NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Battle of Britain Aircraft

The most famous fighter aircraft used in the Battle of Britain were the British Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and the German Messerschmitt Bf-109E or Emil. Although nowadays the glamorous Spitfire is often thought of as the main British fighter, in fact the Hurricanes were at first more numerous (by a factor of about 5:3) and (especially in the early part of the battle), were responsible for most German losses. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants United Kingdom Including combatants from United States of America Australia Canada Czechoslovakia Ireland Palestine Poland Germany Including combatants from Italy Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann GÃ¶ring Albert Kesselring Strength initially 700 aircraft; grew to nearly 1,000 by the end of the Battle. ... The Supermarine Spitfire was an iconic British single-seat fighter used primarily by the RAF and many Allied countries through the Second World War and into the 1950s. ... The Hawker Hurricane is a fighter design from the 1930s which was used extensively by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ...

The Spitfire and Bf-109E were well-matched in speed and agility, and both were somewhat faster than the Hurricane. The slightly larger Hurricane was regarded as less 'twitchy' and provided a more stable gun platform, as Luftwaffe bombers would later find out to their cost. The RAF's preferred tactic was if possible to deploy the Hurricane's awesome firepower against formations of less-agile bombers, and to set-up the Spitfires against the fighter escorts waiting to pounce from higher altitude. The Spitfire’s one-piece sliding moulded canopy gave best visibility, the pilot having a better chance of spotting an enemy over the Bf-109E and its heavy framed hinged hood. The Emil's main armament was two MG-17 (Maschinengewehr 17) 7.92 x 57 mm machine guns on the engine decking and two Oerlikon / Mauser MG FF 20 x 72RB mm autocannons in the wings. Although the explosive cannon shells had more destructive power, the FF's low muzzle velocity and limited ammunition carried meant the cannon equipment was not markedly superior to the Hurricane and Spitfire's proven eight Browning .303 (7.7 x 56R mm) machine guns. This does not cite its references or sources. ... RAF redirects here. ... The MG 17 was a 7. ... The 8 mm Mauser cartridge next to a United States 5 cent coin. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Oerlikon is a Swiss anti-aircraft artillery manufacturer made famous by its 20mm cannons in World War II. Copies and derivatives of these designs were used by the Germans, French, British and Japanese weapon manufacturers. ... Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ... The MG FF was a drum-fed 20 mm aircraft cannon developed in 1936 by Oerlikon and license-produced in Germany. ... The 20mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon (or more commonly today, autocannon) and not a heavy machine gun. ... M242 Bushmaster autocannon on an M2 Bradley. ... Look up Browning and browning in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... .303 cartridge The . ...

In terms of manoeuvrability, if flown by experienced pilots, the Bf-109E could out-turn the Hurricane and Spitfire at all heights. Most of the time though, the Spitfires and Hurricanes would out-turn the 109s because the BF-109Es pilots were afrade to push the plane to its limits due to the fact that the BF109E did not give the pilot any warning tha it was going to stall; unlike the Spitfires and Hurricanes which gave the pilot plenty of warning that the plane was about to stall by shaking violently. The Spitfire's maximum speed was a little faster than the BF-109E, Athough both the Spitfire and Hurricane were slower in a power dive and had the drawback of being equipped with a float type carburettor which cut out under negative 'g' forces. The Bf-109E on the other hand had direct fuel injection , which meant the Bf-109E's main evasive manoeuvre was a nose 'bunt' straight down, the RAF fighters losing ground rapidly as the petrol supply momentarily stopped to the engine and the power cut. (Spitfire and Hurricane pilots overcame this by half rolling prior to diving, 'pushing' fuel into the engine.)

The Emil was smaller than both main RAF fighters, but its controllability was decidedly inferior to the 'pilot-friendly' Spitfire and Hurricane, particularly during take-off and landing, and on the ground, where taxi-ing accidents were common. At high speeds controls tightened considerably , and the Bf-109E needed more strength to throw around the air than either of its main opponents. Attempts to pull high 'g' meant the Bf-109E's leading edge wing slats flicked in and out, resulting in aileron snatching, making aiming at a target in a tight turn very difficult. The Hurricane was the toughest and most durable of the three, and servicability rates of Hawker's less sophisticated fighter were always higher than the more complex and advanced Spitfire.

Both the RAF fighters were easy to fly and forgiving of both rough handling and novice pilots. The Hurricane was a superbly steady gun platform, and the closely clustered .303 machine guns in each wing proved very destructive. A drawback to the Hurricane was the presence of a fuel tank just behind the cockpit firewall, which could catch fire and within a few seconds severely burn the pilot before he managed to bale out.

