POWER PLANT: One Pratt & Whitney R-4360-4 Wasp Major, rated at 3,000 hp
PERFORMANCE: 334 mph at 11,600 ft
COMMENT: Throughout the WW II the US Navy used a variety of carrier-based aircraft for attack duties. They were designated “SB” for scout/dive bombers and “TB” for torpedo-bombers. In 1943/44 a change in military tactics required a new role for an attack aircraft. So the US Navy invited proposals for a new multi-purpose bomber and selected four designs in September 1943: the Curtiss XBTC, Douglas XBT2D Skyraider, Kaiser-Fleetwings XBTK and the Martin XBTM. Two prototypes of the Martin design were ordered. The first flight was made in August 1944 and in January 1945 a production order for 750 aircraft was placed. With the end of WW II only 131 production aircraft, now named AM-1 “Mauler”, were delivered, another 651 aircraft were cancelled.
POWER PLANT: One Wright R-3350 Cyclone 18, rated at 2,500 hp
PERFORMANCE: 322 mph at 18,00 ft
COMMENT:The Douglas BT2D-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat piston engines attack aircraft designed during World War II to meet United States Navy requirements for a carrier-based long-range, high performance dive/torpedo bomber, to follow-on from earlier types such as the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver and Grumman TBF Avenger. Designed by Ed Heinemann of the Douglas Aircraft Company, prototypes were ordered on July 1944 as the XBT2D-1. The XBT2D-1 made its first flight on March 1945 and in April 1945, the USN began evaluation of the aircraft at the Naval Air Test Center (NATC). In December 1946, after a designation change to AD-1, delivery of the first production aircraft to a fleet squadron was made to VA-19A.
The low-wing monoplane design started with a Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radial engine which was later upgraded several times. Its distinctive feature was large straight wings with seven hard points apiece. The Skyraider possessed excellent low-speed maneuverability and carried a large amount of ordonance over a considerable combat radius. The aircraft was optimized for the ground-attack mission and was armored against ground fire in key locations, unlike faster fighters adapted to carry bombs, such as the Vought F4U Corsair or North-American P-5 Mustang.
Shortly after Heinemann began designing the XBT2D-1, a study was issued that showed for every 45 kg of weight reduction, the takeoff run was decreased by 2.4 m, the combat radius increased by 22 mi and the rate-of-climb increased by 18 ft/min. Heinemann immediately had his design engineers begin a program for finding weight-saving on the XBT2D-1 design, no matter how small. Simplifying the fuel system, eliminating an internal bomb bay and hanging external stores from the wings or fuselage, using a new fuselage dive brake; and an older tailwheel design resulted in a reduction ot weight by 820 kg. The first series was initially painted in ANA 623 Glossy Sea Blue, but during its career the color changed depending on its requirements.
The Skyraider went through numerous changes and was built in seven versions, before the Skyraider production ended in 1957 with a total of 3,180 having been built (Ref.: 24).
POWER PLANT: One Wright R-3350-14 Cyclone 18, rated at 2,300 hp
PERFORMANCE: 334 mph at 16,100 ft
COMMENT: In 1942 the US Navy planned to replace both the Douglas SBD Dauntless and the new Curtiss SB2C Helldiver and the Douglas Company was commissioned for two prototypes of a new two-seat dive bomber, designated XSB2D-1. The design was a large single-engined mid-winged monoplane with two remote-controlled turrets as defensive armament and a tricycle undercarriage, very unusual for a carrier-based aircraft of the time. The first prototype flew on April 1943, demonstrating an excellent performance and being much faster and carrying nearly double the bombload of the Helldiver. Orders for 358 SB2D-1s quickly followed. In the meantime Douglas reworked the SB2D design by removing the turrets and second crewman, while adding more fuel and armor, producing by that the BTD-1 Destroyer. The orders for SB2Ds were converted to BTD-1s, but only 28 aircraft had been delivered at the end of the WWII. Before the end the war, based on that design, Douglas developed the single-seat BT2D-1, later well known as Douglas AD-1 Skyraider.
POWER PLANT: One Pratt & Whitney R-4360-8 Wasp Major, rated at 3.000 hp
PERFORMANCE: 360 mph. at 24,500 ft
COMMENT: The Douglas XTB2D Skypirate (also known as the Devastator II) was a torpedo bomber intended for service with the US Navy’s Midway- and Essex-class aircraft carriers; it was too large for earlier decks. Two prototypes were completed, but the dedicated torpedo bomber was becoming an outdated concept, and with the end of WW II, the type was deemed unnecessary and cancelled.
In 1939, Douglas designers began work on a VTB Proposal to replace the Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber. In 1942, the team began work on a new project named the “Devastator II”. On October 1943, just four days after the very large Midway-class aircraft carriers were ordered into production, Douglas received a contract for two prototypes, designated TB2D, receiving the official name: “Skypirate”.
