AIRCRAFT # 13.

 

 

GRUMMAN F8F BEARCAT.

 

American single seat fighter in service with the United States Navy 1946 - 48. The bearcat was the final development in the line of Grumman fighters that started with the Wildcat. Serving with the US Navy and with air forces in Indo - China it proved to be one of the fastest and most manoeuvrable piston engine aircraft ever built. The bearcat which could operate from small aircraft carriers as an interceptor, was a high performance version of the wartime Hellcat. Although its overall configuration followed that of the hellcat its smaller size and greater engine capacity ensured that it had outstanding performance. This aircraft, registration N800H, was built in 1948 and taken on charge in August of that year by the US Navy. She served at a number of naval air stations before undergoing modification to F8F - 2P standard in 1952. Following further navy service she was finally struck off charge in January 1957. N800H then passed through two sets of private ownership in the US, the first between 1957 and 1972, and the second until 1981. It was under this second private ownership that she underwent a full overhaul and flew once again in 1975. It was in 1981 that the bearcat joined what was to become the Fighter Collection and has gone onto be the longest serving member of the fleet. Crew - one. Engine - one 2,100hp Pratt and Whitney double Wasp R - 2800 - 34W eighteen cylinder air cooled radial. Armament - four 12.7mm Browning machine guns ( F8F-1 ) or four 20mmM-2 cannon ( F8F - 1B, F8F - 2 ) and provision for two 1,000lb bombs or four 5inch rockets under wings. Max speed - 421mph ( F8F-1 ) 447mph ( F8F-2 ). Service ceiling - 40,000ft. Range - 1,105 miles ( F8F-1 ) 865 miles ( F8F-2 ).

 

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HAWKER SIDDELEY BUCCANEER S2B.

 

The worlds first purpose built low level strike aircraft. Served with the Fleet Air Arm and the RAF. The Buccaneer was designed to operate from Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers and deliver a nuclear weapon from low level to avoid enemy radar. The RAF also decided to use the buccaneer in 1968, after the cancellation of the TSR2 and the decision not to purchase the American F111. Buccaneers served with the Royal Navy until 1978, when the last of the large aircraft carriers was phased out. The aircraft then in service were transferred to the RAF. The buccaneer was eventually replaced by the Tornado, but two squadrons continued to operate the buccaneer as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft into the 1990`s. The very strong airframe, needed to maintain stability in high speed low level attacks, enabled the aircraft to remain in service for thirty years. In 1991, buccaneers were involved in the Gulf War. They carried laser designation systems to control laser guided bombs dropped by Tornados onto their targets. This aircraft, XV865, was delivered to the Royal Navy in 1968 and served with Nos 736 and 809 naval air squadrons, mainly with No 208 squadron at Lossiemouth, Moray. It was retired and arrived at the Imperial War Museum Duxford at the end of 1998. Crew - two. Engines - two Rolls Royce Spey 101 turbofans of 11,030lbs thrust each. Weapons - bomb load, one nuclear bomb or four 1,000lbs conventional bombs in rotary bomb bay. Up to four sea eagle or martel anti ship missiles under wing pylons. Max speed - 645mph. Service ceiling - 40,000ft. Combat range - up to 3,000miles.

 

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BOEING B - 17G FLYING FORTRESS.

 

The main American bomber of the second world war, used by the US Eighth Air Force in the bombing offensive against Germany in 1942 - 45. The best known American bomber of the second world war, the fortress put into practice the United States Army Air Forces doctrine of daylight high altitude precision bombing. American bombing of Germany was mostly carried out by the US Eighth Airforce based in the United Kingdom where there were over twenty five bomb groups equipped with fortresses. They first went into action in France in 1942 and made their first attacks on targets in Germany in January 1943. The fortress with its thirteen machine guns, carried the heaviest defensive armament of any bomber and undertook daylight bombing raids in massive close formations which, it was thought would be capable of defending themselves against German fighter attacks without fighter cover. However by mid 1943, on daylight raids deep into Germany, the Eighth Air Force was losing so many aircraft to German fighters that the Americans were forced to curtail their offensive. Not until the introduction of the P51 Mustang, which with long range fuel tanks could escort the bombers all the way to their targets, did the American bombing offensive make its decisive contribution to the destruction of Nazi Germany. Over 12,600 fortresses were produced in all, over 8,600 of them B - 17Gs. Crew - ten. Engines - four 1,200hp Wright R 1820Radials with turbochargers. Armament - thirteen 0.5inch Browning machine guns. Normal bomb load 6,000lbs. Maximum short range bomb load - 12,800lbs. Max speed - 302mph. Range - 3,400miles.

