The Heinkel He 177 was Germany’s only long-range heavy bomber produced in significant numbers. Regardless, this aircraft would soon contribute to Germany’s defeat by sucking up enormous resources into an ineffective and compromised project. Confusing Designation Most of the crashes the He 177 suffered were from mechanical failures. Engine troubles plagued the aircraft, stemming from […] More
Can one American Carrier Strike Group successfully go up against Japan’s entire Navy? Spring of 1942 Japan sets its sights on the Hawaiian archipelago. In response, the CSG deploys an E-2C Hawkeye for surveillance and a handful of helicopters during its downtime. A CSG’s Air Wing carries around 6 to 20 helicopters, depending on the […] More
Air combat during WWII was dominated by propeller-driven aircraft. Regardless, the Allies were still cautious about the fact that the Germans had jets in their arsenal. In lieu of this, they decided to make one of their own. It would be called the Gloster Meteor and was the Allies’ only jet aircraft to engage in […] More
The Junkers Ju 287 was Germany’s attempt to make a multi-engined jet bomber. Here are five facts about their forward-swept-winged franken-jet: 1. Made up of various parts from different planes Its fuselage came from the He 177 Greif heavy bomber, the nosewheels from scavenged B-24 Liberators, the undercarriage of the Ju 352, and the tail […] More
The British-made Martin-Baker MB.5 was designed to replace the Spitfire. It was even described as having excellent performance and flight characteristics by its test pilots. But why was it never built? 1. The second prototype was delayed Martin-Baker’s MB 3 prototype crashed during a test flight on September 12, 1942. Its test pilot/co-founder of the […] More
Creating a hypersonic missile involves solving a lot of extremely difficult problems. Yes, hypersonic technology is the future, but its utility is still up for debate. Here’s why: 1. What goes up, must come down To approach its target, the hypersonic missile would eventually need to come down to the warmer and denser atmosphere. The […] More
Northrop’s P-61 Black Widow was effectively used by USAF squadrons in Europe and the Pacific Theaters during WWII. This all-metal fighter wasn’t produced in large numbers compared to its contemporaries, yet left a big impact on the war. Here’s ten interesting facts about America’s storied night fighter: 1. First warbird designed as a night fighter […] More
German Panzer and Tiger tanks were amongst the best the world has ever seen during WWII. These tanks had heavy protection from the front and sides, making it harder for American tanks to score a fatal hit. However, these German tanks had one big weakness – they were incredibly vulnerable from the top. Growing Restless […] More
Germany was in possession of the world’s first operational jet-powered bomber. Fast, graceful, and maneuverable – yet its existence is glossed over when discussing WWII-era planes. Here’s 10 things you need to know about Arado Ar 234, the world’s first jet bomber. First envisioned as a reconnaissance aircraft The Ar 234 was made in response […] More
NASA has been a part of countless bizarre experiments all done in the name of advancing our understanding of aeronautics. In order to do this, they would oftentimes have to dig deep in their bag of tricks to push the limits of our current technology. One of these experiments included designing a variable sweep wing […] More
RMS Laconia was carrying almost 2,800 passengers when it was hit by a German U-boat off the coast of West Africa on September 12, 1942. Among those aboard the British troopship were thousands of Italian prisoners, Allied soldiers, and crewmembers. Returning Back When U-156 surfaced, its captain Werner Hartenstein, saw over 2,000 people struggling in […] More
The US Navy’s convoy ships were extremely vulnerable during WWII. Their ships were particularly having a hard time against air attacks, so a bunch of companies proposed their design for a defensive fighter/interceptor. Glenn Martin entered the competition with their optimistic design – the Martin 262. Three Different Designs During its development phase, Martin created […] More
