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Fighter Ace 3.5 – Windows Manual – English

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Type: Manual
Platform: Windows
Language: English
Size: 74.05 MB
Filename: fighter-ace-3-5_win_manual_en_uf6.pdf

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FIGHTER ACE
Pilot's Operating Handbook

Contents
Douglas DB-7B Boston Mk.IV
2
Douglas A-20G Havoc
4
Douglas A-20G Boston
6
Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero
8
Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero
10
Mitsubishi A6M7 Zero
12
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
14
North American B-25D Mitchell Mk.II
16
North American B-25D Mitchell
18
North American B-25J Mitchell
20
North American B-25J Mitchell Mk.III
22
Nakajima B5N2 Kate
24
Messerschmitt Bf-109E-1/B Emil
26
Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6/R6 Gustav
28
Messerschmitt Bf-109E-4/B Emil
30
Messerschmitt Bf-109F4 Friedrich' ('Franz', 'Fritz') 32
Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6/R2 Gustav
34
Messerschmitt Bf-109K-4 Kurfürst' ('Karl')
36
Messersshmitt Bf-110C-4/B Zerstörer
38
Messersshmitt Bf-110G-2/R3 Zerstörer
40
Douglas C-47A Skytrain
42
Aichi D3A1 Val
44
Douglas Dakota Mk.II
46
Dornier Do-217J-1
48
Dornier Do-217E-2
50
Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat
52
Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat
54
Martlet Mk.I Grumman F4F-3
56
Chance Vought F4U-1a Corsair
58
Chance Vought F4U-1c Corsair
60
Chance Vought F4U-4C Corsair
62
Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair
64
Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat
66
F86E Sabre
68
Focke-Wulf Ta-152H-1
70
Focke-Wulf FW-190A-8/R3 Würger
72
Focke-Wulf FW-190A-4/U3 Würger
74
Focke-Wulf FW-190A-8/R6 Würger
76
Focke-Wulf FW-190D-9 Dora
78
Focke-Wulf FW-190F-8 Würger
80
Focke-Wulf FW-190A-8/R2 Würger
82
Mitsubishi G4M2 Betty
84
Nakajima G5N1 Liz
86
Heinkel He-111H-6
88
Hawker Hurricane Mk.Ia
90
Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb
92
Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIC
94
Hawker Hurricane Mk.IID
96
Polikarpov I-16/28 Ishak
98
Ilyshin IL-10 Stormovik
100
Ilyshin IL-2m3 Stormovik 'Bark
102
Mitsubishi J2M3 Jack
104
Junkers Ju-52/3mg5e Tante Ju
106
Junkers Ju-87G-2 Stuka
108
Junkers Ju-87D3 Stuka
110
Junkers Ju-88A4
112

Kawasaki Ki-100-Ia Tony
Nakajima Ki-43-IIa Hayabusa Oscar
Ki-44-IIc Shoki Tojo
Ki-44-IIc37 Shoki Tojo
Kawasaki Ki-61-Id Tony
Mitsubishi Ki-67 Peggy
Nakajima Ki-84-1a Hayate Frank
Nakajima Ki-84-1c Hayate Frank
Showa L2D2 'Tabby' Tabby
Lavochkin La-5FN
Lavochkin La-7
Lavochkin LaGG-3
Avro Lancaster Mk.IB
Lisunov Li-2
Messerschmitt Me-163B-1 Komet
Messerschmitt Me-262A-1 Schwalbe
Mikoyan & Gourevich MiG-15
Mikoyan & Gourevich MiG-3
Mosquito DH.98 B Mk.IX
Mosquito DH.98 FB Mk.XVIII Tse-Tse
Mosquito DH.98 FB Mk.VI
Mosquito DH.98 B Mk.IV
Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden Kai George
Lockheed P-38G Lightning
Lockheed P-38L Lightning
Bell P-39D Airacobra
Bell P-39Q Airacobra
Tomahawk Mk.IIb Curtiss P-40C
Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk
Curtiss P-40E-1
Curtiss P-40E-1 Warhawk
Curtiss P-40E-1 Kittyhawk-Ia
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
North American P-51D Mustang
Petlyakov Pe-2
Petlyakov Pe-8 TB-7
Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless
Douglas SBD-2 GB Dauntless
Supemarine Seaﬁre Mk.IIIb
Supemarine Spitﬁre Mk.Ia
Supemarine Spitﬁre LF Mk.V B
Supemarine F Spitﬁre Mk.XIVe
Supemarine Spitﬁre F Mk.IXc
Supemarine Spitﬁre LF Mk.IXe
Supemarine Spitﬁre F Mk.Vc Trop
Grumman TBF-1c Avenger
Grumman TBM-1c Avenger Mk.II
Hawker Tempest Mk.V
Tupolev Tu-2
Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib
Yakovlev Yak-1b
Yakovlev Yak-3
Yakovlev Yak-9U
Yakovlev Yak-9UT

Writing by: Doug Johnson
Data Calculation and Layout: Denis Tumpic
Graphics by: Maxim Sorokin
Copy Editors: Mariah Rabb & Jay Gardner
President: Mark Vange

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Introduction
Envision the massive undertaking it takes to build a plane and testing the struts out of
it. Luckily in the virtual world of Fighter Ace we don't need to place ourselves in a cockpit
and push the envelope and risking our lives. This manual contains the speciﬁcation of every
plane modeled in Fighter Ace to this date.
The data was calculated over an extended period of time and many virtual planes were broken
in the process. Had this been for real the total plane toll would have been in excess of
10 million aircraft. The envelope was pushed in all regards to unearth the data that is
visualized in this manual. Doing this work manually in-game would have taken a team over 5
years and working 24/7 to complete.
The page layout was made to have a light introduction from the top and the gritty technical
stuﬀ at the bottom. You will ﬁnd the star rating and the name of the plane at the very
top of each even page. This is followed by text about the plane with pictures from diﬀerent
vantage angles to the left. The odd pages includes the technical data and the graphs on plane
behavior at diﬀerent altitudes.
The three graphs can be used to help in value judgments when ﬂying in combat. For instance
the Speed [SA] graphs can help you determine how eﬀective your opponents plane is against
yours. The SA graphs contain max level speed (Vtas) and stall speed which gives the plane an
operating frame to work in. One can survive outside these limits although the maneuverability of
the plane will be much tougher and the structural integrity of the plane may be damaged. These
values are estimated within 5% of real in-game performance. The planes corner velocity is also
included to show at what speed one can obtain the best turn rate. These values are estimated
within 20% of real in-game performance. The climb rate [CR] graph is placed upper right and
shows how weight-load and altitude eﬀects climb-rate. It can be used by both ﬁghter and
bomber pilots. Bomber pilots will need to use CR to estimate their eﬀective fuel range and
how long their ﬂight will be and if they can meet their objective. Fighter pilots can use CR
in conjunction with SA to estimate if they need to engage in an E ﬁght or turn ﬁght against
their current opponent. The CR values are estimated within 5% of real in-game performance. At
the bottom there are fuel range [FR] graphs with various loads and speeds that help in
calculating the eﬀective fuel range once airborne. The FR values are estimated within 5%
of real in-game performance.
How does one utilize these graphs to have an advantage? Learn the strong points of the plane your
are ﬂying. Engage in ﬁghts when you are close to these optimal operating points to increase
the probability for a successful mission and combat. The graphs make it simpler for you to push
the envelope in every aspect and should be easier to remember than a myriad of numbers. One
can overlay these graphs with minor resizing to compare two or more aircraft. The graphs were
optimized to show as much data granularity as possible but always to have the 40k feet ceiling.
All values have been calculated using realistic physics parameters and all planes start
parameters have been the same. This makes all graphs consistent and should be read relative
to each other. Any graphs looking like real life data is not coincidental due to the nature
of the Fighter Ace physics engine. However the planes have not been modeled exactly as their
real world counterparts for a various of reasons. Game play being one and the diﬃculty to
actually get real world data for some of the planes the other. In all the graphs should still
be well within 20% of real world plane performance.
Buckle up and pop some struts!
Denko@HQ

2
Maneuverability

Boston Mk.IV
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Mesko, Jim; A-20 Havoc In Action, Aircraft Number 144; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1994.

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Second Series; Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York;
1961.

Sources:

Internally, the A-20G featured greater fuel capacity and increased crew armor. A pair of hardpoints under the outer wing panels
allowed the Havoc to carry up to four 500 lb. bombs externally, in addition to the 2,000 lb. internal load, making the Havoc a potent
bombing platform. Over 2,850 A-20Gs were produced and Havocs served with both the British RAF and the Russian Red Army.

The changes to the plane for the upcoming A-20G model were numerous. The glass nose was replaced by a solid nose containing
either six .50 caliber machine guns or a pair of .50s and four 20mm cannon. The ﬂexible machine gun mounting in the dorsal
position was replaced by a Martin turret equipped with a pair of .50 caliber machine guns, and the .30 caliber gun in the ventral
tunnel position was replaced by a .50 caliber model.

Deliveries of the Boston Mk III to the RAF began in the spring of 1941. This turned out to be the most widely used version of the
aircraft. It proved to be an ideal replacement for the Blenheim, a plane, which had been key to daylight bombing missions, but was
quickly becoming obsolescent. Crews appreciated its speed (over 300 mph) and maneuverability.

Replacing the .30 caliber guns with .50 caliber models, the A-20B also featured a redesigned bomb bay, which could carry an
optional 200-gallon auxiliary fuel tank for long-range ferrying. Although 999 were ordered for USAAF use, the majority were shipped
to Russia under the Lend Lease program. The A-20C reverted back to .30 caliber armament, but also introduced self-sealing fuel
tanks and more crew armor protection. The D, E, and F variants were experimental models that never entered production.

Soon after the French order was made, the U.S. Army decided the plane met their speciﬁcations and placed an order for a variant
modiﬁed to use turbo superchargers on the Wright engines, which they called the A-20. However, the superchargers were bulky and
there was really no need for them on a low-level aircraft, so the A-20A reverted back to non-supercharged engines and 123 were
ordered.

During the initial production run, the French government requested an upgrade to a pair of 1,600 hp Cyclone engines and the new
model was known as the DB-7A. However, France capitulated before many could be delivered and Britain's RAF took over the
contract, dubbing the plane the "Boston".

Shortly after completion of the ﬁrst prototype, French purchasing agents arrived in California and placed an order for 100 planes,
which they soon increased to 380. The French asked for so many changes that the result was almost a new plane, which the
company designated the DB-7. The DB-7 was equipped with four 7.5mm machine guns around and under the glass nose and a
single ﬂexible 7.5mm in the dorsal and ventral tunnel positions. It could carry up to 1,764 lb. of bombs, and was powered by a pair
of 1,200 hp Twin-Wasp engines.

However before they could complete the design, lessons learned from the Spanish Civil War made it apparent that the Model 7A
would be inadequate for modern air combat. The existing design was scrapped, and work started on the Model 7B. With Northrop's
resignation, Ed Heinnemann completed the design alone and the plane made its ﬁrst ﬂight in late 1938.

Anticipating an Army Air Corps need for a light attack bomber, Donald Douglas, Jack Northrop, and Ed Heinnemann set about the
task of developing an attack bomber with the help of Wright Field technicians. The Model 7A, as the project was known, was
calculated to be able to reach a speed of 250 mph with a load of bombs, a crew of two and three .30 caliber machine guns in the
nose.

The Boston Mk.IV was the functional equivalent of the US A-20G Havoc, which was a particularly potent ground attack plane.

Durability

Douglas DB-7B

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
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400

600

700

800

4000

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6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

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Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Name: Douglas DB-7B Boston Mk.IV
Length: 48.00 ft
Power Plant: 2 X Wright R-2600-23
Empty Weight: 17372 lb
Role: Fighter Bomber
Wing Span: 61.32 ft
Power: 3070 lb s.t.
MTOW: 25794 lb
Crew: 3
Wing Area: 465 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 4080 lb
Service Date: March 1943
External Fuel: 1103 lb internally in the bomb-bay
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 350 rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: 4x Hispano Mk.II 20mm cannon with 60 rpg in the nose
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 8x 250 lb or 4x 535 lb or 2x 910 lb bombs or 1103 lb fuel tank in internal bomb bay, plus 4x 250 lb or 4x 535 lb bombs or 8x 84 lb A2G rockets on underwing pylons, or One 1548 lb Mk.XII torpedo

4
Maneuverability

Havoc
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Mesko, Jim; A-20 Havoc In Action, Aircraft Number 144; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1994.

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Second Series; Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York;
1961.

Sources:

Bomb Aiming - The A-20 didn't use a level bomb sight, so bombing accuracy was fairly low.

Durability

Douglas A-20G

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
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100

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300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

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6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
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Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Name: Douglas A-20G Havoc
Length: 48.00 ft
Power Plant: 2 X Wright R-2600-23
Empty Weight: 17372 lb
Role: Fighter Bomber
Wing Span: 61.32 ft
Power: 3070 lb s.t.
MTOW: 25353 lb
Crew: 3
Wing Area: 465 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 4080 lb
Service Date: February 1943
External Fuel: 1103 lb internally in the bomb-bay
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 350 rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: 4x Bendix AN/M2 (Hispano II) 20mm cannon with 60 rpg in nose
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 8x 250 lb or 4x 500 lb or 2x 1000 lb or One 2000 lb bombs or One 1102 lb internal fuel tank in internal bomb bay, plus 4x 250 lb or 4x 500 lb bombs or 8x 139 lb HVAR A2G rockets on underwing pylons, or One 2216 lb Mk.1

6
Maneuverability

Boston
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Mesko, Jim.; A-20 Havoc In Action, Aircraft Number 144; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1994.

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Second Series; Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York;
1961.

Sources:

Initially armed with four 20mm AN-M2 cannon with 60 round drum magazines and a pair of .50 caliber Brownings in the nose, the
Red Air Force replaced the M2 cannons with ShVAK 20mm cannons fed by 100 round belts. The .50 caliber nose guns were
retained, as were the .50 caliber guns in the dorsal turret. Additionally, rails were added under the wings to allow the Boston to carry
eight RS-132 rockets.

While most of the planes sent to Russia under Lend-Lease were of obsolete types, the A-20G was a diﬀerent matter in that most of
the ﬁrst part of the production run was sent to the USSR instead of the USAAF.

Bomb Aiming - The A-20 didn't use a level bomb sight, so bombing accuracy was fairly low.

Durability

Douglas A-20G

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
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25000
22500
20000
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12500
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0

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400

600

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6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
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7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Name: Douglas A-20G Boston
Length: 48.00 ft
Power Plant: 2 X Wright R-2600-23
Empty Weight: 17372 lb
Role: Fighter Bomber
Wing Span: 61.32 ft
Power: 3070 lb s.t.
MTOW: 25573 lb
Crew: 3
Wing Area: 465 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 4080 lb
Service Date: February 1943
External Fuel: 1103 lb internally in the bomb-bay
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 350 rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: 4x ShVAK 20mm cannon with 100 rpg in nose
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 8x 220 lb or 4x 551 lb or 2x 1103 lb or One 2205 lb bombs or 1103 lb fuel tank in internal bomb bay, plus 4x 220 lb or 4x 551 lb bombs or 8x 66 lb RS-132 A2G rockets on underwing pylons, or One 2095 lb 45-36AN torpedo

8
Maneuverability

Zero
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

On June 3, 1942 Flight Petty Oﬃce Tadayoshi Koga took oﬀ in his brand-new A6M2 Model 21 for a raid on Dutch Harbor in the
Aleutians. On the return ﬂight he noticed he had lost too much fuel and decided to land on the small island that had been
designated for emergency landings. Unfortunately the ground was soft and his plane ﬂipped over onto its back, breaking his neck
and killing him instantly. Several months later an American naval scouting party found the nearly intact plane, recovered it and
shipped it back to the US for testing. This testing revealed its limitations and allowed US designers to tailor their designs to counter
the Zero and the other light, highly maneuverable ﬁghters the Japanese were ﬁelding at the time.

By the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, the Navy had 126 Model 21s assigned to carrier duties and another 213 assigned to
land-based squadrons. Over the next several months a myth of invincibility surrounded the Zero that masked its shortcomings.
However, this was soon to change.

Production of the A6M2 Model 11 had just begun when the wing spar on the second A6M1 failed, causing a fatal crash. As a result
the wing spar was redesigned for greater strength and the new wing was incorporated into the production line starting with the
22nd plane. Carrier Trials Testing revealed a problem with the wingspan being too long to safely ﬁt on the elevators, so starting
with the 64th production machine the Model 21 was introduced with the outer 20 inches of wingtip able to be manually folded
upwards, which allowed suﬃcient clearance for elevator operations.

Claire Chenault, then serving as the air commander for the Nationalist Chinese, reported on the ability of this plane, but American
commanders ignored the implications and thus the ﬁrst appearance of the plane to Western forces came as a shock and a surprise.
When it did show up, Allied intelligence gave it the code-name 'Zeke', but by then everyone knew its Japanese code-name and it
was commonly called the 'Zero' by Allied troops.

The 12th Kokutai stationed in Hankow received the new A6M2s and immediately used them on their ﬁrst combat mission on August
19, 1940. However, they saw no action until their fourth mission when they encountered a formation of Chinese I-15s and I-16s.
They turned and dove into the Chinese formation, shooting down all 27 enemy planes without suﬀering a single loss. Over the next
few months 153 Rei-sen sorties resulted in the destruction of 59 Chinese planes in the air and 101 on the ground, without a single
loss. Soon the Chinese Air Force declined to engage Rei-sen escorted bomber formations and the Japanese were allowed to roam at
will over the country.

Meanwhile, the Navy had accepted Nakajima's new 925 hp Sakae 12 engine into service. With its similar dimensions and weight to
the Zuisei, the Navy ordered Mitsubishi to install the new engine on the third prototype, which was given the designation A6M2 to
distinguish it from the Zuisei powered model. Flight tests of the A6M2 began on January 18, 1940, the additional power of the
engine allowing the plane to far exceed the rigid performance speciﬁcations laid out by the Navy and so ﬁfteen machines were
ordered for use in Service Trials in China.

The ﬁrst prototype was ﬂown on April 1, 1939 and proved an immediate success with only a few minor problems, including a tenancy
to vibrate excessively. After further testing and experimentation the two-blade prop was replaced with a constant-speed,
three-blade propeller, which eliminated almost all of the vibration in the plane. The Navy accepted the ﬁrst prototype for testing on
September 14, 1939 as the A6M1 Type 0 Carrier Fighter, which in Japanese is Rei Shiki Sento Ki and was shortened to Rei-sen,
literally "Zero Fighter". This prototype would end up making 119 ﬂights with a total ﬂight time of 43 hours 26 minutes!

The team selected the company's own 780 hp Zuisei 13 fourteen-cylinder radial engine, partly because it was a Mitsubishi product,
but mostly because of its small diameter and light weight. Special attention was paid to weight reduction with the plane utilizing
the new Extra-Super Duralumin alloy developed for aircraft use by the Sumitoma Metal Industry Company. To simplify production
and maintenance, the single spar wing and center fuselage section were built as a single piece and the front and rear portions of
the fuselage were removable.

With the A5M Claude just starting to enter service the Japanese Navy decided to task the nation's aircraft manufacturers with
designing and building a superior replacement. Looking for a "state of the art" airplane that would exceed the performance of
anything it was likely to meet, the Navy established stringent performance criteria. The new design had to be capable of a top speed
of 310 mph and had to climb to 10,000 feet in 3 1/2 minutes. Armed with two cannons and two machine guns and having a range
exceeding that of any current ﬁghter, it had to be equal to or better than the Claude in maneuverability and handling. Nakajima
immediately withdrew from the competition, stating that it was impossible to design such a plane. But Mitsubishi's Jiro Hirokoshi
felt that it could be done and set about the task of designing the plane.

Durability - The complete lack of pilot and fuel protection makes that the Zero the easiest plane in the game to bring down.

Durability

Mitsubishi A6M2

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Empty Weight: 3902 lb
MTOW: 5622 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Nakajima NK1C Sakae 12
Power: 2066 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 847 lb
External Fuel: 523 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero
Length: 29.76 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 39.37 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 242 sq. ft
Service Date: October 1940
Primary Guns: 2x Type 97 7.7mm machine guns with 500 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x Type 99-1 20mm cannon with 60 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 110 lb bombs under wings, plus One 523 lb drop tank under fuselage

10
Maneuverability

Zero
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Nohara, Shigeru; A6M Zero In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1983.

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

The prototype of the A6M5 Model 52 was completed in late 1943 and deliveries commenced in March 1944. The Model 52a, which
soon replaced the Model 52 on the production line, featured upgraded cannon armament in the form of the belt fed version of the
Type 99-2 cannon with 125 rpg. Additionally, strengthened wings allowed the plane's safe diving speed to be increased by over 50
mph, bringing it much closer to Western standards. Still the Zero was decidedly inferior to Allied ﬁghters and its continued use
reﬂected the desperation of the Japanese Navy to get even a tiny bit closer to the performance of the planes they were facing.

By now, the Zero was due for replacement, but all existing projects were bogged down with problems and failures of various kinds,
so the Navy asked Mitsubishi to upgrade the Zero yet again. The wing was redesigned to return to the shortened length of the
Model 32, but with rounded tips and the new wing tanks. Although a more powerful engine was not available, top speed was
boosted to 358 mph at 22,000 feet by installing "ejector" type exhaust stubs to provide a "ram" eﬀect.

Originally retaining the same armament as the ﬁrst A6M1, late in the production run of the Model 22 the wing cannon were upgraded
to the Type 99-2 cannon, which had a higher muzzle velocity and was fed by a 100 round drum. The result was dubbed the A6M3a
Model 22a and these started to appear during late 1942 to mid 1943.

Unfortunately the new engine had required that the ﬁrewall be moved 8 inches to the rear, thus reducing the fuel capacity by 21
gallons. With the more powerful engine using more fuel than had been anticipated, several planes were lost when they ran out of
fuel returning from missions over the Solomons. Complaints by these front-line units about the reduced range prompted Mitsubishi
to install an 11.9 gallon fuel tank in each wing outboard of the cannon. To compensate for the greater weight of the full tanks, the
folding wingtips were restored and the A6M3 Model 22 was born.

First encountered over the New Guinea in September 1942, Allied ﬂyers thought they had encountered an entirely new type and it
was given the code-name 'Hap'. However, fears that this would oﬀend General 'Hap' Arnold caused it to be changed to 'Hamp'. It
was soon learned though that the new plane was merely a revised Zero and it became oﬃcially known as the 'Zeke 32'.

In June 1941 the latest version of the Zero, the A6M3 Model 32, entered ﬂight testing. Powered by the 1,130 hp Sakae 21 engine with
a two-stage supercharger, the folding wingtips were removed allowing the "clipped" Zero to attain a speed of 341 mph at 20,500
feet.

Speed - The A6M5's top speed of 351 mph at altitude leaves lagging behind all of its contemporaries.

Durability

Mitsubishi A6M5

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 4343 lb
MTOW: 6283 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero
Length: 29.86 ft
Power Plant: One Nakajima NK1F Sakae 21
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 36.09 ft
Power: 2216 lb s.t.
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 229 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 935 lb
Service Date: October 1943
External Fuel: 523 lb
Primary Guns: 2x Type 97 7.7mm machine guns with 600 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x Type 99-2 20mm cannon with 125 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 110 lb bombs or 2x 132 lb A2A rockets under wings, plus One 220 lb or One 550 lb bomb or One 523 lb drop tank under fuselage

12
Maneuverability

Zero
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Nohara, Shigeru; A6M Zero In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1983.

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

The prototype of the A6M7 Type 62 ﬁrst ﬂew in May 1945. The chaos caused by the end of the war prevents any accurate
determination of how many Type 62s were actually produced. In the late 1970s an A6M7 was found and recovered from Lake Biwa
near Kyoto and was placed on display at the Arashiyama Museum.

The new A6M7 was more than a re-gunned ﬁghter, it was a ﬁghter-bomber featuring several improvements of its own. The
lower/center fuselage section was strengthened to allow a bomb as large as 500 kg. to be carried. New wing racks outboard of the
landing gear allowed the Type 62 to carry either a pair of 150 liter drop tanks, a pair of 50 kg. bombs or eight 10 kg. rocket
projectiles.

To avoid loss of performance due to weight increase, the Sakae 31 engine with a water-methanol injection system was developed.
The ﬁrst installation of the Sakae 31 in the A6M6c Type 53c proved to be a failure, due to problems with the the water-methanol
injection system. Thus the A6M7 was forced to use the Sakae 31a/31b series of engines without the water-methanol injection
system. The additional weight however caused performance to degrade compared to previous models. The water-methanol
injection system was ﬁnally ready in the Sakae 31c variant, but it was too late to see service.