 

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NORTH AMERICAN AT-6D TEXAN ( HARVARD ).

 

This type of American designed training aircraft was used by almost all American and British pilots who learned to fly in the second world war. The AT-6 was an advanced trainer ( hence the AT in the name ) which pilots flew after learning the basics in the slower and steadier Stearman. Britain bought over a thousand to help train RAF pilots before the war began. America continued to supply them to Britain as part of lend-lease, over here, they were known as Harvard's. In the USA they were Texans. Over 16,000 were built in the USA, as well as 2,600 in Canada and 750 in Australia.

 

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HAWKER FURY 1.

 

The first fighter in Royal Air Force service to exceed 200mph. Well known during the 1930s for displays of precision aerobatics. The first Fury 1 made its maiden flight in 1931. 117 were built for the RAF during 1930-1935. Pilots soon came to love the aircraft because of its elegant design, sensitivity of control and aerobatic capability. The first squadron fully equipped with Furies was No 43. This unit performed an aerobatic display for the public during the annual RAF display at Hendon in 1931, the aircrafts first public appearance. The Fury became a star performer at many displays. In 1933, No 25 squadron performed an aerobatic display with the wings of three furies tied together. No 1 squadron also performed incredibly precise aerobatics with four furies in close formation. The Fury 1 served with three RAF squadrons and began to be replaced by faster Fury 11 in 1936. Furies remained in front line service until 1939. They were replaced by Gloster Gladiators and Hawker Hurricanes by the outbreak of the second world war in September that year.  This Fury1, K5674,is the only surviving example of the type. Crew - one. Engine - one Rolls Royce Kestrel 11s 12 cylinder piston engine. Armament - two 303inch Vickers machine guns, synchronized to fire through propeller. Max speed - 207mph at14,000feet. Service ceiling - 26,000ft. Range - 270 miles.

 

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NORD 1002 PINGOUIN 11 ( BF108 ).

 

The Pingouin 11 ( Penguin ) is a French built version of the German Messerschmitt BF108 transport and racing aircraft. It was operated by the French Armed Forces after the second world war as a fast, light passenger transport. Pengouins are often displayed in Luftwaffe ( German Air Force ) colours and markings to represent BF108 or BF109 fighters at airshows and in films. Introduced in 1934, the BF108 gained publicity when flown all over the world by Luftwaffe pilots and by winning international air races before the second world war. It was used during the war by the Luftwaffe as a light personnel transport. It was also used by the mostly civilian Luftdienst ( air service ) as a target tug, rescue and light supply aircraft. It was one of Messerschmitt's most successful aircraft designs, and was the first aircraft of its size to have nearly all metal construction and a retractable undercarriage. It was fast, safe, pleasant to fly and easy to maintain. 885 were built during the second world war, first in Germany and then from 1942 in France. Production continued after the war and several different variants were made for the French Armed Forces and for the civilian market. Crew - pilot and up to three passengers. Engine - one 230hp Renault 6Q-10B 6 cylinder in line, air cooled. Armament - none. Max speed - 190 mph. Service ceiling - 23,500ft. Range - 620 miles.

 

 



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HEINKEL HE 162 A-2 SALAMANDER.

 

A German jet fighter produced in the closing stages of the second world war. It was designed to be simple and cheap to make and to be flown by members of the Hitlerjugend ( hitler youth ). HE 162s were built in underground factories using forced labour, often from concentration camps. In one factory which helped produce the HE 162, around 20,000 people died. Development of the HE 162 was rapid. It went from concept to test flight in just 90 days. It was developed as part of the German attempt to win back from the allies control of the skies over Europe. However rushed design and production resulted in several defects. The Salamander was unstable in flight and required a very skilled pilot. Few HE 162s were actually used on operations, but two German pilots reportedly achieved kills while flying Salamanders in April and May 1945. This HE 162 A-2,120235 was almost certainly part of Einsatzgruppe 1 ( task force ) of JG 1 ( Jagdgeschwader fighter wing ) based at Leck in northern Germany. It was one of several captured in May 1945 and sent back to Britain for testing. It was preserved at RAF Cranwell from 1947 to 1960 and since then by the IWM at London and Duxford. Crew - one. Engine - one BMW 109-003e-1 Axial flow turbojet of 1,980lb thrust. Armament - two 20mm MG 151 cannon. Max speed - 519mph. Service ceiling - 36,089 feet. Combat range - 606 miles.

 

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