POWER PLANT:One Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp radial engine, rated at 2,000 hp
PERFORMANCE: 360 mph at 23,400 ft
COMMENT: Grumman F6F-3N Hellcat night-fighters entered operation during February 1944, with VF(N)-76 aboard the USS CV-8 Hornet. The Hellcat was adapted to carry the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AN/APS-6 radar with the scanning aerial in a radome pod on the starboard wing. During 1944 deliveries began of a new Hellcat version, the F6F-5 Hellcat, with a number of detail refinements and improvements. Logically, a night-fighter version was F6F-5N was developed, retaining the AN/APS-6 radar in a starboard wing pod. Of the 1,434 F6F-5N Hellcat completed during the war many remained in service for a number of years after the war’s end (Ref.: 1).
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, VF-12, USS CV-15 Randolph and Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, VF-12, USS CV-15 Randolph and Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, VF-12, USS CV-15 Randolph and Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington
POWER PLANT: One Nakajima Ha-109 radial engine, rated at 1,520 hp
PERFORMANCE: 367 mph at 17,060 ft
COMMENT: When China-based B-29s of the US XX Bomber Command, soon joined by Mariana-based Superfortresses of the XXI Bomber Command, began their bombing raids against Japan homeland, the Japanese Army had only one type of interceptor fighter on strength: The Nakjima Ki-44-IIb Shoki, (Devil-Queller) known as TOYO to Allied personel. The first prototype was completed and flown in August 1940 and production of the Ki-44-I started in in January 1942. As war progressed several variants were produced, so as Ki.44-II and Ki-44-III, all with several subtypes and more than nine Sentais and several Fighter Training Schools were equipped with the Ki-44. In late 1944, Shoki production terminated as the aircraft was replaced by the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Ref.: 1).
POWER PLANT: One Rolls-Royce Griffon 83 liquid-cooled engine, rated at 2,340 hp, driving a six-blade contra-rotating propeller
PERFORMANCE: 460 mph at 20,000 ft
COMMENT: The Martin-Maker M.B.5, developed on the basis of the Martin-Baker M.B.3, was considered by many to represent the extreme limit of piston-engined fighter development. Apart from its superlative performance and handling characteristics, the M.B.5 had a number of outstanding qualities and the general design and layout was excellent and infinitely better than any other similar type of aircraft. It first took-off into the air on May 1944. Although all pilots who flew the M.B.5 in the following time were fulsome in their praise of its qualities it was not put into production, remaining one of the minor mysteries of the war (Ref: 12).
POWER PLANT: Two Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engines, rated at 1,300 kp each
PERFORMANCE: 558 mph
COMMENT: Early in 1944, Messerschmitt undertook various design studies as part of the P.1101 project series. These designs had high speeds as their underlying concept and included aircraft with swing wings that could reach up to a 60 degree sweep back. The most famous of these projects and the one that almost reached flight testing was the Messerschmitt Me P.1101 V1. Among the Messerschmitt project studies was the Me P.1101/92 heavy fighter and destroyer, which was designed to carry a huge 75mm (3 inch) cannon as its main armament. The Me P.1101/92 had a mid-fuselage mounted wing swept back at 40 degrees. Slung beneath each wing was a single Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine, each developing 1300 kp of thrust. A V tail was mounted in the rear, and a tricycle landing gear arrangement was chosen. The two man crew sat staggered side-by-side. Armament consisted of the single large BK 7.5 cm cannon in the nose, offset to the right side of the aircraft. As a result of production and delivery problems of the engine manufacturer and the imminent collapse of the “Third Reich”, all further development was stopped (Ref.: 16).
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92
Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92 and Messerschmitt Me P.1100/II
POWER PLANT: Two Wright R-1820-87 Cyclone 9 radial engines, rated at 1,200 hp each
PERFORMANCE: 266 mph at 17,150 ft
COMMENT: When the United States started to build up its military air strength in 1940–41, the need for transport aircraft became obvious. Besides the well-known Douglas C-47 Skytrain, derived from the civilian DC-3, Lockheed Model 18 Super Electra was chosen by the United States Army Air Force as military transport. The aircraft started its career as C-56 and C-57 Lodestar, but only a few examples were built. A redesign of the original was more successful: As Lockheed C-60A Lodestar the transport was in widespread use in all military campaigns. But it never reached the popularity of the C-47 Skytrain. The Lodestar was also in use with the US Navy as R5O-5 and US Marine Corps as R5O-6. A total of 625 Lodestars of all variants were built (Ref.: 23).
POWER PLANT: One Mitsubishi Ha-104 radial engine, rated at 1,900 hp
PERFORMANCE: 360 mph at 19,685 ft
COMMENT: The Kawasaki Ki-119 was a design for a single-engine light bomber that would have been used in the defence of the Japanese homeland. Earlier Japanese bombers had been designed to operate over long distances, either in China or over the Pacific, but by the start of 1945 it was clear that the Japanese army might soon be fighting on home soil. This meant that a short range single-engine bomber would be possible, saving on the limited supply of both engines and trained air crew.