Unfortunately, the Navy refused to allow Mitsubishi to use one of their more powerful engines in favor of a Sakae 21 engine upgraded
to use water-methanol injection. However the new engine was not ready and so the A6M5c Type 52c, as it was known, had to use
the original Sakae 21 and was thus left considerably underpowered.

A single Type 3 13mm machine gun with 240 rounds was placed outboard of each cannon in the wings and the pair of 7.7mm
machine guns in the cowl was replaced with another 13mm machine gun. To upgrade the armor, an 8mm plate was installed
behind the pilot's seat and a 55mm piece of armored glass was placed behind the pilot's head. For frontal protection, the
windscreen was covered with a 45mm piece of armored glass.

When it became apparent in the late summer of 1944 that their new A7M1 Reppu would not make it into production, the Mitsubishi
design team decided to make yet another upgrade to the venerable Zero airframe. In order to make it more competitive against the
American planes it was facing, the Zero had its guns and armor upgraded considerably.

Speed - With a top speed of only 342 mph the A6M7 is nearly 100 mph slower than its contemporaries.

Durability

Mitsubishi A6M7

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 4630 lb
MTOW: 7253 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Mitsubishi A6M7 Zero
Length: 29.86 ft
Power Plant: One Nakajima NK1F Sakae 31b
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 36.09 ft
Power: 2249 lb s.t.
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 229 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 809 lb
Service Date: May 1945
External Fuel: 2x 238 lb
Primary Guns: One Type 3 13.2mm machine guns with 230 rpg in cowl and 2x Type 3 13.2mm machine guns with 240 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Type 99-2 20mm cannon with 125 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 110 lb bombs or 8x 22 lb A2A rockets or 2x 238 lb drop tanks under wings, plus One 550 lb or One 1103 lb bomb under fuselage

14
Maneuverability

Flying Fortress
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Second Series; Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York;
1961.

Freeman, Roger, et. al,; The Great Book Of World War II Airplanes; Zokeisha Publishing, New York; 1984.

Sources:

While the Fortress was not technically as capable as the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, it had a feature that endeared itself to its crews
- survivability. B-17s were known as the most rugged plane of World War II, capable of sustaining incredible damage and still
bringing her men home. Although strategic bombing by itself didn't defeat Germany, the USAAF and RAF bombing missions caused
Germany to waste vast quantities of resources defending their factories and cities from aerial attack. More importantly, it drew the
Luftwaﬀe into the defensive battle where it was chewed to pieces by the vast quantity of ﬁghters that the Allies could ﬁeld.

Along with other minor modiﬁcations, including the staggering of the waist gun positions so that the gunners wouldn't keep bumping
into each other, the "G" model was introduced on the production lines. In addition to the chin turret, the plane's defensive
capabilities were enhanced by adding more ammunition to each gun position and by improving the tail gun position with better
sights.

The YB-40 was a good idea, but while they were able to stay in formation on the ingress portion of the mission, they were much
heavier than the regular B-17s after they had dropped their bombs and thus got left behind as the formation raced for home. While
the YB-40 proved a failure, the Bendix chin turret proved a great success and it was soon being ﬁtted to production "F" models.

At about this time, the 8th Air Force was suﬀering heavy losses on unescorted missions deep into Germany. Lacking a proper ﬁghter
escort, a plan was devised to create a long-range escort out of the Fortress. Several B-17s were stripped of their bomb racks and
were outﬁtted with additional defensive guns and gun positions. The most striking additions were a new turret under the plane's
"chin" and another top turret in place of the radio operator's position.

The "F" model was more of an incremental upgrade with most improvements having to do with increasing the performance, range
and carrying capacity of the plane. The "F" model was the ﬁrst to allow the carriage of a pair of 4000 lb. bombs for short-range
missions, bringing the total short-range bomb load to 17,600 lb. However, for most missions, the standard bomb load was 4000 lb.

The most striking diﬀerence was a new vertical stabilizer and tail section, which accommodated a gun position equipped with two .50
caliber machine guns to defend the previously vulnerable tail. The ventral bathtub gun position was replaced initially by a Bendix
remotely operated gun turret, but this was soon upgraded to the superior Sperry ball turret in which the gunner actually crawled
into the turret. The beam blister gun positions were eliminated in favor of a simpler window arrangement and a Bendix turret was
installed in the dorsal position, immediately behind the cockpit. All told, the new "E" model sported ten .50 caliber machine guns for
defense.

The ﬁrst variant to see combat was the B-17C, which was part of a shipment of 20 planes sent to Britain for training purposes.
However, the RAF pressed the plane into immediate service and soon lost most of them to a variety of mishaps. In the meantime,
the "D" model was equipping USAAF squadrons just in time to be caught up in the Japanese tide that was sweeping through the
Paciﬁc. Combat soon revealed several weaknesses in the Fortress' defenses, which were addressed in the "E" model.

As the result of a crash of the prototype, due to the pilot's failure to remove a locking pin from the elevator controls, the contract
went to the Douglas company for their B-18 Bolo. However, Army Air Corps interest in the big Boeing was obvious and an order was
placed for thirteen YB-17s for evaluation. This evaluation period saw the new plane set many endurance and time records, including
a long-range interception of the Italian passenger liner Rex, proving the value of aircraft for coastal patrol.

Arguably the most famous bomber of World War II, the B-17 started life as the Model 299, a self-funded project by Boeing to meet an
Army requirement for a multi-engine bomber in 1934. While all the other entrants for the contract were twin-engine designs, the
Boeing stood out as massive and complex. Bristling with gun positions, a reporter commented that it looked like a "ﬂying fortress"
and the epithet stuck.

Climb Rate - When loaded, particularly when overloaded, the Fort has a horrible climb rate, often requiring 30-45 minutes to get to
20,000 feet.

Durability

Boeing B-17G

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Name: Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
Length: 74.34 ft
Power Plant: 4 X Wright R-1820-97
Empty Weight: 37478 lb
Role: Heavy Bomber
Wing Span: 103.74 ft
Power: 2644 lb s.t.
MTOW: 65918 lb
Crew: 10
Wing Area: 1420 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 16542 lb
Service Date: November 1943
External Fuel: NA
Primary Guns: NA
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 24x 100 lb or 16x 250 lb or 12x 500 lb or 8x 1000 lb or 4x 2000 lb bombs in internal bomb bay, plus 2x 500 lb or 2x 1000 lb or 2x 2000 lb or 2x 3877 lb bombs on underwing racks. Maximum load of 17,600 lb for short-range

16
Maneuverability

Mitchell Mk.II
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

McDowell, Ernest R.; B-25 Mitchell in Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1978.

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Second Series; Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York;
1961.

Angelucci, Enzo and Matricardi, Paolo and Pinto, Pierrluigi; Complete Book of World War II Combat Aircraft; ERVIN s.r.l., Rome; 1988.

Sources:

Lacking a well-defended medium bomber for daytime use, the RAF acquired several diﬀerent models of the B-25 for their own use.
The ﬁrst was a batch of 23 B-25Bs, christened the Mitchell I by the RAF. These were intended only for familiarization and never saw
combat. Over 500 B-25C/D models were sent to the RAF as Mitchell IIs where they were used to outﬁt the 2nd Tactical Air Force for
operations over occupied France and the Low Countries.

Because the Bendix Electric Ventral Turrets, which used a periscope sighting apparatus, were so hard to use eﬀectively many C/D
models had them removed in the ﬁeld to save weight and improve performance. Additionally, most B-25C/Ds were equipped with
wing racks, which raised the maximum bomb capacity to 5,000 lb. for short-range missions. Over 3900 C/D models were built.

By this time the new "C" and "D" models were coming oﬀ the production lines (the two models were identical, the only diﬀerence
being the location of manufacture - Inglewood or Kansas City). Improvements included the addition of an autopilot, an increase in
bomb capacity, better defensive and oﬀensive ﬁrepower, and the ability to carry a torpedo for anti-shipping operations. These
models were to serve in such far-ﬂung outposts as Egypt, Tunisia, and New Guinea.

With the outbreak of war in Europe, the Army accepted the new design without any further prototyping and the B-25 was born. The
Mitchell grabbed headlines in 1942 when Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle led a group of volunteers in B-25Bs on a bombing mission of the
Japanese home islands from the deck of the USS Hornet. While the attack resulted in insigniﬁcant levels of damage, the blow to
Japanese security was such that four ﬁrst-line ﬁghter units were held for home defense over the next several months, precisely
when they were needed in the Solomon Islands campaign.

New engines were introduced to produce a meager increase in speed, but after the prototype was destroyed in a crash, North
American decided to redesign the plane, which now bore the designation NA-62. Signiﬁcant changes were introduced, the most
notable of which was the shifting of the wing mounting point from the shoulder to mid-fuselage and the reduction in height of the
cockpit area into a more streamlined, stepped arrangement with the bombardier's position in the nose.

Named after Billy Mitchell, the outspoken and brash Army oﬃcer who was court-martialled for advocating the use of air power, the
B-25 began life as the NA-40, a twin-engine medium bomber design intended to meet the 1938 Army Speciﬁcation Number 98-102.
The initial design featured a large greenhouse cockpit area extending above the fuselage line, which combined with low powered
engines to produce a disappointing top speed of just 265 mph.

Defensive Guns - With only a single turret and ﬂexible gun position, the gunners would be hard pressed to deal with more than one
attacker at a time.

Durability

North American B-25D

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 21385 lb
MTOW: 28660 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: North American B-25D Mitchell Mk.II
Length: 55.12 ft
Power Plant: 2 X Wright R-2600-13
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 67.59 ft
Power: 3628 lb s.t.
Crew: 6
Wing Area: 610 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 4027 lb
Service Date: February 1942
External Fuel: 1295 lb
Primary Guns: One Browning M2 0.5" machine gun with 300 rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 16x 120 lb or 8x 250 lb or 6x 535 lb or 3x 910 lb bombs in internal bomb bay or One 1550 lb Mk.XII torpedo slung under fuselage

18
Maneuverability

Mitchell
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

McDowell, Ernest R.; B-25 Mitchell in Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1978.

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Second Series; Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York;
1961.

Angelucci, Enzo and Matricardi, Paolo and Pinto, Pierrluigi; Complete Book of World War II Combat Aircraft; ERVIN s.r.l., Rome; 1988.

Sources:

Defensive Guns - With only a single turret and ﬂexible gun position, the gunners would be hard pressed to deal with more than one
attacker at a time.

Durability

North American B-25D

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 21385 lb
MTOW: 28660 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: North American B-25D Mitchell
Length: 55.12 ft
Power Plant: 2 X Wright R-2600-13
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 67.59 ft
Power: 3628 lb s.t.
Crew: 6
Wing Area: 610 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 4027 lb
Service Date: January 1942
External Fuel: 1295 lb
Primary Guns: One Browning M2 0.5" machine gun with 300 rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 16x 100 lb or 8x 250 lb or 6x 500 lb or 3x 1000 lb bombs in internal bomb bay or One 1927 lb Mk.13 torpedo slung under fuselage

20
Maneuverability

Mitchell
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

McDowell, Ernest R.; B-25 Mitchell in Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1978.

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Second Series; Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York;
1961.

Sources:

As the selection of targets changed, the 75mm gun became increasingly useless and the "J" model featured a return to the glazed
nose and bombardier station. The forward ﬁrepower of the plane was retained by mounting two .50 caliber machine guns in the
right side of the nose to augment the four in the blisters on the sides of the fuselage. Over 4300 "J" models were produced, making
it the most numerous of Mitchell variants.

The "H" model replaced the 75mm gun with six .50 caliber machine guns, bringing the total to eight .50s. Additionally, the top turret
was moved forward to a position just behind the cockpit where its guns could also be brought to bear on the pilot's target. A new
tail gun position was added and the troublesome remotely operated belly turret was oﬃcially removed (it was usually removed in
the ﬁeld to save weight). Finally, rocket rails were optionally installed under the wings, allowing it to ﬁre eight 5" rockets as part of
its forward barrage.

After production of the B-25D model, several experimental models were produced to test various equipment additions. The most
startling was the conversion of the bomber into a ground attack aircraft by sticking a 75mm ﬁeld gun in the nose. Augmented by a
pair of .50 caliber machine guns in the nose, the B-25G could pack a potent punch. However, the large gun installation was not an
unqualiﬁed success. While it could certainly do serious damage to anything it hit, its low rate of ﬁre and the need to ﬂy slowly to
aim the gun, made the Mitchell an attractive target for ground ﬁre, which didn't endear the plane to its crews.

Speed - With a top speed of about 275 mph the Mitchell is outclassed by the German and Soviet medium-bombers.

Durability

North American B-25J

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Name: North American B-25J Mitchell
Length: 55.12 ft
Power Plant: 2 X Wright R-2600-29
Empty Weight: 21826 lb
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 67.59 ft
Power: 3608 lb s.t.
MTOW: 32849 lb
Crew: 6
Wing Area: 610 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 5844 lb
Service Date: January 1944
External Fuel: NA
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" ﬁxed machine guns with 300 rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: 4x Browning M2 0.5" ﬁxed machine guns with 400 rpg alongside fuselage
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 12x 250 lb or 6x 500 lb or 4x 1000 lb bombs in internal bomb bay or One 2216 lb Mk.13a torpedo under bomb bay, plus 8x 138 lb 5" HVAR A2G rockets under wings. Maximum load of 4000 lb possible.

22
Maneuverability

Mitchell Mk.III
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

McDowell, Ernest R.; B-25 Mitchell in Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1978.

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Second Series; Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York;
1961.

Sources:

Over 500 B-25C/D models were sent to the RAF as Mitchell IIs where they were used to outﬁt the 2nd Tactical Air Force for operations
over occupied France and the Low Countries. When the B-25J model entered production, 314 examples were sent to the RAF as
Mitchell IIIs, again principally for the use of the 2nd T.A.F.

Speed - With a top speed of about 275 mph the Mitchell is outclassed by the German and Soviet medium-bombers.

Weaknesses:

Durability

North American B-25J

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Name: North American B-25J Mitchell Mk.III
Length: 55.12 ft
Power Plant: 2 X Wright R-2600-29
Empty Weight: 21826 lb
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 67.59 ft
Power: 3608 lb s.t.
MTOW: 32849 lb
Crew: 6
Wing Area: 610 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 5844 lb
Service Date: August 1944
External Fuel: NA
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" ﬁxed machine guns with 300 rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: 4x Browning M2 0.5" ﬁxed machine guns with 400 rpg alongside fuselage
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 12x 250 lb or 6x 535 lb or 4x 910 lb bombs in internal bomb bay or One 1802 lb Mk.XIV torpedo under bomb bay, plus 8x 84 lb A2G rockets under wings. Maximum load of 4000 lb possible.

24
Maneuverability

Kate
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

Last used as a torpedo bomber in the Philippine campaign of 1944, the Kate's long range and three-man crew allowed it to serve a
valuable role as a reconnaissance and submarine-spotting plane in areas where Allied ﬁghters weren't likely to be found. Later some
B5N2s were ﬁtted with Air-to-Surface Vessel Radar and others were ﬁtted with the Jukitanchiki Magnetic Airborne Submarine
Detection devices. Other war-weary B5N2s were used for gunnery training as both the gunner's mounts and the target-towing
planes.

By the time of Pearl Harbor the B5N2 had almost completely replaced the B5N1 and obsolete B4Y1 in ﬁrst-line service. Participating
in every major carrier action in the ﬁrst part of the war, it was code-named "Kate" by the Allies and was credited with sinking the US
carriers Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet.

First ﬂown in December 1939, the B5N2 was powered by the more reliable and powerful 1,000 hp Mitsubishi Sakae 14-cylinder radial
engine. The smaller engine diameter allowed engineers to rework the cowl to give the pilot better over-the-nose visibility, but
despite the additional power the performance was not appreciably better. However, the more reliable engine was a plus for a
carrier-based plane and the Navy accepted it into service as the Type 97 Model 22.

While carrier units were being equipped with the B5N1 several land-based units operated in China in the tactical support role, the
plane proving quite successful despite its lack of crew and fuel protection. However, as more modern ﬁghters were being deployed
against them in China, it became obvious that the plane needed upgrading.

The second prototype had the hydraulic wing folding mechanism replaced by a manually folding one, the fowler ﬂaps replaced with
conventional models and the variable-speed prop replaced with a constant-speed one. To increase range additional fuel tanks were
added to the wings. In this guise the plane was ordered into production as the B5N1 Navy Type 97 Carrier Attack Bomber Model 1,
later changed to Model 11.

Bearing the designation of B5N1 and powered by the Hikari 2 engine, the prototype made its ﬁrst ﬂight in January 1937, but
problems with the hydraulic system delayed testing. The plane was capable of a top speed of 230 mph, far exceeding the
speciﬁcation, but the Navy was worried about its maintainability. As such, the Navy initially preferred the simpler Mitsubishi design
with ﬁxed, spatted landing gear and it was ordered into production as the B5M1 while Nakajima made changes to their prototype.

In 1935 the Japanese Navy issued a speciﬁcation for a Carrier Attack Bomber with folding wings to enable it to ﬁt on a carrier
elevator. The plane was also to have the ability to carry a 800 kg. torpedo or the equivalent weight in bombs, a top speed of 207
mph at 6,560 ft, a crew of three and use of either the Nakajima Hikari or Mitsubishi Kinsei radial engines. Nakajima conceived an
advanced design with hydraulically operated folding landing gear and wings, fowler ﬂaps, and a variable-pitch propeller.

Speed - Being only slightly faster than the Val is not much of a recommendation.

Durability

Nakajima B5N2

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 5313 lb
MTOW: 9039 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Nakajima NK1B Sakae 11
Power: 2117 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1962 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Nakajima B5N2 Kate
Length: 33.79 ft
Role: Diving Bomber
Wing Span: 50.92 ft
Crew: 3
Wing Area: 406 sq. ft
Service Date: April 1940
Primary Guns: One Type 97 7.7mm machine gun with 400 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: One Type 97 7.7mm machine gun with 400 rpg in cowl
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 1842 lb torpedo or 3x 550 lb bombs or One 1764 lb bomb

26
Maneuverability

Emil
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume One; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Beaman Jr., John R. and Campbell, Jerry L.; Messerschmitt Bf 109 In Action, Part One; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX;
1980.

Sources:

The more heavily armed E-3 version, with a pair of 20mm MG-FF cannon in wings in place of the MG-17s, began to reach front-line
units in the fall of 1939. However, the E-1 remained the primary version in service throughout the war in Poland, Scandinavia, the
Lowlands and France in 1940. By the time of the Battle of Britain, most of the E-1s had been replaced by the E-3 and E-4 models
and were thus relegated to training duties. However, the machine-gun armed Emil ﬁlled an important gap and helped seed the
reputation that would soon enshroud Willy Messerschmitt's little ﬁghter.

Thinking that the new Daimler Benz DB-601 was ready for production, the new "D" model was introduced, but engine production
delays meant that the Jumo 210Da had to be used for the Bf-109D-1 "Dora". In the summer of 1938, the DB-601A-1 was ready and
the ﬁrst Bf-109E-1 "Emils" started to roll oﬀ the production line by the end of the year. As with the C-1 and D models, the E-1 was
ﬁtted with a pair of MG-17s with 1000 rpg in the cowl and another pair of MG-17s with 420 rpg in the wings.

Using the more powerful Jumo 210Ga, the Bf-109C-1 made its ﬁrst appearance in the early spring of 1938. Originally intended to
mount an MG-FF 20mm cannon in the propeller hub, problems with the gun required another alternative to be used, resulting in the
installation of an MG-17 in each wing, outboard of the wheel wells.

The ﬁrst oﬃcial production machine, the Jumo 210Da powered Bf-109B-1, was delivered in February 1937. The planes were assigned
to JG 132 Richtofen and after hasty training, the unit was sent to Spain to counter the I-15s and the new I-16 Ratas that were just
starting to appear. Throughout 1937 B models were hurriedly produced, brought into service, and shipped oﬀ to the Condor Legion
in Spain.

In late 1936 the third, fourth, and ﬁfth prototypes were sent to Spain for combat evaluations against the Polikarpov I-15 ﬁghters,
which were outclassing the older He-51 biplanes. After three months of successful testing, the prototypes were returned to
Messerschmitt to allow continuation of the development program.

By the time the fourth prototype was undergoing testing, the guns had been installed and the Bf-109 was oﬃcially a ﬁghter. The
initial guns arrangement consisted of a pair of MG-17s in the cowl and another MG-17 ﬁring through the propeller hub.

With the new engines undergoing developmental delays, a Rolls Royce Kestrel engine was installed in the prototype and the
Bf-109V-1 ﬁrst took to the air in September 1935. A month later the Jumo 210A became available and was used to power the second
prototype, which commenced ﬂight testing in January 1936. With the completion of the third prototype with the Daimler Benz engine
in June, the Luftwaﬀe was impressed enough to order ten pre-production machines.

Despite assurances he would never get a contract, Messerschmitt went ahead and entered the competition to provide a new
front-line ﬁghter for the Luftwaﬀe. Besides using the most advanced technology available in 1934, the Bf-109A was designed to be
able to use either the Junkers Jumo 210 or the Daimler-Benz DB-600 engine, both of which were under development at the time.

Willy Messerschmitt's masterpiece, the Bf-109, was the prototypical modern ﬁghter at the beginning of the war and was still going
strong at war's end six years later. Ironically, the plane was almost rejected before it was submitted. Due to several previous run-ins
over a previous transport design, Erhard Milch, the Reich Commissioner for Aviation, ﬂatly stated that Bayerische Flugzeugwerke
and Willy Messerschmitt wouldn't be allowed to build anything but other peoples' designs.

Durability - The 109 was a small plane and not capable of absorbing much combat damage.

Durability

Messerschmitt Bf-109E-1/B

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

Length: 28.22 ft
Wing Span: 32.48 ft
Wing Area: 174 sq. ft

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: One DB-601Aa
Power: 2680 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 634 lb
External Fuel: 476 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Messerschmitt Bf-109E-1/B Emil
Role: Fighter
Crew: 1
Service Date: March 1939
Primary Guns: 2x MG17 7.9mm machine guns with 1000 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x MG17 7.9mm machine guns with 420 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 551 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 4519 lb
MTOW: 5798 lb

28
Maneuverability

Gustav
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Beaman Jr., John R. and Campbell, Jerry L.; Messerschmitt Bf 109 In Action, Part Two; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX;
1980.

Sources:

The G-6 was the ﬁrst version intended from the outset to employ a variety of RnstStz ﬁeld conversion kits. The /R6 kit added a 20mm
gun pod with 125 rpg under each wing, more than doubling the plane's eﬀective ﬁrepower. However, their additional weight had a
severe impact on handling and roll rate.

The GM-1 nitrous system could be replaced with the far more useful MW50 methanol system, which boosted takeoﬀ power from
1,475 to 1,800 hp. MW50 could be used for 10 minutes at a time, but required 5 minutes between uses. However, this increased
fuel consumption by almost 40%, severely reducing range.

The G-5 incorporated the larger guns into a pressurized G-3 with some examples utilizing the DB-605AS engine, which used the
larger supercharger from the DB-603. The pressurization however was found to be fairly useless and the G-6 abandoned the feature
to save weight.

Experience with the 20mm MG-151 cannon in North Africa revealed that it could overheat and jam, leaving the pilot with only a pair
of 7.9mm guns, which was hardly adequate for anything except straﬁng soft targets. The G-1/Trop was intended to rectify this
problem by replacing the riﬂe caliber machine guns with larger 13mm models. This required the addition of bulges in the cowling to
cover the larger breeches and pilots promptly dubbed it "Beule" ("Bump").

The G-1 utilized a pressurized cabin while the simultaneously produced G-2 deleted the pressurization equipment to save weight.
Delivered to front-line units at about the same time as the G-1 and G-2, the G-3 and G-4 diﬀered mainly in the installation of an
upgraded radio and larger wheels, necessitating bulges in the upper surface of the wing to accommodate them.

Because of the larger size and heavier weight of the 605 engine, the Gustav series was produced with heavier engine supports and a
redesigned cowling. While the armament remained the same as that of the Franz, the Gustav series was outﬁtted to use the GM-1
nitrous injection system as standard equipment.

To get better performance out of their basic engine design, Daimler-Benz created the DB-605A engine by maximizing the bore size of
the DB-601 without changing the bore-center locations. This resulted in a normal take-oﬀ output of 1,475 hp. However, the
compression ratio was also increased, which necessitated the return to 96 octane fuel.

Durability - The 109 was a small plane and not capable of absorbing much combat damage.

