The Curtiss C-46 was an unsung hero of WWII. It served in every theatre of the conflict, connecting far-flung garrisons across the globe as part of Air Transport Command. It also played a crucial role in keeping China in the war at a time when Japan had severed all other supply routes into that nation….
The Bf 108 is perhaps the best example of a Civilian Aircraft which Germany produced to hone highly advanced technology they later adapted for the nation’s combat types in the late 1930s.
An Icon of Pre-War aviation in the United Kingdom, Dragon Rapides were requisitioned for military use as de Havilland Dominies following the outbreak of WWII, serving as light transports and trainers.
One of the smallest and lightest fighter aircraft of WWII, the Yakovlev Yak-3 was easy to maintain and had an impressive power-to-weight ratio. The Yak-3 was superior to both the Fw 190 and Bf 109G at altitudes below 16,000 feet when it entered service in July 1943.
Liaison Aircraft like the L-5 filled many of the roles now played by helicopters in the modern military. Casualty evacuation, artillery and close-air support spotting, reconnaissance, delivery of urgent supplies, aerial direction of ground convoys and even the laying of communication wires from the air were all roles which the L-5 fulfilled regularly.
The Polikarpov Po-2 served primarily as a trainer in the Soviet Air Force, although it became famous for its role as a night-bomber on the Eastern Front during WWII. With an estimated 30,000 examples produced, it was the most abundant biplane in history!
At the start of WWII, Soviet tactical air combat doctrine was based around the use of high performance monoplanes and maneuverable biplanes. In theory, these mixed units would have the ability to leverage either strength as needed, or so it was thought at the time.
The I-16 was a revolutionary aircraft. In an era of biplanes, it was the first low-wing, monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear in the world. Introduced in the mid-1930s, it was still a mainstay of the Soviet Air Force on the eve of WWII.
Developed from the earlier Polikarpov I-5 Fighter Design, the I-15 and later I-15bis were still in service at the onset of Operation Barbarossa, Germany’s Invasion of the Soviet Union.
Originally intended as a trainer and sport plane for the civil market, the Piper Cub placed aviation within reach of thousands via the Civilian Pilot Training Program. With relatively few modifications, the Cub was militarized to become the L-4 in Army service and the NE-1 with the Navy.
With a range of designations for the aircraft based upon its branch of service and configuration, the Texan played a vital role as an advanced trainer, providing would-be fighter pilots with a final stepping stone before taking on the higher-performance, single-seat combat aircraft types.
In the years before America entered WWII, the need for huge numbers of training aircraft became readily apparent. Military planners were concerned whether any one manufacturer could meet this ballooning demand, so the US Navy decided to build their own Primary Trainer.
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