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Messerschmitt Bf109E-4 - Germany, 1940 Features Include:• Detailed crew figures• Rotating Propellers • Visable Gun Bay• Optional landing gear This distinctive Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter from Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 was equipped with a Telefunken designed Peil Gerat IV electronic radio direction finder unit, one of the first airborne interception units of its kind to be fitted in a Luftwaffe nightfighter. More of an onboard direction indicator than an actual interception radar unit, the Peil G IV featured the installation of a new cockpit indicator display which required the pilot to keep a needle coated in luminous paint in the centre of the display and he knew that if he kept the needle in this central location, his aircraft was heading for the transmitting aircraft detected. Although still relatively primitive, this system allowed the pilot to fly his aircraft and effect the interception, as opposed to being preoccupied with constantly checking his course, something which greatly helped pilots of single seat fighters. Although actually not all that effective in operation, the Peil Gerat IV unit would provide valuable research data for use in future projects, which would eventually lead to the introduction of much more capable systems. In the specialised role of night interceptions, single seat Luftwaffe fighters were not particularly suitable for the task, as their lack of range/loitering capability and the sheer workload placed on the pilot were both significant limiting factors and it didn't take long before the larger twin engined Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Junkers Ju88 aircraft were assigned to this role.

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Messerschmitt Me109G-6 Trop - Maggiore Antonio VizzottoRegia Aeronautica, 150 Gruppo, Sicily, July 1943 Just as the famous Fokker Eindecker had previously done during the Great War, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 would re-define aerial warfare and was an aircraft which was intended to dominate the sky. An aircraft which incorporated all the latest technological developments the aviation world had to offer, this project may have advanced as a lightweight monoplane fighter, but possessed the one attribute all hunting aeroplanes needed, and that was great speed. Produced in response to a Reich Aviation Ministry requirement for an advanced single-seat fighter aircraft, the design submitted by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was radical in the extreme, diminutive and lightweight in construction and utilising the most powerful in-line aero engines in development in Germany at that time.Taking much of its design inspiration from the successful Messerschmitt Bf108 Taifun four-seat sports touring aircraft which preceded it, the Bf 109 was a relatively small, yet powerful monoplane fighter, one which was incredibly fast, heavily armed and highly manoeuvrable. At a time when the world's major air forces were mainly equipped with biplane designs for their front line fighter force, you might think that German pilots were desperate to get their hands on an aircraft which was so advanced that it was at the very forefront of world aviation, but that didn't initially prove to be the case. As they were used to slower, highly manoeuvrable aircraft with open cockpits, the enclosed cockpit of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 must have been more than a little claustrophobic for them, however, they soon warmed to the many impressive qualities of this aviation phenomenon, an aircraft which would allow them to dominate the skies. Interestingly, due to the advanced nature of the design and the fact that the new German built powerplants were not ready, the prototype aircraft was actually powered by a British Rolls Royce Kestrel engine, something of a strange dichotomy for a fighter which would go on to become the scourge of the Royal Air Force.Proving successful during flight trials with competing rival aircraft from other famous German aircr

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Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 Nightfighter When the Hawker Hurricane entered squadron service at the end of December 1937, it heralded a new era of aviation for a Royal Air Force which could now boast the introduction of their first high speed monoplane fighter. From a design perspective, the Hurricane was more evolutionary than revolutionary, taking many of its design characteristic from the successful series of sleek Hawker biplanes which preceded it - in fact, the new fighter was initially referred to as the Fury Monoplane™ project. A clever combination of traditional design and manufacturing techniques, whilst at the same time introducing many firsts™ for a British monoplane, such as an enclosed cockpit, retractable undercarriage and the adoption of eight machine gun armament, the Hurricane could be described as the right British aeroplane at the right time. In the days when speed was the main attribute required in securing superiority of the skies, the Hurricane was the first RAF fighter to exceed 300 mph in level flight, which at that time represented an incredible 100 mph increase over existing biplane fighters already in service.An extremely rugged aeroplane the traditional manufacturing techniques adopted by Hawker designers meant that the Hurricane was less complicated and much cheaper to produce than the revolutionary Spitfire which followed it into service and perhaps of even greater importance, it was easier to repair having sustained combat damage - these aircraft needed to be in the air fighting, not in a hangar being patched up. Despite the Spitfire taking the reputation of being Britain™s saviour during the Battle of Britain, the competent and dependable Hurricane actually accounted for 2/3rds of the RAF™s aerial victories claimed during the Battle of Britain, a fact which arguably makes the Hawker Hurricane the most important aircraft in British aviation history. Having proved instrumental in defeating the Luftwaffe by day during the summer of 1940, the Hurricane was also called upon to challenge them by night as they moved to a nocturnal bombing campaign following their defe

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Bristol F-2B Fighter - No.111 Sqn - Egypt, October 1917With the aeroplane becoming such a vital weapon during the Great War and with the Royal Flying Corps' Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c reconnaissance aircraft suffering so badly at the hands of the German Fokker Eindecker, an effective replacement in the armed reconnaissance/fighter role was desperately needed. At the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Chief Designer Frank Barnwell was determined that he was going to produce such an aircraft and he was uniquely qualified to deliver on his promise. A qualified Royal Flying Corps pilot with combat flying experience over the Western Front, he knew what qualities the new aircraft must possess and perhaps of even greater importance, what RFC crews would need from it. The new aircraft must be capable of effectively defending itself from enemy attack, but also to possess the ability to turn the tables in such circumstances and make any Luftstreitkräfte pilot regret their decision to tangle with the new British aircraft.The prototype Bristol Type 12 (F.2A) made its maiden flight on 9th September 1916 and powered by the new 190hp Rolls Royce Falcon I engine, posted impressive performance from the start. A relatively large and purposeful aircraft, suitably impressed War Office officials placed an order for further development aircraft and 50 production aircraft for RFC training units, all of which would eventually be assigned to No.48 Squadron. Following training in the UK, this unit would take their Bristol Fighters across the Channel and make their combat debut in April 1917 at the Battle of Arras.