Durability

Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6/R6

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: One DB-605A
Power: 3308 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 634 lb
External Fuel: 475 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6/R6 Gustav
Length: 29.56 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 32.71 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 173 sq. ft
Service Date: March 1944
Primary Guns: 2x MG131 13mm machine guns with 300 rpg in cowl and One MG151/20 20mm cannon with 150 rpg in hub
Secondary Guns: 2x MG-151/20 20mm cannon with 125 rpg in underwing pods
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 551 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 6393 lb
MTOW: 7716 lb

30
Maneuverability

Emil
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Beaman Jr., John R. and Campbell, Jerry L.; Messerschmitt Bf 109 In Action, Part One; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX;
1980.

Sources:

The E-4 was the ﬁrst variant to be "tropicalized" for use in the Western Desert. The conversion consisted of adding a dust ﬁlter to the
supercharger air intake and installing an emergency desert survival kit in the cargo space of the fuselage, which even included a
carbine for personal protection.

The E-5 and E-6 models were reconnaissance versions of the E-4, but the E-7 was a ﬁghter variant which incorporated the bomb and
drop tank carrying capacity of the E-4/B into the main production run, thus giving all planes the same capability.

Additionally, experiments were made with mounting a rudimentary bomb rack on E-3s in combat. This proved successful enough that
a bomb rack was mounted on the special E-4/B model at the factory, which was used to equip Erpobungsgruppe 210 for ﬁeld testing.
In addition to bombs, the rack could carry a 300 liter drop tank, thus increasing the range of the ﬁghter.

During the French campaign several lessons were learned and the E-4 model was intended to incorporate these improvements. In
addition to increasing the pilot's armor protection by about 75 lb., the new MG-FF/M cannon, which employed a more powerful
"mine" shell, were mounted in place of the older models.

A pair of E-3s fell into French hands in early May 1940 and after examination by the French Air Force, were shipped to England on
May 14 for trials and evaluations. The lessons learned about the performance of the Spitﬁre versus the Messerschmitt enabled the
RAF to employ improvements to their ﬂeet in time for the Battle of Britain and inﬂuenced future development.

During the fall of 1939 Luftwaﬀe front-line units started to receive the new Bf-109E-3 model equipped with a pair of 20mm MG-FF
cannon with 60 rpg in place of the MG-17s in the wings. In addition to the upgraded armament, the 1,175 hp DB-601Aa was
installed, boosting top speed from 334 to 348 mph.

Durability - The 109 was a small plane and not capable of absorbing much combat damage.

Durability

Messerschmitt Bf-109E-4/B

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

Length: 28.22 ft
Wing Span: 32.48 ft
Wing Area: 174 sq. ft

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: One DB-601Aa
Power: 2713 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 634 lb
External Fuel: 475 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Messerschmitt Bf-109E-4/B Emil
Role: Fighter
Crew: 1
Service Date: January 1940
Primary Guns: 2x MG17 7.9mm machine guns with 1000 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x MG-FF/M 20mm cannon with 60 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 551 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 4674 lb
MTOW: 6063 lb

32
Maneuverability

Friedrich' ('Franz', 'Fritz')
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Beaman Jr., John R. and Campbell, Jerry L.; Messerschmitt Bf 109 In Action, Part One; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX;
1980.

Sources:

Despite the increased weight of the Franz over the Emil, the performance of the Franz was considerably better. Many pilots
considered the Franz to be the zenith of 109 development, with the best combination of speed, ﬁrepower and turn-rate.

A number of F-4s were used to experiment with various engine and landing gear installations. These included a tricycle landing gear
system as well as experiments in using the BMW-801 radial and Junkers Jumo 213 inline with annular radiator (the same as used in
the FW-190D).

At the beginning of 1942 the F-3 started coming oﬀ the production line using the now available DB-601E. The lower compression
ratio of the 601E allowed 87-octane fuel to be used, which was more readily available. Simultaneous with F-3 production was the
F-4, which utilized the heavier hitting 20mm MG-151, with the ammo load being reduced from 200 to 150 rounds. Further
improvements included additional self-sealing to the fuel tanks and additional pilot armor. The F-4/B added the capability of
carrying bombs or a drop tank, while the F-4/Z utilized an experimental nitrous-oxide injection system.

This version went into production as the F-1 with the ﬁrst examples rolling oﬀ the assembly line in November 1940. By March and
April 1941 JG 2 and JG 26 on the channel coast were converting in large numbers to the F-1 and the newer F-2s, which utilized the
15mm MG-151, the 20mm model not yet being ready.

Similarly, the plane's armament was to be considerably changed from that of the Emil. Replacing the pair of wing-mounted MG-FF/M
cannon was to be a single MG-151 cannon, which would be produced in both 15mm and 20mm versions. The higher rate of ﬁre,
greater hitting power and higher ammo loads were considered to provide an overall greater ﬁrepower. Additionally, removal of the
wing-mounted guns improved roll performance, which was a welcome change to pilots. However, the MG-151 wasn't yet ready and
a single engine-mounted MG-FF/M was used instead.

Initially intended to use the 1,375 hp DB-601E, the engine wouldn't be ready for a full year after F-series production commenced. So
in the meantime Messerschmitt used 1,200 hp DB-601N, which achieved its performance partly through the use of higher
compression ratios and 96 octane fuel.

The V-21 and V-22 prototypes had the wingspan reduced by two feet but this had a detrimental eﬀect on handling. The V-23
prototype installed a pair of detachable, semi-elliptical wingtips that restored all but 2.16 sq. ft. of the original wing area. This
worked well and the wingtips were incorporated as a standard part of the wing on all subsequent versions.

The largest drag reduction came from a redesign of the under-wing radiators, which were both reduced in height and were recessed
into the wing. A boundary layer bypass system was devised to collect turbulent air in front of the radiators, leading it over the
radiators and out through a duct in the inner ﬂaps.

The tail section saw a reduction in the size of the rudder from 8.1 to 7.5 sq. ft. and the horizontal stabilizer was moved slightly
forward and down, with the elimination of the support struts being the most visible change. This later proved to be a problem when
sympathetic vibrations from the engine caused metal fatigue to set in, which resulted in failure of the fuselage just forward of the
tail. Installation of external braces in the ﬁeld ﬁxed the problem for existing planes while production changes were made to improve
structural strength.

The ﬁrst change was to the shape of the nose with a steady even slope down to the spinner replacing the "stepped" look of the Emil.
The spinner was enlarged and rounded to provide a smooth aerodynamic shape. Finally, the supercharger air intake was changed
from square to round and was placed away from the fuselage to improve the ram eﬀect.

Early in 1940 the Augsburg Messerschmitt factory began work on improving the aerodynamic shape and streamlining of the design
in order to obtain maximum performance. Four prototypes were built from the E-4 production run, each intended to test one or
more of the changes.

Durability - The 109 was a small plane and not capable of absorbing much combat damage.

Durability

Messerschmitt Bf-109F4

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

Length: 28.22 ft
Wing Span: 32.48 ft
Wing Area: 186 sq. ft

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: One DB601E-1
Power: 2860 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 634 lb
External Fuel: 475 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Messerschmitt Bf-109F4 Friedrich' ('Franz', 'Fritz')
Role: Fighter
Crew: 1
Service Date: August 1941
Primary Guns: 2x MG17 7.9mm machine guns with 500 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: One MG151/20 20mm cannon with 200 rpg in hub
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 551 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 5445 lb
MTOW: 6834 lb

34
Maneuverability

Gustav
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Beaman Jr., John R. and Campbell, Jerry L.; Messerschmitt Bf 109 In Action, Part Two; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX;
1980.

Sources:

The G-6 was the ﬁrst version intended from the outset to employ a variety of RnstStz ﬁeld conversion kits. The /R2 kit installed a pair
of Wfr.Gr.21 rocket tubes under the wing for busting up American bomber formations.

Durability - The 109 was a small plane and not capable of absorbing much combat damage.

Durability

Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6/R2

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: One DB-605A
Power: 3308 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 634 lb
External Fuel: 475 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6/R2 Gustav
Length: 29.56 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 32.71 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 173 sq. ft
Service Date: July 1943
Primary Guns: 2x MG131 13mm machine guns with 300 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: One MG151/20 20mm cannon with 150 rpg in hub
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 551 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank under fuselage, or 2x 245 lb WGr.21 rockets under wings

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 6173 lb
MTOW: 7474 lb

36
Maneuverability

Kurfürst' ('Karl')
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Beaman Jr., John R. and Campbell, Jerry L.; Messerschmitt Bf 109 In Action, Part Two; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX;
1980.

Sources:

Only about 700 K-4s were produced, but it served with a number of diﬀerent units, including JG 2, JG 3, JG 27, JG 51, JG 52, JG 53 and
JG 77.

Also standard were the high-visibility Erla Haube canopy (also known as the "Galland" hood), the taller wooden tail and retractable
tail wheel. The 30mm Mk-108 had been tried in various versions of the Gustav, including the G-6. But problems with jamming
prevented its widespread use. However with these problems ﬁnally ﬁxed, it replaced the 20mm MG-151 as the standard engine
cannon. Equipped with 60 rounds, its hit was devastating and ﬁnally gave the 109 bomber-killing power without the use of RnstStz
kits.

The K series was an attempt to incorporate all the various improvements found in the G-14 and G-10 versions, as well as a few
improvements of its own. Coming from the G-10 was the 2,000 hp DB-605DCM, which was a modiﬁcation of the DB-605AS utilizing
a larger supercharger.

By 1944 the Gustav had become both slow and heavy, which combined with poor pilot training to create ever higher ﬁghter losses.
Additionally, the dispersal of the German aircraft industry caused by the American daylight raids had resulted in a sort of chaos in
109 production that was impacting aircraft availability. This chaos also meant that diﬀerent versions of the same production series
began to appear in service, complicating maintenance.

Durability - The 109 was a small plane and not capable of absorbing much combat damage.

Durability

Messerschmitt Bf-109K-4

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

Length: 29.04 ft
Wing Span: 32.71 ft
Wing Area: 173 sq. ft

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: One DB-605DCM
Power: 3610 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 634 lb
External Fuel: 475 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Messerschmitt Bf-109K-4 Kurfürst' ('Karl')
Role: Fighter
Crew: 1
Service Date: November 1944
Primary Guns: 2x MG131 13mm machine-guns with 300 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: One Mk108 30mm cannon with 65 rpg in hub
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 550 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 6283 lb
MTOW: 7716 lb

38
Maneuverability

Zerstörer
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Donald, David; Warplanes Of The Luftwaﬀe; Aerospace Publishing, London; 1994.

Chant, Chris; German Warplanes Of World War II; Amber Books, Ltd., London; 1999.

Campbell, Jerry L.; Messerschmitt Bf-110 Zerstörer In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1977.

Sources:

The changes in the "C" series were minor. The C-2 introduced a new radio, the C-3 had improved MG-FF cannon, and the C-4 added
about 500 lb. of crew armor. The C-4/B model was ﬁtted with an ETC-250 bomb rack under the fuselage, which allowed the carriage
of two 250 kg. bombs. To oﬀset the additional drag, the more powerful DB-601N engine was used in place of the DB-601A.

However, when it came to combat against superior single-engine ﬁghters such as the Spitﬁre, the Zerstörer's lack of maneuverability
spelled its doom. Unable to ﬁght eﬀectively against the more maneuverable British planes, the erstwhile escort ﬁghter found itself
in the embarrassing position of needing escort of its own.

Despite misgivings about the plane's maneuverability, it performed well against the slower and more maneuverable Polish ﬁghters. It
also served well in the Norway campaign where its longer range allowed it to operate where the smaller Bf-109 couldn't reach.

Finally in late 1938 the DB-601A-1 engine was certiﬁed for ﬁghter use and the ﬁrst Bf-110C-1s rolled oﬀ the production line by the
end of January 1939. By mid-summer, front-line units began receiving their C-1s, just in time for the invasion of Poland.

With the imminent release of the more powerful DB-601A on the horizon, the assembly line and production machines were set up in
the early spring of 1938. However, as with the DB-600, the new powerplant proved problematic and the Jumo 210Ga was
substituted for "B" series production, of which about 45 planes were built for training purposes.

Unfortunately, the Daimler-Benz 600A series engines on which the design was based, were unsuitable for ﬁghter use and the ﬁrst
prototypes had to use the much less powerful Junkers Jumo 210C engine. However, using the lower powered engines gave the
design team a chance to test the airframe and make changes that would result in better streamlining and reduced drag.

Driven by the need for a dual role, long-range escort and ground-attack ﬁghter, the RLM initiated a design competition between the
various German aircraft manufacturers. While other manufacturers submitted designs that were more light-bomber than ﬁghter,
BFW (Bayerish Flugzeugwerke) chief designer Willy Messerschmitt designed a sleek, streamlined plane that earned the contract.

Maneuverability - The slow roll rate makes dogﬁghting in the Zerstörer a losing proposition.

Durability

Messersshmitt Bf-110C-4/B

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

Length: 39.90 ft
Wing Span: 53.25 ft
Wing Area: 413 sq. ft

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: 2 X DB-601N
Power: 2437 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 2016 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Messersshmitt Bf-110C-4/B Zerstörer
Role: Fighter
Crew: 2
Service Date: June 1940
Primary Guns: 4x MG17 7.92mm machine guns with 1000 rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: 2x MG-FF 20mm cannon with 180 rpg in nose
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 551 lb bombs

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 11111 lb
MTOW: 14661 lb

40
Maneuverability

Zerstörer
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Donald, David; Warplanes Of The Luftwaﬀe; Aerospace Publishing, London; 1994.

Chant, Chris; German Warplanes Of World War II; Amber Books, Ltd., London; 1999.

Campbell, Jerry L.; Messerschmitt Bf-110 Zerstörer In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1977.

Sources:

The /R4 variant was designed as a heavy ground-attack and bomber-interceptor. The four nose-mounted MG-17 machine guns were
replaced with a pair of 30mm MK-108 cannon with 135 rpg. The large 30mm "mine" shells were devastating to bombers and soft
ground targets, while the MG-151/20s provided decent penetration against lightly armored targets.

With the failure of the Messerschmitt Me-210 as a replacement, work began on a more powerful version of the Bf-110 powered by the
new Daimler-Benz DB-605 engines. The armament of the initial Bf-110G-0, as it was known, was the same as in the ﬁnal D and F
versions, four MG-17 7.9mm machine guns and two MG-FF 20mm cannon in the nose, but the MG-FF were replaced with the more
powerful MG-151/20s in the production G-1 version. However, the G-1 was soon supplanted by the G-2, which was designed to use
a variety of RnstsStze ﬁeld conversion kits.

As it became more and more apparent that the Zerstörer was not capable of ﬁghting against single-engine planes on an equal basis,
the type began to be used more and more for the ground-attack role. The D, E, and F versions made incremental improvements to
the engine power and carrying capacity until the bomb load exceeded 4,400 lb.

Speed - With a top speed of 342 mph and it being even slower when fully loaded, the Bf-110G-2 can't run from anything except the
slowest of early war ﬁghters.

Durability

Messersshmitt Bf-110G-2/R3

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Name: Messersshmitt Bf-110G-2/R3 Zerstörer
Length: 39.90 ft
Power Plant: 2 X DB-605B
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 53.25 ft
Power: 3253 lb s.t.
Crew: 2
Wing Area: 413 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 2016 lb
Service Date: December 1942
External Fuel: 950 lb
Primary Guns: Primary Guns: 2x MG151/20 20mm cannon with 300 (port) and 350 (starboard) rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: 2x MK 108 30mm cannon with 135 rpg in nose
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 551 lb bombs or 2x 1103 lb under fuselage, plus 4x 121 lb or 2x 551 lb or 4x 245 lb WGr.21 rockets under wings. Maximum load of 4410 lb.

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 11993 lb
MTOW: 18188 lb

42
Maneuverability

Skytrain
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Davis, Larry; C-47 Skytrain In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1995.

Sources:

Rather than continue with the smaller DC-2 design, the Army ordered the DC-3 to be produced as the C-47A, which was equipped
with a large cargo door in place of the standard passenger entryway. Equipped with folding canvas seats, the C-47 could carry 28
fully laden combat troops (limited in game to 14) or up to 6000 lb. of supplies. Returning to the original civilian design of the
Douglas Sleeper Transport, the C-47A could be outﬁtted with fourteen bunks for use as an aerial ambulance and the cargo area was
roomy enough to hold a jeep and a 37mm gun. The C-47 served the USAAF with distinction, taking part in every major airborne
operation, including Sicily, D-Day and Market Garden.

In the meantime, American Airlines had been left out of the DC-2 revolution and wanted a plane of their own. But rather than the
more pedestrian transports used by the other airlines, American wanted a "ﬂying Pullman", a plane designed for more luxury than
the DC-2 could deliver. By modifying the DC-2 design, Douglas was able to produce the Douglas Sleeper Transport, a plane
equipped with either fourteen sleeper berths, as the DST, or twenty-eight standard seats as the DC-3.

About this time the plane started to attract the attention of the military, which was still using the old Ford and Fokker tri-motors. The
DC-2 was undergoing military evaluations when the war broke out. In response to their immediate need for planes, twenty-four
civilian DC-2s were drafted into service from the airlines by the Army as the C-33 transport.

The "improved DC-1" was known as the DC-2 and it incorporated a few changes requested by TWA. The fuselage length was
extended two feet to allow the installation of another pair of passenger seats, bringing the total capacity to twelve passengers.
Other changes included a new rudder assembly, wheel brakes, wing ﬂaps and stressed-skin construction.

The new airliner had seats for only ten passengers, but it incorporated a galley and the ﬁrst aerial lavatory for luxury on long ﬂights.
In order to prove the ability to take-oﬀ with only a single engine, the test pilots took oﬀ from Albuquerque, NM, ﬂew to Winslow, AZ
and landed entirely on one engine. The plane thus passed certiﬁcation and TWA issued an order for twenty "improved" DC-1s in
December 1938.

The design from Douglas aircraft, known as the Douglas Commercial One or DC-1, was unique in that it allowed passengers to walk
upright in the fuselage. But it was a twin-engine design and thus would have to be able to take-oﬀ on one engine to meet the
speciﬁcation. Despite reservations, TWA was excited by the commercial possibilities and contracted for a single example.

TWA, realizing that this would put them out of business, promptly issued a speciﬁcation to aircraft manufacturers in order to develop
a modern airliner of their own. The speciﬁcation called for a tri-motor design in order to allow the plane to take-oﬀ with a full load
despite the loss of an engine. All major aircraft manufacturers, except Boeing, were invited to submit a design.

In 1932, United Airlines thought it had engineered a coup that would leave it in position to control the American air travel market.
Most airlines operated ancient Ford and Fokker "tri-motor" planes, which were both slow and costly to operate and maintain.
Boeing, the parent company of United, had just rolled the new Model 247 oﬀ the production line and every airline wanted one.
However, United's order would tie up the production line for over a year and all the other airlines would just have to wait.

Defense - Lacking completely in defensive guns, the only defense a C-47 can oﬀer is to turn tail and run.

Durability

Douglas C-47A

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

Length: 64.50 ft
Wing Span: 95.05 ft
Wing Area: 987 sq. ft

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 17372 lb
MTOW: 27998 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: 2 X P&W R-1830-92
Power: 2644 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 4835 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Douglas C-47A Skytrain
Role: Transport
Crew: 3
Service Date: December 1941
Primary Guns: NA
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: up to 6065 lb of freights or 14 paratroopers

44
Maneuverability

Val
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

With losses to the Japanese carrier force and their most experienced pilots, more and more Vals came to be assigned to land-based
Kokutais. The D3A1's lack of range kept the Val out of the Solomons campaign, prompting the design of the D3A2, which soldiered
on to the end of the war.

After passing carrier qualiﬁcation trials aboard the Kaga and Akagi in 1940, the D3A1 was used in limited quantities in China prior to
the opening of hostilities with the West. The
Val", as it was dubbed by Allied intelligence, took part in every major carrier action in the ﬁrst ten months of the war. Their pilots
were known for their remarkable accuracy, including 87% of bombs on target when attacking the cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS
Dorsetshire and 82% on target against the carrier HMS Hermes during, the campaign in the Indian Ocean.

Prior to production numerous other changes were made to the airframe, including slightly smaller wings, a more powerful 1,000 hp
Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 (or 1,070 hp Kinsei 44) and structural changes necessary to increase loaded weight to over 8,000 lb. The
directional stability problem was ﬁnally solved by installing a large dorsal ﬁn in front of the vertical stabilizer, making the plane
even more maneuverable than it already was. The normal oﬀensive load was a single 250 kg. bomb under the fuselage and a 60
kg. bomb under each wing. Armed with a pair of 7.7mm machine guns in the cowl, it was often used as a ﬁghter because of its
extreme maneuverability.

To correct these ﬂaws the second prototype was extensively modiﬁed. Power was increased by installing a 840 hp Mitsubishi Kinsei
14-cylinder radial with a redesigned cowling and the dive brakes were both enlarged and strengthened. More importantly, the
length and shape of the wings were modiﬁed to eliminate the tendency to snap-roll and after winning head-to-head trials against
the Nakajima D3N1, the Navy awarded Aichi a contract for the D3A1 Navy Type 99 Carrier Bomber Model 11.

The prototype's performance was rather disappointing, with a noticeable directional stability problem and an alarming shuddering in
the dive brakes when fully deployed. Further, a tendency to snap-roll during tight turns marred the plane's otherwise good handling
characteristics.

Aichi's design was inspired by the Heinkel He-70 and utilized the same type of low-mounted elliptical wings. A ﬁxed spatted
undercarriage was used to keep weight to a minimum and to simplify maintenance, the resulting drag not being considered enough
to oﬀset the disadvantages. Powered by a 710 hp Nakajima Jikari 9-cylinder radial the ﬁrst prototype was completed in December
1937 with ﬂight trials commencing the following month.

During the summer of 1936 the Japanese Navy issued a speciﬁcation calling for a monoplane dive-bomber capable of replacing the
Aichi D1A2 then in service. Aichi Tokei Denki K.K., Nakajima Hikoki K.K. and Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K. each submitted design proposals
and the Navy authorized each to build two prototypes.

Obsolete at the time, the Aichi D3A1 was the ﬁrst Japanese plane to bomb an American target when it participated in the attack on
Pearl Harbor. However, by the end of the war it had sunk more Allied ﬁghting ships than any other Axis plane.

Bomb Load - The maximum bomb load of only 1,100 lb. makes it hardly worth the eﬀort or time it takes to get to the target.

Durability

Aichi D3A1

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 5732 lb
MTOW: 8598 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Aichi D3A1 Val
Length: 33.46 ft
Power Plant: One Mitsubishi Kinsei 44
Role: Diving Bomber
Wing Span: 47.11 ft
Power: 2382 lb s.t.
Crew: 2
Wing Area: 376 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 1500 lb
Service Date: January 1940
External Fuel: NA
Primary Guns: One Type 97 7.7mm machine gun with 400 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: One Type 97 7.7mm machine gun with 400 rpg in cowl
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 110 lb or One 220 lb or One 551 lb bombs under fuselage, plus 2x 110 lb or 2x 220 lb or 2x 551 lb under wings; maximum ordnance weight 1103 lb

Douglas Dakota Mk.II
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Davis, Larry; C-47 Skytrain In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1995.

Sources:

Not having a purpose-built transport design of their own, the RAF accepted numerous C-47s through Lend Lease, which they dubbed
the "Dakota". Dakotas were used in Europe for the usual airborne operations as well as for drops of special agents into enemy
territory under the auspices of the Special Operations Executive. The RAF Dakotas were identical to their USAAF counterparts in
capacity and performance.

Defensive Firepower - Lacking completely in defensive guns, the only defense a Dakota can oﬀer is to turn tail and run.

Speed

Durability

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

Length: 64.50 ft
Wing Span: 95.05 ft
Wing Area: 987 sq. ft

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 17372 lb
MTOW: 27998 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: 2 X P&W R-1830-92
Power: 2644 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 4835 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Douglas Dakota Mk.II
Role: Transport
Crew: 3
Service Date: April 1942
Primary Guns: NA
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: up to 6065 lb of freights or 14 paratroopers

Dornier Do-217J-1
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Sources:

The glass nose was replaced with a solid one containing four 7.9mm machine guns and four 20mm MG-FF cannon. The forward half
of the bomb bay was ﬁlled with a fuel tank to increase endurance, but the rear half was retained for night-intruder missions. Lacking
radar the Do-217J-1 was only a temporary solution and the bulk of J-1s were transferred to training units in 1942 when the radar
equipped J-2s began to arrive.

Do-17Zs and Do-215Bs had been successfully converted to the night-ﬁghter role with the addition of a solid nose containing forward
ﬁring armament, so RLM ordered Dornier to convert the Do-217E into a night-ﬁghter. The ﬁrst version, designated J-1, was only a
partial conversion, intended for use as both a night-ﬁghter and an intruder.

