- 3 days ago
For educational purposes
To protect their rapidly moving troops, and later to defend against devastating Allied bombing, the Germans and Japanese deployed superb fighters as the ME-109, FW-190 and the Zero for supremacy of the skies.
These and many others, including the earlier operational jets and rocket fighters, are seen in unique action footage.
To protect their rapidly moving troops, and later to defend against devastating Allied bombing, the Germans and Japanese deployed superb fighters as the ME-109, FW-190 and the Zero for supremacy of the skies.
These and many others, including the earlier operational jets and rocket fighters, are seen in unique action footage.
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LearningTranscript
00:00¶¶
00:30The decade from 1935 to 1945 saw a greater and faster proliferation of aircraft types than any other period of history.
00:44And it was during this decade that the fighter, evolved from the scouts of the First World War, grew towards maturity.
00:50As in so many fields, it was Germany that led the way and pioneered the use of the newly developed low-wing monoplane fighter,
00:58first as a pure interceptor and then increasingly as a fighter-bomber to attack tactical targets on the ground.
01:05The Germans also pioneered the path to the future with the first jet and rocket-powered fighters.
01:11Italy stuck longer to the biplane formula, but then developed a series of lightweight aeroplanes powered by radial engines
01:19and characterised more by agility than high performance.
01:22Only with the adoption of powerful German in-line engines did the Italian fighter arm become truly effective.
01:30But by the time this happened, Italian industry couldn't turn out the numbers of aircraft needed.
01:35Japan fell between the two camps, producing a number of elegant monoplane fighters.
01:41Designed principally for aircraft carrier operations, many of these had startling range and agility,
01:47but tended to lack a high-top speed.
01:50Banking on a short war, Japan failed to press ahead with more advanced types
01:55and had to soldier on with obsolescent designs against far superior American aircraft.
02:03Kept in clandestine existence until Hitler openly repudiated the Treaty of Versailles in 1935,
02:09the German Luftwaffe then went into a heady phase of rapid expansion.
02:15As the resurgent German aircraft industry began to find its technical and commercial feat under the new regime,
02:21its initial products were unexceptional.
02:24Most emphasis was placed on types which could easily be produced in large numbers
02:28to allow the air crews of the new air force to gain experience rapidly and cheaply.
02:33But there were some more modern designs, such as the Heinkel 70 reconnaissance aircraft,
02:38on which German industry cut its technological teeth.
02:42The chief architect of the new Luftwaffe was Hermann Göring,
02:46a First World War fighter ace and staunch supporter of Hitler since the early 20s.
02:52It was he who encouraged the development of new monoplane fighters,
02:55such as the Heinkel 112 and Messerschmitt 109,
02:59which became the envy of other air forces.
03:02In the interim, however, the Luftwaffe made do with biplane fighters,
03:14such as the Heinkel 51 and Arado 68,
03:18the latter distinguishable by its tall tail.
03:21Although obsolescent even as they entered service,
03:24these aircraft proved admirable trainers for Germany's new generation of fighter pilots.
03:32The Messerschmitt 109 was Germany's best-known fighter of the Second World War.
03:42It is striking testimony to Willi Messerschmitt's design team
03:46that this first-generation monoplane fighter was still in production and development
03:50right up to the spring of 1945.
03:53By this time, well over 30,000 had been built,
03:57making the 109 the fighter produced in larger numbers than any other before or since.
04:03The 109 resulted from a pre-war requirement for a modern fighter with retractable landing gear
04:09and a low monoplane wing of cantilever construction.
04:12The first prototype flew in September 1935,
04:19powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine.
04:23But on later prototypes, the Junkers Jumo 210 was used.
04:32Development was typical of the German system at that time,
04:35and the 109 made several record-breaking flights,
04:39as well as enjoying a number of competition successes.
04:43The early production B and C variants were used in small numbers,
04:47but with considerable success during the Spanish Civil War,
04:51which lasted from 1936 to 1939.
04:54These versions paved the way for the 109D
04:57with a more powerful Daimler-Benz engine.
05:00This was armed with a 20mm cannon firing through the propeller hub
05:04and a pair of machine guns in the forward fuselage decking above the engine.
05:16The first variant to enter service in substantial numbers
05:20was the 109E, generally known as the Emil.
05:24This first appeared in 1938
05:26and was the mainstay of the Luftwaffe fighter arm
05:29throughout the campaigns in Poland and France
05:32during the Battle of Britain
05:33and the subsequent campaigns in North Africa, the Balkans
05:36and the early stages of the war in Russia.
05:39This had formidable extra armament
05:41in the form of two 20mm cannon mounted in the wings.
05:47Survivability was enhanced by the use of self-sealing fuel tanks
05:50and the provision of armour protection for the pilot.
05:53The 109E was powered by a 1050 horsepower Daimler-Benz 601A
06:00inline engine with fuel injection
06:02which gave a maximum speed of 348 miles an hour
06:06and a range of 410 miles.
06:11The Messerschmitt 109 had a very distinctive appearance
06:14with its square-cut flying surfaces,
06:17strut-braced tailplane,
06:18narrow track landing gear
06:20and heavily framed cockpit canopy.
06:23The narrow track of the landing gear
06:25which retracted outward into wheel wells under the wings
06:28simplified production
06:30but made the fighter difficult to handle
06:32while taxiing on the ground.
06:35The cockpit was also rather narrow
06:37making it something of a squeeze for larger pilots
06:40while the heavy cockpit framing
06:43did nothing to improve vision.
06:46This was a serious defect in a fighter
06:48and a revised canopy was eventually introduced later in the war.
06:58Spurred on by mounting losses
07:00particularly to the Royal Air Force's Spitfire Mark V
07:03the Germans responded with an uprated version of the 109.
07:07The gradually changing nature of the air war
07:12is reflected in the fact that
07:13while the Emil had been conceived as an offensive fighter
07:17the new 109F was planned more for the defensive role
07:21with emphasis on rate of climb and service ceiling
07:24rather than speed and firepower.
07:26Thus, although the aircraft was powered by a 1200hp Daimler-Benz engine
07:34which increased the top speed to 373 miles an hour
07:38it only had armament of a single 15mm cannon
07:42and two machine guns.
