Fighter Planes Used Throughout WWII, Planes/Air Battles

By Jack Alexander and Halley Crave

The P-51 Mustang was one of the most famous fighter planes of WWII because of its range and firepower. It was so popular and helpful in WWII that it saw continued use throughout the Korean War, even though jets were quickly replacing other aircraft. The P-51 was originally designed by the U.S. for the British, and it was severely underpowered. But when the British added the Merlin engine, the P-51 then proved itself to be one of the best fighters in the war. Chuck Yeager, a USAAF ace, was able to shoot down a German Me-262 jet with the Mustang “Glamorous Glennis”, named after his wife. Powered by a Packard V-1650 Merlin 1,650 horse power engine, the P-51 had a maximum speed of 440 mph at 30,000 ft. and a maximum range of 2,200 miles. It also carried four .5 inch Browning machine guns. The Mustang proved to be superior to its equivalent German fighters: the Focke Wulfe 100 and the Bf-109. The Mustang could fly faster, dive deeper, and turn tighter. The appearance of the P-51 in the opening months of 1944 ended Germany’s last hopes of dominance in the air. By March, 1944, the P-51 had conquered German airspace.

Another great fighter plane was the extremely fast and maneuverable British Spitfire, made famous by the Royal Air Force against the Germans during the Battle of Britain. Though not as numerous as its less agile sister aircraft, The Hawker Hurricane, the Spitfire was “definitely a nightmare in the sky for the attacking German bombers and fighters”(Air War). Because of its elliptical wings, the Spitfire was one of the most easily recognizable fighter planes in the war. The Spitfire originally was in the Schneider Trophy Races- the most prestigious aeronautic races in the twenties. Reginald J. Mitchell, chief designer for the Supermarine Aviation Works, was determined to sweep the races. In doing so, he had laid the foundations for the future fighter plane. The prototype Spitfire began to take shape in 1935, and, as a result of the test on March 5, 1936 which surpassed all existing British specifications for fighter aircraft, in June of that year the first production orders for the Spitfire were issued. In 1939, there were 400 Spitfires in service, ready for battle with the German army. The Spitfire was the first all-metal British Fighter plane. It entered the Royal Air Force service in 1938, and in 1940 was the companion to the Hawker Hurricane in the Battle of Britain. Initially used in the Spitfire Mk. 1A model was the Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine, which had power ratings from 1,030 horse power upward. Its elliptical wings spanned 11.33 meters (36 ft. and 10 inches), and were armed with eight .303 Browning machine guns. The Spitfire was also used to pioneer unarmed reconnaissance.

Aside from fighter planes there were bombers, which played an extremely important part in WWII. Fighter planes could shoot down enemy planes, but a bomber could take out an entire city and all the enemy’s resources. In 1935, the B-17 Flying Fortress became the world’s first four engine long-range Bomber. Its excellent basic design enabled the production of ever improved aircraft, and it fought everywhere until the end of WWII. The common B-17G type had eight gun positions with thirteen heavy machine guns, arranged to cover all directions. The B-17 had a crew of ten and was equipped with advanced electronics. The Flying Fortress could carry over five tons of bombs, but normally carried less depending on the mission’s range. It once carried only 1.5 tons of bombs to Berlin, which was what the British Mosquito Bomber carried to Berlin with much greater precision, fewer losses, only two pilots and no guns, because of its high speed.

Developed by the Boeing Aircraft Co., the B-17 Flying Fortress was among the most famous bombers used during WWII. It was known for its ruggedness, fighter power, and ability to deliver a sizable bomb load directly on target wherever it may be. The standard B-17 was equipped with a total of eleven .50 caliber machine guns for defensive firepower, which was how it got its name: The Flying Fortress”.

During WWII, the planes the pilots flew were always being improved. Some of the planes were named the F4F Wildcat, the F4U Corsair, and the F6F Hellcats. Some of the Japanese planes were the Betty and the “Judy” dive bombers. The pilots were in many battles, such as the battle against Truk (an island now known as Chuuk) airfields in 1944, the “Marianas Turkey Shoot”, the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and many more.

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