With the ﬁrst 1,000-bomber raid on Cologne in 1942 the Luftwaﬀe High Command knew that they had to improve defenses quickly.
The bulk of the night-ﬁghter force at that time was the Bf-110, which was deemed a mere temporary solution. The Ju-88C
night-ﬁghter was the preferred plane, but the bulk of production went to bomber models, with only a few night-ﬁghters trickling in
to the Nachtjagdgeschwaders.

Defensive Firepower - With fewer guns than the bomber variant, the night-intruder version is even less capable of defending itself.

Speed

Durability

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: 2 X BMW 801ML
Power: 2682 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 6523 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Dornier Do-217J-1
Length: 59.71 ft
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 62.34 ft
Crew: 3
Wing Area: 592 sq. ft
Service Date: February 1942
Primary Guns: 4x MG17 7.9mm machine guns in nose with 1000 rpg
Secondary Guns: 4x MG FF 20mm cannon with 100 rpg
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 4x 551 lb or 2x 1103 lb bombs in internal bomb bay, plus 4x 551 lb or 2x 1103 lb bombs or 8x 245 lb WGr.21 rockets

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 20723 lb
MTOW: 31967 lb

Dornier Do-217E-2
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Sources:

II/KG 40 was the ﬁrst unit to equip with the new bomber in 1941, but early in 1943 they traded in their Do-217s for Me-410s,
becoming V/KG 2. Meanwhile KG 2's three original gruppes had converted to the Do-217 and was joined by a fourth Do-217 gruppe,
all based in the Netherlands and operating against North Sea shipping as well as performing periodic bombing raids on England.

Meanwhile, the RLM was determined to see the plane used in the dive-bombing role and an improved dive-brake was devised for the
tail. However, the system never functioned satisfactorily and eventually it was abandoned, remaining production machines being
ﬁtted with a simple tail-cone. However, the most signiﬁcant improvement to the E-2 model was the introduction of a powered turret
in the dorsal position with a single 13mm MG-131 machine gun. This alone improved defensive ﬁrepower, but the ventral MG-15 was
also replaced with a MG-131 and a pair of MG-81Js were mounted in the sides of the cockpit for lateral coverage.

While it proved successful in combat, several suggestions for improvement to the defensive armament and armor protection were
received from operational units. The changes to the production line resulted in the E-3 model, which sported a ﬂexibly mounted
20mm MG FF cannon for anti-shipping work and no fewer than seven MG 15s for defense. However, the radio operator was
supposed to handle ﬁve of the guns by himself, so although the range of coverage was increased, the weight of ﬁre remained the
same.

However, the RLM was still concerned that the internal bomb load was insuﬃcient and in early 1940 a radically modiﬁed prototype
was ﬂown. The most signiﬁcant change was a deepening of the middle third of the fuselage to provide a bomb bay measuring
14'10" by 5'8", which with a small extension made it large enough to carry a torpedo internally. A single 15mm MG-151 was
installed in the nose for straﬁng purposes and defensive armament consisted of ﬁve 7.9mm MG-15 machine-guns. Having built a
small number of production machines with the original fuselage under the A and C designations, the new version was dubbed the
Do-217E-1.

The most innovative feature of the new plane was a novel dive-brake in the tail composed of a series of panels that, when activated,
extended out into the air stream in a manner resembling the opening of an umbrella. However, the weight of the plane caused the
tail section to warp and buckle and so the dive-bombing requirement was temporarily waived to allow Dornier to concentrate on
basic airframe development. By this time the team had turned to the 1,550 hp BMW 801MA radial engine, which greatly improved
performance and handling.

Although it closely resembled the Do-17 and bore a similar appellation, the Do-217 was in fact an entirely new plane designed from
the outset to be a heavy bomber. The RLM ordered prototypes to be made in the summer of 1937 and a year later the V-1
prototype was ﬂown using a pair of 1,075 hp Daimler-Benz DB-601A engines. But due to the need to use DB-601 engines for ﬁghter
development, the second and third prototypes used the less powerful Jumo-211.

Defensive Firepower - As with the other German bombers, the defensive ﬁrepower is quite inadequate.

Speed

Durability

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Name: Dornier Do-217E-2
Length: 59.71 ft
Power Plant: 2 X BMW 801ML
Empty Weight: 20282 lb
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 62.34 ft
Power: 2874 lb s.t.
MTOW: 31967 lb
Crew: 5
Wing Area: 592 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 4687 lb
Service Date: March 1941
External Fuel: NA
Primary Guns: One MG151 15mm cannon with 250 rpg ﬁxed in nose
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 8x 551 lb or 4x 1103 lb or 2x 2205 lb bombs or One 1625 lb F5 torpedo in internal bomb bay, plus 4x 551 lb or 4x 1103 lb or 2x 2205 lb or 2x 3970 lb bombs externally on underwing wing racks

52
Maneuverability

Wildcat
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Sources:

The Wildcat's main claim to fame was earned on Wake Island, when four VMF-211 F4F-3s repulsed Japanese air attacks for two weeks
- and even managed to sink a cruiser and a submarine with 100 lb. bombs. The last two Wildcats were destroyed on December 22,
1941, the day the Japanese ﬁnally managed to land on the island and overcome its meager defenses.

Prior to delivery of the ﬁrst batch of Wildcats to the US Navy in December 1940, the British Royal Navy took over a French Navy order
for 81 of the new planes. Designated the Martlet, they were put into action over Scapa Flow on Christmas Day 1940, downing a
Junkers Ju-88. By the time of the Pearl Harbor attack a year later, the US Navy and Marine Corps had a total of 248 F4F-3s in
service.

The new plane, designated XF4F-2, was ﬁrst ﬂown on September 2, 1937 and proved inferior to Brewster's XF2A-1 Buﬀalo, which won
the contract in June 1938 for the new Navy ﬁghter. However, three months later, Grumman received permission to begin work on a
second prototype, the XF4F-3, which was redesigned around the new Pratt & Whitney 14-cylinder "Double Wasp" radial engine
equipped with a two-speed supercharger. The ﬁrst ﬂight proved the superiority of the reworked Wildcat ﬁghter over the Buﬀalo and
after extensive evaluation, the Navy ﬁnally awarded Grumman a contract for 54 Wildcats.

In 1936 the US Navy began looking for a successor to Grumman's F3F carrier-based biplane ﬁghter. They commissioned prototypes
of a biplane from Grumman and a monoplane from the Brewster company, playing it safe in case the new monoplane design
couldn't stand up to the rigors of carrier operations. Grumman's new design was designated the F4F Wildcat and retained much of
the F3F's design features, including the Wright Cyclone 9-cylinder radial engine and the distinctive fuselage-mounted, retractable
landing gear. However, after a design review revealed that the new plane would be only marginally superior to the existing F3F, the
Navy asked Grumman to build a monoplane instead.

Speed - Although not as slow as the A6M2 Zero or Hurricane IA, the F4F-3 Wildcat is not going to run away from or catch
contemporary planes like the Bf-109E, I-16, Yak-1b and P-40C.

Durability

Grumman F4F-3

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 5512 lb
MTOW: 7363 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Pratt-Whitney R-1830-76
Power: 2496 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 864 lb
External Fuel: 696 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat
Length: 28.94 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 38.06 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 260 sq. ft
Service Date: December 1940
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 430 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 430 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 100 lb bombs or 2x 348 lb drop tanks

54
Maneuverability

Wildcat
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Sources:

Grumman produced 1,445 Wildcats and Martlets in 1942 and a further 100 in 1943 before production was assumed by General
Motors to allow Grumman to produce the next model in its "Cat" line, the F6F Hellcat. General Motors continued to produce the
Wildcat throughout the rest of the war as the FM-1 and FM-2 models. Being smaller than subsequent ﬁghters, the Wildcat served
throughout the war as the principal ﬁghter on escort carriers.

The F4F-4 model was just reaching service units at the time of Pearl Harbor. It was the principle carrier-based ﬁghter in service
throughout the ﬁrst year of the war, helping to turn the tide against the Japanese at Coral Sea, Midway and the Solomons. The
Lend-Lease version of the -4, known as the Martlet IV, saw combat with the Fleet Air Arm against Vichy French forces at the landings
in Madagascar and alongside American Wildcats during the landings in French North Africa in late 1942.

During the middle of the initial F4F-3 production cycle Grumman made several changes to the basic design, which resulted in the
F4F-4 variant. The primary change from the -3 model was the addition of manually folding wings, allowing more planes to be stowed
in carrier hanger decks. An additional .50 caliber machine gun was also mounted in each wing, outboard of the wing hinge, giving
the Wildcat the same 6-gun punch found on most late-war US ﬁghters. These changes gave the plane an additional 400 lb. to carry
around, which somewhat reduced its maneuverability and speed.

Speed - The F4F-4 Wildcat is slightly slower than the -3 model due to its extra weight and thus is in even worse straits against its
contemporaries.

Durability

Grumman F4F-4

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

Length: 28.94 ft
Wing Span: 38.06 ft
Wing Area: 260 sq. ft

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 5952 lb
MTOW: 8091 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Pratt-Whitney R-1830-86
Power: 2490 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 864 lb
External Fuel: 696 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat
Role: Fighter
Crew: 1
Service Date: June 1942
Primary Guns: 2x Browning 0.5" machine guns with 240 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 4x Browning 0.5" machine guns with 240 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 100 lb bombs or 2x 348 lb drop tanks

56
Maneuverability

Grumman F4F-3
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Brown, Eric; Wings Of The Navy: Flying Allied Carrier Aircraft of World War Two; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 1980.

Sources:

The plane drew its ﬁrst blood when a pair of Martlets forced down a Junkers Ju-88 bomber over Scapa Flow on Christmas Day 1940.
Martlets went on to serve the Royal Navy throughout the remainder of the war, particularly in the Mediterranean in 1942.

But in the air the Martlet, as it was called by the Fleet Air Arm, was a joy to ﬂy. In ﬂight trials at Boscombe Downs in 1940 the Martlet
proved to be more maneuverable with a greater initial climb than either the Hurricane or Spitﬁre, with the two British designs
owning an edge in speed.

Initial trials revealed some unexpected diﬃculties, primarily related to the narrow-track landing gear. The plane had a tendency to tip
over onto the wingtip during taxiing if turns were taken too quickly. Additionally, it was susceptible to crosswinds and had poor
directional stability on the ground.

However, before the order could be delivered, the French capitulated and Britain's Royal Navy purchased the entire content of the
original French order. The planes began to reach England in August 1940 and were assigned to Number 804 Squadron.

With the war breaking out in Europe in 1939, Grumman approached the French and British governments with the oﬀer to sell them
some of the new F3F-3 Wildcat ﬁghters that were being built for the US Navy. The French Navy ordered 81 aircraft with the intention
of using them on their aircraft carriers, one of which had been completed.

Speed - Although not as slow as the A6M2 Zero, the Martlet is not going to run away from or catch contemporary planes like the
Bf-109E, I-16, Yak-1b and P-40C.

Durability

Martlet Mk.I

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 5512 lb
MTOW: 7363 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Pratt-Whitney R-1830-76
Power: 2496 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 864 lb
External Fuel: 696 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Martlet Mk.I Grumman F4F-3
Length: 28.94 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 38.06 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 260 sq. ft
Service Date: September 1940
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 430 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 430 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 119 lb bombs or 2x 348 lb drop tanks

58
Maneuverability

Corsair
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Sullivan, Jim; F4U Corsair In Action, Aircraft Number 145; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1994.

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Sources:

Acting on the obvious ﬂaws in the design, Vought replaced the "birdcage" canopy design with a taller, single-frame "clear-view"
canopy. This allowed the pilot to sit 7 inches higher than in the previous version, which helped alleviate the visibility problem.
Further changes included the use of the new R-2800-8W engine equipped with water-injection and structural changes designed to
increase directional stability at low speeds. The new variant was dubbed the F4U-1A with almost 2,000 being built by Vought by the
end of 1943.

Corsairs started to come oﬀ the production line in the summer of 1942, and the US Marine Corps squadron, VMF-124, was formed on
September 7, 1942 to be the ﬁrst unit equipped with the big ﬁghter. By December 28, 1942 VMF-124 was declared combat ready
and was moved to Guadalcanal, where the Corsair ﬂew its ﬁrst combat mission on February 13, 1943.

The space needed for the wing-mounted guns and their ammunition loads meant that the wing fuel tanks had to be removed. In
order to retain the same fuel load a large 237-gallon tank was installed in the fuselage. To prevent the need for trim changes as fuel
was used, the fuel tank had to be mounted as close to the center of gravity as possible, which resulted in the cockpit being moved
about three feet aft of its original position. The repositioned cockpit resulted in severely reduced forward visibility, which made it
even more diﬃcult to land on a rolling and pitching aircraft carrier deck.

Standard armament on the XF4U-1 was intended to be a pair of .30 caliber machine guns in the cowl and a .50 caliber machine gun
in each wing. But developments in Europe pointed to the necessity for heavier armament. Because a larger gun wouldn't ﬁt in the
cowl, the cowl guns were eliminated and three .50 caliber machine guns were mounted in each wing.

On October 1, 1940, the prototype Corsair ran a speed course between Stratford and Hartford, Connecticut and attained a top speed
of 404 mph, making the Corsair the ﬁrst plane to exceed 400 mph in level ﬂight. Naturally the Navy was quite impressed and
ordered a production version for further testing.

In February 1938 the US Navy opened design competition for a new single-seat shipboard ﬁghter. Chance-Vought responded with a
design based around the new Pratt & Whitney XR-2800 18-cylinder radial. The plane, dubbed the XF4U-1 Corsair, featured a
distinctive "inverted gull" wing shape, necessitated by the diameter of the Hamilton Standard propeller and the need to keep the
landing gear sturdy enough to withstand carrier landings.

Carrier Landings - The long nose of the Corsair makes carrier landings diﬃcult for novice pilots.

Durability

Chance Vought F4U-1a

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 9700 lb
MTOW: 12258 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Pratt-Whitney R-2800-8W
Power: 4620 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1422 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Chance Vought F4U-1a Corsair
Length: 33.79 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 40.98 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 334 sq. ft
Service Date: July 1942
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 375 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 4x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 400 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 250 lb or One 500 lb bomb under fuselage

60
Maneuverability

Corsair
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Sullivan, Jim; F4U Corsair In Action, Aircraft Number 145; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1994.

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Sources:

Performance-wise, the F4U-1C is identical to the machine gun armed F4U-1A.

The cannon armed Corsair allowed the plane to knock out heavily armored aircraft and tanks. However, the Japanese had no heavily
armored aircraft or tanks and pilots tended to prefer the greater ammunition loads of the machine gun armed Corsairs to the
heavier hitting power of the 20mm guns. Only 200 F4U-1Cs were produced.

Based on the F4U-1A production run a modiﬁed version of the Corsair, known as the F4U-1C, was delivered on August 30, 1943. This
version featured a quartet of 20mm cannons in the wings in place of the six .50 caliber machine guns found on the -1A model.
Additionally, a new canopy was introduced, which eliminated the last of the metal frames.

Carrier Landings - The long nose of the Corsair makes carrier landings diﬃcult for novice pilots.

Durability

Chance Vought F4U-1c

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 9810 lb
MTOW: 12676 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Pratt-Whitney R-2800-8W
Power: 4620 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1422 lb
External Fuel: 990 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Chance Vought F4U-1c Corsair
Length: 33.79 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 40.98 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 334 sq. ft
Service Date: December 1943
Primary Guns: 2x Bendix M2 (Hispano II) 20mm cannon with 180 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Bendix M2 (Hispano II) 20mm cannon with 140 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 250 lb or One 500 lb or One 1000 lb bomb under fuselage

62
Maneuverability

Corsair
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Sullivan, Jim; F4U Corsair In Action, Aircraft Number 145; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1994.

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Sources:

The F4U-4C was ﬁtted with the heavier armament used on the F4U-1C, which consisted of four Bendix M3 20mm cannon with 231
rpg.

In addition to the new prop and engine, the F4U-4 could be distinguished from the F4U-1 by the addition of a small air scoop at the
bottom of the engine cowling. Like the F4U-1D, the F4U-4 was equipped with a pair of ordnance pylons at the wing roots and four
"zero-length" HVAR rocket launch stubs under each wing. Each wing root pylon could hold a 154-gallon drop tank or a 500 lb. or
1,000 lb. bomb, which allowed the Corsair to assume the close support role for the Navy and Marines.

This new power plant was capable of producing 2,100 hp and with water injection could produce 2,450 hp! Attached to the new
engine was a new 4-blade, thirteen-foot propeller. When all was said and done, the F4U-4 was capable of reaching 450 mph in level
ﬂight, could climb at almost 4000 feet per minute, and could reach an altitude of 41,500 feet.

Accepted by the Navy in October 1944, the F4U-4 was the last production model of the Corsair to see service in WWII. The principle
diﬀerence from earlier versions was the installation of an even more powerful Pratt & Whitney "Double-Wasp" engine, the
R-2800-18W, and later the R-2800-42W.

Carrier Landings - The long nose of the Corsair makes carrier landings diﬃcult for novice pilots.

Weaknesses:

Durability

Chance Vought F4U-4C

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 9788 lb
MTOW: 13933 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Chance Vought F4U-4C Corsair
Length: 33.79 ft
Power Plant: One Pratt-Whitney R-2800-18W
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 40.98 ft
Power: 4675 lb s.t.
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 314 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 1422 lb
Service Date: June 1945
External Fuel: 1848 lb
Primary Guns: 2x Bendix M3 20mm cannons with 231 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Bendix M3 20mm cannons with 231 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 250 lb or 2x 500 lb or 2x 1000 lb bombs or 2x 924 lb drop tanks on inner wing pylons, plus 8x 138 lb 5" HVAR rockets under outer wing

64
Maneuverability

Corsair
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Sullivan, Jim; F4U Corsair In Action, Aircraft Number 145; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1994.

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Sources:

In addition to the new prop the F4U-4 could be distinguished from the F4U-1 by the addition of a small air scoop at the bottom of the
engine cowling. Like the F4U-1D, the F4U-4 was equipped with a pair of ordnance pylons at the wing roots and four "zero-length"
HVAR rocket launch stubs under each wing. Each wing root pylon could hold a 154-gallon drop tank or a 500 lb. or 1,000 lb. bomb,
which allowed the Corsair to assume the close support role for the Navy and Marines. The F4U-4 was equipped with the standard
US armament of six .50 caliber machine guns in the wings with an ammunition load of 400 rpg.

Accepted by the Navy in October 1944, the F4U-4 was the last production model of the Corsair to see combat in WWII. The principle
diﬀerence from earlier versions was the installation of an even more powerful Pratt & Whitney "Double-Wasp" engine, the
R-2800-18W, and later the R-2800-42W. This new power plant was capable of producing 2,100 hp and with water injection could
produce 2,450 hp! Attached to the new engine was a 4-blade, thirteen-foot propeller. When all was said and done, the F4U-4 was
capable of reaching 450 mph in level ﬂight, could climb at almost 4000 feet per minute, and could reach an altitude of 41,500 feet.

Carrier Landings - The long nose of the Corsair makes carrier landings diﬃcult for novice pilots.

Durability

Chance Vought F4U-4

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 9590 lb
MTOW: 13757 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair
Length: 33.79 ft
Power Plant: One Pratt-Whitney R-2800-18W
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 40.98 ft
Power: 4675 lb s.t.
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 314 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 1422 lb
Service Date: November 1944
External Fuel: 1848 lb
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 375 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 4x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 400 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 250 lb or 2x 500 lb or 2x 1000 lb bombs or 2x 924 lb drop tanks on inner wing pylons, plus 8x 138 lb 5" HVAR rockets under outer wing

66
Maneuverability

Hellcat
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Sullivan, Jim; F6F Hellcat In Action, Aircraft Number 36; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1979.

Spick, Mike; The Ace Factor; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1988.

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Sources:

Possessing a combination of good speed and maneuverability, the F6F-3 was well suited to combat against the highly maneuverable
Japanese Zero ﬁghters. While not as fast as contemporary US Army aircraft or the phenomenal Corsair, the Hellcat is a great
dogﬁghter that can be adapted to either turn or energy ﬁghting by an experienced pilot.

Equipped with a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 "Double Wasp", the Hellcat could reach 315 mph at sea level and 380 mph
at altitude. Armed with the standard US ﬁghter armament of six .50 caliber machine guns with 400 rounds per gun, the F6F-3 could
knock out the competition with relative ease. As with the Wildcat, the Hellcat could absorb a signiﬁcant amount of combat damage
and keep on ﬂying. These attributes were perhaps best illustrated by David McCampbell on October 23, 1944 when he shot down
nine enemy ﬁghters on a single mission, the only damage to his Hellcat being dents in the wings from ﬂying through the debris of
his victims.

The new prototype was ﬁrst ﬂown on June 26, 1942 and the ﬁrst production version was ﬂown only four days later. By the end of
1942, the Hellcat was being delivered to US Navy combat units. VF-9 of the USS Essex was the ﬁrst recipient, but the Hellcat was
ﬁrst blooded in combat with VF-5 operating from the USS Yorktown on August 31, 1943.

The XF6F-1 was originally ordered on June 30, 1941 as a potential successor to the Wildcat, but Grumman engineers went back to
the drawing board after Pearl Harbor to look into improvements suggested by actual combat experience in the Paciﬁc. The
modiﬁcations were extensive enough to warrant changing the designation of the prototype to XF6F-3, the XF6F-2 being a version
with a turbo-supercharged R-2800-21 engine.

Ground Attack - Unable to carry bombs or rockets, the F6F-3 cannot contribute to the ground war in any meaningful way, except as a
point defense ﬁghter.

Durability

Grumman F6F-3

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 9259 lb
MTOW: 12213 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Pratt-Whitney R-2800-10W
Power: 4312 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1410 lb
External Fuel: 900 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat
Length: 33.60 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 42.81 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 334 sq. ft
Service Date: January 1943
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 400 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 4x Browning M2 0.5" machine guns with 400 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 250 lb or One 500 lb or One 1000 lb bomb or One 900 lb drop tank

68
Maneuverability

Sabre
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Williams, Anthony G.; Rapid Fire; Airlife Publishing Ltd; Shrewsbury, England; 2000.

Taylor, Michael J.H.; Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation; Crescent Books, New York; 1989.

Green, William, and Swanborough, Gordon; The Complete Book Of Fighters; Smithmark Publishing, New York; 1994.

Franks, Norman; Aircraft Versus Aircraft; Barnes & Noble Books, 1998.

Davis, Larry; Walk Around F-86 Sabre; Squadron/Signal Publications; Carrollton, TX; 2000.

Davis, Larry; F-86 Sabre In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications; Carrollton, TX; 1992.

Batchelor, John, and Cooper, Bryan; Fighter: A History of Fighter Aircraft; Charles Scribner's Sons, New York; 1973.

Angelucci, Enzo; The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft 1914 to the Present; Crescent Books, New York; 1980.

Sources:

Although NAA only made 456 E models, at a ﬂyaway cost of $219,457 each, it was the most numerous type to see combat in Korea
and it scored the most victories, despite being slightly inferior to the MiG-15 in performance.

With increasing demand for Sabres in the skies over Korea, the USAF purchased sixty Canadair Sabre Mk. 4s, which were identical to
the F-86E-1, except for the use of RCAF radios. These were designated F-86E-6 by the USAF and after the war, many of them were
later transferred to the Michigan ANG. The F-86E-10 introduced an optically-ﬂat, armored windscreen to replace the previous
v-shaped windscreen and improved air conditioning.

The addition of the "ﬂying tail" from the F-86D Sabre Dog to the F-86A-5 production line caused the Air Force to designate the result
a new model and the F-86E-1 was born. The ﬁrst F-86E was ﬂown on 23 September 1950.

When war broke out in Korea the MiG-15 surprised Western experts in outclassing everything in the Far East Air Force (FEAF)
inventory. It was a full 75 mph faster than the F-80C Shooting Star then serving in the front-line ﬁghter role, so Air Force
commanders decided to commit the Sabre into combat. The 4th FG and their F-86A-5s were packed aboard Navy ships and sent
directly to Korea. On December 17th they saw their ﬁrst action when Baker ﬂight, led by LtCol Bruce Hinton, jumped a ﬂight of MiGs
near Sinuiju. In the skirmish that followed Hinton bagged one of the MiGs for the ﬁrst of 792 Sabre victories over MiG-15s, at a cost
of only 78 F-86s.

The F-86A-5 was the ﬁrst version considered by the USAF to be combat capable ﬁghter and was the ﬁrst to be assigned to combat
units. It was the ﬁrst variant to be equipped with two hard points for carrying either 2x 500 lb or 1000 lb bombs or 2x 120-gal
Combat fuel tanks or 206.5-gal Ferry tanks. The A-5 model also had four zero-length rocket launcher stubs under each wing to allow
up to eight 5" HVAR rockets to be carried. Two HVAR rockets could be carried when the 120-gal combat tank was used, but
otherwise rockets were used instead of underwing stores.