07:44Even though more than 2,000 of the F variant
07:51were produced during 1941-42
07:54it was nowhere nearly as popular with its pilots as the Emil.
08:00Generally known as the Gustav
08:02the 109G was the definitive variant.
08:0623,500 were built by factories in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Romania
08:12between 1942 and the end of the war.
08:16Early Gustavs were powered by 1475hp Daimler-Benz 605 engines
08:23but these were later uprated to 1850hp
08:27with methanol water or nitrous oxide injection.
08:31This gave vastly improved performance throughout the flight envelope
08:35with top speed at high altitude increased
08:38from 406 to 428 miles an hour.
08:41Early Gustavs had a single 20mm cannon
08:45and a pair of rifle calibre machine guns
08:47but later models had three cannon
08:50and a pair of heavy 13mm machine guns.
08:54Some machines even featured a 30mm cannon in the nose
08:57while field conversion kits were provided
08:59to allow the aircraft to be adapted
09:01for the ground attack role
09:03with additional underwing armament.
09:06Range was also increased
09:07by the provision of a ventral drop tank.
09:09The Gustav was used on every German front
09:13and in the right hands was a potent fighter
09:15in most air-to-air situations.
09:18Messerschmitt introduced the K version in 1944.
09:22This had a 2,000hp Daimler-Benz engine
09:25which increased top speed to 452 miles an hour
09:29but the type was only produced in comparatively small numbers
09:33before the war came to an end.
09:35In dogfights against British Hurricanes and Spitfires
09:39the 109 had a decided advantage
09:41because of the fuel injection system used.
09:44This allowed the fighter to be nosed over
09:47in a negative G manoeuvre
09:49without the engine stalling.
09:50By contrast, the British fighters
09:52had Rolls-Royce Merlin engines
09:54with conventional carburettors.
09:57This meant the engine would cut out
09:59if a Spitfire or Hurricane tried to follow a 109.
10:02Instead, they had to half-roll
10:04and then dive in order to preserve positive G
10:07which gave the German pilots a good chance
10:09to break away and lose their pursuers.
10:11The heavy armament of the 109G and K
10:16made them formidable interceptors
10:18and Allied bombers suffered a terrible toll at their hands.
10:23This was particularly true of the American B-17s
10:26and other bombers which generally maintained
10:28their policy of daylight bombing throughout the war.
10:38The agile 109s, their inline engines
10:41and slim wings presenting a small and elusive target
10:44for the bombers' defensive machine guns
10:46were able to get in close
10:48and deliver a devastating hail of fire.
10:50The 109 was flown by most of the German aces
11:15including Adolf Galland and Werner Mulders.
11:18The top-scoring ace of all time was Eric Hartman
11:32who racked up 352 victories
11:35flying 109s before being finally shot down
11:38and captured by the Russians.
11:42The Messerschmitt 109, although outclassed towards the end
11:46remained a highly competitive fighter throughout the war.
11:49The K variant pushed its design potential to the limit
11:53but even in 1945 an experienced 109 pilot
11:57could tackle the best of Allied bombers and fighters
12:00with every hope of success.
12:03By this time though, many of the most experienced pilots
12:07were dead or in captivity
12:08and the Allies were encountering novices
12:10with only a few hours' flying experience
12:13who were unable to extract the best from their machines.
12:19The Messerschmitt 110 is now remembered chiefly
12:22as a radar-equipped night fighter.
12:25Indeed, it's true that this poorly conceived aircraft
12:27found its most effective role
12:29in a guise for which it was not originally intended
12:31and took a heavy toll of RAF bombers
12:34in the second half of the war.
12:36It had in fact been designed as a heavy escort fighter
12:40with sufficient range to accompany German bombers
12:42in daylight on deep penetration raids.
12:46It was believed that a combination of high performance
12:49and heavy firepower
12:50would offset the superior agility
12:52of opposing single-seat and single-engine fighters
12:56and that this would make the Messerschmitt 110
12:58a decisive weapon
13:00which would multiply the effectiveness
13:02of the tactical bombers.
13:09The type first flew in prototype form in May 1936
13:14powered by a pair of 910 horsepower
13:17Daimler-Benz inline engines.
13:19But there were delays in this power plant's production
13:22so some early models only had 700 horsepower
13:26Junkers-Jumos.
13:28The aircraft was developed too late
13:30to play a part in the Spanish Civil War
13:32and the first major production version,
13:34the 110C, didn't emerge until April 1939.
13:39This had 1,100 horsepower Daimler-Benz fuel-injected engines
13:43which delivered a top speed of 349 miles an hour
13:48at around 23,000 feet
13:50and gave a range of about 500 miles
13:53depending on loaded weight and weather.
13:56Principal armament was two forward-firing 20mm cannon
13:59and four machine guns in the nose
14:02plus a single rearward-firing machine gun
14:05at the back of the long greenhouse cockpit.
14:11The Messerschmitt 110 performed creditably
14:14during the early campaigns
14:16against Poland, Belgium, France and Holland
14:18destroying enemy fighters with little difficulty
14:21and then turning to ground attack work.
14:26It revealed its shortcomings
14:28during the Battle of Britain though
14:29when it fell easy prey
14:31to nimble RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires.
14:34So serious were the losses in fact
14:36that the Luftwaffe ended up
14:38in the ridiculous situation
14:39of having to send Messerschmitt 109s
14:42to escort the 110s.
14:44Their only advantage over their single-engined stablemates
14:48was the fuel capacity to stay with the bombers longer.
14:52Once this fact became apparent
14:53Messerschmitt developed the 110D variant
14:56which dispensed with the 20mm cannon
14:58and carried extra fuel in a large ventral tank
15:02extending the aircraft's range still further.
15:04This was followed by the F version
15:07which was basically similar
15:09and then the G
15:10which had more powerful 1475 horsepower engines.
15:15The 20mm cannon were reinstated
15:17and some aircraft were also fitted
15:19with guns firing directly upwards.
15:22This arrangement enabled them
15:23to attack Allied bombers
15:25from directly underneath
15:26where they were most vulnerable.
