The Bristol Beaufighter was a British long-range heavy fighter derivative of the Bristol’s earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design. The Beaufighter had a long career and served in almost all theatres of war in the Second World War, first as a night fighter, then as a fighter bomber and eventually replacing the Beaufort as a torpedo bomber. Great Aces that...
From the publisher: The Messerschmitt Bf.110 was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II and served with success in the early campaigns, the Polish, Norwegian and Battle of France. Later in the war, it was developed into a formidable night fighter, becoming the major night-fighting aircraft of the Luftwaffe. Great...
From the publisher: The Nakajima Ki-84 “Hayate” was a single-seat fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force during World War II. Nicknamed “Frank” by the Allies, the Ki-84 had excellent performance and high maneuverability, and was considered to be the best Japanese fighter to see large scale operations during World War II. It was able to match...
From the publisher: The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engine World War II heavy bomber, designed and built by Avro for the Royal Air Force (RAF). It first saw active service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and, as the strategic bombing offensive over Europe gathered momentum, it became the main heavy bomber used by the RAF. The "Lanc", as it was...
From the Publisher: The Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” is a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). The B-17 was primarily employed in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying...
From the publisher: The Douglas SBD Dauntless was the US Navy’s main carrier-borne scout plane and dive–bomber, and was a good match in combat against the faster, but lightly armored Japanese fighters. Able to carry a substantial bomb load, the Dauntless proved to be very effective in sinking Japanese ships, and it earned glory during the famous Battle of...
From the publisher: The Messerschmitt Bf.109 was one of the first truly modern fighters of WW2. Originally conceived as an interceptor, the Bf.109 fulfilled multiple roles, as bomber escort, fighter-bomber, ground–attack aircraft, and reconnaissance aircraft. The final production version of the Bf.109 was the K series, or “Kurfürst.” Externally similar to...
From the publisher: The Republic P–47 was by far the largest and heaviest single engine fighter built in the entire World War Two. Nicknamed “the Unbreakable” and “the Jug,” it was a rugged and dependable airplane, capable of flying its pilot back from combat even when full of holes from enemy fire. Heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, and...
From the publisher: The Yokosuka D4Y Suisei, nicknamed “Judy” by the Allies, was a capable dive bomber serving the Imperial Japanese Navy. Inspired to the German He.118, the D4Y design was lighter, stronger, more advanced in its structure and aerodynamics, and this airplane was used in all of the most famous battles of the Pacific. The D4Y was very fast...
The Messerschmitt Bf. 109 E–3 was one of the most famous airplanes in service with the Luftwaffe, and used primarily as a fighter and high altitude interceptor. It was one of the first truly modern fighters, featuring an all–metal fuselage construction, closed canopy, retractable landing gear, and a liquid–cooled, inverted aero engine. The Bf. 109, in...
The Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I was a British single–seat fighter aircraft, serving in the RAF during the early years of World War II. Armed with four .303 Browning machine guns on each wing, and powered by a Rolls–Royce engine, the first Spitfire Mk.Is took service in 1938. Beginning with its first victory — against a German Heinkel He.111 in October 1939 —...
The Hawker Hurricane Mk.I was a British single–seat fighter aircraft. Developed during the 1930s, it was designed and built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the RAF. The Hurricane became renowned during the Battle of Britain, and together with the Supermarine Spitfire had a major role in the campaign. The Hurricane was the real “hero” of British air defense...