20th+

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Dive Bombers

Terrifying Physics of WW2 Dive Bombing > .
Dive brakes vs high-G danger > .
How Planes Survive High-Gs - ReEn > .
Stuka Siren: Sound As A [Psychological] Weapon > .
Stuka Dive Bomber in Color > .

Ju87 Stuka Dive Bombers - Sirens WW2 Luftwaffe Footage > .
Weaponology - WWII Dive Bombers / High Altitude Bombers > .

Midway - U.S. Dauntless Dive Bomber - Direct Hit on Carrier Hiryu > .
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka ..

The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a WW2 American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy's main carrier-based scout/dive bomber from mid-1940 through mid-1944. The SBD was also flown by the United States Marine Corps, both from land air bases and aircraft carriers. The SBD is best remembered as the bomber that delivered the fatal blows to the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The type earned its nickname "Slow But Deadly" (from its SBD initials) during this period.

During its combat service, the SBD proved to be an excellent naval scout plane and dive bomber. It possessed long range, good handling characteristics, maneuverability, potent bomb load, great diving characteristics from the perforated dive brakes, good defensive armament, and ruggedness. One land-based variant of the SBD – in omitting the arrestor hook — was purpose-built for the U.S. Army Air Forces, as the A-24 Banshee.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_SBD_Dauntless .

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Handley-Page Hampden

The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was part of the trio of large twin-engine bombers procured for the RAF, joining the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and Vickers Wellington. The newest of the three medium bombers, the Hampden was often referred to by aircrews as the "Flying Suitcase" because of its cramped crew conditions. The Hampden was powered by Bristol Pegasus radial engines but a variant known as the Handley Page Hereford had in-line Napier Daggers.

The Hampden served in the early stages of the WW2, bearing the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-bomber raid on Cologne. When it became obsolete, after a period of mainly operating at night, it was retired from RAF Bomber Command service in late 1942. By 1943, the rest of the trio were being superseded by the larger four-engined heavy bombers such as the Avro Lancaster.

https://www.bismarck-class.dk/other_craft_involved/british_aircraft_involved/bomber_aircraft/handley_page_hp52_hampden.html .

Handley Page HP-42 ..
Handley-Page Hampden ..
Imperial Airways ..

Imperial Airways & Flying Boats ..

Friday, July 19, 2013

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

Dive brakes vs high-G danger > .
Stuka Siren: Sound As A [Psychological] Weapon > .
Stuka Dive Bomber in Color > .

Ju87 Stuka Dive Bombers - Sirens WW2 Luftwaffe Footage > .
Weaponology - WWII Dive Bombers / High Altitude Bombers > .
How Planes Survive High-Gs - ReEn > .

Pilots at high gravitational forces (G-forces) > .

How RAF Prepared For Luftwaffe's Offensive | Battle Of Britain | Timeline > .

Dive Bombers ..

The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, "dive bomber") was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War and served the Axis forces in WW2.

The aircraft was easily recognisable by its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage. Upon the leading edges of its faired main gear legs were mounted the Jericho-Trompete (Jericho trumpet) wailing sirens, becoming the propaganda symbol of German air power and the so-called blitzkrieg victories of 1939–1942. The Stuka's design included several innovations, including automatic pull-up dive brakes under both wings to ensure that the aircraft recovered from its attack dive even if the pilot blacked out from the high g-forces.

The Stuka operated with considerable success in close air support and anti-shipping at the outbreak of World War II. It led air assaults in the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Stukas were critical to the rapid conquest of Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France in 1940. Sturdy, accurate, and very effective against ground targets, the Stuka was, like many other dive bombers of the period, vulnerable to fighter aircraft. During the Battle of Britain its lack of manoeuvrability, speed and defensive armament meant that it required a heavy fighter escort to operate effectively.

After the Battle of Britain the Stuka was used in the Balkans Campaign, the African and Mediterranean theatres and the early stages of the Eastern Front where it was used for general ground support, as an effective specialised anti-tank aircraft and in an anti-shipping role. Once the Luftwaffe lost air superiority, the Stuka became an easy target for enemy fighter aircraft on all fronts. It was produced until 1944 for lack of a better replacement. By then ground-attack versions of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 had largely replaced the Stuka, but Stukas remained in service until the end of the war.

Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the most successful Stuka ace and the most highly decorated German serviceman of the Second World War.

An estimated 6,500 Ju 87s of all versions were built between 1936 and August 1944.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_87 .