15:28Most 110Gs became night fighters
15:31with a third crew member
15:32to monitor the Liechtenstein airborne interception radar
15:36and direct the pilot onto a target.
15:39While the night fighters exacted a heavy toll
15:42from the aircraft of RAF Bomber Command
15:44the Messerschmitt 110
15:46was also developing a reputation
15:48as a potent ground attack aircraft
15:50particularly in Russia.
15:53Its heavy forward firing armament
15:55and ability to carry bombs
15:57on external hard points
15:58made it invaluable
16:00to the hard-pressed troops
16:01in the front line.
16:09The lack of effective Soviet fighter opposition
16:12until towards the end of the war
16:14gave the 110 an extra lease of life.
16:16and its long-range endurance
16:29allowed it to loiter over a battlefield
16:31to seize upon targets of opportunity
16:33or respond quickly
16:35to urgent requests for help.
16:36The 110 was also used to help protect
17:05German cities and industrial targets
17:08against the daytime bombing raids
17:09by American flying fortresses.
17:12However, its resurgence as a day fighter
17:15was short-lived
17:16because once the United States
17:18developed long-range escort fighters
17:20of its own
17:21particularly the P-51 Mustang
17:23the Messerschmitt again
17:24found itself hopelessly outclassed
17:27due to its lack of maneuverability
17:29in a dogfight.
17:29At the outbreak of war
17:38in 1939
17:39Italy had almost as many fighters
17:41as Britain and France combined.
17:44However,
17:45nearly half of them
17:46were obsolescent biplane types
17:48with fixed undercarriages
17:49such as the Fiat CR-42 Falcon
17:52which had fought on the nationalist side
17:55during the Spanish Civil War.
17:56Italian industry had been slow
17:59to respond to changing demands
18:00particularly in the development
18:02of more powerful engines.
18:04Despite a good record
18:05in the pre-war Schneider trophy races
18:08Italian warplanes
18:09including bombers
18:10such as the Caproni 133
18:12were almost universally fitted
18:15with underpowered radial engines
18:17when Italy entered the war in 1940.
18:19The Fiat G-50 Freccia
18:25or Arrow
18:26was Italy's first monoplane fighter
18:29of all-metal construction.
18:31It had retractable undercarriage
18:32and an enclosed cockpit
18:34but Italian fighter pilots
18:36tended to be conservative
18:37and later production models
18:39had a semi-enclosed cockpit.
18:42The G-50 had two heavy machine guns
18:44firing through the propeller arc
18:46and was powered by an 840 horsepower
18:49Fiat radial engine
18:50which only gave a top speed
18:52of 293 miles an hour.
18:54Even by the standards of 1940
18:56it was therefore both underpowered
18:58and undergunned.
19:00And the situation didn't improve
19:01until the G-55 Centauro
19:04fitted with a much more powerful
19:06inline engine
19:07entered service just before the armistice
19:09in September 1943.
19:10Looking very similar to the G-50
19:14but distinguishable
19:15by the streamlined fairings
19:17over the cylinder heads
19:18which reduced the frontal area
19:20of the engine cowling
19:21the Baki MC-200
19:24Sayeta or Lightning
19:25was only marginally superior.
19:28Designed in 1936
19:29the Lightning first flew
19:31in December the following year.
19:32An all-metal low-wing monoplane
19:39with retractable undercarriage
19:41and enclosed cockpit
19:42it rapidly proved itself
19:44a real thoroughbred
19:45in terms of handling characteristics
19:47and agility.
19:48However it was still powered
19:50by the same 840 horsepower
19:52Fiat radial engine
19:53and only had a top speed
19:55of 313 miles an hour
19:57at 15,000 feet
19:58while armament
20:00was still restricted
20:01to a single pair of machine guns
20:03firing from just behind
20:04the engine cowling
20:06through the propeller arc.
20:08As with the G-50
20:09the fighter's pilots
20:10disliked the enclosed canopy
20:12and this too
20:13was replaced
20:14by a semi-enclosed version
20:15after the first couple
20:17of hundred aircraft
20:17had been built.
20:20Alongside the CR-42 biplane
20:22the MC-200
20:24formed the backbone
20:25of the Radia Aeronautica's
20:27fighter arm
20:27in 1940
20:28and was soon involved
20:30escorting bombers
20:31on raids
20:32against the island
20:33fortress of Malta.
20:35It later saw action
20:37in Albania and Greece
20:38where it acquitted itself
20:40surprisingly well
20:41against British hurricanes.
20:43The lightning also
20:44saw service
20:45in North Africa
20:45and on the southern flank
20:47in Russia.
20:48But by 1942
20:49its moderate performance
20:51was proving
20:52totally inadequate
20:52and it was progressively
20:54used in the
20:55fighter-bomber role.
20:56Later production models
20:59were fitted
20:59with the same wings
21:00as the improved
21:01MC-202 Folgore
21:03and could carry
21:05706 pounds of bombs.
21:08The type was also used
21:09as a shipping escort
21:10in the Mediterranean
21:11fitted with drop tanks
21:12to extend its range.
21:19For all its inadequacies
21:20the MC-200
21:21served the Italian Air Force
21:23well during the early period
21:24of the war
21:25and was flown
21:26by a total of
21:2720 groupie
21:28or wings.
21:29Over 1,100 were built
21:31but losses were heavy
21:32and by the time
21:34of the armistice
21:35only 33 survived.
21:37These continued in service
21:38as trainers
21:39until 1947.
21:42In 1940
21:43the Italian Air Force
21:44came to the belated
21:45conclusion
21:46that its fighters
21:47needed better performance
21:48than could be provided
21:49by the air-cooled
21:50radial engines
21:51then in service.
21:53Recognising the superior
21:54qualities of the
21:55Messerschmitt 109
21:56Markey acquired
21:57an 1175 horsepower
22:00Daimler-Benz 601
22:02liquid cooled
22:03inline engine
22:03and fitted this
22:05to a modified
22:05MC-200.
22:07This prototype
22:08of the MC-202
22:10Folgore
22:11or Thunderbolt
22:11first flew in
22:12August 1940
22:13and the improvement
22:15was immediately
22:16noticeable.