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Supermarine Spitfire MkIXc - GC Colin Gray - Operation Husky - July 1943Desperate to ensure the Spitfire maintained its ongoing combat effectiveness, designers at the Vickers Supermarine Company were almost constantly engaged in modifying, upgrading and improving their famous fighter throughout the Second World War, however, during that time, there were occasions when unexpected Luftwaffe advancements called upon their flexibility and ingenuity. With a significant new variant of the Spitfire at the advanced stages of development, the introduction of a capable new German fighter aircraft in the skies over occupied Europe caused great concern amongst RAF officials, who were now losing Spitfires at an alarming rate and needed an immediate response. With the proposed squadron introduction of the new Spitfire Mk.VIII variant still some months away, Supermarine designers had the idea of mating the intended new powerplant for this aircraft, the Rolls Royce Merlin 60 series engine, with existing Spitfire Mk.V airframes already on the production line, a temporary solution which might just buy them the time they needed.The idea was given official approval and the RAF's Emergency Interim Fighter Programme got underway, with the new variant given the designation Spitfire IX, a stop-gap solution which would actually prove to be something of a fighting thoroughbred. In actual fact, this undertaking was not without several rather significant challenges for the team at Supermarine to overcome and but for the severity of the situation in the skies over Europe, may have actually been regarded as too problematic. Attaching the powerful new variant of the Merlin engine to existing Spitfire airframes was fraught with challenges, as the new unit was larger, wider and featured a redesigned rear section, all of which made this far from a simple exchange of engines. Supermarine technicians had to remove all existing systems and connections, design a new engine mount, then replace all fittings with newly upgraded components, all of which were essentially hand built. In fact, it could be argued that many of the first Spitfire Mk.IX fighters were hand built, with each one having an incredible number of man hours devoted to their p

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Lockheed P-38L Lightning, 'Putt Putt Maru', 1945Having seen the introduction of advanced monoplane fighter designs in both the German and Japanese air forces, America was only too aware that their own Air Force was in need of upgrade as a matter of urgency. To this end, an official requirement was issued in February 1937 for the production of a new pursuit fighter, an aircraft which would have to possess performance which had never previously been seen, not only on an American aircraft, but anywhere else in the world. The Lockheed Aircraft Company were one of six companies determined to satisfy this demanding requirement and entrusted the design of this radical new aircraft to talented designer Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson, who was basically given a free rein during its development. Almost immediately, he determined that a single engined aircraft could not satisfy these demanding specifications and started work on a twin engined design, one which featured twin booms to house the engines and superchargers, with a centrally positioned nacelle for the cockpit and the fighter's heavy armament.The new aircraft looked incredible and was a radical departure from any fighter aircraft design that had gone before it, with Lockheed being awarded a contract to produce a prototype example. The XP38 was a thing of beauty and after just a short 38 minute maiden flight, everyone at Lockheed knew they had a winner on their hands. In fact, officials were so impressed with the aircraft's performance that they immediately decided to make an attempt on the US Transcontinental speed rec

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Boulton Paul Defiant Mkl N1801 PS-Y Nightfighter Colmbatore II Although the Boulton Paul Defiant fought alongside Spitfires and Hurricanes during the air battles above the Dunkirk evacuation beaches and the Battle of Britain which followed, it enjoys nothing of the widespread public recognition its two contemporaries could boast. Surprisingly, the Defiant actually made its first flight and RAF squadron introduction quite some time after both the Hurricane and Spitfire, something which may explain its limited success when used in the day fighter role during WWII. The idea behind the Defiant™s unusual design came from inter-war thinking that future air combat would be fought by fast, heavily armed bomber formations, which would not need the protection of dedicated fighter cover.In order to combat this, the Defiant, equipped with its quad dorsal turret mounted machine gun armament, could engage these bombers with a beam attack, similar to how battleships might engage, or from below, where the bomber was most vulnerable and where the fighter could concentrate the firepower of its four .303 in Browning machine guns. This same thinking also dictated that this new bomber defence fighter would not need forward firing armament, as the high closing speed of modern monoplane fighters would render frontal attacks useless, so the Defiant incredibly ended up being a fighter aircraft with no forward firing armament at all.Having a similar profile to the Hawker Hurricane which preceded it into service, the Defiant initially scored some significant combat successes against Luftwaffe aircraft, even the much vaunted Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. Attacking the Defiant as they would a Hurricane, Messerschmitt pilots soon realised their mistake, as they lined up to press home their flank attacks, only to be met by a hail of bullets. The shock of this misidentification was soon relayed to other pilots and the Defiant would soon become easy prey for the highly manoeuvrable Messerschmitts, which would attack the turret fighter from the front or from below, where the British aircraft simply could not defend itself.Withdrawn from the day fighter role during the Battle of Britain, the Defiant would go on to prove itself

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