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three twin-engine, front-line medium bombers in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of World War II. // Developed from the A.W.23 bomber-transport to meet Air Ministry Specification B.3/34 and manufactured by... Bomber Command is an organizational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. ... Coastal Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force tasked with protecting the United Kingdom from naval threats. ... The Avro Anson was a twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces during World War II and afterwards. ... Coastal Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force tasked with protecting the United Kingdom from naval threats. ... The Avro 679 Manchester was a twin-engined heavy bomber developed during World War II by the Avro aircraft company in the United Kingdom. ... Bomber Command is an organizational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. ... The Bristol Type 152 Beaufort was a large torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from the earlier Blenheim light bomber. ... Coastal Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force tasked with protecting the United Kingdom from naval threats. ... The Bristol Type 142M Blenheim was a high-speed light bomber used extensively in the early days of World War II, built by Bristol Aeroplane Company. ... Coastal Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force tasked with protecting the United Kingdom from naval threats. ... The Bristol Type 142M Blenheim was a high-speed light bomber used extensively in the early days of World War II, built by Bristol Aeroplane Company. ... A pair of 264 Squadron Defiants. ... Fairey Battle The Fairey Battle was a light bomber of the Royal Air Force built by Fairey Aviation in the late 1930s. ... Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during World War II. Affectionately known as the Stringbag by its crews, it was outdated by 1939, but achieved some spectacular successes during the... The Fleet Air Arm is the operational group of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ... Gloster Gladiator photographed in England in 2002 The Gloster Gladiator was a biplane fighter, used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, as well as a number of other air forces, during World War II. The aircraft had a top speed of around 414 km/h. ... The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force that was one of the main front-line bombers at the start of World War II. Along with the Whitley and Wellington bombers, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war... Bomber Command is an organizational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. ... The Hawker Hurricane is a fighter design from the 1930s which was used extensively by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. ... Lockheed Hudson Mk V The Lockheed Hudson was a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The Hudson was the first significant aircraft construction contract for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporationâ€”the initial RAF order for 200... Coastal Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force tasked with protecting the United Kingdom from naval threats. ... The S.25 Sunderland was a flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers, first flown on 16 October 1937. ... Coastal Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force tasked with protecting the United Kingdom from naval threats. ... The Supermarine Spitfire was an iconic British single-seat fighter used primarily by the RAF and many Allied countries through the Second World War and into the 1950s. ... The Vickers Wellington was a twin-engine, medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs Chief Designer, R.K. Pierson. ... Bomber Command is an organizational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. ... Westland Lysander III (SD). ...

Germany

The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Bleistift (pencil), was a World War II light bomber produced by Dornier that was used at the beginning of the war by the Luftwaffe. ... The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Bleistift (pencil), was a World War II light bomber produced by Dornier that was used at the beginning of the war by the Luftwaffe. ... The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Bleistift (pencil), was a World War II light bomber produced by Dornier that was used at the beginning of the war by the Luftwaffe. ... Categories: Stub | German airliners 1930-1939 | German patrol aircraft 1930-1939 | Seaplanes and flying boats | World War II German patrol aircraft ... The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (stork) was a small liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market. ... Focke-Wulf Fw 200 The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 was a German all-metal four-engined monoplane that entered service as an airliner and later as long range reconnaissance and anti-shipping bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe. ... Heinkel HE 59 Designed in 1930, the He 59 resulted from a requirement for a torpedo bomber and reconnaissance warplane able to operate with equal facility on wheeled landing gear or twin-float alighting gear. ... The Heinkel He 60 was a biplane reconnaissance seaplane designed for use from Kriegsmarine warships of the 1930s. ... He 111K The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most famous symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... He 111K The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most famous symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... He 111K The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most famous symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... He 111K The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most famous symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... He 111K The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most famous symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the best known Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull wings, fixed undercarriage and siren. ... Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the best known Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull wings, fixed undercarriage and siren. ... The Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. ... The Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 110 (later Me 110) was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Later in the war it was changed to fighter-bomber and night fighter operations, and it became the major night fighter type of the Luftwaffe. ...

Italy

Categories: Articles lacking sources from November 2006 | All articles lacking sources | Battles involving the United Kingdom | World War II strategic bombing | 1940 in the United Kingdom The Fiat BR.20 Cicogna (Italian: stork) was a twin engined bomber in the Italian Regia Aeronautica during World War II. History The BR.20 was first flown at Turin in 1936, and shortly after this first flight the aircraft became central to the propaganda campaign showcasing Italian engineering achievements. ... Fiat CR.42 Falco The Fiat CR.42 Falco (Falcon) was a biplane which served as the primary fighter aircraft of Italys Regia Aeronautica at the outbreak of World War II. // Development The epitome of a biplane fighter, CR.42 represented evolution of the Italian designs starting with Fiat...