22:17The more powerful
22:18engine and streamlined
22:19nose gave a top
22:21speed of 370 miles
22:22an hour
22:23and handling qualities
22:24remained as delightful
22:26as before.
22:29Markey promptly
22:30ordered more engines
22:31and began building
22:32them under licence
22:33and the MC-202
22:34entered service
22:35in the summer of 1941
22:37seeing its first action
22:38over Libya
22:39in November.
22:41Early models
22:42had the standard
22:42Daimler-Benz engine
22:43but later ones
22:45the slightly less powerful
22:461075 horsepower version
22:48licence built
22:49by Alfa Romeo.
22:52More than 1100
22:54Folgoris were produced
22:55and the aircraft
22:56was a marked
22:57improvement
22:57over the MC-200
22:59although by 1943
23:01it was again
23:02outclassed
23:03by contemporary
23:03Allied fighters.
23:05Its rugged construction
23:07and agile performance
23:08made it well liked
23:09by its pilots
23:10and when two extra
23:12machine guns
23:13were fitted in the wings
23:14it became the best
23:15Italian fighter
23:16of the war.
23:17At its peak
23:18the Folgore equipped
23:1919 Gruppi
23:20and it saw action
23:22from Stalingrad
23:23to Tobruk.
23:26By the time
23:27the Allies
23:27invaded Sicily
23:28in July 1943
23:29however
23:30losses left
23:31only about 100
23:32still operational
23:33and when Italy
23:35surrendered
23:35some 10 weeks later
23:36this figure
23:37had fallen
23:38to a mere 53.
23:43In April 1942
23:45Machi introduced
23:46the improved model
23:47MC-205
23:49Veltro
23:50or Greyhound
23:51this was driven
23:52by a license built
23:53version of the more
23:54powerful 1475 horsepower
23:57Daimler-Benz 605 engine
23:59and could achieve
24:00a top speed
24:01of 399 miles an hour
24:03however
24:04it came too late
24:06to stave off
24:06the Italian collapse
24:08and of the 265 Veltro's built
24:11only 66 remained operational
24:14at the time
24:14of the armistice.
24:17Most of these
24:18fought on
24:19alongside the Germans
24:20with Italian air force units
24:22still loyal
24:23to the fascist cause.
24:24Japan's dream
24:32of expansion
24:32into China
24:33Southeast Asia
24:34and the Pacific
24:35rested on the broad
24:36shoulders
24:37of the Imperial
24:38Japanese Army
24:39and Navy
24:40each of these
24:41powerful services
24:42had its own air force
24:44and each
24:44had acquired
24:45an invaluable amount
24:46of operational experience
24:47in the war
24:48against China
24:49which had been going on
24:50since 1937
24:51Faced in China
24:54by an opponent
24:55strong in numbers
24:56but short of
24:56advanced military equipment
24:58the Japanese
24:59thought that
24:59the modern fighter
25:00should possess
25:01principal qualities
25:02of agility
25:03and range.
25:05This led them
25:06to a certain extent
25:07to neglect
25:08firepower
25:08protection
25:09and other
25:10flying qualities.
25:11Japanese policy
25:12in the 1930s
25:13was very similar
25:14to that of the Italians
25:15and they were also
25:17late to develop
25:18monoplane fighters.
25:20The first types
25:21which appeared
25:21in the middle
25:22of the decade
25:22had fixed landing gear
25:24to reduce
25:25mechanical complexity
25:26but although
25:27this reduced weight
25:28it increased drag
25:30so early Japanese
25:31fighters
25:32were not very fast.
25:35Both the Army's
25:36Nakajima KI-27
25:38and the Navy's
25:39Mitsubishi A5M
25:41were powered
25:42by 710 horsepower
25:43Nakajima radial engines
25:45which gave top speeds
25:47of 286
25:48and 273 miles an hour
25:50respectively.
25:52Armament was also light
25:53merely comprising
25:54a pair of machine guns.
25:56These two aircraft
25:57both entered service
25:58in 1938
25:59and over 4,500
26:01were built.
26:03From these origins
26:05the Army and Navy
26:06went on to introduce
26:07a number of more
26:08advanced fighters
26:09before the Second World War
26:10but failed
26:11to continue development
26:12of even more
26:14sophisticated machines
26:15with the result
26:16that they were soon
26:17outclassed.
26:18Nor could Japanese
26:19production match
26:20that of the United States.
26:23Japan entered
26:24the Second World War
26:25with the infamous attack
26:26on the United States
26:27Pacific Fleet's
26:28main base
26:29at Pearl Harbor
26:30and other installations
26:31on Oahu Island
26:33in the Hawaiian chain.
26:35Several battleships
26:36were sunk
26:37or damaged
26:37but fortunately
26:38the American aircraft
26:39carriers were at sea
26:41and escaped detection.
26:43Although surprised
26:44both strategically
26:45and tactically
26:45the Americans
26:46rallied strongly
26:47and it was not long
26:49before the shortcomings
26:50of Japanese aircraft
26:51began to become apparent.
26:53The most famous
26:54Japanese fighter
26:55of the war
26:56and one of the
26:57classic aircraft
26:58of all time
26:59was the Navy's
27:00Mitsubishi A6M
27:01Ryzen
27:02or Zero.
27:04Codenamed Zeke
27:05by the Allies
27:06the A6M
27:07remains the most
27:08celebrated warplane
27:09of the Pacific War
27:10and over 11,000
27:12were built
27:12in various models.
27:14This carrier-borne fighter
27:16resulted from
27:16a very exacting requirement
27:18in 1937
27:19which demanded
27:20the same agility
27:21enjoyed by the A5M
27:23coupled with a top speed
27:25of 311 miles an hour.
27:28An endurance
27:29of six to eight hours
27:30flying time
27:31with ventral drop tanks
27:33and a fixed
27:33forward firing armament
27:35of two 20mm cannon
27:37and two machine guns
27:38was also required.
27:41Balanced ailerons
27:42with geared tabs
27:43contributed
27:44to its high-speed performance.
27:47The first prototypes
27:48flew in April 1939
27:50powered by
27:51780 horsepower
27:53Mitsubishi radial engines.