The ﬁrst production F-86A-1 ﬂew on 20 May 1948 and was armed with six Browning M3 .50 cal machine guns in the nose, three on
each side of the fuselage, with 300 rounds of ammunition each, suﬃcient for 15 seconds of ﬁre. Only 33 F-86A-1s were built, almost
all being used for testing and experimental purposes. One of these was ﬂown by Major Robert L Johnson on 15 September 1948
when he set a new World's Speed Record of 670.98 mph.

One of the prototypes was re-engined with the new General Electric J47-GE-3 engine, which produced 5,200 lbt at 7950 rpm, a 36%
increase in available thrust. After initial ﬂight tests, this prototype was ﬂown through the sound barrier on 25 April 1948. Like the
Mustang before it, the addition of a new engine had turned an average ﬁghter into a one of the best ﬁghters in the world and the
USAF decided to issue a contract for production 221 F-86A Sabres.

The USAAF authorized the design on 20 November 1945, but the design research delayed the project and the ﬁrst prototype
(45-59597) rolled out of NAA's Ingelwood plant on 8 August 1947. The XF-86 was described as a "pilot's aircraft", a natural ﬂying
plane that if it ever got out of control, all a pilot had to do was release the stick and, if he had enough altitude, it would stabilize
itself. Additionally, the pilot's view from the cockpit was nearly perfect.

Storm designed a new wing for the XP-86, which used a 35 degree sweep for speed and full-span slats for handling. NAA built a
mockup of the wing and ﬁtted it to the XP-86 mockup. Tests in a low-speed wind tunnel revealed that it had satisfactory low-speed
stall characteristics and that it would have an estimated top speed of 650 mph.

Wind tunnel tests on the swept wing showed that that the design reduced drag and increased lift at high-speeds, but it came at the
expense of low-speed handling. Further examination of the translated German research documents showed that the use of leading
edge slats (aka LES or slats), which were used on the Bf-109, would improve handling when extended at low-speeds.

Durability

F86E

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Name: F86E Sabre
Length: 37.47 ft
Power Plant: One General Electric J47-GE-27
Empty Weight: 10950 lb
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 37.07 ft
Power: 5972 lb s.t.
MTOW: 17804 lb
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 288 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 2871 lb
Service Date: December 1950
External Fuel: 1584 lb
Primary Guns: 2x Browning M3 .50 cal machine guns with 300 rpg in nose
Secondary Guns: 4x Browning M3 .50 cal machine guns with 300 rpg in nose
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 100 lb bombs or 2x 250 lb bombs or 2x 500 lb bombs or 2x 1000 lb bombs or 8x 5" HVAR rockets or 2x 120 gal drop tanks or 2x 206.5 gal drop tanks or 2x 120 gal drop tanks and 2x 5" HVAR rockets

Focke-Wulf Ta-152H-1
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Sources:

More than 150 Ta-152H-1 ﬁghters were produced at Cottbus between January 1945 and the facility being overrun by the Soviet
army. While no Jagdgruppen had converted fully to the machine, several Jagdstaﬀeln operated the plane alongside their D-9s and
the Stabsschwarm of JG 301 was known to use the plane to provide top cover for Me-262 bases. However, the majority were likely
destroyed on the ground by straﬁng Allied ﬁghters while waiting to be accepted by the Luftwaﬀe.

The Ta-152H was armed with a single engine-mounted Mk 108 with 90 rounds and a pair of 20mm MG 151s with 175 rpg in the wing
roots. Internal fuel capacity could be increased by mounting an ETC-503 rack on the fuselage, which could hold a 300 liter tank. The
H-0 weighed in at 10,420 lb. loaded while the H-1 with its internal tanks weighed 11,502 lb.

A Ta-152H production line was setup at Cottbus and the ﬁrst two production prototypes were produced in June and July 1944. Joining
them on the production line were the ﬁve remaining FW-190C prototypes, which were slated for conversion to the Ta-152H.
Conversion and testing of these prototypes continued through November while twenty pre-production Ta-152H-0s were also built
and delivered, these diﬀering from the production H-1s only in having their wing tanks deleted.

By this time in the war Kurt Tank's reputation in the Luftwaﬀe was riding high and in his honor, and at his request, the plane was
designated the Ta-152 instead of being included in the FW-190 lineage. Ra-2 was dubbed Ta-152B and Ra-3 became Ta-152H.
Meanwhile, the Ra-4D model, or Ta-153 as it was now known, had begun development out of the FW-190C project. Of particular
note was it's wing, which although it oﬀered only marginal aerodynamic improvements, was much simpler and easier to build and
had a much greater internal capacity for fuel tanks. Because of these advantages it was decided that this wing would be transferred
over to the Ta-152 project, with the H version having extended wing panels.

The Ra-2 and Ra-3 prototypes were essentially the same as the FW-190D-9s, except that they used the Jumo-213E with a
three-speed, two-stage turbo-supercharger and induction cooler for improved high-altitude performance. MW50 methanol injection
was installed and hydraulics replaced electric components for the ﬂaps and landing gear. The fuselage was lengthened to improve
internal capacity and, to compensate for the change in cg, the fuselage was moved aft 16 inches. Each plane was armed with a
single 30mm Mk 108 engine-mounted cannon and a pair of 20mm MG 151 cannon in the wing roots. In addition, the Ra-2 prototype
was ﬁtted with another pair of MG 151s in the cowl.

Kurt Tank submitted two proposals (Ra-2 and Ra-3) for the ﬁrst stage based on the Jumo-213 powered FW-190D and a third (Ra-4D),
which although it was based broadly on the 190, was to incorporate numerous structural and aerodynamic improvements. Although
Messerschmitt submitted a design, the Me-155B, oﬃcials thought that Messerschmitt had too many projects in work already to
devote suﬃcient time to the task.

With it becoming increasingly obvious that high-altitudes were the domain of air combat in Europe, the Focke-Wulf and
Messerschmitt companies were asked in late 1942 to submit proposals for a Hochleistungsjager, of High-Performance Fighter. The
plan was for a two-stage development with the ﬁrst ﬁghter being based on an existing model, using many common parts, and the
second being built from the ground up.

Ground Attack - Without the ability to carry ordnance of any kind, the Ta-152 has only its guns to help with the ground war.

Speed

Durability

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: One Jumo 213F-1
Power: 3529 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1573 lb
External Fuel: 463 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Focke-Wulf Ta-152H-1
Length: 35.43 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 47.57 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 253 sq. ft
Service Date: March 1945
Primary Guns: Primary Guns: 2x MG151/20 20mm cannon with 175 rpg in wing roots
Secondary Guns: One Mk108 30mm cannon with 90 rpg in hub
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 463 lb drop tank

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 8377 lb
MTOW: 10803 lb

72
Maneuverability

Würger
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Filley, Brian; FW 190A, F, and G In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1999.

Sources:

The /R3 kit involved removal of the outboard MG-151s and the installation of a 30mm Mk 103 gun pod with 35 rpg under each wing.
Although it had a low rate of ﬁre, the Mk 103 had a very high muzzle velocity, allowing it to be used as a stand-oﬀ weapon against
bomber formations.

The A-8 was soon introduced with a host of minor reﬁnements and changes, including the addition of removable fuel cells behind the
pilot's seat as an alternative to the MW50 methanol injection system. By this time, the system of Umrust Bausaze factory conversion
kits had been completely replaced by the Rustatz ﬁeld conversion kits.

The A-7 was originally intended to be a high-speed photo reconnaissance version, but the needs of combat units changed those
plans. Nothing more than an interim version, only 80 A-7s were produced, but it was the ﬁrst version to replace the 7.92mm
machine guns in the cowl with 13mm MG-131s with 400 rpg.

By now the 190 was weighing in at over 9,000 lb. and in an eﬀort to reduce weight somewhat, Kurt Tank redesigned the wing. This
new wing was mounted to an A-5 test bed, then was introduced into service with the A-6 in late 1943. While the new wing's
appearance was virtually identical to the previous one, it was able to mount MG-151/20 cannon in the outboard positions previously
occupied by the MG-FF. Fed by 125 round belts, these new guns greatly increased the ﬁrepower available to the pilot.

The 190 was the dominant plane in the skies of Europe in 1942, but further reﬁnements were in order. With each increase in weight,
the center of gravity of the plane had shifted and now it became apparent that it was too far aft. To alleviate this problem, the
engine mount was extended forward about six inches in the A-5 model. Several A-5s were shipped to Japan in 1943 for evaluations
and although the Japanese didn't adopt it into service, the Allies spotted it and gave it the code-name "Fred".

Turn Rate - With its high wing-loading the Wurger can't turn with planes like the Spitﬁre or La-7.

Durability

Focke-Wulf FW-190A-8/R3

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 7363 lb
MTOW: 9458 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One BMW-801D-2
Power: 3749 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1010 lb
External Fuel: 475 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Focke-Wulf FW-190A-8/R3 Würger
Length: 29.04 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 34.45 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 197 sq. ft
Service Date: March 1944
Primary Guns: 2x MG131 13 mm machine guns with 400 rpg in cowl and 2x MG151/20 20mm cannon with 250 rpg in wing roots
Secondary Guns: 2x Mk103 30mm cannon with 35 rpg in underwing pods
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 4x 121 lb or One 551 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank

74
Maneuverability

Würger
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

With the addition of the MW50 methanol-water injection system as standard equipment, the A-4 began to roll oﬀ the assembly line.
The MW50 system provided greater power below the rated altitude by acting as an anti-detonant, which allowed greater boost
pressure to be used without destroying the engine. As with the A-3, the A-4 had several Umrnst BausStze kits, including the U3 Jabo
kit, which included the bomb/drop tank racks under the wings and additional pilot and engine armor. Although shipped with the
outboard MG-FF from the factory, these were almost always removed in the ﬁeld to improve performance. This version eventually
led to the development of the FW-190F-1, the ﬁrst of the dedicated ground attack variants.

The BMW-801D-2 was almost identical to the C-2, but its compression ratio had been raised from 6.5 to 7.1:1 and the two
supercharger ratios were also modiﬁed. The result was an increase to 1,700 hp at sea level and an increase in top speed to 418
mph at 21,000 feet. The A-3, equipped with the 801D-2 took over the production line and was the ﬁrst to be ﬁtted with Umrnst
BausStze factory conversion kits. These allowed various conﬁgurations to be easily ﬁtted at the factory, producing the ﬁrst bomb
carrying 190s.

The A-2 was equipped with the much more reliable BMW-801C-2 engine and was the ﬁrst to be equipped with the MG-151/20
cannons with 200 rpg in the wing roots. The two machine guns with 1000 rpg were retained in the fuselage. The ammo canisters for
the cannons were also located in the fuselage. Most A-2s were retroﬁtted with outboard MG-FF to increase ﬁrepower. The A-2 proved
to be immediately superior to the Spitﬁre Vs it was facing and JG 26 was completely converted to the 190 by early 1942.

But Tank had foreseen this and a new wing of increased area was already in the works. When a taxiing accident damaged the V-5's
wing, the opportunity was taken to replace it with the new wing. FW-190A-0s were already in production and the new wing was
applied starting with the 8th aircraft produced. Taken into combat trials testing by members of II/JG 26, the A-0 and A-1 models
were armed with a pair of 7.92mm machine guns in the cowl and another pair in the wing roots. This was augmented in the ﬁeld by
installing a 20mm MG-FF cannon in each wing outboard of the landing gear.

The V-5 prototype with the new BMW-801C engine arrived at RLM for testing in April 1940 and without armament it was 25% heavier
than the V-2 had been. Although the engine put out an impressive 1,600 hp, the wing loading had risen from 38 to 47 lb./sq.in., with
a commensurate rise in weight per horsepower. The climb rate and maneuverability were thus severely impaired over what had
once been a promising design.

Meanwhile, the V-1 and V-2 prototypes using the 139 engine had rolled oﬀ the assembly line, the latter being armed with a pair of
7.92mm machine guns in the wing roots. The plane proved to be capable of 369 mph in level ﬂight and earned praise from the test
pilots for its excellent handling characteristics. The V-2 prototype also had the special ducted fan installed, but the engine still
overheated and tests proved that it had only a marginal eﬀect on drag, so it was abandoned. The V-3 and V-4 prototypes were
likewise abandoned due to the engine change.

After a series of discussions between the military and the two manufacturers it was decided to convert the 190 design to accept the
new engine. Despite the similar dimensions of the two engines the 801 was 350 lb. heavier and thus an extensive redesign of the
plane was required. The most visible change was that the cockpit was moved aft to compensate for the cg changes brought about
by the heavier engine. This had the ancillary eﬀect of eliminating the cockpit overheating problem and providing suﬃcient room
between the engine and cockpit to allow for the installation of guns in the cowl.

Because of this proximity to the engine and because the canopy had to be kept closed during ground tests and during ﬂight, the
temperature in the cockpit rose as high as 131 degrees and exhaust leakage forced the use of oxygen during all testing. Meanwhile,
BMW was having problems with getting the promised power out of the 139 and had turned their attention to their new 801 design.

Tank's design was a small, compact plane built to minimal dimensions around the engine. It utilized a special, ducted spinner that
was designed to provide increased airﬂow to the engine and reduce drag. In order to reduce overall length, the engine was mounted
as close to the main spar as possible, with the cockpit immediately behind the forward bulkhead.

As with other designers, Kurt Tank preferred the streamlined shape aﬀorded by using a high-performance in-line engine, but both the
Daimler-Benz 601 and the Junkers Jumo 211 were already in short supply. So he turned to the unpopular radial engine design. The
18-cylinder BMW-139 then under development was already putting out more power than either the DB-601 or Jumo-211 were
projected to create in two years time and the engine showed great development potential. Further there were no immediate needs
for the engine, so production wouldn't impact any other projects.

The Luftwaﬀe had barely begun receiving their new Bf-109Bs when discussions about a possible successor started appearing. Many
in the Luftwaﬀe hierarchy felt such a project would be a waste of time because of the vast superiority of the 109 over the ﬁghters of
other nations. But updated intelligence about the various British and French ﬁghter projects, including the Hurricane, combined with
the teething problems of the new 109s to convince everyone that it would be wise to design a backup.

Ordnance Versatility - With only wing racks, the A-4 pilot has to choose between drop tanks and bombs and cannot opt for a lighter
loadout like the later A-8 and F-8 models could.

Durability

Focke-Wulf FW-190A-4/U3

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

Length: 29.04 ft
Wing Span: 34.45 ft
Wing Area: 197 sq. ft

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 6173 lb
MTOW: 8377 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One BMW-801D-2
Power: 3683 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 828 lb
External Fuel: 950 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Focke-Wulf FW-190A-4/U3 Würger
Role: Fighter
Crew: 1
Service Date: July 1942
Primary Guns: 2x MG17 7.9mm machine guns with 1000 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x MG151/20 20mm cannon with 250 rpg in wing roots
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 4x 121 lb or 2x 551 lb or 2x 475 lb drop tank

76
Maneuverability

Würger
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Filley, Brian; FW 190A, F, and G In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1999.

Sources:

The /R6 kit allowed for the optional mounting of a pair of Wfr.Gr.21 rocket tubes under the wing. While not accurate enough for
anti-tank work, the 21cm rocket projectile was ﬁred into the middle of the tight American bomber formations. A direct hit would
down a plane while a close hit would cause about the same damage as a close ﬂak burst. But the biggest result was the break-up of
the tight formation, degrading its defensive ﬁrepower and allowing the ﬁghters to more easily get within gun range.

High Altitude Performance - Above 20,000 feet the A-8 is outclassed by contemporary planes like the Spitﬁre and Mustang.

Durability

Focke-Wulf FW-190A-8/R6

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 7033 lb
MTOW: 10009 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Focke-Wulf FW-190A-8/R6 Würger
Length: 29.04 ft
Power Plant: One BMW-801D-2
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 34.45 ft
Power: 3749 lb s.t.
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 197 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 1010 lb
Service Date: February 1944
External Fuel: 475 lb or 950 lb or 1425 lb
Primary Guns: 2x MG131 13 mm machine guns with 400 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x MG151/20 20mm cannon with 250 rpg in wing roots and 2x MG151/20 20mm cannon with 125 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 4x 121 lb or One 551 lb or One 1103 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank under fuselage, plus 4x 121 lb or 2x 475 lb drop tanks or 2x 245 lb WGr.21 rockets under wings

78
Maneuverability

Dora
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Sources:

The D-9's armament consisted of a pair of 13mm MG-131s mounted in the cowl with 475 rpg and a pair of MG-151 20mm cannon
with 250 rpg in the wing roots. The outboard cannon of the A-series was deleted to save weight and improve roll performance. With
an ETC-504 rack under the fuselage and a pair of ETC-503s under the wing, the D-9 could carry a single bomb as large as 1,100 lb.
or up to three 550 lb. bombs.

The D-series was originally intended as a medium-altitude variation of the basic A-series 190 and was to use the new Jumo-213
in-line engine. Many pilots considered this engine to be nothing more than a bomber engine forced on the manufacturer by the RLM
and Tank considered the Dora to be an "emergency solution" until his new Ta-152 could be delivered. However, the D-9
outperformed the A-8 at all altitudes and pilot misgivings were swept away.

The C-series designation was reserved for the DB-603Aa installation with a large ventral turbo-supercharger. Despite the additional
drag of the supercharger intake the prototype clocked in at 447 mph at 29,530 feet and 404 mph at 39,370 feet! The Focke-Wulf
team felt this engine oﬀered the best high-altitude performance, but engine availability was the primary operating factor and the
C-series was abandoned.

The B-series designation was used for the turbo-supercharged BMW-801 installation. In addition to the turbo-supercharger, the
B-series was intended to use a pressurized cabin and a new wing with 11% greater area. Unfortunately, BMW was nowhere close to
releasing a turbo-supercharger, so this model was re-ﬁtted with the DB-603A with an annular radiator. Although it was able to reach
39,000 feet, the requirement had been increased to 46,000 feet.

Despite this unpleasant fact, the regard for Tank was so high that they allowed him to experiment with the engine, with the
understanding that it would be thought of as a back-up measure only. Two other engine proposals were also considered, one using
a turbo-supercharged BMW-801 and the other using the new Jumo-213 in-line.

Kurt Tank had always viewed GM-1 as a temporary measure and decided to re-engine the 190. He initially wanted to use the new
Daimler-Benz DB-603 in-line engine, but it had been developed without oﬃcial sanction and the RLM made it clear that they would
view such a project with extreme disfavor.

A-series production was in full swing in 1942 when it was decided to ﬁnd a solution to the Wnrger's poor high-altitude performance.
The GM-1 nitrous system was able to boost performance up to about 26,000 feet, but there wasn't enough nitrous to use it for more
than a short time and the weight of the system was equal to the entire armament package!

Turn Rate - With its high wing-loading the Dora can't turn with planes like Spitﬁre or La-7.

Durability

Focke-Wulf FW-190D-9

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 7385 lb
MTOW: 10582 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Focke-Wulf FW-190D-9 Dora
Length: 33.53 ft
Power Plant: One Jumo 213A-1
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 34.45 ft
Power: 3584 lb s.t.
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 196 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 828 lb
Service Date: August 1944
External Fuel: 475 lb or 950 lb or 1425 lb
Primary Guns: 2x MG131 13mm machine guns with 475 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x MG151/20 20mm cannon with 250 rpg in wing roots
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 551 lb or One 1103 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank under fuselage, plus 2x 551 lb bombs or 2x 475 lb drop tanks under wings

80
Maneuverability

Würger
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Laing, Malcolm and Ryle, E. Brown; Walk Around FW-190A/F; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 2000.

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume One; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Green, William; Warplanes Of The Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, MacDonald Publishing, London; 1960.

Filley, Brian; FW-190A, F, and G In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1999.

Sources:

The ETC-501 fuselage rack, which allowed carriage of up to 1,100 lb. of bombs or fuel, was standard on the F-8. Wing bomb racks
were installed as standard equipment, allowing four 110 lb. bombs to be carried. Alternatively, the wing bomb racks could be
replaced by a pair of rocket racks, which allowed the F-8 to carry twelve Panzerblitz 2 anti-tank rockets. Because of the tremendous
empty weight of the F-8, the total ordnance load was limited to 1,100 lb.

Chief among these was the addition of a considerable quantity of 5mm, 6mm, and 8mm armor plate to the underside of the fuselage
to protect the engine, cockpit, and fuel tanks from small caliber gunﬁre. To help counterbalance the additional weight from the
armor, the outboard 20mm cannon were eliminated and streamlined covers replaced the previous breech bulges and case ejection
holes. Still the "F" was noticeably heavier than the "A" model, the F-8 weighing in at 11,905 lb. loaded, and so the undercarriage
was strengthened to handle the heavier loads.

With the FW-190A having proven itself a potent ground-attack plane, the Luftwaﬀe decided to develop a dedicated series of
ground-attack versions of the plane at the factory. These "F" versions were to incorporate as standard equipment several of the
Rustatz ﬁeld modiﬁcations that were available for the "A" series as well as several speciﬁc modiﬁcations intended to make the
plane more survivable during low level attacks.

Handling - When fully loaded the F-8 is very sluggish and handles poorly.

Durability

Focke-Wulf FW-190F-8

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Name: Focke-Wulf FW-190F-8 Würger
Length: 29.04 ft
Power Plant: One BMW-801D-2
Empty Weight: 7055 lb
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 34.45 ft
Power: 3749 lb s.t.
MTOW: 10251 lb
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 197 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 1010 lb
Service Date: February 1944
External Fuel: 475 lb
Primary Guns: 2x MG131 13mm machine guns with 400 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x MG151/20 20mm cannon with 250 rpg in wing roots
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 4x 110 lb or One 551 lb or One 1103 lb or One 2205 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank under fuselage, plus 4x 110 lb or 12x Panzerblitz 2 anti-tank rockets under wings. Maximum load of 2205 lb possible.

82
Maneuverability

Würger
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Filley, Brian; FW 190A, F, and G In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1999.

Sources:

The /R2 kit replaced the outboard MG-151s with 30mm Mk 108 cannons with 55 rpg in the wings. While it retained the hitting power
of the /R6, the Mk 108's low muzzle velocity limited the eﬀective range and the "mine" type HE rounds it used were unsuited for
anti-armor work.

Turn Rate - With its high wing-loading the Wurger can't turn with planes like Spitﬁre or La-7.

Weaknesses:

Durability

Focke-Wulf FW-190A-8/R2

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 7143 lb
MTOW: 9348 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One BMW-801D-2
Power: 3749 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1010 lb
External Fuel: 475 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Focke-Wulf FW-190A-8/R2 Würger
Length: 29.04 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 34.45 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 197 sq. ft
Service Date: March 1944
Primary Guns: 2x MG131 13 mm machine guns with 400 rpg in cowl and 2x MG151/20 20mm cannon with 250 rpg in wing roots
Secondary Guns: 2x Mk108 30mm cannon with 55 rpg in outer wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 4x 121 lb or One 551 lb bomb or One 475 lb drop tank

84
Maneuverability

Betty
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

Numerically the Models 24B and 24C were the most important of the G4M2 and by the end of the war 2,479 G4Ms had been built.
The Betty's last mission ended at 12:44 pm on August 19, 1945. Painted white all over and wearing large green "surrender crosses"
on their wings, fuselages and tails, a pair of G4M1s delivered Lt. Gen. Torashiro Kawabe and the rest of the surrender delegation to
Ie Shima.

In May 1944 the Model 24 was introduced using the 1,850 hp Kasei 25 engine, which not only had more power but also much better
fuel consumption than the Kasei 21. The Models 24A and 24B had armament identical to the Models 22A and 22B, while the Model
24C replaced the 7.7mm machine gun in the nose with a 13mm Ho-103 machine gun.

By late 1943 the G4M2 had completely replaced the G4M1 in front-line service, the older plane being relegated to reconnaissance,
transport and training duties. Meanwhile, various improvements to the defensive armament were made in the Model 22A and 22B,
the latter possessing four 20mm Type 99-2 cannon distributed in the dorsal turret, tail cone and both beam positions.

To address these deﬁciencies design on the Model 22 was undertaken. The wing was completely redesigned to use a new,
laminar-ﬂow airfoil section and the engines were replaced with the improved 1,800 hp Kasei 21, which featured water-methanol
injection. A new 350-gallon fuel tank was installed in the fuselage, which was protected from leakage by layers of runner sheeting.
Rubber sheeting was installed on the underside of the wing tanks and a carbon-dioxide ﬁre extinguishing system was installed.
Defensive armament was greatly improved by the addition of a hydraulically-operated dorsal turret mounting a 20mm Type 99-1
cannon.

