Tag Archives: WW2

NAA B-25G Mitchell: Newton’s Third Law.

by

2

In the “gunship” B-25G the transparent nose crew position of the basic B-25 was replaced with a solid short nose equipped with a pair of fixed .50 in machine guns and a 75mm M4 canon. The latter was not highly regarded for a couple major reasons. On one hand, its poor rate of fire in its original configuration. On the other hand, the fierce recoil that rocked the whole plane when fired and slowed it down causing it also to drop several feet with every shot. Not a good thing at the low levels this gunship operated. An improved model, the H, was produced later -between the two models around 1500 were built- but in the end rockets proved to be the solution.

Dornier Do 18E: Finely evolved cetacean.

by

2



The Do 18 was conceived as a replacement for the early-1920s vintage Wal. It still had the latter basic configuration, but thoroughly updated and cleaned up by the people of Dornier. It saw both civilian and military service. The “Zephir” (D-ARUN) was on the four diesel-powered Do 18Es operated by Luft Hansa in their bold Atlantic services. The Luftwaffe was the main operator of the Do 18 though; the circa 170 acquired saw first line duties during the first years of the war. Two of them had the dubious honour of being the first Luftwaffe aircraft shot down by the British.

Sublime Shigeo Koike art, as usual.

Mitsubishi Ki-46-II: Flight to the unthinkable.

by

0



The slick Ki-46 was a long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft conceived to replace the Ki-15. First flown late in 1939, after some engine teething problems, the design entered service on the Summer of 1941. One of the more outstanding assets of the Japanese during WW2, it proved to be a hard nut to crack due to its high speed and superb high altitude performances. So much so that a heavily armed interceptor version was developed, unsuccessfully though. Around 1,700 were produced, a substantial number for Japanese standards.

The Ki-46-II was the first truly operational model. One of them warming up at Vunakanau Airfield, near Rabaul on September 15, 1945. The properly attired Captain Nario Iwanaga was ready to surrender.

Project Habakkuk: “Something in your days that you would not believe”.

by

1



This British project of circa 1942 envisaged the construction of truly humongous ice aircraft carriers to use against German U-boat menace in the mid-Atlantic.

This postwar drawing of the “Illustrated London News” (1946) depicts one of the later iterations of this project next to the HMS Indefatigable. It would have been built out of 280,000 blocks of “Pykrete” (wood pulp mixed with ice). With a displacement of 2,000,000 tons, 2,000 feet long, 300 feet across the beam and 200 feet in depth. A floating airfield really. Circa 150-200 fighters and bombers could be operated from it, with all the necessary facilities in a conventional carrier available in spades. It would have been propelled at a speed of seven knots by Diesel-electric machinery with a radius of action of 7,000 miles.

Such a Firebrand Idea.

von Braun VTO Interceptor: Launch all Vipers!! (II).

by

1



On the Summer of 1939, after his experiments with a rocket-powered He 112 prototype, von Braun made this awe-inspiring proposal to the RLM for a rocket powered VTO (Vertical Take-Off) interceptor. In its first configuration the aircraft would be stored vertically inside this specially designed hangar/launch facility and wheeled outside on a pair of rails to launch. It employed a more prosaic skid to land after an unpowered glide.
Photo taken from “The birth of the missile, the secrets of Peenemünde” 1965 book by Ernst Klee and Otto Merk. Further information right there.

Unglaublich.

Ju 88D vs Yak-7: ¡TARÁN!

by

5



The hazardous journey of a Spanish Republican fighter pilot during two wars. His semi-suicidal “Taran” ramming attack with a Yak-7 to a recon Ju 88D included (August, 25. 1944). I’m giving a review to the library I still have in my parents’ house. This one stands out among its kind. Such an interesting memoir, well-illustrated too. Specially considering that it’s a Spanish self-published book.

A cover like this could sell any book.

Artist: Isaac Montoya Salamó.

Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4: Another Jerry!!

by

3



Just hear the sad news of Hardy Krüger passing on last January 19. Such an actor. He played a quite decent von Werra in the “The One That Got Away” movie. I kinda like also his engineer character in “The Flight of the Phoenix”.

Captured by a cleaver knife-armed cook. Such a well-composed scene; that very convincing full-scale Emil replica sure helps. He was NOT just another Jerry.