27:55Although the machine
27:56demonstrated
27:57all the required
27:58handling qualities
27:59top speed
28:00was too low
28:01and before it went
28:02into production
28:02950 horsepower
28:04Nakajima engines
28:06were installed.
28:07Thus powered
28:08the A6M2
28:09went to war
28:10in China
28:11in 1940.
28:13It was so successful
28:14that not one
28:14of its opponents
28:15survived
28:16to carry home
28:17details of the new fighter.
28:18So it came
28:19as a complete surprise
28:21to the Americans
28:21a year later.
28:22What then became
28:24quickly evident
28:25was that the Japanese
28:27not only possessed
28:28the world's finest
28:29carrier-born fighter
28:30but one which was
28:31at least the equal
28:32of its land-based
28:33contemporaries as well.
28:35Like most Japanese
28:37military aircraft
28:38the Zero
28:38suffered in the long run
28:40because refinements
28:41such as armour protection
28:42and self-sealing
28:43fuel tanks
28:44had been sacrificed
28:45for speed,
28:46range
28:47and manoeuvrability.
28:48In the first months
28:50of the Pacific War
28:51though
28:51the Zero
28:52swept all before it
28:53because no allied
28:55fighter of the time
28:56could match it
28:57and bombers
28:57were helpless
28:58in its gun sights.
29:01The next model
29:02was the A6M3
29:04with both
29:04squared off
29:05wingtips
29:06which improved
29:07the rate of roll
29:07and a more powerful
29:091130 horsepower engine
29:11which boosted
29:12top speed
29:13to 336 miles an hour.
29:16This thirsty engine
29:17did however
29:18reduce range
29:19from over
29:201900 miles
29:21to barely
29:221500 miles.
29:25Later sub-variants
29:26had greater fuel capacity
29:27but from the autumn
29:29of 1942
29:30it was clear
29:31that the Zero
29:32was beginning
29:32to lose the battle
29:33for air superiority
29:34over allied fighters.
29:37To remedy
29:38this situation
29:39Mitsubishi introduced
29:40the A6M5
29:42in 1943.
29:44This was basically
29:45an M3
29:46with rounded
29:47wingtips
29:48a degree of
29:49armour protection
29:49for the pilot
29:50and heavier
29:51calibre machine guns.
29:53It also had
29:54individual ejector
29:55exhausts
29:56for the radial
29:56engine's
29:5714 cylinders
29:58boosting speed
29:59by 10 miles an hour.
30:01Despite these
30:02improvements
30:03the Zero's
30:03rather flimsy
30:04construction
30:05and lack of
30:06self-sealing fuel
30:07tanks
30:07could make it
30:08a death trap
30:09as some of these
30:10American camera
30:11gunshots
30:12show.
30:14A single
30:14half-second
30:15burst
30:15from a US
30:16Navy
30:17Hellcat
30:17or Corsair
30:18could send
30:19a Zero
30:19plunging in flames.
30:21Of course
30:22in skilled hands
30:23a Zero
30:23could often
30:24evade
30:24the more powerful
30:25and more heavily
30:26armed
30:26American fighters.
30:28On one occasion
30:29the great
30:29Japanese
30:30fighter ace
30:31Saburo Sakai
30:32found himself
30:33alone
30:33in a dogfight
30:34with no fewer
30:35than 15
30:36Hellcats.
30:37Rolling,
30:38spiralling
30:38and looping
30:39he evaded
30:40the fire
30:40from 90
30:41machine guns
30:41and brought
30:42his Zero
30:43home
30:43without a
30:44scratch
30:44on it.
30:45The last
30:46major production
30:47variant of the
30:48Zero
30:48was the
30:49A6 M6
30:50which had
30:51a 1210
30:52horsepower
30:52engine
30:53water
30:54methanol
30:54injection
30:55and at long
30:56last
30:56self-sealing
30:57fuel tanks.
30:58The M7
30:59model was
31:00a dive bomber
31:01and the
31:01M8
31:02which had
31:02a 1500
31:03horsepower
31:04engine
31:04arrived
31:05too late
31:05to have
31:06any effect
31:06on the
31:07course of
31:07the war.
31:08By this
31:09time most
31:09of the
31:09skilled
31:10veterans
31:10of the
31:11early
31:11war years
31:12had found
31:12watery graves
31:13and their
31:14young
31:14replacements
31:15were either
31:15unable to
31:16cope in
31:17combat
31:17situations
31:18against
31:18superior
31:18aircraft
31:19or
31:20were thrown
31:20away
31:21in
31:21kamikaze
31:22attacks
31:22on allied
31:23warships.
31:33One
31:33irony
31:34in the
31:34zero
31:35story
31:35is that
31:36it
31:36was
31:36powered
31:36throughout
31:37by
31:37air
31:38cooled
31:38radial
31:39engines.
31:40The
31:40Germans
31:40and
31:41British
31:41began
31:42by using
31:42liquid
31:43cooled
31:43inline
31:44designs
31:44because of
31:45better
31:45streamlining
31:46and high
31:46altitude
31:47performance
31:47but later
31:48themselves
31:49reverted
31:50to radials
31:50because these
31:51performed better
31:52at the lower
31:53heights at which
31:53most aerial
31:54battles took
31:55place.
32:05So although
32:06it was
32:06eventually
32:06outclassed
32:07the zero
32:08was in many
32:09ways a
32:09fighter ahead
32:10of its time.
32:25most captured
32:33enemy aircraft
32:34which were
32:34still flyable
32:35were passed
32:36to the
32:36allied
32:36technical
32:37air
32:37intelligence
32:38unit.
32:39This
32:39vital
32:39organisation
32:40dissected
32:41each type
32:42that came
32:42its way
32:42assessing
32:43it in
32:44mock
32:44combat
32:44and passing
32:45on the
32:45lessons
32:46learned
32:46to
32:46operational
32:47units.
32:55One such
33:14type was
33:15the
33:15twin
33:15engined
33:16Kawasaki
33:16Ki-45
33:18Toyu
33:18or
33:19Dragon
33:19Killer
33:20which the
33:21allies
33:21codenamed
33:22Nick.
