Ing. Vladimír Valchař
On 17 November 1944, the prototype of the Boeing XF8B-1 airborne fighter aircraft took to the air for the first time. The emergence and development of the aircraft brought several interesting facts that are worth recalling.
The United States was rapidly awakening to the effects of the war, and while trying to maintain neutrality, the Navy, for example, was aware of the dire fact that German submarines in the Atlantic were operating on the border of American territorial waters. The Naval Air Force did not have in its arsenal suitable patrol aircraft with great endurance of flight. Such aircraft would be needed in the Pacific as well, and tensions were rising every day. The need for these patrol aircraft resulted in June 29, 1940 in the order of a prototype of a large long-range patrol flying boat at Boeing, the prototype was designated XPBB-1.
Dornier's Pfeil was a very powerful machine, which was also structurally different from other twin-engined aircraft of this category, so it was a logical decision to start building two-seat trainer aircraft, on which pilots could more easily gain the necessary experience. In order to speed up development, all two-seat aircraft were converted from single-seat machines.
In September 1926, shortly after the destruction of the Kaibo Ginkai KB experimental seaplane, the Kaibo Gikai Voluntary Committee decided to build another large seaplane. The new seaplane was to be built on the basis of a completely new design. This construction had several goals, on the one hand, designers and technicians were to gain experience with the design and construction of all-metal flying boats, and on the other, naval pilots and mechanics could get acquainted with all-metal aircraft in operation, especially differences in maintenance and operation.
It was the first aircraft construction from 1932, when the company embarked on the project of a small passenger plane, which was to fly on the Tokyo - Osaka route. According to the plan, the aircraft was to reach a top speed of 200 km / h, should be easy to manufacture and operating costs should be very low due to simple and easy maintenance. The crew was to consist of one pilot and three passengers. The aircraft was to be able to operate from small and unimproved airfields.
This weapon was developed in Great Britain on the basis of licensed production of the Hispano-Suiza HS-404 cannon. The cannon was first produced in Great Britain in the Hispano Mk.I version, whose ammunition supply was carried in a drum magazine and was mounted, for example, in heavy fighters Westland Whirlwind Mk.I, Beafighters and experimentally in Spitfires Mk.Ib.
Japanese naval air force in February 1934 lists the specifications of the development plan marked the 9-Shi, there have been formulated the technical conditions and requirements for the new aircraft, which the Navy required from the producers of aviation technology.
The first all-metal seaplane designed and manufactured in Japan was built thanks to a private initiative of a patriotic association known as Teikoku Kaibo Gikai. In September 1922, its members found that no all-metal aircraft were produced in Japan. The good properties of this construction have already been proven in many other countries, which was the reason for the patriotic association to undertake this project.
The development of the aircraft began at the end of 1937 at the request of the Japanese military high command. Kawasaki received an order to develop a "high-speed bomber" capable of 480 km/h at 3,000 m, and able to reach 5,000 m within 10 minutes. The design was inspired by the Soviet Tupolev SB.
Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a legend, both for its features and its appearance, the news of such an aircraft quickly reached Japan. The Japanese Air Force was very interested in such an aircraft with a short takeoff and landing. Through its military attaché in Berlin, Storch sought to purchase or arrange for its licensed production. Unfortunately, in the end, not a single variant was realized, and so in Japan, a completely own design was created - the Kokusai Ki-76 observation aircraft.
Soviet single-engine fighter aircraft produced during World War II. This type was the successor to the LaGG-3 development series and the predecessor to the La-5, which became one of the best Soviet fighters deployed in the conflict.
The Macchi C.200 Saetta, was a fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy. Various versions were flown by the Regia Aeronautica who used the type throughout the Second World War. The C.200 was designed by Mario Castoldi, Macchi's lead designer, to serve as a modern monoplane fighter aircraft, furnished with retractable landing gear and powered by a radial engine. The C.200 possessed excellent maneuverability, and its general flying characteristics left little to be desired. Its stability in a high-speed dive was exceptional, but it was underpowered and underarmed in comparison to its contemporaries. Early on, there were a number of crashes caused by stability problems, nearly resulting in the grounding of the type; these problems were ultimately addressed via aerodynamic modifications to the wing.
Shortly before the war, new strategic bombers Pe-8 were introduced into the armament of the Soviet Air Force. Only then did the Soviet Air Force find that it did not have a suitable escort fighter that would at least partially meet the range.
The Nakajima J1N1 Gekkō ("Moonlight") is a twin-engine aircraft used by the Japanese Imperial Navy during World War II and was used for reconnaissance, night fighter, and kamikaze missions. The first flight took place in May 1941. It was given the Allied reporting name "Irving", since the earlier reconnaissance version the J1N1-C, was mistaken for a fighter.
The story of the HE 100 aircraft, which became the centre of a successful disinformation campaign leading to the "shooting down" of a number of HE 113 aircraft, although this type of aircraft never existed...
The new Supermarine S.5 aircraft was maximally aerodynamically improved, the frontal resistance was significantly reduced, the bearing area was reduced. Unlike the all-wood S.4 structure, the new S.5 had a fuselage designed as an all-metal shell.
Supermarine Seafire Mk.45 was only a very slightly navalized version of the Spitfire Mk.21. It was powered by a Griffon 60 series engine, which was supercharged by a two-stage two-speed compressor.
According to the original plans of the designers of the Supermarine ovary, the Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 engine with a two-stage and two-speed compressor was to use a high-altitude Spitfire HF Mk.VII, the medium heights were to control the Spitfire Mk.VIII.
Spitfire Mk.II aircraft differed from the previous version mainly by a more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin XII engine. This version of the Merlin engine was started using a Coffman pyrotechnic starter. Its presence can be identified by the convex cover on the right side of the bonnet, just behind the propeller cone.
This aircraft was one of the few types of custom, own Finnish production. The design was influenced by the Fokker D-XXI, which company V.L. produced in licence.
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