In March 1945 the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force issued Kawasaki with orders to produce a single seat bomber that could carry 1,764lb of bombs to targets 373 miles (600km) from its base, armed with two 20mm cannon and powered by one 1,900ph Army Type 4 18-cylinder radial. Unlike many new aircraft being developed in Japan in 1945 the Ki-119 was not designed to be used in suicide attacks.
Takeo Doi and his team produced a design and a mock-up in three months. The fuselage was based on that of the Kawasaki Ki-100 radial-engine fighter. The aircraft was made as easy to fly as possible – a wide track undercarriage with good shock absorbers was chose to make the aircraft easy to handle on the ground, and large wings with a high aspect-ratio were designed, to make it easy to handle in the air. The aircraft was designed to carry three different sets of armament. In its basic light bomber role it was to be armed with two 20mm cannon and one 1,764lb bomb. It could also serve as a fighter escort, with no bombers but two extra 20mm cannons, or as a dive bomber with two 551lb bombs.
The impressively rapid development of the Ki-119 came to a halt in June 1945 when the detailed drawings were destroyed when American air raids damaged Kawasaki’s factory at Kagamigahara. This pushed back the expected delivery date for the prototype from September until November, with production expected in time for the new aircraft to take part in the fighting of 1946. The unexpectedly sudden end to the war meant that the prototype was never completed (Ref. 1, 24).
POWER PLANT: One Rolls-Royce Griffon inline engine, rated at 1,730 hp, and one Whittle W.1A turbojet engine, rated at 390 kp
PERORMANCE: No data available
COMMENT: In 1939 the British Air Ministry issued Specification F.18/37 for a heavily armed interceptor. Beside the Bristol Aircraft Company, Gloster Aircraft proposed a design that, a novelty at that time, was to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon piston engine and additionally by the brand new Whittle W.1A turbo engine. At least Hawker Aircraft Company submitted the best design that later became the Hawker Tornado. So in 1940 development of the Gloster Boosted Fighter was cancelled.
POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 004B turbo-jet engines, rated at 890 kp each plus two Lorin ram-jets, rated at 1,350 kp each
PERFORMANCE: 714 mph (estimated)
COMMENT: Dr. E. Sänger, a convinced supporter of ram-jet powered aircraft, e. g. Skoda-Kauba SK P. 14-01 and SK P.14-02, proposed to increase the performance of a Messerschmitt Me 262 by integrating two additional Lorin ram-jets. The ram-jets, each 5.90 m long, were mounted above the wing resp. the turbo-jet engines, the air intake was 45.1, and the exhaust pipe 85 cm in diameter, respectively. It was calculated that the Me 262 could reach 48,557 ft within 11.5 minutes. Finally, this project was not pursued (Ref.: 19)
POWER PLANT: Three × General Electric J-47-GE-13 turbojet engines, rated at 2,700 kp each
PERFORMANCE: 645 mph
COMMENT: In early 1945, USAAF issued requirement for a new attack bomber for low-level bombing and close support as a successor to the Douglas A-26 Invader. Martin Company proposed its design and won the competition with designation, XA-45. Soon later USAAF revised its requirement for better close-support bombing. Martin accepted the new requirement and was received contract for two prototypes, the project was redesignated XB-51. The first XB-51 made its first flight on Oct 1949. The aircraft was powered by three jet engines: one at the extreme tail with an intake at the base of the tailfin, and two underneath the forward fuselage in pods. The innovative, variable incidence wings were swept at 35° and with 6° anhedral. The main landing gear consisted of dual sets of wheels in tandem in the fuselage with outrigger wheels at the wingtips. Crew provision was for a pilot under a “fighter”-type bubble canopy and for an operator/navigator in a compartment located lower than and to the rear of the cockpit. It became the fastest ground support bomber at the time. Although test flights were satisfying Martin XB-51 never went into production. Noteworthy is the fact that the design can be traced back to a German WWII-project Messerschmitt Me P.1102/105 that was to be powered by three Heinkel-Hirth HeS-109-011 turbo-engines, one in the extreme tail and two in pods under the extreme forward fuselage and provided with variable-sweep wings, too (Ref.: 24)
POWER PLANT: One Mitsubishi Ha-211 Ru radial engine, rated at 2,200 hp
PERFORMANCE: 454 mph at 32.810 ft
COMMENT: In 1943 Mansyu offered the Japan Army Air Force a project of a single-seat ground attack aircraft designated Ki-98. The design was of twin boom configuration and was powered by a 2,200 hp turbosupercharged Mitsubishi Ha 211 Ru radial engine mounted in the central nacelle behind the pilot’s seat and driving a four-blade pusher propeller. Nose-mounted armament consisted of one 37 mm and two 20 mm cannon. A prototype was still under construction when Japan surrendered in September 1945 (Ref: 1)
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Mansyu Ki-98_
Scale 1:72 aircraft models of World War II
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