The TB2D was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major driving contra-rotating propellers. Four torpedos or an equivalent bomb load could be carried on underwing pylons. Defensive armament consisted of two 20 mm cannon in the wings and 12.7 mm machine guns mounted in a power-operated dorsal turret.
Very large for a single-engined aircraft, the TB2D would have been the largest carrier-borne aircraft at the time; it could carry four times the weapon load of the Grumman TBF Avenger. With only limited support from the US Navy, and facing a recommendation for cancellation on May 1944 due to the aircraft being designed only for the CVB and CV9 carriers, the TB2D project was in peril even at the design and mockup stage
The two “Skypirate” prototypes were ready for flight trials in 1945 with the first prototype XTB2D-1 flying on 13 March 1945. The second example had a 58 cm increase in the length of the fuselage, and flew later in summer 1945. Both prototypes were test flown without any armament. Despite the flying trials proceeding on schedule, the collapse of the Japanese forces in the Pacific along with delays in the Midway-class carriers, eliminated the need for the type and the 23 pre-production aircraft on order were subsequently cancelled. The flight trials were suspended and the two prototypes were eventually reduced to scrap in 1948 (Ref.: 24).
POWER PLANT: One Allison J35-A-11 turbojet engine, rated at 2.240 kp
PERFORMANCE: 650 mph at sea level
COMMENT: The Douglas D-558-I “Skystreak” was a single-engine jet research aircraft. It was designed in 1944/45 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautic (NACA). Three examples were built.
The D-558 program was conceived as a research program for transonic and supersonic flights. The “Skystreak” was powered by one Allison J35-A-11 engine, developed by General Electric as the TG-180 — one of the first axial-flow turbojet of American origin. It made its maiden flight on 14 April 1947, at Muroc Army Air Field . Less than 4 months later, on August 20, this aircraft set a new world speed record of 640.744 miles per hour (1,031.178 km/h) flying D-558-1, the very first air speed record that exceeded the unofficial mark of 1,004 km/h (623.8 mph) set by a WW II-era German Messerschmitt Me 163A V4 “Komet” rocket fighter prototype (Ref.: 24).
POWER PLANT: One Rolls Royce “Griffon II”, rated at 1,760 h.p., driving contra-rotating three-bladed propellers
PERFORMANCE: 335 m.p.h. at 17,000 ft
COMMENT: In 1942 the Air Ministry’s Specification F. 6/42 called for a highly maneuverable, single seat, low attack aircraft and the P.100 was one of several designs submitted by Boulton Paul. The P.100 was one of the most advanced and unorthodox projects the aircraft industry responded with at that time. It had a canard – pusher layout to give the pilot the best possible view. The project was never realized. Instead, for ground fighting roles the Hawker “Hurricane” and Hawker “Typhoon” as well as the Supermarine “Spitfire” were used.
POWER PLANT: One Rolls-Royce “Griffon II” engine, rated at 2,220 hp
PERFORMANCE: 315 m.p.h. at 17,000 ft
COMMENT: The Boulton Paul P.99 was one of several high-performance fighter projects of the Royal Air Force during WW II. The P. 99 was a twin-boom design, the Griffon engine was mounted in the rear driving two contra-rotating pusher propellers. This arrangement allowed the pilot an excellent visibility.
POWER PLANT: Six BMW 003 turbojet-engines, rated at 850 kp each
PERFORMANCE: 510 m.p.h.
COMMENT: Besides four “Strahljägerprojekte I – IV” (Jet fighter projects I – IV) the BMW company worked on designs of two “Strahlbomberprojekte I and II” (Jet bomber projects I and II). Strahlbomberprojekt I was a tailless design, but in order to achieve sufficient stability a tail boom with fin was installed. Six turbojet-engines were planned, four in the wing roots and two aside the cockpit. Project not realized.
COMMENT: BMW (Bayrische Motoren-Werke, Bavarian Engines Factory) was well known as an engine-building company. In the last stages of WW II BMW took part in aircraft designing via a construction company EZS, a subsidiary of BMW. Four designs of simple and easy to built interceptor projects were submitted to the RLM. The largest and most powerful design was the Strahljägerprojekt P.IV, powered by BMW 018 turbojet. No project was realised.
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV and BMW Strahlbomberprojekt I
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV and BMW Strahlbomberprojekt I
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV
BMW Strahljaeger P. IV and BMW Strahlbomberprojekt I
TYPE: Patrol and Long-range Anti-submarine Flying-boat
ACCOMMODATION: Crew of nine
POWER PLANT: Two Wright R-2600-12 “Cyclone 14” engines, rated at 1,200 h.p. each
PERFORMANCE: 198 m.p.h. at 13,000 ft
COMMENT: This long-range anti-submarine variant of the basic Martin PBM “Mariner” carried a AN/APS-15 radar in a large housing above and behind the cockpit. Up to 2,000 lb bombs or depth-charges could be carried. A total of 156 of this version were built.
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Martin PBM-3S “Mariner”
Scale 1:72 aircraft models of World War II
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