial engines, type not available
PERFORMANCE: No data available
COMMENT: Poorly documented JAAF-project of a light bomber with twin fuselage, two radial engines and pilot and gunner/radio-operator seated in the left fuselage. Similar designs during World War II were in Germany Arado E,580 (project), Messerschmitt Me 109Z (flown, Z for Zwilling = twin), Messerschmitt Me 609 (project), Dornier Do 635 (Junkers Ju 8-635) (project),and Heinkel He 111Z (flown), and in the United States North American P-82 (flown).
POWER PLANT: Two Rolls-Royce Merlin III engines, rated at 1,030 hp each
PERFORMANCE: No data available
COMMENT: Prior to WWII, the major world powers knew they needed long-range fighters to escort their bombers deep into enemy territory. To this end, the British aircraft company Martin Baker submitted an innovative design for a tailless, twin-engine fighter armed with 12 heavy machine guns. Its rudder gone to help reduce drag, the plane would use the trailing ends of its engine nacelles for lateral control supplemented with ducted engine exhaust gases as well as propeller induced air stream. Although seriously evaluated by the RAF, the Martin Baker 12 Gun Fighter never made it past the design stage.
POWER PLANT: Two BMW 801D radial engines, rated at 1,750 hp each and two Junkers Jumo 003 turbo-jet engines, rated at 880 kp each
PERFORMANCE: 571 mph
COMMENT: This Blohm & Voss project from 1944 was designed as a general purpose/long-range fighter. The wing was straight and unswept, with the section between the two engine nacelles being thicker and having increased chord, to house the main wheels of the tricycle landing gear. Two BMW 801D radial engines were mounted at the forward end of the nacelles, and two Junkers Jumo 004 turbo-jet engines were located in the rear of the nacelles. Provision was made for use of other turbo-jet engines, e.g. BMW 003 (Bv P. 203.2) and Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 (Bv P. 203.03) The aircraft was heavily armed including a remotely controlled twin MG 131 13mm machine guns in the tail firing to the rear. Due to the “Jägernotprogramm” (Fighter-emergency-programme) all work was cancelled (Ref: 23)
POWER PLANT: Four Westinghouse J34-WE-7 turbojet engines, rated at 1,360 kp. thrust each
PERFORMANCE: 520 mph at 30,000 ft
COMMENT: The XF-87 was the last aircraft built by Curtiss Aircraft. The specification originally called for a twin-engine, single-seat fighter, which evolved into an attack aircraft (XA-43) and finally to a quad-jet, twin-place, all-weather, high-altitude fighter. Two prototype XF-87s were built, the second of which was modified to the sole XF-87A. The XF-87 was designed for an innovative nose turret capable of swiveling in a wide arc around the axis of flight; however, the turret was never actually installed on the XF-87. The very large fighter was severely underpowered by four J34 turbojets and was redesigned for two J47 turbojets (XF-87A). A production order for 58 XF-87As and 30 RF-87s was canceled before any aircraft were constructed (Ref.: 23).
TYPE: High performance interceptor fighter. Project
ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only
POWER PLANT: One Mitsubishi Ha-43 radial engine, rated at 1,650 hp at 26,247 ft, driving 6-bladed metal constant speed pusher propeller
PERFORMANCE: 470 mph at 26,247 ft
COMMENT: To provide the Imperial Japanese Navy with a land-based high-performance interceptor aircraft, Mitsubishi designed the J4M Senden (“Flashing Lighting”) or Navy Experimental 17-Shi Otsu B Type Interceptor Fighter Senden. It was to have been a single-seat, twin-boom, low-wing monoplane with a central nacelle housing an unstepped cockpit and a 2,130-hp Mitsubishi MK9D (Ha-43) radial engine behind the pilot driving a six-bladed pusher propeller rotating between the booms. The booms were to extend aft from the leading edge of the wing and were mounted below the central nacelle. The aircraft was to have had tricycle landing gear and an armament of one 30-mm and two 20-mm cannon. Design of the initial J4M1 version ended when the Navy put its support behind the competing Kyushu J7W fighter. So the J4M project did not proceed beyond the design stage. The Allies nonetheless assigned the J4M the reporting name “Luke” during World War II.(Ref.: 23)
TYPE: Flying-boat fighter and fighter bomber. Project
ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only
POWER PLANT: One Napier Sabre II, rated at 2.020 hp, driving two three-bladed contra-rotating propellers
PERFORMANCE: 360 mph
COMMENT: After Japan’s initial successes in the Pacific Area of Action, the need for a fighter aircraft capable of operating from austere island sites, with minimal infrastructure, was regarded as a high priority. So the British Air Ministry’s Specification N2./42 called for a retractable hull flying-boat fighter. The Blackburn Aircraft Company designed a water based fighter that utilized as much as possible of the structure of the Blackburn Firebrand torpedo striker fighter, just beginning flight tests at that time. A novelty was the retractable hull. The fuselage of the aircraft was to be split in two with the lower float-like half extending and retracting hydraulically. This resulted in an excellent streamline form with the main hull, and simultaneously provided adequate clearance between airscrews and water. The B.44 was well suited for the Pacific war. However, the project was cancelled because British Naval policy was only to use aircraft carriers with wheeled fighters (Ref.: 23 ).