Prior to commencing hostilities against the West, twenty-seven G4M1s were transferred to Indo-China with another ninety-three
being sent to Formosa. After only a week of combat the "Betty", as it was known to the Allies, had sunk the HMS Prince of Wales
and HMS Repulse and had completely eliminated Allied air-power in the Philippines. But at Port Moresby the G4M1 came up against
better prepared air defenses and losses mounted sharply due almost entirely to the lack of crew and fuel protection.

Production of the G4M1 Navy Type 1 Attack Bomber Model 11 was ﬁnally authorized in April 1941 and the ﬁrst production plane was
completed before the month was over. Six weeks later the 1st Kokutai completed conversion and launched the G4M's combat
career with an attack on Chunking, which also marked the combat debut of the A6M2. Operating against deep range targets
throughout the summer, both planes enjoyed considerable success.

The G3M2 bombers then in service in China were having a tough time defending themselves against the ever larger and improving
Chinese Air Force. A few outspoken oﬃcers thought that the best solution was to design a "ﬁghter-gunship" that could ﬂy in the
same formation and thus escort the bombers to and from their targets. Over their strenuous objections, the G4M1 was converted
into a "long range convoy ﬁghter" and given the designation G6M1. However, as the USAAF would learn three years later over the
skies of Europe, the "convoy ﬁghter" was heavy, diﬃcult to ﬂy, and was left behind when the bombers dropped their bombs and
headed for home. After building thirty examples of the G6M the folly of the idea was realized and the planes were relegated to
training and paratroop transport duties.

The ﬁrst prototype G4M was completed in September 1939 with ﬂight tests the following month revealing only a few minor problems
that needed to be corrected before the plane entered quantity production. However, events in China were to delay production of the
bomber for a year.

Design of the fuselage section was given to the 1st Naval Arsenal, which turned out a fuselage large enough for a four-engine plane,
which visiting Heinkel engineers commented upon in 1939. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi designed a two-spar wing utilizing the same
patented "Mitsubishi 118" airfoil section that they used on the Rei-sen. To get the necessary power the team chose the new 1,530
hp Mitsubishi Kasei 14-cylinder radial engine.

Along with the speciﬁcation for the A6M Zero, the Navy issued a demand for a long-range strategic bomber capable of carrying a
standard Bomb Load of 800 kg. to a distance of over 2,300 miles. Utilizing one of their most talented design crews headed by Kiro
Honjo, Mitsubishi originally proposed a four-engine design, but the Navy frowned on the idea and suggested they accomplish the
task with a twin-engine plane.

By 1937 Japan was already deeply entrenched in the "China Incident" and there was a real possibility of eventual conﬂict with the
United States. However, if they were seen to be openly preparing for a war against the West, the US would cut oﬀ all shipments of
the vital raw materials and specialized equipment they needed to aﬀect the build-up. To solve this dilemma, the decision was made
to continue with the build-up, but under a cloak of extreme secrecy. To this end, an expansion program was launched at Mitsubishi
with a series of Army and Navy planes being developed entirely in secret.

Speed - Its top speed of only 272 mph at altitude means that the Betty won't be making fast hit and run attacks.

Durability

Mitsubishi G4M2

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 18122 lb
MTOW: 33510 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: 2 X Mitsubishi MK4P Kasei-25
Power: 3793 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 10282 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Mitsubishi G4M2 Betty
Length: 64.63 ft
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 81.69 ft
Crew: 7
Wing Area: 841 sq. ft
Service Date: September 1943
Primary Guns: Primary Guns: One Type 92 7.7mm ﬂex machine gun with 1000 rpg
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 1842 lb torpedo or 3x 1764 lb or 4x 1103 lb or 8x 551 lb or 18x 220 lb or 24x 110 lb bombs

86
Maneuverability

Liz
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

Designer's Note: In order to provide JP with a four-engine bomber capable of carrying a heavy bomb load, the performance of this
plane was increased above that of the historical model. However, the G5N remains the slowest and least durable heavy bomber in
the Fighter Ace inventory.

However, the Nakajima engineers lacked experience in designing such large planes and the result was an overweight and
underpowered disappointment. In an eﬀort to keep the project alive the plane was re-engined, but that too was a unsatisfactory and
the four G5N prototypes ended their careers as freight transports.

The new plane, designated G5N, retained the original wing, engine, and landing gear designs, while featuring a new fuselage and tail
assembly. It also marked a milestone in Japanese aviation history as being the ﬁrst four-engine plane designed for the Navy and the
ﬁrst Japanese plane to feature a tricycle landing gear arrangement.

Rejected by American Airlines, the sole prototype of the Douglas DC-4E was purchased by the Japan Air Line Company (Nippon Kiku
K.K.) in 1938 as a front for the Imperial Navy. The Navy wanted a long-range, heavy bomber and planned to design it around the
Douglas prototype.

Speed - Fully loaded, the G5N is lucky to reach 200 mph in level ﬂight.

Durability

Nakajima G5N1

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 45856 lb
MTOW: 70547 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: 4 X Nakajima NK7A Mamoru-11
Power: 3948 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 16314 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Nakajima G5N1 Liz
Length: 101.77 ft
Role: Heavy Bomber
Wing Span: 138.25 ft
Crew: 8
Wing Area: 2172 sq. ft
Service Date: April 1941
Primary Guns: NA
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 40x 110 lb or 32x 220 lb or 16x 551 lb or 8x 1103 lb or 4x 1764 lb or 2x 3970 lb bombs

Heinkel He-111H-6
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War; Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York; 1959.

Sources:

Twice taken out of mass production, the He-111 was reintroduced when its "replacements" failed to materialize. A durable, capable
aircraft, the He-111 soldiered on until the end of the war and served in a wide variety of roles.

However, once again the needs of the Messerschmitt ﬁghters took precedence and the deﬁnitive He-111H model was introduced with
the same Junkers Jumo 211 engines used on the E and F models. Subsequent sub-variants introduced more powerful Jumo engines,
additional defensive gun emplacements, and external bomb racks. The He-111H-6 was the ﬁrst variant equipped to carry torpedoes
for anti-shipping attacks, a role to which it took like a duck to water. I/KG 26 was the ﬁrst unit to be equipped with the new H-6
model and they were deployed in northern Norway, where they contributed to the destruction of convoy PQ17.

The "P" model diﬀered radically from previous versions. The standard "stepped" cockpit arrangement was replaced by a glazed and
streamlined nose section, which housed the pilot, bombardier and forward gunner. To provide better forward visibility, the pilot was
seated oﬀ to left side and the gun position was situated to the right, resulting in the plane's characteristic asymmetrical
appearance. The "P", which was based on the earlier "D" model was equipped with DB-601A and was capable of carrying up to eight
550 lb. bombs.

From their combat experience in Spain, German air leaders concluded that their fast bombers would always get through enemy air
defenses, a theory that would prove disastrously wrong in the skies over Britain. As a result no eﬀort was made to increase the
inadequate defensive armament of the He-111 other than to replace the retractable ventral "dustbin" position with a more
streamlined "bathtub" position on the new He-111P model.

DB-600 engines were desperately needed for Bf-109 and Bf-110 production so the He-111E was introduced. Equipped with a pair of
Junkers Jumo 211A engines, the E model oﬀered many aerodynamic improvements and was able to reach a top speed of 267 mph.
The He-111F introduced a simpliﬁed, tapered wing design, which permanently replaced the elegant elliptical wings ﬁtted to
preceding variants.

Meanwhile, the He-111B was introduced with a pair of Daimler-Benz DB-600C engines and it was this variant that ﬁrst saw action in
Spain with the Condor Legion. A new "D" version followed with even more powerful DB-600Ga engines rated for 1,050 hp at
take-oﬀ. A civil version of the "D" model was made as the He-111G, but again it was rejected by Lufthansa and the plane's civil
"career" was ﬁnally over.

The He-111C soon followed as a dedicated passenger liner equipped with the same underpowered engines as the "A" model.
Lufthansa promptly refused the plane as being too slow and expensive to be proﬁtable. Despite this rejection, numerous
propaganda photos were taken of the He-111C with Lufthansa markings and a series of "route-proving" ﬂights were made to Britain,
France, and the Soviet Union. In fact the planes had actually been transferred to a secret division of the Luftwaﬀe and the
"route-proving" ﬂights were actually long-range photographic reconnaissance missions.

Although it was commonly believed that the He-111 was originally conceived as a passenger liner, in fact the ﬁrst prototype was a
bomber version and pre-production bomber variants were coming oﬀ the assembly line at the same time the civil version was
introduced to the public. The initial production version He-111A was capable of carrying 2,200 lb. of bombs mounted vertically in
what was the smoking section of the civil variant and was equipped with a retractable "dustbin" gun position under the fuselage.
However, the plane was seriously underpowered and the Luftwaﬀe refused to purchase it. Looking to get some return on his
investment, Ernst Heinkel obtained permission to sell the He-111A to the Chinese government, bringing some much needed
foreign currency to Germany's economy.

Speed - With a maximum unloaded speed of only 258 mph, the He-111 needs ﬁghter escort to survive.

Speed

Durability

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Name: Heinkel He-111H-6
Length: 54.46 ft
Power Plant: 2 X Jumo 211F-1
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 74.11 ft
Power: 2812 lb s.t.
Crew: 6
Wing Area: 943 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 5479 lb
Service Date: October 1941
External Fuel: NA
Primary Guns: NA
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: Ordnance: 32x 121 lb or 8x 551 lb bombs in bomb bay, or 4x 551 lb or 2x 2205 lb bombs or 2x 1790 lb F5b torpedo on external racks

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 19621 lb
MTOW: 30864 lb

Hawker Hurricane Mk.Ia
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Scutts, Jerry; Hurricane In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications; Carrollton, TX; 1986.

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hannover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Sources:

At the beginning of the Battle of Britain RAF Fighter Command had 30 squadrons of Hurricanes and 19 squadrons of Spitﬁres, which
meant that the Hurricanes bore the brunt of the ﬁghting. Because the Spitﬁre was faster and more agile, it was targeted towards
ﬁghters while the slower but more durable Hurricanes were sent after the bombers. However, despite the greater notoriety of the
Spitﬁre and its pilots, it was a Hurricane pilot of No. 249 Squadron, Flt. Lt. J.B. Nicholson, who won the only Victoria Cross awarded to
a member of Fighter Command.

The ﬁrst half of the production order of 600 planes was powered by the Merlin II ﬁtted with a two-blade, ﬁxed pitch Watts wooden
prop. However, the second half of the production run was equipped with the newer Merlin III engine and either a Rotol or
deHavilland three-bladed, multi-pitch metal prop. The fabric-covered wings were also giving way to metal covered versions and
earlier versions of the Mk.I were usually retroﬁtted with the newer engine, prop and wing when they underwent depot level repairs
and reﬁts.

So conﬁdent were they that the Air Ministry would accept the plane, Hawker's directors, including T.O.M. Sopwith, decided to start a
large-scale production program. This proved to be a fortuitous move as they were able to deliver over 500 planes by the time the
war started on September 3, 1939.

While the new design incorporated many advanced features, it used the standard Hawker construction techniques that they used on
their biplanes, namely a tubular frame construction covered by doped fabric. The biggest impediment to development was the lack
of reliability in the new Rolls Royce powerplant, but ﬁnally in February 1936 the ﬁrst prototype was delivered to the RAF for oﬃcial
trials.

Immediately upon assuming the role of chief designer in 1925, Sydney Camm started work on a monoplane design. While it was
never built, Camm never let the idea drop from his mind and in 1933 he directed the company to begin work on a monoplane based
around the Rolls Royce Goshawk steam-cooled engine and using lessons learned from the Hawker Fury biplane. Working with Rolls
Royce, Camm found out that they were working on an even more powerful engine, known at the time as the PV-12.

Hawker Aircraft Ltd. had a long history of producing single-engine warplanes with origins that reached back to the famous Sopwith
Camel. Hiring Sydney Camm as their chief designer proved to be a stroke of good luck that resulted in the production of Hawker's
most famous plane - the Hurricane.

Firepower - Even with a brace of eight, the .303 Browning just didn't have enough punch to make it a viable ﬁghter weapon.

Speed

Durability

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 5842 lb
MTOW: 6724 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Rolls-Royce Merlin-III
Power: 2439 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 698 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Hawker Hurricane Mk.Ia
Length: 33.14 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 41.01 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 257 sq. ft
Service Date: March 1938
Primary Guns: 4x Browning 0.303" machine guns with 334 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 4x Browning 0.303" machine guns with 334 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: NA

Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Scutts, Jerry; Hurricane In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1986.

Bowyer, Chaz; Hurricane At War; Ian Allen Ltd., London; 1974.

Sources:

While the planes were certainly welcome, the .303 armament was fairly useless when trying to shoot down bombers, even with
twelve guns. To solve this problem, most of these Hurricanes were retro-ﬁtted with a pair of 20mm ShVAK cannon with 100 rpg and
a pair of 12.7mm Beresin machine guns with 250 rpg in place of the twelve Browning .303s. Additionally, rails were ﬁtted under the
wings to allow carriage of six RS-82 rockets, which combined with the two 250 kg. bombs to provide a good ground attack
capability.

After several months of training, including taking part in several bomber escort missions, the Wing packed their things and went
back to England, leaving their Hurricanes for the Soviets. These were the ﬁrst of about 3,000 Hurricanes (over 20% of the
production line) that would be shipped to the Soviet Union under "lend-lease".

In August 1941 No. 81 and 134 Squadrons of the RAF were combined to form 151 Fighter Wing. They and their planes, 12-gun
Hurri-Bombers, were packed onto ships and were shipped to Vaenga, near Murmansk in northern Russia. Their task was to provide
operational training to help convert Soviet pilots to the Hurricane.

Performance - By the time it got to Russia the Hurricane was easily outclassed by the newer Messerschmitt and the Focke-Wulf
ﬁghters.

Speed

Durability

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 5732 lb
MTOW: 7760 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Rolls-Royce Merlin-XX
Power: 2781 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 698 lb
External Fuel: 634 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb
Length: 33.14 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 41.01 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 257 sq. ft
Service Date: February 1942
Primary Guns: 2x Beresin (UB) 12.7mm machine guns with 250 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x ShVAK 20mm cannon with 100 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 220 lb or 2x 551 lb or 2x 317 lb drop tanks, plus 6x 33lb RS-82 rockets

Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIC
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Scutts, Jerry; Hurricane In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications; Carrollton, TX; 1986.

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hannover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Sources:

The Mk.IIC, as the cannon-armed version was known, proved to be the most useful and widely used variant of the Hurricane, with
4,711 examples being produced. Additionally, most IIA and IIB machines were retroﬁtted with the IIC wing and were thus
redesignated as IIC models. In 1943 the IICs were themselves retroﬁtted with four rocket rails under each wing, allowing the plane
to carry eight air-to-ground 3" rockets.

The second stage resulted in the development of two diﬀerent wings, each of which was stressed to carry a pair of 500 lb. bombs.
The ﬁrst wing was ﬁtted with the originally intended twelve machine guns, however the second wing was designed around an
armament of four 20mm Hispano cannon.

Looking for a way to improve both the performance and the ﬁrepower of the Hurricane, Hawker engineers started work in January
1940 on a version to be powered by the new Merlin XX engine featuring a brace of twelve Browning .303 machine guns. The ﬁrst
stage of this development culminated in the introduction of the Hurricane Mk.IIA, which was ﬁtted with the new engine but retained
the eight-gun armament of the Mk.IA.

Speed - By mid-war, the Hurricane was outclassed by the German ﬁghters it was facing.

Speed

Durability

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
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Empty Weight: 5842 lb
MTOW: 7826 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Rolls-Royce Merlin-XX
Power: 2781 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 698 lb
External Fuel: 634 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIC
Length: 33.14 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 41.01 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 257 sq. ft
Service Date: April 1941
Primary Guns: 2x Hispano Mk.II 20mm cannon with 90 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Hispano Mk. II 20mm cannon with 90 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 250 lb or 2x 535 lb bombs or 2x 317 lb drop tanks, or 8 x 84 lb A2G rockets

Hawker Hurricane Mk.IID
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Scutts, Jerry; Hurricane In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1986.

Boyer, Chaz; Hurricane At War; The Promotional Reprint Company, London; 1997.

Sources:

The standard attack maneuver was to dive on the target from 5000 ft, which allowed the plane to get up to its maximum speed of
254 mph at sea level. The pilot would ﬁre .303 rounds until they hit the target then would pop oﬀ a pair of 40mm rounds, which
threw oﬀ his aim. The process of ﬁring and re-aiming could be done two or three times on each high speed pass, ensuring that a
good pilot could get at least two hits on his target, with devastating results.

Despite the removal of all but a pair of machine guns, the IID was still too heavy, so the armor plating for the engine, radiator, and
pilot compartment was removed. This made the IID extremely vulnerable to small caliber ground ﬁre. Still, despite these weight
savings, the IID was a full 1,000 pounds heavier than a fully loaded IIC, with the expected degradation in performance and
maneuverability.

Designated the Hurricane Mk.IID, the anti-tank ﬁghter was initially ﬁtted with a pair of belt-fed Rolls-Royce 40mm guns, but that was
soon supplanted by a pair of 40mm Vickers Type 'S' guns with a higher capacity 15-round drum feed. To accommodate the extra
weight of the Vickers guns the machine gun armament was reduced to a single Browning .303 in each wing for sighting purposes.

With the failures of the British tank industry to develop a main gun that could penetrate the panzers of the Afrika Korps, the military
services began looking for an alternative. Along with the various ad-hoc tank destroyers, made by mounting an anti-tank gun on the
back of a ﬂatbed truck, the RAF began experimenting with mounting anti-tank guns on the versatile Hurricane airframe.

Durability - With the armor plating removed, the Hurricane IID is very vulnerable to small caliber gunﬁre.

Speed

Durability

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Length: 33.14 ft
Wing Span: 41.01 ft
Wing Area: 257 sq. ft

2000

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Empty Weight: 6085 lb
MTOW: 7033 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Rolls-Royce Merlin-XX
Power: 2779 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 698 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Hawker Hurricane Mk.IID
Role: Fighter
Crew: 1
Service Date: September 1941
Primary Guns: 2x Browning 0.303" machine guns with 334 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Vickers 'Class S' 40mm cannon with 15 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: NA

98
Maneuverability

Ishak
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Stapfer, Hans-Heiri; Polikarpov Fighters In Action, Part 2; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1996.

Gordon; Yeﬁm and Khazanov, Dmitri; Soviet Combat Aircraft of the Second World War Volume One: Single-Engined Fighters; Midland
Publishing Limited, Leicester, England; 1998.

Sources:

The I-16 Type-28 had the M-62 engine replaced by the 1,100 hp Shvetsov M-63 and was accepted in the ﬁrst half of 1940. By this
time, over 2000 I-16s were in operation in the Soviet Air Force and it remained the principle type in service at the time of the
invasion.

The Type 17 saw the most radical improvement in ﬁrepower by replacing the wing-mounted machine-guns with 20mm ShVAK
cannon equipped with 150 rpg. But while the weight kept increasing with each new type, engine power was not keeping pace and
the top speed was now only 264 mph. The Type 18 was the answer to this need for more power. It used the new 1000 hp M-62
engine, another Wright-Cyclone based design. The M-62 was equipped with a two-stage supercharger and top speed was raised to
288 mph with the ceiling being increased to over 31,000 feet.

Improvements to the design and powerplant continued with each major revision being designated as a new "Type". The Type 6
introduced a more powerful, 730 hp version of the M-25 and the Type 10 added a pair of 7.62mm ShKAS machine-guns with 650
rpg in the cowl. The M-10 was also the ﬁrst version that could use retractable ski-landing gear, thus making the plane a true
"all-weather" ﬁghter.

The Type 5 also saw its armament improved by replacing the 7.62mm PV-1 machine guns, which had a rate-of-ﬁre of about 780
rounds per minute, with the new 7.62mm ShKAS machine-guns, which had a rate of ﬁre of about 1800 rounds per minute.
Additionally, racks under the wings were installed so that it could carry up to 440 lb. of bombs. The Type 5 was the principle version
ﬂown in combat in Spain and was still in active service when the Nazis invaded Russia on June 22, 1941.

Meanwhile, with diplomatic relations between the United States and Soviet Union thawing, the Soviet government obtained a license
to build a copy of the improved Wright-Cyclone SGP-1820-F3 engine. Designated the M-25 it was rated for 700 hp at take-oﬀ and
was ﬁnally cleared for production in October 1936. The ﬁrst version to use this new engine was the I-16 Type 5, which was able to
reach a top speed of 283 mph, about 50 mph faster than the Boeing P-26A Peashooter then in service with the US Army.

After replacing the fabric wing covering with stressed duralumin sheet and ﬁxing a few other bugs, acceptance trials were
successfully completed and production began on the I-16 Type 4 in 1934 at the GAZ-39 factory in Khodinka. Because the
Wright-Cyclone engine wasn't yet available in quantity, the Type 4 used the proven, but less-powerful M-22 engine.

The plane used a variety of construction methods, including an all-wood fuselage covered in birch ply skin and wings made of
two-stainless steel trussed spars with duralumin ribs and leading edges, all covered by fabric. The streamlining was made even
more eﬀective by the use of retractable landing gear, the ﬁrst to appear on a production ﬁghter. Initially the armament consisted of
a pair of 7.62mm PV-1 machine guns with 900 rpg mounted in the wings.

Convinced that the monoplane design was necessary in order to attain high speeds in a ﬁghter, Nikolai Polikarpov's design team was
commissioned to produce a monoplane ﬁghter in May 1933. The prototype was designed around two engines; with the TsKB-12
being based on the 480 hp M-22 nine-cylinder radial (a copy of the Bristol Jupiter VI) and the TsKB-12bis using the 600 hp
American-made Wright-Cyclone SGR-1820-F2 engine of the same conﬁguration.

Speed - The I-16 is the slowest ﬁghter in the game and can only outrun the slower, early war bombers such as the Stuka and Val.

Durability

Polikarpov I-16/28

40000
37500
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8000

2500

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Empty Weight: 3682 lb
MTOW: 5313 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Shvetsov M63
Power: 2296 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 403 lb
External Fuel: 634 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Polikarpov I-16/28 Ishak
Length: 20.11 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 29.53 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 160 sq. ft
Service Date: June 1939
Primary Guns: 2x ShKAS 7.62mm machine guns with 650 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x ShVAK 20mm cannon with 150 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 110 lb or 2x 220 lb or 2x 550 lb bombs or 2x 317 lb drop tanks, plus 6x 33 lb RS-82 rockets

100
Maneuverability

Stormovik
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Stapfer, Hans-Heiri; Il-2 Stormovik In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1995.

Gordon; Yeﬁm and Khazanov, Dmitri with Medved, Alexander; Soviet Combat Aircraft of the Second World War Volume Two:
Twin-Engined Fighters, Attack Aircraft and Bombers; Midland Publishing Limited, Leicester, England; 1999.

Sources:

The Il-10 made its ﬁrst combat sortie on February 18, 1945. However, problems with the engine prevented it from being widely
deployed before the war ended. Several Il-10s did operate against Japanese shipping in the two days following the USSR's
declaration of war and the Japanese surrender. This included a raid on the port of Rasin in which six Il-10s sunk a torpedo boat
destroyer and shot down a defending Japanese ﬁghter.

During the twisting, turning combat, which took place at low and medium altitudes, the La-5FN was only just barely able to get close
to the Il-10's tail once, and only after sharp, high-G maneuvering. By comparison, the Il-10 gunner's camera showed 10 clear ﬁring
opportunities on the ﬁghter. Popkov's comment after landing was, "It is a good attack aircraft, almost a ﬁghter and a deserving rival
for the La-5FN."

The reﬁned aerodynamic shape and extra power made the plane considerably more maneuverable as evidenced during a mock
combat between a La-5FN and an Il-10. The Il-10 was piloted by Captain A Sirotkin from the converted attack squadron while the
La-5FN was piloted by Hero Of The Soviet Union Captain V Popkov, who ended the war with 41 victories.

Numerous structural changes were made including a reduction in wingspan and overall length. The gunner's position now utilized a
VU-8 turret, which gave an excellent ﬁeld of ﬁre and also served to reduce drag. With many streamlining improvements the Il-10
had 50% less aerodynamic drag than the Il-2. This combined with the more powerful engine to give the Il-10 a top speed of 342
mph at sea level, an increase of 93 mph over the Il-2.

In August 1943 design work began on the replacement for the Il-2 utilizing the 2,000 hp Mikuln M-42 engine. As with the original
prototype of the IL-2, the Il-10 was designed to have an integrated armor system that enclosed both the pilot and gunner. As a
result, the gunner was moved forward from the Il-2 position so that he sat back-to-back with the pilot, separated by an armor plate.
The main fuel tank was moved from between the crew to the area between the cockpit and engine.