33:24The
33:24prototype
33:24of this
33:25army
33:25aircraft
33:26first
33:26flew
33:26in
33:26January
33:271939
33:27but the
33:29production
33:29model
33:29didn't
33:30enter
33:30service
33:30until
33:31August
33:311942
33:32Powered
33:33by two
33:341050
33:35horsepower
33:36Nakajima
33:37radial
33:37engines
33:38this
33:38heavy
33:39two-seater
33:39fighter
33:39could
33:40reach
33:40340
33:41miles
33:42an
33:42hour.
33:43Its
33:43armament
33:44consisted
33:44of a
33:4520mm
33:45cannon
33:46and
33:46two
33:47heavy
33:47machine
33:48guns
33:48in a
33:48fixed
33:49forward
33:49firing
33:49installation
33:50plus
33:51a
33:51single
33:51trainable
33:52machine
33:52gun
33:52in the
33:53rear
33:53of the
33:53cockpit.
33:55Just
33:55over
33:551700
33:56were
33:56produced
33:57including
33:57a rather
33:58primitive
33:58night
33:59fighter
33:59version
34:00which
34:00not
34:00only
34:00had
34:01a
34:0137mm
34:02forward
34:02firing
34:03cannon
34:03but
34:04also
34:04two
34:0420mm
34:05guns
34:06inclined
34:06to
34:07fire
34:07obliquely
34:08upwards
34:08at the
34:08bellies
34:09of
34:09Allied
34:09bombers
34:10a trick
34:11copied
34:11from
34:11the
34:11Germans.
34:14The
34:15futuristic
34:15and menacing
34:16looking
34:17Messerschmitt
34:17210
34:18was
34:19was
34:19in fact
34:19one
34:20of
34:20the
34:20most
34:20disastrously
34:21unsuccessful
34:22warplanes
34:23of the
34:23entire
34:23war.
34:25It
34:25led to
34:25Willy
34:26Messerschmitt
34:26being
34:27forced
34:27to resign
34:28as chairman
34:28of his
34:29own company
34:29and even
34:30caused
34:31Hermann
34:31Goering
34:32to exclaim
34:33at one
34:33point
34:33that he
34:34would have
34:34lived
34:34longer
34:35if the
34:35aircraft
34:35had never
34:36been
34:36produced.
34:38Designed
34:39from
34:391937
34:40as a
34:40twin-engined
34:41multipurpose
34:42fighter
34:42and attack
34:43aircraft
34:44to replace
34:44the
34:45Messerschmitt
34:45110
34:46the
34:46new
34:47two-seater
34:47fighter
34:47first
34:48flew
34:48in
34:48September
34:491939
34:50but
34:50proved
34:51so
34:51troublesome
34:51that
34:52it
34:52didn't
34:52begin
34:53entering
34:53service
34:54until
34:54a year
34:54later.
34:56Its
34:57handling
34:57qualities
34:57were
34:57appalling
34:58resulting
34:59in
34:59numerous
34:59crashes
35:00from
35:00uncontrollable
35:01spins
35:02but
35:03a lot
35:03of the
35:03problems
35:04stemmed
35:04from
35:05trying
35:05to
35:05build
35:05too
35:06much
35:06new
35:06technology
35:07into
35:07an
35:08unproven
35:08airframe.
35:10One
35:11example
35:11of this
35:11is
35:12the
35:12pair
35:12of
35:12remotely
35:13controlled
35:1313
35:14millimetre
35:15MG
35:1513
35:16machine
35:16guns
35:17mounted
35:17in
35:18barbettes
35:19either
35:19side
35:19of
35:20the
35:20rear
35:20fuselage.
35:23Although
35:24these
35:24could be
35:24elevated
35:25and
35:25depressed
35:26to
35:26fire
35:26at
35:27almost
35:27any
35:27angle
35:28aiming
35:28them
35:28was
35:29almost
35:29impossible
35:30and
35:31their
35:31mechanical
35:31complexity
35:32rendered
35:32them
35:33so
35:33prone
35:33to
35:33malfunction
35:34that
35:35the
35:35aircraft
35:35crews
35:36usually
35:36ignored
35:36them.
35:44then
35:50there
35:50were
35:50the
35:50equipment
35:51bay
35:51doors
35:52under
35:52the
35:52nose
35:53designed
35:54to
35:54carry
35:54either
35:54cameras
35:55in
35:55the
35:55photo
35:56reconnaissance
35:56roll
35:57or
35:57a
35:57pair
35:58of
35:581100
35:59pound
35:59bombs
35:59these
36:00clamshell
36:01doors
36:01resulted
36:02in
36:02such
36:02aerodynamic
36:03instability
36:04that
36:04only
36:05an
36:05almost
36:05suicidal
36:06crew
36:06would
36:07open
36:07them
36:07in
36:07flight.
36:08Another
36:24problem
36:25was
36:25the
36:25complex
36:26arrangement
36:26of
36:26ailerons
36:27flaps
36:27and
36:27dive
36:28brakes
36:28which
36:29were
36:29intended
36:29to
36:30help
36:30the
36:30pilot
36:30but
36:31only
36:31served
36:31to
36:32make
36:32the
36:32210
36:32even
36:32more
36:33unstable
36:34with
36:34a
36:34vicious
36:35tendency
36:35to
36:35flick
36:36into
36:36a
36:36spin.
36:38Some
36:41of
36:41these
36:41highly
36:41undesirable
36:42flying
36:42characteristics
36:43were
36:43eventually
36:44solved
36:44by
36:45fitting
36:45wing
36:46leading
36:46edge
36:46slots
36:47and
36:47lengthening
36:48the
36:48fuselage
36:48but
36:49these
36:49modifications
36:50were not
36:50introduced
36:51until
36:51production
36:52had
36:52already
36:52been
36:52halted
36:53in
36:531942.
36:55A
36:56few
36:56new
36:57aircraft
36:57were
36:58built
36:58after
36:58this
36:58but
36:59most
36:59production
36:59line
37:00facilities
37:00went
37:01to
37:01the
37:01Messerschmitt
37:01410
37:02which
37:03was
37:03very
37:03similar
37:04in
37:04appearance
37:04but
37:05much
37:05more
37:05forgiving
37:06in
37:06the
37:06air.
