5 Ergebnisse.

As late as 1940, the majority of Army Air Force trainees received flight lessons in biplanes such as the PT-17. The advent of high-performance combataircraft led the USAAF to seek a new plane for primary training, that would better simulate a modern fighter aircraft. Fairchild's M62, a two-seat monoplane with a higher stalling speedthat required careful flying, beat out 17 competitors for the job. Designated PT-19, the rugged aircraft was prod...

The Boeing B-29 was one of the most sophisticated aircraft of WWII. It featured many innovations including guns that could be fired by remote control and pressurized crew compartments. It was also the heaviest production plane of the war with terrific range and bomb carrying capabilities. Carrying a crew of ten, the Superfortress devastated Japan in a series of gigantic raids in 1944-45. In the end it would be the B-29s "Enola Gay" and "Bock's...

Originally designed as a high-altitude interceptor, the P-38 was the first U.S. fighter of WWII to compare with the Spitfire and Me-109. The twin-tailed, single seat "Fork Tailed Devil"carried four .50-caliber machine guns and a 20mm cannon, and could fly at speeds above 400 mph. An extremely successful design, it was the primary long-range fighter for the Army AirForce until the appearance of the P-51 Mustang. It also produced devastating res...

Known as the "Jug" because of its distinctive fuselage shape, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt flew in every theater of WWII except Alaska. Nearly 13, 000 were built by war's end. The large aircraft boasted eight Browning machine guns and up to 2, 000 lbs. of bombs or rockets, and proved deadly as a fighter and bomber. The radial Pratt and Whitney powerplant put out over 2500 h.p. and propelled the P-47 at a maximum speed of 426 mph at 30, 000 fe...

In April of 1942, sixteen American bombers raided Tokyo, Japan. The planes were land-based B-25 Mitchells, audaciously launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, and led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. The attack caused little actual damage, but dealt a serious blow to Japanese morale. More importantly, it gave hope to an American public still reeling from Pearl Harbor. Manufactured by North American Aviation, the B-25 saw service in every th...