Speed - Despite being considerably faster than the Il-2, with a load of bombs and/or rockets the Il-10 is easy prey for marauding
ﬁghters.

Durability

Ilyshin IL-10

101

40000
37500
35000
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2500

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Empty Weight: 10692 lb
MTOW: 14330 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Mikulin AM-42
Power: 4100 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1142 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Ilyshin IL-10 Stormovik
Length: 36.48 ft
Role: Fighter Bomber
Wing Span: 43.96 ft
Crew: 2
Wing Area: 323 sq. ft
Service Date: January 1945
Primary Guns: 2x ShKAS 7.62mm machine guns with 750 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x VYa-23 23mm cannon with 150 rpg
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 4x 110 lb or 4x 220 lb or 2x 551 lb or 2x 1103 lb bombs, plus 8x 33 lb RS-82 or 8x 66 lb RS-132 rockets

102
Maneuverability

Stormovik 'Bark
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Stapfer, Hans-Heiri; Il-2 Stormovik In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1995.

Sources:

In a famous telegram threatening a factory director for not producing enough Il-2s, Stalin wrote that, "The Il-2 aircraft are necessary
for our Red Army now, like air, like bread." This was proven by its proliﬁc use with over 35,000 Il-2s being built, more than any other
aircraft in World War II.

Despite their heavy armor plating, Il-2s were vulnerable to enemy ground ﬁre and ﬁghters, with 1 in every 26 sorties resulting in a
lost plane. Early in the war, Il-2 pilots were awarded the "Hero Of The Soviet Union" medal upon the completion of just 10 successful
missions. Later this was raised to 100 missions, which gives an idea of the improvements to both the Il-2's survivability and the rise
in Soviet air superiority.

While production shifted to the Il-2M, a more satisfactory solution was devised. This included a more elevated gun position to allow
the gunner a better ﬁeld of ﬁre, a semi-enclosed gun position, and most notably, a distinct sweep back to the forward edge of the
outer wings. The Il-2 Type 3 also used an upgraded AM-38F engine, which put out more power at a lower compression ratio, thus
allowing the use of lower octane fuels.

In the end the gunner's position was placed outside of the integrated armor and was given its own armor plating. This caused the
center of gravity to be shifted dangerously to the rear and increased the total weight of the plane by almost 2,000 lb., necessitating
a reduction in the ammo load of the VYa-23s . Several minor modiﬁcations were made to improve stability, but the Il-2M, as it was
known, was ordered into production in order to get the rear defense to the front as soon as possible.

Ironically enough, the original design was to be a two-seater, but by now the production lines were running with single-seat versions
and designing an updated integral "tub" armor system was out of the question. Several attempts were made with various turrets
and installations at the factory, including the use of an M-82 radial engine to save weight.

Combat with the plane revealed several weaknesses, including a tendency of the wing-mounted ShVAK cannon to jam. This was
solved by the introduction of the new 23mm VYa cannon with 300 rpg. The bigger problem though was that the planes were
extremely vulnerable to attack from the rear. Because of their slow speeds and the inexperience of the pilots, they were sitting
ducks for the experienced Luftwaﬀe Jagdgruppen. The clamor from the front lines demanded some sort of rear defense.

Production was ﬁnally authorized in December 1940, but by the time the Nazis invaded there were only 18 aircraft in the hands of
the 4th Attack Air Regiment at Voronezh. These pilots had only had time to make a few circling ﬂights themselves and, being
originally intended as a training squadron, had no operational experience or even combat weapons training. However, the needs of
the situation threw them into the fray and they had to develop both the skills and tactics. Throughout the war Il-2 pilots would
always be under-trained with as little as ten hours type experience before being committed to combat.

On orders from the Commissar for the Red Air Force, the BSh (Boronirovaniy Stormovik - armored attack aircraft) was converted to a
single-seat version, along with other improvements called for by ﬂight testing of the prototype. The armament was improved to two
ShKAS 7.62mm machine-guns with 750 rpg and two PTB-23 cannon, but the recoil of the new cannon was twice as high as
promised and it was quickly replaced with the ShVAK 20mm cannon with 500 rpg.

Originally intended to use the AM-34FRN engine, it was changed to use the AM-35 high-altitude engine. However, the power drain
from driving the supercharger harmed low altitude performance. Additionally, the engine's critical altitude of 14,750 ft was far
higher than the plane's intended operating altitude. The Mikuln design team therefore set about making a non-supercharged
version of the engine, designated the AM-38, which was capable of putting out 1,600 hp.

In 1937 Sergei Ilyushin's idea of building a 'special low-altitude attack aircraft with powerful attack armament was approved for
experimental manufacture. Originally designed as a two-seat monoplane with semi-retractable landing gear, the most notable
feature was its integrated armor plating. The forward fuselage, from the engine to the crew compartment, was an armored steel tub
between 4-8mm thick, which could deﬂect .30 cal bullets as well as larger rounds ﬁred from an oblique angle.

Speed - With a top speed of a little over 200 mph, the Il-2 requires ﬁghter escort to make it to the target.

Durability

Ilyshin IL-2m3

103

40000
37500
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Empty Weight: 10141 lb
MTOW: 13228 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Mikulin AM-38F
Power: 3727 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1037 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Ilyshin IL-2m3 Stormovik 'Bark
Length: 38.22 ft
Role: Fighter Bomber
Wing Span: 47.90 ft
Crew: 2
Wing Area: 414 sq. ft
Service Date: December 1942
Primary Guns: 2x ShKAS 7.62mm machine guns with 750 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x VYa-23 23mm cannon with 150 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 4x 110 lb or 4x 220 lb or 2x 551 lb bombs or 8x 33 lb RS-82 or 6x 66 lb RS-132 rockets. Maximum load of 1500 lb.

104
Maneuverability

Jack
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

However, performance still fell well below speciﬁcations and the Navy decided to phase out the Raiden and to concentrate their
eﬀorts on the Kawanishi Shiden to ﬁll the interceptor role. A small number of Raidens served in the Philippines campaign where they
earned the code-name 'Jack', but most were used in the home defense role where their heavy armament and pilot protection made
them better suited to the bomber interception than to duty under tactical conditions.

By March 1944 only a little over 150 Raidens had been produced, the whole program being delayed by teething problems and the
priorities of other projects. Along with the introduction of the J2M2 to squadron service, the ﬁrst J2M3 was produced. While it
retained the same engine as the previous model, it had a stronger wing. The new wing allowed the armament to be improved by
removing the 7.7mm machine guns in the cowl and augmenting the two 20mm Type-I cannon in the wings with a pair of improved,
faster-ﬁring 20mm Type II cannon.

The second J2M2 was destroyed and the pilot killed shortly after take oﬀ on June 16, 1943. Mitsubishi engineers were unable to
determine the cause of the crash until the tenth J2M2 had a similar mid-air incident. Fortunately the pilot immediately put the
landing gear down and was able to make a safe landing. It was found that the tail-wheel shock strut was pressing against the
elevator controls when retracted, causing the plane to nose over and the problem was rectiﬁed immediately.

The J2M2 was accepted for service in October 1942, but again A6M priorities coupled with problems to delay production. The engine
smoked excessively at maximum power and at certain power settings sympathetic vibrations set in that in some cases shook the
plane apart in mid-air. This was ﬁxed by reducing the rigidity of the engine mounts while increasing the rigidity of the propeller
blades.

The ﬁrst change was to replace the Kasei 13 with a more powerful Kasei 23a modiﬁed to accept a water-methanol injection system.
The complicated and unreliable extension shaft was deleted and the cowl length was reduced to improve over-the-nose visibility.
The curved glass problem was ﬁxed by adopting a new canopy and windscreen that utilized optically ﬂat armored glass at a slight
cost in increased drag. To further improve speed, the collector exhaust was replaced with individual "ejector" stacks designed to
produce a small "jet" eﬀect.

As expected, pilots complained about the curved canopy glass that distorted their view during landings and the propeller pitch
change mechanism was unreliable. The speed and climb rate fell far short of speciﬁcations and so Mitsubishi was ordered to try and
improve on these characteristics.

The low-priority of the project combined with cooling and laminar ﬂow problems so that the ﬁrst J2M1 prototype wasn't ﬂown until
March 20, 1942. Numerous problems plagued development including the inability to raise the landing gear at speeds greater than
100 mph! However, the airframe was stable and had good controllability at all speeds from stall to 325 mph, with the ailerons
getting a little heavy over that speed, so the decision was made to go ahead with Service Trials.

Intended to use the same Mitsubishi Kasei engine as they had used in the Zero, the Raiden was designed for maximum streamlining
and drag reduction. The engine was mounted further back from the front of the cowl than normal, allowing the cowl to be tapered to
keep drag to a minimum. A long shaft connected the engine to the propeller gear and an engine driven fan was installed in front of
the engine to maximize airﬂow for cooling. The wing had a low aspect ratio and was designed with a laminar ﬂow cross-section,
while the cockpit canopy was low and wide with curved glass, all intended for drag reduction.

The speciﬁcation called for strict takeoﬀ performance characteristics, with the plane having to take oﬀ in overload condition in under
300m. With an endurance of 45 minutes, it was supposed to be able to attain a speed of 600 kph at 6,000m (373 mph at 19,685 ft)
and had to climb to that altitude in less than 5 1/2 minutes. For the ﬁrst time the Navy included a requirement for protective pilot
armor and, remarkably, the speciﬁcation included no maneuverability requirement at all.

Showing remarkable foresight, the JNAF decided to build a land-based interceptor, with Mitsubishi's Jiro Horikoshi being consulted
about the project as early October 1938. However, the needs of the A6M project kept the interceptor idea on hold until September
1939 when the speciﬁcations were ﬁrst drawn up.

Speed - A top speed of only 371 mph at altitude leaves the Jack outclassed by contemporary ﬁghters, which were well over 400 mph
by the time it saw service.

Durability

Mitsubishi J2M3

105

40000
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Length: 32.61 ft
Wing Span: 35.43 ft
Wing Area: 216 sq. ft

2000

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700

800

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5000

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7000

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8000

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7500

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Empty Weight: 5600 lb
MTOW: 7606 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Mitsubishi MK4R-A Kasei-23a
Power: 3749 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 924 lb
External Fuel: 403 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Mitsubishi J2M3 Jack
Role: Fighter
Crew: 1
Service Date: February 1944
Primary Guns: 2x Type 99-I 20mm cannon with 210 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Type 99-II 20mm cannon with 190 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 110 lb bombs or One 317 lb drop tank

106
Maneuverability

Tante Ju
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes Of The Third Reich; Doubleday & Company Garden City, New York, 1972.

Sources:

By this time, the g5e variant was in production. Changes from the g3e version included the elimination of the "dustbin" defensive
position in the belly of the plane, its ﬁrepower being replaced by a MG15 machine gun in a ﬂexible mount in each of the two side
windows. The g5e military transport variant was capable of carrying 18 fully laden combat paratroopers (limited in game to 10) or
almost 4,000 lb. of cargo. Even in this guise, the Ju-52 was still capable of carrying ten 110 lb. or two 551 lb. bombs instead of
cargo or troops. By the end of the war, the Ju-52 had served with distinction for long past its expected useful life.

By the start of the Second World War in September 1939, the Ju-52 had been almost completely supplanted in the bomber units by
newer designs. Existing models were turned over to the transport and training units and production was shifted to meet the new
need of supplying air transport for the ﬂedgling Fleigerkorps.

The Ju-52 was soon blooded in the Spanish Civil War, where it was used as both a troop transport and heavy bomber. Its ﬁrst
bombing mission took place on August 14, 1936, with the target being an airﬁeld near Madrid. Its operational life as a bomber
however, was rather short as it was soon replaced in the Condor Legion ranks by the new Heinkel He-111 and Dornier Do-17
designs.

Meanwhile, the still-secret Luftwaﬀe was building up their squadron strength with the Dornier Do-11 being planned to ﬁll the bomber
role. But production delays and unsatisfactory performance out of the expected bomber caused them to look for a suitable
substitute, with the Ju-52 being selected. Having already been planned for military usage, the conversion of the civil airliner into a
bomber was relatively easy. The three cargo bays, which had been previously used to hold luggage and air freight, were modiﬁed to
accept ten 110 lb. or two 551 lb. bombs each, for a total of 3,306 lb. of bombs. A bomb aiming station was installed beneath the
fuselage and a pair of defensive guns were added, one ﬂexibly mounted in a dorsal cutout atop the fuselage and the other in a
retractable "dustbin" behind the bomb aiming station.

After the war, Junkers turned his attention to building aircraft for civil use, but he soon became convinced that the potential military
market was as lucrative as the civil market was and all future designs were built with both civil and military needs in mind. First
ﬂown as a single-engine prototype in 1930, the Ju-52 airframe was adapted to accept three Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial
engines. The new plane ﬂew for the ﬁrst time in April 1931 and after a few minor modiﬁcations, was ordered by Lufthansa as a
passenger airliner.

The Junkers aircraft company was one whose history extended back to the years before World War I. Hugo Junkers, the company's
founder, patented a technique in 1910 to use corrugated sheet metal in the construction of aircraft. His "J" series of two-seat ground
attack planes were known for their rugged durability both from enemy ﬁre and the stresses associated with ﬂying.

Defensive Armament - Three .30 caliber machine guns is better than nothing, but not by much.

Durability

Junkers Ju-52/3mg5e

107

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
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25000
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20000
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15000
12500
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0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: 3 X BMW 132T-2
Power: 1707 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 3926 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Junkers Ju-52/3mg5e Tante Ju
Length: 62.01 ft
Role: Transport
Wing Span: 95.96 ft
Crew: 3
Wing Area: 1189 sq. ft
Service Date: August 1939
Primary Guns: NA
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 10x 121 lb or 2x 551 lb bombs in bomb bay or 3308 lb of freight or 10 paratroopers

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 14594 lb
MTOW: 22707 lb

108
Maneuverability

Stuka
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Filley, Brian; Ju-87 Stuka In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1986.

Sources:

Although the G series was successful against the tanks it faced, it needed local air superiority to operate with impunity and that
became increasingly rare as the Red Air Force increased in size and eﬀectiveness. Eventually, the tank-busting role was to be
largely replaced by the faster FW-190F and G models, but the Stuka continued to soldier on until the end of the war.

While the G-1 was a conversion, the G-2 was made on the production line using the basic D-5 airframe and extended wings. The
major diﬀerence, other than the wing, was that the wing bulge and fairing for the removed wing machine gun were themselves
removed for a slight reduction in drag.

Tests were successful and production began by converting ﬁnished D-3s to this role, the result being dubbed the Ju-87G-1. Several
G-1s were shipped to Russia to form Panzerjagdkommando Weiss for ﬁeld service evaluations. Among the pilots who ﬂew the new
machine was Hans-Ulrich Rudel, who was to eventually be credited with 519 tank kills while ﬂying the G-1.

Facing ever-increasing numbers of Russian tanks, the RLM considered using airborne, large bore, anti-tank cannons. One of the
planes considered for use in this role was the Ju-87 and so a production D-3 was ﬁtted with two 600 lb., 37mm Bk-37 cannons in
streamlined pods under the wings. Equipped with a pair of 6-round clips held in trays on each side of the weapon, the 3 lb. shells
used either Wolfram Core armor-piercing rounds or blunt-nosed High-Explosive shells for soft targets. To compensate for the
increased weight of the plane without bombs, one of the wing machine guns was removed with the other being retained for aiming
purposes.

Speed - With an unloaded top speed of only 255 mph at altitude, the Stuka needs skies cleared of enemy ﬁghters to make it to the
target and back.

Durability

Junkers Ju-87G-2

109

40000
37500
35000
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20000
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12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Power Plant: One Jumo211J-2
Power: 2887 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 1236 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Junkers Ju-87G-2 Stuka
Length: 34.45 ft
Role: Fighter Bomber
Wing Span: 46.26 ft
Crew: 2
Wing Area: 363 sq. ft
Service Date: February 1943
Primary Guns: One MG17 7.92mm machine gun with 900 rpg in wing
Secondary Guns: 2x Bord Kannon 3.7 cm cannon with 16 rpg under wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 551 lb or One 1103 lb bomb under fuselage.

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 8929 lb
MTOW: 10251 lb

110
Maneuverability

Stuka
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Most importantly the bomb load was greatly increased, the plane now being able to carry a maximum of 3,500 lb. without leaving

The ﬁrst Ju-87D-1 entered service with I/StG 2 on the Russian Front in January 1942. To solve drag problems, the large radiator under
the engine had been replaced with smaller radiators situated beneath the inboard wing panels. The canopy was redesigned with a
sharply tapered rear turret installation for reduced drag. This new position used a MG-81Z twin 7.9mm machine gun installation
with 1,000 rpg, but gunners hated the more cramped quarters they were forced to endure.

Although plans for a replacement were made as early as the end of the campaign in Poland the new designs, such as the Me-210,
were not anywhere near completion. So plans were made to improve the Ju-87 by using the 1,400 hp Jumo-211J, which became
available in February 1941. Among the requirements issued by RLM were to include signiﬁcant aerodynamic improvements, a
greatly increased Bomb Load, improved range, more armor protection and better defensive armament.

By December 1939, the upgraded 1,200 hp Jumo-211Da engine began arriving and production was converted to the B-2. However,
the new model wouldn't make it to front-line units until after the Battle of Britain, where they were largely used to replace the B-1s
lost in combat. Developed in parallel with the B-2, the Ju-87R was equipped with additional fuel tanks, being intended for the Long
Range role. Both the "B" and "R" models could be tropicalized for use in dusty and sandy conditions.

The more powerful engine allowed the full 1,100 lb. bomb load to be carried along with the gunner. Additionally, four ETC-50 bomb
racks were installed under the outer wing panels to allow for a 550 lb. main bomb to be supplemented with four 110 lb. secondary
bombs. B-1s began rolling oﬀ the assembly line in October 1938 and by the time the war started over 260 B-1s had been delivered
with Ju-87As being relegated to training duties.

Late in 1937 the A-2 began to come oﬀ the production line using the 680 hp Jumo-210Da, but further development hopes were
pinned on the 1,100 hp Jumo-211A. Introduced in the B-1 model, the new engine required a complete redesign of the cowl to
accommodate the oil cooler located atop the engine. At the same time the canopy was redesigned with the heavy central brace
being removed to improve visibility. But the most notable change was to the shape of the ﬁxed main gear as the heavily-braced
and cowled, forward-swept gear was replaced by a more vertical single cantilever legs with teardrop-shaped spats covering the tops
of the wheels.

The A-0 pre-production models began to roll oﬀ the assembly line before the end of 1936, quickly followed by production A-1s in
early 1937. In the spring I/StG 162 Immelmann started converting from their Hs-123s and later that year a Kette of three Ju-87A-1s
and pilots was sent to Spain to test combat tactics. Despite the maximum Bomb Load with gunner being only 550 lb. and having an
unloaded speed of only 199 mph, the Stuka proved immediately successful.

In addition to the new tail, the V-2 prototype utilized the 610 hp Jumo-210Aa engine. The inverted V shape of the engine enabled the
forward portion of the cowl to be sloped down, increasing over-the-nose visibility. In March the V-2 prototype entered the
"competition" and unsurprisingly won the production contract. The Stuka, as it came to be known by friends and enemies alike, was
equipped with a unique automatic pullout device, which was enabled by bomb release but could be easily over-ridden by the pilot
simply by taking control of the stick.

To save weight the landing gear was ﬁxed and to decrease drag the wings utilized an inverted gull conﬁguration. This allowed the
landing gear to be as short as possible while still allowing a large diameter propeller to be used. Initially ﬁtted with a twin-ﬁn tail
arrangement, the Ju-87V-1 ﬁrst ﬂew on September 17, 1935. But a fatal crash caused by the separation of the right ﬁn from the
horizontal stabilizer on January 24, 1936 resulted in a hasty redesign of tail into the familiar cruciform, with braced horizontal
stabilizers for additional strength during dive pullout.

Unsurprisingly, the Ju-87, as the design was known, won the competition handily, exactly matching the speciﬁcations that had been
devised based on its anticipated performance. Three months after being awarded the contract, the ﬁrst V-1 prototype was rolled out
of the factory. Owing to the lack of quality German engines, the V-1 prototype was powered by a 525 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel V-12
in-line engine.

The second phase of development envisaged an all-metal monoplane capable of carrying up to 1,100 lb. of bombs into combat. At
about this time, Hugo Junkers was forced into retirement because of his anti-Nazi political views and the company was taken over
by the government. Because of this direct control by RLM, the oﬃcial rules of competition were bypassed and Junkers started
development on their entry for the second phase before the speciﬁcation was even drawn up.

Having seen a demonstration of US Navy dive-bombing techniques, Ernst Udet was convinced that the same principle should be used
by the secret air force that was being assembled even before the Nazis came to power in 1933. The new RLM issued an order for a
two-phased development program to produce a Sturtzkampﬄugzeug, or diving battle plane. The ﬁrst phase was to employ a simple
biplane design to allow for training and the development of tactics, with the Henschel 123 being selected as the primary model for
this role.

Speed - With an unloaded top speed of only 255 mph at altitude, the Stuka needs skies cleared of enemy ﬁghters to make it to the
target and back.

Durability

Junkers Ju-87D3

111

40000
37500
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0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Name: Junkers Ju-87D3 Stuka
Length: 34.45 ft
Power Plant: One Jumo211J-2
Role: Diving Bomber
Wing Span: 45.28 ft
Power: 2887 lb s.t.
Crew: 2
Wing Area: 343 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 1236 lb
Service Date: July 1941
External Fuel: NA
Primary Guns: One MG17 7.92mm machine gun with 900 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: One MG17 7.92mm machine gun with 900 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: One 551 lb or One 1103 lb or One 2205 lb bomb under fuselage, plus 4x 551 lb or 2x 1103 lb bombs under wings. Maximum load of 3500 lb.

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 8708 lb
MTOW: 13448 lb

112

Junkers Ju-88A4
Firepower

Maneuverability

Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

Filley, Brian; Junkers Ju-88 In Action Part 1; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1988.

Sources:

Because of battle experiences with survivability, the defensive armament for the A-4 was considerably improved over that of the A-5.
The drum-fed MG-15s were replaced by belt-fed MG-81s, which also had a higher rate of ﬁre than the MG-15. Two MG-81s were
mounted in separate armored window bulges in the dorsal position, the ventral position got a MG-81Z twin-gun installation and the
nose gun was upgraded to a 13mm MG-131.

The Ju-88A-4 was to be the culmination of a series of improvements, including a revised wing with 5 feet longer span and 1,400 hp
Jumo-211F or J engines. The additional power allowed for the installation of increased armor protection for the crew. However,
problems with the new engines delayed the project and the Luftwaﬀe ordered the improvements incorporated into the production
line utilizing the existing engines. This version was designated the A-5 and deliveries began in time to see service in the Battle of
Britain.

Deliveries of the production A-1 models commenced in August 1939 and I/KG 30 made its ﬁrst operational sortie with a mixture of
A-0 and A-1 models on September 26, 1939. Despite its operational status, the A-1 had plenty of problems, which were to be
resolved in the next main production model. But meanwhile, the A-2 was introduced using the Jumo-211G-1 engine and attachment
points for rocket-assisted take-oﬀ boosters. The A-3 was a trainer with dual controls and instruments.

Now being powered by 1,200 hp Jumo-211B-1 engines, the plane was outﬁtted with dive brakes and automatic pullout gear similar to
that installed in the Ju-87. Provision was made for three defensive MG-15 machine guns, one in the nose operated by the
bombardier, one in the dorsal position operated by the engineer and the last in the ventral position operated by the radio operator.
The nose gun could be clamped down and used as a ﬁxed gun ﬁred by the pilot. Two internal bomb bays could house up to
twenty-eight 110 lb. bombs or additional fuel tanks and two external racks could each carry a 1,100-lb. bomb. The maximum bomb
load was 3,960 lb. under normal conditions and up to 5,284 lb. under short-range overload conditions.

The ﬁrst prototype, powered by two 1,000 hp Daimler-Benz DB-600Aa engines, was ﬁrst ﬂown on December 21, 1936. The ﬁrst
prototype had the cockpit glass work barely protruding above the fuselage deck and a pointed nose for optimal aerodynamics.
However, visibility was poor and the fourth prototype adopted the familiar glass-nosed and raised-cockpit shape that it would
become recognized by. The ﬁfth prototype was used for winning a speed record and utilized a pointed nose again, but the sixth
prototype, which ﬁrst ﬂew on June 18, 1938, was the ﬁrst of the A-0 pre-production machines.

