Tag: Luftwaffe

The Survivors: Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger – Germany’s “Peoples Fighter”

Heinkel He 162A-2 Volksjäger ("People's Fighter" - Werk Nummer 120086) "Yellow 2" of JG 1 is on display at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Ontario (2013)

The Reichsluftfahrtministerium Volksjäger (“People’s Fighter”) design competition was issued on September 10th, 1944 by the German Ministry of Aviation (Reichsluftfahrtministerium – RLM) to develop an inexpensive, mass produced emergency light jet fighter that was fast but easy to fly, to combat the Allied bomber offensive that was devastating Germany. Designs were to be returned by… Read More The Survivors: Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger – Germany’s “Peoples Fighter”

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The Survivors: Czechoslovakia’s Avia S-92 Turbina (Me 262)

Avia S-92 Turbina (Me 262) and Junkers Jumo 004B axial flow jet engine (M-04) – Prague Aviation Museum (September 2017)

By 1945 a number of German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (“Swallow“) jet fighters were located in Czechoslovakia. During the German occupation period Me 262 airframe components were produced by Avia and other Czechoslovakian factories produced jet engine parts and even final assembly of the jet fighter. As a result blueprints, technical manuals, production facilities,… Read More The Survivors: Czechoslovakia’s Avia S-92 Turbina (Me 262)

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The Survivors: Czechoslovakia’s Messerschmitt Bf 109 Hybrids

The Avia and Aero aviation company production lines re-engineered and reverse engineered 450 S-199 single seat fighters between 1947 and 1951! Prague Aviation Museum in the Czech Republic (September 2017)

What does a nation do to rebuild an air force following German annexation, war and Soviet occupation in just a few short years (1938-1945)? Well in Czechoslovakia’s case, by 1945 they had aircraft production facilities, numerous German Luftwaffe aircraft and technical plans laying about, such as Messerschmitt Bf 109G/K fighters and immediately after the end… Read More The Survivors: Czechoslovakia’s Messerschmitt Bf 109 Hybrids

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The Survivors: Sweden’s & the World’s Last Junkers Ju 86

Junkers Ju 86K-4 (Werk Nr. 0860412) at the Swedish Air Force Museum (Flygvapenmuseum) – November 2017

Developed in Germany in the early 1930’s as both a twin-engine medium bomber and civilian airliner, the Junkers Ju 86 first entered service in 1936 and approximately 470 examples would be produced by 1938. The Ju 86A/D/E/G/K bomber (the G model had a round glass nose and the K model was the export version –… Read More The Survivors: Sweden’s & the World’s Last Junkers Ju 86

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The Survivors: Fiat CR.42 Falco – Maneuverable But Outgunned!

The Swedish Air Force Museum Fiat CR.42/J 11 Falco (Fv 2543) entered service in 1942 and was one of the last retired in 1945 – November 2017

The Fiat CR.42 Falco (“Falcon”) fighter aircraft was an Italian sesquiplane variant of the biplane design, where the lower wing was not more than half the surface of the upper wing. Introduced into Italian Regia Aeronautica service in 1939, the fighter was already obsolete in the World War Two era of modern, faster monoplane aircraft… Read More The Survivors: Fiat CR.42 Falco – Maneuverable But Outgunned!

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The Survivors: Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet “The Devil’s Sled”

Messerschmitt Me 163B-1a Werknummer 191660 "Yellow 3" - Flying Heritage Collection, Washington 2011

Following Germany’s World War Two defeat in 1945, the victorious Allies were keen to gather up as much of their jet and rocket technology and expertise as they could. These wunderwaffe (“wonder-weapon”) aircraft and rocket designs would go on to heavily influence western and Soviet aviation and rocketry in the coming years of the Cold… Read More The Survivors: Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet “The Devil’s Sled”

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The Survivors: Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer

Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 110G-4/R6 (Werk Nr. 730301) 1944 night fighter and DB 601 engine – RAF Museum London Hendon, UK 2012

The Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer (“Destroyer”) twin-engine heavy fighter was designed for the Luftwaffe to combat bombers and fighters alike. It seemed to offer it all when it was first flown on May 12th, 1936 and entered Luftwaffe service in 1937. With the introduction of more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 601 engines in 1938, the Bf… Read More The Survivors: Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer

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