TYPE: Medium bomber. high-speed fighter bomber. Project.
ACCOMMODATION: Crew of two
POWER PLANT: Four Heinkel-Hirth He S 109-011, rated at 1,300 kp each
PERFORMANCE: 650 mph (estimated)
COMMENT: In 1944 the Heinkel-, Arado- and Messerschmitt Aircraft Companies proposed to the RLM designs of a medium bomber with high speed and high bomb load. Power units should be high performance piston engines, rated at 3,000 to 6,000 hp, turbojet engines with more than 2,500 kp thrust, or turboprops with more than 6,500 hp. In summary all designs were ahead of the times, including high-speed profiles, variable-sweep wings up to 60 degrees and high subsonic speed.
Messerschmitt proposed the project Me P.1101/101, a design out of a whole series of developments with the designation Me P.1101. It featured a long, tapered fuselage and was powered by four Heinkel-Hirth He S 109-011 turbo engines , two mounted below the nose and two at the tail. Armaments were to consist of four MK 108 30mm cannons in the nose plus remote-controlled turrets, and a bomb load of 3.000 kg. The designs most distinguishing features were its swing-wings, which would allow it to land on short runways while accelerating to near supersonic speeds during interception missions. However, like so many ambitious aircraft projects during this period, the Me.P.1101/101 never made it past the design stage. (Ref.:14)
POWER PLANT: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W Double Wasp engines, rated at 2,100 hp each
PERFORMANCE: 435 mph at 22,000 ft
COMMENT: After 34 single-seat Grumman F7F-1 Tigercats had been delivered, production switched temporarily to a two-seat night-fighting version F7F-2N. A prototype XF7F-2N had been produced by modifying the third production F7F-1 to have a second seat behind the pilot, for the radar operator, and AN/APS-6 search radar, installed in the nose in place of the four machineguns. Grumman produced 65 F7F-2Ns between October 1944 and August 1945. Night landings were made aboard the USS Antietam as well as USS Shangri-La. The first unit to convert to the night-fighting Tigercat was VMF(N)-533, which after working-up in Texas arrived on Okinawa on 14 August 1945, the day before the Japanese surrender.
The Grumman F7F-3N Tigercat shown here was a post-war variant with R-2800-34Ws engines, SCR-720 radar in the nose and a larger fin. In total 60 F7F-3Ns were produced. (Ref. 10)
TYPE: Heavy long-range bomber, in service as Assembly ship
ACCOMMODATION: Crew of four
POWER PLANT: Four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 Twin Wasp radial engines, rated at 1,200 hp each
PERFORMANCE: 303 mph at 25,000 ft
COMMENT: The Consolidated B-24D “Liberator” was the first variant to be qualified for combat. Under the original Production Pool plan, Consolidated/San Diego was the prime manufacturer, supplying components to Fort Worth and Douglas/Tulsa for assembly. In May, 1942 the first of 2,738 B-24D’s rolled off the assembly lines.
Due to rapidly changing needs, especially for defensive armament, there were many variations within the B-24D model, these differences identified by “production blocks” (e.g B-24D-70-CO). Nevertheless, B-24D’s have been very successful in the first years of bombing offensive in the European theater but later are replaced by B-24H and B-24J. These variants had more powerful engines and better defensive armament. Some bombardment groups used phased-out B-24Ds as assembly (formation) ships until the end of the hostilities. The B-24D Assembly (Formation) Ship “The Little Gramper” shown here belonged to the 491th Bombardment Group (H) „The Ringmasters“, stationed at North Pickenham. (Ref. 2)
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