The Junkers Company wanted to win this contract and hired designers W.H. Evers and Alfred Gassner, each of whom had experience
working with stressed-aluminum skin construction in the United States. Two design proposals were submitted, one with a twin- tail
arrangement called the Ju-85 and another with a single rudder called the Ju-88. RLM approved the Ju-88 design and ordered three
prototypes to be constructed.

In 1935 the RLM requested submissions from the major German aircraft manufacturers for a schnellbomber, literally a fast-bomber,
with a top speed of 310 mph and a bomb carrying capacity of at least 1,100 lb. Focke-Wulf declined to enter the competition but
designs were submitted by Messerschmitt, Henschel and Junkers.

Defensive Firepower - The Ju-88 has many blind spots in its defensive screen and can be brought down quite easily.

Speed

Durability

113

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1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

Name: Junkers Ju-88A4
Length: 47.05 ft
Power Plant: 2 X Jumo 211J-1
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 65.75 ft
Power: 2768 lb s.t.
Crew: 4
Wing Area: 587 sq. ft
Internal Fuel: 4632 lb
Service Date: February 1941
External Fuel: 2858 lb
Primary Guns: One MG81 7.92mm ﬂex or ﬁxed with 750 rpg in windscreen
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 10x 121 lb or 2x 551 lb bombs in bomb bay, plus 4x 551 lb or 4x 1102 lb bombs or 2x 1790 lb F5b torpedo or 2x 1429 lb drop tanks on external wing racks

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Empty Weight: 19400 lb
MTOW: 29542 lb

114
Maneuverability

Tony
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

The appearance of the new Tony came as a complete and unpleasant surprise to Allied aircrews and Japanese pilots hailed it as the
best and most reliable ﬁghter they had. Its easy handling characteristics were particularly welcome to the Army as younger pilots
often had less than 100 hours total ﬂight time before being assigned to combat units.

Due to the lighter weight of the engine, the plane came in at about 800 lb. less than the Ha-140 powered Ki-61. The power output
was the same and performance was identical in all respects except top speed, which was reduced somewhat due to the additional
drag of the radial engine. Eventually 271 Ki-61-II airframes would be converted to Ki-100s with the remainder Ki-100s being
purpose-built.

Being designed around an inline engine, the Ki-61-II airframe was only 2'9" in diameter where the engine was mounted. All other
engines of similar size were already spoken for and the only engine of even similar diameter and power output was the 4 foot
diameter Ha-112-II radial engine then being used for bombers. After studying the FW-190A engine mount, which also married a
large engine to a small airframe, work began on three Ki-61-II-KAI airframes. The result was called the Ki-100 and ﬁrst took ﬂight on
February 1, 1945.

By June 1944 the problem of home defense was becoming acute and while good engine-less airframes were sitting unused at the
factory, operational Sentais were being forced to use older, less capable planes. Finally, in November 1944 the Munitions Ministry
instructed Kawasaki to search for a suitable replacement for the ill-fated Ha-140.

With improvements to the wing and an increase in fuselage length, the Ki-61-II-KAI was ready for production, but the engines were
still having problems. However, the Ministry of Munitions was conﬁdent that the engine problems would be solved and ordered
Kawasaki to start building airframes.

Seeking to upgrade the output of the 1,100 hp Ha-40 engine, Kawasaki started working on a 1,500 hp replacement, the Ha-140. This
new engine was intended to be used in an upgraded version of the Ki-61 with larger wings for improved maneuvering. However, the
engine encountered terrible teething problems, including a weak crankshaft and the wings were subject to failure during
high-performance altitude testing.

Performance - By the time it reached front-line service, it was totally outclassed by Allied ﬁghters at all altitudes.

Durability

Kawasaki Ki-100-Ia

115

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 5489 lb
MTOW: 7937 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Mitsubishi Ha-112-II
Power: 3306 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 966 lb
External Fuel: 634 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Kawasaki Ki-100-Ia Tony
Length: 29.27 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 39.37 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 215 sq. ft
Service Date: April 1945
Primary Guns: 2x Ho-103 Type 1 12.7mm machine guns with 250 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Ho-5 Type 1 20mm cannon with 200 rpg in cowl
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 220 lb 2x 550 lb bombs or 2x 317 lb drop tanks under wings

116
Maneuverability

Oscar
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Human Acts in the History, Paciﬁc War Series, Vol. 52, Type 1 Fighter "Hayabusa"; Gakken, Tokyo, Japan; 2005.

Famous Airplanes of the World, No. 65, Army Type 1 Fighter "Hayabusa"; Bunrindo, Tokyo, Japan; 1997.

Nozawa, Tadashi; Encyclopedia of Japanese Aircraft 1900-1945, Vol.5, Nakajima Aircrafts; Shuppan-Kyodo Publishers, Tokyo, Japan;
1983.

Military Magazine "Maru" Editorial Desk; Mechanism of Military Aircraft, No. 12, "Hayabusa" / "Shoki" / Type 97 Fighter; Kojinsha,
Tokyo, Japan; 2000.

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

But by this time, JAAF pilots were facing faster and more heavily armed American and Australian planes and the type was
outclassed. However, more Ki-43s served in the JAAF than any other plane and it continued to be improved and produced
throughout the war. After the war, salvaged Hayabusas were used by the Indonesian People's Security Force against the Dutch and
by the French against Communist insurgents in Indo-China.

Five Ki-43-Is were ﬁtted with the 1,150 hp Ha-115 radial engine in February 1942 and after dealing with a few minor engine teething
problems, the upgrade was deemed successful and production of the Ki-43-IIa was ordered in November. To help improve low
altitude speed, the wingspan was reduced by about 2 feet. Additionally, the wing was strengthened to allow a 250 kg. bomb to be
carried under each wing outboard of the landing gear legs. Just as important, a rudimentary form of self-sealing fuel tank was
installed as well as 13mm armor plate for the pilot.

Although it lacked self-sealing fuel tanks or pilot armor and the armament was weak, particularly on the -Ia, the Ki-43 was a shocking
success in the early part of the war. When it was seen in the Southwest Paciﬁc it was code-named 'Oscar' and when seen in China it
was thought to be a diﬀerent plane and given the code-name 'Jim'. But the 'Oscar' designation was retained when it was learned
that the two planes were the same.

The Ki-43-Ia model was powered by a 950 hp Nakajima Ha-25 radial engine and was armed with a pair of 7.7mm Type 89 machine
guns in the cowl. This model was delivered to the 59th and 64th Sentais, which were moved to China shortly before Pearl Harbor.
Alternative versions were also coming oﬀ the assembly line, the -Ib with a single 7.7mm and a 12.7mm machine gun, and the -Ic
with two 12.7mm Ho-103s.

The JAAF decided to test another ten planes and Nakajima was ordered to build them in November 1939. The eighth of these
prototypes was ﬁtted with an experimental Nakajima Ha-105 radial engine and a pair of 12.7mm machine guns in place of the 7.7s.
But the next prototype was to see the introduction of butterﬂy type ﬂaps that could be deployed in combat to improve lift and turn
rate. This arrangement proved popular with pilots and following extensive tests, the Koku Hombu ordered the Ki-43 put into
production.

Within a year the team of designers, led by Hideo Itokawa, had completed the ﬁrst prototype, which was rolled out of the factory on
December 12, 1938. Over the next several months the company tested the new prototype, which was joined by two others, and a
short time later the three prototypes were shipped to the JAAF for Service Trials. The plane met all the requirements except that
pilots, still thinking that future combats would be classic turn ﬁghts, were unhappy with its maneuverability.

By 1937, the Japanese Army had abandoned the use of competitive contracts to obtain aircraft designs and Nakajima was ordered to
build a new ﬁghter to replace the Ki-27 then in service. The speciﬁcations called for a ﬁghter capable of reaching a top speed of 500
kph (311 mph), a climb rate of 5 minutes to 5,000m (16,405 ft), a range of 800 km, an armament of two 7.7mm machine guns and
maneuverability at least as good as the Ki-27.

Firepower - A mere two 12.7mm machine guns leaves the Oscar incapable of doing much damage to enemy planes.

Durability

Nakajima Ki-43-IIa Hayabusa

117

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

1000

100

200

2000

300

3000

400

600

700

800

4000

5000

6000

7000

40000
37500
35000
32500
30000
27500
25000
22500
20000
17500
15000
12500
10000
7500
5000
2500
0

8000

2500

5000

9000

7500

10000

Empty Weight: 4387 lb
MTOW: 6448 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Nakajima Ho-115-1
Power: 2172 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 855 lb
External Fuel: 634 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Nakajima Ki-43-IIa Hayabusa Oscar
Length: 29.27 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 35.53 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 230 sq. ft
Service Date: October 1942
Primary Guns: One Ho-103 Type 1 12.7mm machine gun with 270 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: One Ho-103 Type 1 12.7mm machine gun with 270 rpg in cowl
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 220 lb or 2x 551 lb bombs or 2x 317 lb drop tanks

118
Maneuverability

Tojo
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Military Magazine "Maru" Editorial Desk; Mechanism of Military Aircraft, No. 12, "Hayabusa" / "Shoki" / Type 97 Fighter; Kojinsha,
Tokyo, Japan; 2000.

Famous Airplanes of the World, No. 16, Army Type 2 Fighter "Shoki"; Bunrindo, Tokyo, Japan; 1989.

Nozawa, Tadashi; Encyclopedia of Japanese Aircraft 1900-1945, Vol.5, Nakajima Aircrafts; Shuppan-Kyodo Publishers, Tokyo, Japan;
1983.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

The Ki-44-IIc was introduced with four 12.7mm Ho-103 guns. Even with this armament, it was not enough powerful against the B-29s.
20mm cannons were requested by the pilots, but in the end were not used in the -II series.

Despite being the fastest ﬁghter in either Army or Navy service, the plane was incapable of catching up with the Army's Ki-46
reconnaissance plane. Nakajima responded by installing a more powerful engine, the Ha-109, which had the same dimensions as
the Ha-41 and thus required no changes to the airframe. Production of this version, known as the Ki-44-IIa, commenced in August
1942 with armament similar to the -Ia variant. Few -IIa's were built with production shifting almost immediately to the Ki-44-IIb,
which was armed with only a pair of 12.7mm machine guns in the cowl and no guns in wings.

By September 1942 all trials and tests had been completed satisfactorily and the Army accepted the plane into service. The initial
version, which had been in production since January and known as the Ki-44-Ia, was ﬁtted with a pair of 7.7mm machine guns in the
cowl and a 12.7mm machine gun in each wing. The next variant, the Ki-44-Ib, had the 7.7mm guns replaced by 12.7mm models for
a total of four 12.7mm guns.

Performance trials of the new design proved disappointing. The plane failed to meet the required speed and time to altitude trials
and along with diﬃculties in the Ki-43 project, Nakajima was in trouble. Back in the factory numerous changes were made to the
cowl in an eﬀort to improve streamlining and coax some more speed out of the design. After installing a new ﬁrewall for improved
cooling, ﬁve cooling vents on the side of the cowl were able to be covered over and with the reduced drag, the Ki-44 was able to
exceed the performance requirements speciﬁed by the Army.

Nakajima decided to base the new design around their own Ha-41 engine, a large fourteen-cylinder engine used primarily on
bombers. The new design featured a streamlined cowl and a broad fuselage side and large tail ﬁn to provide for a more stable gun
platform.

Faced with an increase in B-29 raids from China and the Marianas, the Japanese Army issued speciﬁcations for a high-speed,
high-altitude ﬁghter capable of intercepting the American bombers. Unlike other design speciﬁcations issued by the Japanese armed
forces, this one emphasized speed and climb rate over all other considerations.

Maneuverability - With wing loading higher than contemporary US Navy ﬁghters, the Ki-44 pilot is best advised to use energy ﬁghting
tactics except when dealing with the heavier and faster late-war designs.

Durability

Ki-44-IIc Shoki

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Empty Weight: 4674 lb
MTOW: 6393 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Nakajima Ha-109
Power: 3176 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 802 lb
External Fuel: 415 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Ki-44-IIc Shoki Tojo
Length: 28.74 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 31.00 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 161 sq. ft
Service Date: February 1943
Primary Guns: 2 x Ho-103 12.7 mm machine guns with 250 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2 x Ho-103 12.7 mm machine guns with 250 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 110 lb or 2x 220 lb bombs or 2x 207 lb drop tanks

120
Maneuverability

Tojo
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Military Magazine "Maru" Editorial Desk; Mechanism of Military Aircraft, No. 12, "Hayabusa" / "Shoki" / Type 97 Fighter; Kojinsha,
Tokyo, Japan; 2000.

Famous Airplanes of the World, No. 16, Army Type 2 Fighter "Shoki"; Bunrindo, Tokyo, Japan; 1989.

Nozawa, Tadashi; Encyclopedia of Japanese Aircraft 1900-1945, Vol.5, Nakajima Aircrafts; Shuppan-Kyodo Publishers, Tokyo, Japan;
1983.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

A small number of -IIc's were converted to use the 37mm Ho-203 cannon in the wings. This high velocity weapon had a range of
1,000 meters and ﬁred a high explosive projectile weighing almost half a kilogram. Each cannon was fed by a belt containing only
25 rounds, but it could ﬁre only about 2 rounds per second, so pilots had to be sure of their aim.

A small number of -IIb variants used the unique Ho-301 40mm cannon in the wings. This gun was unique in that it used caseless
ammunition, the propellant charge being contained in the projectile itself. However, the muzzle velocity was so low that the
weapon only had an eﬀective range of 150 meters, making it virtually useless against the heavily defended American bombers.

Durability

Ki-44-IIc37 Shoki

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Empty Weight: 4918 lb
MTOW: 6526 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Nakajima Ha-109
Power: 3176 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 802 lb
External Fuel: 415 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Ki-44-IIc37 Shoki Tojo
Length: 28.74 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 31.00 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 161 sq. ft
Service Date: May 1943
Primary Guns: 2 x Ho-103 Type 3 12.7mm machine guns with 250 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2 x Ho-203 37mm cannons with 25 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 110 lb or 2x 220 lb bombs or 2x 207 lb drop tanks

122
Maneuverability

Tony
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

Production of the Ki-61-Id began in January 1944 and over half of all Ki-61s produced were of this type. The type saw action in the
New Guinea and Rabaul area but was most active in the Philippines and over Formosa before being relegated to home defense.

To improve oﬀensive armament, 388 Ki-61-Ibs were modiﬁed to accept a 20mm Mauser MG-151 in each wing. This necessitated
mounting the guns on their sides with bulges in the wings to cover the breeches. However, this was only a temporary solution until
the 20mm Ho-5 cannon was available for production. The Ki-61-Id was thus produced with a pair of these guns replacing the
machine guns in the cowl.

After successful service trials production was ordered late in 1942 and the ﬁrst deliveries were made in February 1943. Two models
were produced, the 1A with the original armament and the 1B with the 7.7mm machine guns in the wings being replaced with
12.7mm models. Combat operations began two months later with 68th and 78th Sentais in New Guinea. The plane immediately
proved to be much more suited to combat against the faster American and Australian planes than the Ki-43s then in service.

Pre-production testing revealed a top speed of 367 mph at 19,685 feet and while pilots were wary of the high wing loading of almost
30 lb./sq.ft., they were highly impressed with the plane's high diving speed, its armor protection and its armament. In competitive
trials against an imported Bf-109E, a Ki-43-II, a Ki-44-I, and a captured P-40E, the Ki-61 was judged to be the best overall weapon of
the group.

The Ki-61 showed its European inﬂuence, using a wing of high-aspect ratio and large area to provide maximum maneuverability and
fuel economy. Particular attention was paid to streamlining and drag reduction as well as keeping weight down to a minimum.
Armed with a pair of 12.7mm machine guns in the cowl and a pair of 7.7mm machine guns in the wings, the ﬁrst prototype was
ﬂown in December 1941.

The Ha-40, as the copy was known, had an output of 1,100 hp and was proposed to be used in two diﬀerent ﬁghter designs - the
Ki-60 heavy interceptor and the Ki-61 light, multi-role ﬁghter. With the success stories coming out of Europe of inline engine
ﬁghters, the Koku Hombu approved the latter of the two designs.

The Kawasaki company had long been a proponent of the use of liquid-cooled engines for ﬁghters and was sorely disappointed when
their Ki-28 design lost out to Nakajima's Ki-27. Looking for a better alternative to the BMW V-1 they had been using, they entered
negotiations with Daimler-Benz to build the DB-601A under license. Negotiations were completed in April 1940 and they received
both blueprints and working examples to use for production templates.

Speed - Its top speed of only 302 mph at sea level and 366 mph at altitude means that the Tony has to rely on outmaneuvering
planes of its era.

Durability

Kawasaki Ki-61-Id

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Empty Weight: 5622 lb
MTOW: 7782 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: One Kawasaki Ha-40
Power: 2602 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 966 lb
External Fuel: 634 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Kawasaki Ki-61-Id Tony
Length: 29.33 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 39.37 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 215 sq. ft
Service Date: January 1944
Primary Guns: 2x Ho-103 Type 1 12.7mm machine guns with 250 rpg in wings
Secondary Guns: 2x Ho-5 Type 1 20mm cannon with 120 rpg in cowl
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 551 lb bombs or 2x 317 lb drop tanks under wings

124
Maneuverability

Peggy
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Green, William; Famous Bombers of the Second World War. Second Series; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

Production of the Hiryu was given highest priority and several Mitsubishi plants were assigned to build them. However, a massive
B-29 raid combined with the devastating Earthquake of December 1944 to completely wreck the Oe-Machi plant, thus shifting all
production to the Chita factory. Production was also hampered by a shortage of engines caused by the other projects that were all
vying for the Ha-104.

First encountered during the furious air-sea battle fought oﬀ Formosa in 1944, the Allies identiﬁed it as a new Naval type. However,
downed examples in China and captured planes in the Philippines revealed its true identity. They also revealed the JAAF's newfound
dedication to aircraft survivability and marked the resurgence of the JAAF, which had lagged the JNAF in aircraft development, from
laughing-stock to a serious threat.

To augment JNAF anti-shipping capabilities, the Army ordered that 100 planes be produced with torpedo racks. But after successful
torpedo testing, the contract for 100 special torpedo carriers was canceled and all Ki-67s were ordered to be so equipped, resulting
in the model change from -Ia to -Ib.

Understandably the Army was excited about the project and despite entering production in 1943, an endless series of modiﬁcations
conspired to keep production down. By April 1944 a mere twenty-one planes had been built and so the Army froze development to
increase production. However, modiﬁcations continued to be made and incorporated into production until the end of the war.

Cheating somewhat on the speciﬁcation, the team opted to use the new Ha-104 18-cylinder radial engine then under development at
Mitsubishi. Equipped with a two-speed supercharger and fan assisted cooling, the Ha-104 could produce 1,900 hp for take-oﬀ. First
ﬂown on December 27, 1942 the Ki-67 handled remarkably well, being capable of doing loops and vertical turns when not carrying
bombs.

Mitsubishi assembled a team of their best designers under Chief Engineer Ozawa Kyonosuke, who had become known for his work on
the Ki-21 bomber. Joining Ozawa was Yoshio Tsubota, a young engineer who had been trained at the California Institute of
Technology. Given free-reign to meet the speciﬁcation, the team gave a high priority to crew and fuel tank protection, with
three-ply rubber sheeting being applied to all fuel and oil tanks, plus armor protection for the crew. As important in the long run, the
plane was designed for modular construction, allowing it to be constructed in dispersed facilities.

With Nakajima's Ki-49 starting to replace their Ki-21 in JAAF service, Mitsubishi feared that they were about to lose their position as
chief bomber supplier to the Army. So when the Army issued a speciﬁcation in 1941 for a heavy-bomber able to carry more bombs
and ﬂy further, higher and faster than anything else then in service, they jumped on the opportunity.

Bomb Load - With a maximum load of only 2,200 lb. the Peggy needs to run at least two missions to equal one of its contemporaries.

Durability

Mitsubishi Ki-67

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Empty Weight: 19621 lb
MTOW: 28660 lb

Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

Power Plant: 2 X Mitsubishi Ha-104
Power: 4168 lb s.t.
Internal Fuel: 6156 lb
External Fuel: NA

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Mitsubishi Ki-67 Peggy
Length: 62.66 ft
Role: Medium Bomber
Wing Span: 73.82 ft
Crew: 7
Wing Area: 708 sq. ft
Service Date: July 1944
Primary Guns: NA
Secondary Guns: NA
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 8x 220 lb or 4x 551 lb or 2x 1103 lb or 2x 1764 lb bombs or One 2031 lb torpedo

126
Maneuverability

Frank
Firepower

Speed
Ground Attack

Climb Rate

Human Acts in the History, Paciﬁc War Series, Vol. 31, Experimental Fighters of Army and Navy; Gakken, Tokyo, Japan; 2001.

Human Acts in the History, Paciﬁc War Series, Vol. 46, Type 4 Fighter "Hayate"; Gakken, Tokyo, Japan; 2004.

Military Magazine "Maru" Editorial Desk; Mechanism of Military Aircraft, No. 7, "Hayate" / Type 97 Heavy Bomber / Type 2 Flying-boat;
Kojinsha, Tokyo, Japan; 1999.

Famous Airplanes of the World, No. 19, Army Type 4 Fighter "Hayate"; Bunrindo, Tokyo, Japan; 1989.

Nozawa, Tadashi; Encyclopedia of Japanese Aircraft 1900-1945, Vol.5, Nakajima Aircrafts; Shuppan-Kyodo Publishers, Tokyo, Japan;
1983.

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Paciﬁc War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Sources:

Five weeks after being sent to China, the 22nd Sentai was transferred to the Philippines where they joined ﬁve other Hayate Sentais
in head-to-head combat with the best Allied ﬁghters of the time. Quickly dubbed the 'Frank' by the Allies, it was found to be slower
than the P-51s and P-47s it faced, but could climb and turn much quicker than either American ﬁghter and was therefore considered
a formidable opponent. However, the engine was diﬃcult to maintain and the hydraulic system suﬀered from sudden failures. This
combined with a weak main gear that often collapsed on landing, caused by poor manufacturing standards, to render many aircraft
unserviceable without even having seen action.

Eighty-three pre-production machines were built between August 1943 and March 1944, with minor changes to the structure being
made throughout the process. Upon completion of Service Trials the Ministry of Munitions ordered the plane into production as the
Ki-84-Ia. A second batch of pre-production machines was then started with the ﬁnal changes to the airframe structure, which
included a rack under each wing capable of carrying a 300 liter drop tank or a 250 kg. bomb. The experimental Chutai, which had
operated the Ki-84 during Service Trials, was disbanded with most members being used to form the 22nd Sentai, which was
equipped with Hayates and shipped to China to face oﬀ against Chenault's 14th Air Force.

Design work began in early 1942 and in April 1943 the ﬁrst prototype, powered by the 18-cylinder Ha-45 radial engine, took to the
air. Testing proceeded smoothly and by June the ﬁrst machines were handed over to the JAAF for Service Trials. Pilots by now were
recognizing the value of speed and durability and although the top speed was a bit lower than required, at 624 kph (388 mph) it
was the best plane the Army had available for immediate production.

Ki-43s were only just starting to see action when the Koku Hombu ordered Nakajima to develop a replacement. The speciﬁcations
called for a top speed of at least 640 kph (398 mph) and range long enough to allow it to operate at combat settings for 1 1/2 hours
400 km from base. Provision for pilot armor and self-sealing fuel tanks was required and the armament was to consist of a pair of
12.7mm Ho-103 machine guns in the cowl and a pair of 20mm Ho-5 cannon in the wings.

Ground Attack - With a capacity of only two 550 lb. bombs, the Frank-Ia is a less capable ﬁghter-bomber than contemporary planes.

Durability

Nakajima Ki-84-1a Hayate

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Climbrate [fpm] vs Altitude[feet]

10000

Power Plant: One Nakajima Ha-45/21
Empty Weight: 6195 lb
Power: 3948 lb s.t.
MTOW: 8929 lb
Internal Fuel: 1126 lb plus 282 lb of methanol-water mixture
External Fuel: 634 lb

Fuel Range [miles] vs Altitude[feet]

500

Speed [mph] vs Altitude[feet]

Name: Nakajima Ki-84-1a Hayate Frank
Length: 32.58 ft
Role: Fighter
Wing Span: 36.81 ft
Crew: 1
Wing Area: 226 sq. ft
Service Date: June 1944
Primary Guns: 2x Ho-103 Type 1 12.7mm machine guns with 350 rpg in cowl
Secondary Guns: 2x Ho-5 Type 1 20mm cannon with 150 rpg in wings
Defensive Guns: NA
Ordnance: 2x 220 lb or 2x 550 lb bombs or 2x 317 lb drop tanks

128
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