37:08The
37:13Messerschmitt
37:13210
37:13was
37:14powered
37:14by
37:14two
37:151050
37:16or
37:171350
37:18horsepower
37:19Daimler-Benz
37:20601
37:21inline
37:21engines
37:22which
37:23gave a
37:23top speed
37:23of 385
37:25miles an
37:25hour
37:26a service
37:27ceiling
37:27of 23,000
37:28feet
37:29and a
37:29range
37:30of nearly
37:301500
37:31miles.
37:31apart
37:35from
37:36the
37:36two
37:36machine
37:36guns
37:37in
37:37the
37:37bar
37:37bets
37:37it
37:38had
37:38fixed
37:38forward
37:39firing
37:39armament
37:40of
37:40two
37:4120mm
37:42cannon
37:42and
37:42a
37:43pair
37:43of
37:43machine
37:43guns
37:44extra
37:45bombs
37:45could
37:46also
37:46be
37:46carried
37:46on
37:46external
37:47racks
37:48the
37:50irony
37:50with
37:50the
37:51210
37:51is
37:52that
37:52the
37:52Luftwaffe
37:52was
37:53so
37:53impressed
37:53with
37:54the
37:54design
37:54specification
37:55that
37:55they
37:55ordered
37:56a
37:56thousand
37:56even
37:57before
37:57the
37:58aircraft
37:58first
37:58flew
37:59but
38:00only
38:00352
38:02actually
38:02entered
38:02service
38:03and
38:03many
38:04of
38:04them
38:04were
38:04converted
38:05to
38:05410
38:06standard
38:06with
38:071750
38:08horsepower
38:09engines
38:09the
38:24aircraft
38:24only
38:25saw
38:25very
38:25limited
38:25service
38:26over
38:26Russia
38:27England
38:27Italy
38:28and
38:28Tunisia
38:28before
38:29it was
38:29finally
38:30abandoned
38:30in
38:311944
38:31war
39:01If the Messerschmitt 210 is the German Air Force's disaster saga, the Focke-Wulf 190
39:23is its success story.
39:26It was without question the finest single-seat, single-engine fighter fielded by the Luftwaffe.
39:31Although outshadowed in numerical terms by the Messerschmitt 109, it was really the German
39:38fighter from the autumn of 1941 onwards.
39:47Design work began in 1937, and the first prototype flew in June 1939.
39:54One obvious difference from the 109 was the wide-track landing gear, which retracted inwards
40:00to lie with the wheels flush under the wing roots.
40:04This arrangement provided much greater stability while taxiing, taking off, and landing.
40:11It was only one of several features which endeared the 190 to its pilots.
40:20The air-cooled BMW radial engine, which was chosen as the power plant, surprised many
40:25people at a time when the more streamlined, liquid-cooled inline seemed to be in favour.
40:32But it proved a wise choice.
40:34Indeed, most of the more successful Allied fighters in the second half of the war were powered
40:39by radials instead of inlines.
40:43Radial engines are bulky and produce extra drag, but the 190's 1700 horsepower engines were
40:49enclosed in a narrow cord cowling, which minimised detrimental effects.
40:55The engine having a cooling fan at the rear.
40:58Coupled with a slender fuselage, relatively short wingspan to increase aerobatic ability,
41:04and a canopy of early bubble design to improve the pilot's vision.
41:09These features made the 190 an aeroplane to be reckoned with right to the end of the war.
41:17The small, low-wing Focke-Wulf 190, which was of all-metal construction, first entered service
41:23during the winter of 1941-42, and helped protect the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisnau during their famous channel dash.
41:35The fighter came as a nasty surprise to the Royal Air Force, with a top speed of 382 miles an hour,
41:41and an armament of four 20mm cannon, plus a pair of machine guns.
41:47It was faster, more heavily armed, better protected, and more agile than even the latest marks of Spitfire,
41:54when it first appeared.
41:56And as Allied casualties mounted, Focke-Wulf 190 production was stepped up, with over 250
42:02being built every month in factories scattered around Germany.
42:09In a dogfight, the 190's main failing was the tail trimmer.
42:14This was designed ingeniously to help high-G manoeuvres, but resulted in a number of high-speed stalls.
42:21Because these were not understood at the time, there were several fatal crashes.
42:26If pilots avoided these, though, the 190 was a superb and agile fighter,
42:31as it proved over the beaches at Dieppe in August 1942.
42:35In this day-long aerial battle, 190's claimed 97 out of 106 kills against RAF aircraft.
42:44As the war progressed, the Focke-Wulf 190 was deployed on all fronts, and proved itself well
42:49capable of handling almost any type of operational condition or tactical situation.
42:56It proved so flexible that it was optimised in both offensive and defensive situations,
43:17being used both as a hit-and-run radar with external bombs and drop tanks, and as an interceptor
43:24against the steadily growing numbers of American daylight bombers.
43:34The autumn of 1943 is one which surviving American aircrew remember with horror, and the Focke-Wulf
43:41190 was largely to blame.
43:43On one bombing raid against Schweinfurt in October, 190's shot down 79 bombers out of 228,
43:52and seriously damaged another 121.
43:55Some of the fighters carried eight-inch rocket tubes under their wings to blast the Allied aircraft
44:22out of formation, leaving them easy prey.
44:36German propaganda films afterwards were full of shots of downed flying fortresses.
44:42Later variants of the 190 included the Model D, with a 1770 horsepower Junker's Jumo inline
44:49engine, and a top speed of 426 miles an hour.
44:53Some of these had water methanol injection to boost performance, and a 30mm cannon firing
44:59through the propeller hub.
45:01In addition, there was the high-altitude TA-152, which had extended wingspan, and could almost
45:09reach 50,000 feet, as well as having a top speed only just under 500 miles an hour.
45:16Although only some 200 were built, and they could not always operate because of the chronic
45:21fuel shortage in Germany towards the end of the war, they could intercept any Allied intruders
45:26on their own terms.
45:30Even before the war began, towards the end of 1939, German designers and engineers were
45:35working steadily towards the creation of the first operational jet-propelled military aircraft.
45:43In the forefront of this work was the Heinkel team, and although their Model 280 never entered
45:48service, it was a remarkable aircraft as the world's first turbojet fighter designed to fly.
45:55Despite a strong measure of official scepticism, the Heinkel team persevered privately with their
46:02project, flying the basic airframe first as a glider in 1940, to check that it was aerodynamically sound.
46:09Its first powered flight, propelled by 1,100-pound thrust turbojets, took place momentously on 2 April 1941.
46:27If only Heinkel had been on better terms with the German Air Ministry, the 280 could have been
46:33the first jet aircraft to see combat in the world.
46:36As things turned out though, for political reasons which were covered up by technical jargon,
46:42the Ministry rejected the 280 in favour of the rival Messerschmitt 262.
46:52This, the third prototype Heinkel 280, was powered by two 1,543-pound thrust turbojets,
47:00which gave a top speed of 578 miles an hour at over 30,000 feet.
47:11It was armed with three 20-millimeter cannon, and could run rings around a Focke-Wulf 190,
47:17but it lacked range and was not ordered into production.
47:21Despite this, Heinkel persevered with further trials which they funded themselves,
47:26using different engines and tailplane configurations.
47:51It was during these experiments that a German test pilot made history,
48:04as the first man to bail out of an aircraft using an ejector seat.
48:09That aside, if politics hadn't got in the way,
48:12the Heinkel 280 could have been in service almost a year earlier than its closest rival.
48:18This was the Messerschmitt 262, which reached operational status at the beginning of October 1944.
48:25Six years earlier, the German Air Ministry had officially inaugurated development of a jet engine,
48:31the principal work being undertaken by BMW and Junkers.
48:36Messerschmitt worked fast, and had produced a basic design by June 1939.
48:41This was approved in March 1940, and an order was placed for three initial prototypes.
48:47But by the time they were ready, just over a year later, there was still no suitable engine available.
48:53A single piston engine and propeller were therefore fitted to the first prototype
48:58to assess the aircraft's handling characteristics.
49:01The 262 was an attractive design with a triangular section fuselage,
49:06whose broad lower surfaces merged into the modestly swept wings.
49:10The aft fuselage was finally tapered, and ended in a tail unit with swept vertical and horizontal surfaces.
49:19A twin engine design had been decided upon, because jet engines were as yet unproven,
49:25and it was thought a single engine would cause centre of gravity problems.
49:53The third prototype was finally fitted with a pair of 1852-pound thrust Junkers Jumo turbojets in slim underwing nacelles.
50:06It first flew in July 1942, and although it was badly damaged shortly afterwards,
50:12a pre-production order for 15 aircraft was increased to 60.
50:20The first prototypes had conventional tail-wheel landing gear, but on production models, tricycle undercarriages were fitted.
50:41From this point, the Messerschmitt 262 could have been developed into an invaluable interceptor.
50:50It could have taken on the Allied escort fighters while leaving the bombers to conventional aircraft.
50:56But fate intervened, because when the aircraft was first demonstrated in front of Hitler in November 1943,
51:03he saw its main potential as a high-speed bomber.
51:28Meserschmitt continued to develop it as a fighter, with a formidable array of four 30mm cannon in the nose.
51:41Shortly after production began in May 1944, however, Hitler learned of this and ordered the aircraft's conversion into a bomber.
51:50This just served to delay things again, and the 262 didn't enter service until September, flying its first sortie on the 3rd of October.
52:01Even then there were problems, because pilots could not initially adapt to the high speed of up to 536 miles an hour,
52:09nor the engine's slow response to throttle demands, which was a common fault in all early jets.
52:15As well as being used as an interceptor,
52:42the Messerschmitt 262 was widely operated as a fighter bomber,
52:46and with radar and a second crew member as a night fighter.
52:50A former advocate and a fighter será the man in the lobby for the bomber,
52:58as supports the war and the soldiers and the fighters as a missiles.
53:01So I think this is a lovely stunt,
53:03THE END
53:33But even in its brief operational career, it captured the imagination of the Allies,
53:45being far superior to the British Meteor,
53:48and all examples captured during the advance into Germany
53:51were subjected to intense and curious examination.
54:03THE END
54:33Clearly demonstrating the German inventiveness discussed earlier,
54:42the Messerschmitt 163 Comet was one of the most radical interceptor fighters of the war
54:48and has the distinction of being the only aircraft solely propelled by a rocket
54:53to have seen combat other than in the kamikaze role.
54:56During the 1920s and 30s, Dr Alexander Lippisch of the German Glider Research Institute
55:04produced a number of flying wing designs,
55:07one of which was adapted for flight trials fitted with a VALTA liquid propellant rocket motor.
55:15The experiments were so successful that he was given his own design bureau at Messerschmitt in January 1939
55:21with instructions to develop a rocket propelled interceptor.
55:26His team planned the new fighter around a VALTA engine
55:30fuelled principally by hydrogen peroxide, methyl alcohol and water
55:34which delivered a thrust of 1,653 pounds.
55:38The engine, unfortunately, was a constant source of problems,
55:44not the least of which was a fuel leak
55:47which could literally dissolve the unlucky pilot as though in an acid bath.
55:52The fuel was also highly volatile
55:54and any residue could explode on a hard landing.
56:03The diminutive delta-winged Messerschmitt 163
56:07only saw service in limited numbers but was highly effective.
56:11Taking off on a two-wheeled dolly,
56:14it could accelerate to nearly 600 miles an hour at 30,000 feet
56:18before its fuel was exhausted.
56:22Operationally, the aircraft would normally make one powered attack
56:35on an Allied bomber with its armament of two 30-millimeter cannon
56:38then bleed off its residual speed in gliding passes
56:43before landing at nearly 140 miles an hour on its single skid.
56:52Despite the fact that some 400 Messerschmitt 163s were built,
56:58they only scored seven definite kills
57:00between their operational debut in August 1944
57:03and the end of the war in May 1945.
57:08Thus, despite their early lead,
57:10the Axis fighters finally lost to superior Allied design.
57:14Massed production, particularly in the USA,
57:17ultimately swamped the German and the Japanese air defences
57:20by their sheer numbers.
57:22martial arts
57:26men
57:26who
57:27and
57:28who
57:30or
57:38who
59:24
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