Fighters of World War 2 played a big role during hostilities, often helping to win this or that battle. As a result, each of the warring parties sought to regularly improve their own combat capability, increasing the production of new modern aircraft, constantly updating and improving them. Engineers and scientists, many laboratories and research institutes, testing centers and design bureaus worked on this task. Their joint efforts created advanced military equipment. It was a time of incredible development and progress in aircraft construction. It is worth noting one more fact. At that time, the era of aircraft, the structure of which was based on piston engines, ended.
Features of the development of military aviation
Fighters of World War 2 were fundamentally different from civilian aircraft in that induring the Second World War, their effectiveness was established immediately in practice. If at other times aircraft designers and military specialists, placing a new order for one or another type of aircraft, were based on rather speculative ideas about the nature of the future model or could be guided by a very limited experience of participating in local conflicts, then in wartime the situation changed radically. The practice of regular battles in the sky contributed to the rapid progress in aviation. At the same time, it has become a key criterion that was taken into account when choosing future directions for the development and comparison of the quality of aviation technology. Each of the participants in the military conflict proceeded from personal experience of participating in hostilities. Everything was taken into account: technological capabilities, availability of resources, the level of development of our own aviation industry.
Most of the world war 2 fighters were created by the Soviet Union, England, Germany, the USA and Japan. They played a decisive role during the direct armed struggle.
Among the fighters there were many truly outstanding examples. Of great interest in our time is the comparison of these machines, the comparison of scientific and engineering concepts used in their design. Among the numerous varieties of aircraft that took part in air battles, there are representatives of different schools of aircraft construction. Therefore, we immediately emphasize that it will be incredibly difficult to choose the unambiguously best fighters of World War 2.
It is important to note that fighters were an importanta factor confirming air superiority during the fight against the enemy. The result of combat operations, including those with the participation of other types of troops, mainly depended on their effectiveness. It is for this reason that the class of technology considered in the article has developed so quickly.
The best fighters of World War 2 are considered to be the Soviet La-7 and Yak-3 aircraft, the American Mustang and North American R-51, the British supermarine Spitfire, the German Messerschmitt.
Almost all of them appeared in 1943, at the latest - in early 1944. These World War II fighters reflected the experience of the warring powers already accumulated by that time. These planes have become real symbols of aviation of their time.
Types of fighters
Now about how the fighters of the 2nd World War differed from each other, which had the greatest influence on its course. It is important to note the combat conditions in which they were created. For example, the war in the East clearly demonstrated that a relatively low flight altitude is required from aviation if there is a front line on which the ground army is the main armed force.
The Soviet-German confrontation demonstrated that the vast majority of air battles took place at an altitude of about four and a half kilometers, regardless of what was the maximum height that aircraft could fly to. Therefore, Soviet aircraft designers, while improving engines and fighters, were obliged to take this circumstance into account.
HereAmerican "Mustangs" and British "Spitfires" could rise to great heights, as they counted on a different nature of military conflicts. In addition, the Mustang also had a greater flight range, which was required to escort heavy bombers. Due to this, it was much heavier than the Spitfire, as well as other domestic and German fighters of the 2nd World War.
Given that each state prepared combat vehicles for different conditions, the question of which of the vehicles is more efficient is lost. It becomes advisable to compare only the solution of key technical problems and the nuances in the design.
The German fighters are fundamentally different, which were originally intended for battles on both the Western and Eastern fronts.
Now in detail what were the important differences between the best fighters of World War 2. This issue will be considered from all sides, including the features of the technical ideology, which was laid down by the designers during the design.
Spitfire
In terms of the concept that was used in the creation, the most unusual are the American "Mustang" and the English "Spitfire" XIV.
The World War 2 English fighter was a truly outstanding combat vehicle. It was he who managed to shoot down the German fighter Me 262 in an air battle.
The basis for the Spitfire aircraft was created inGreat Britain a few years before the start of the war. When designing, an attempt was made to combine incompatible things, as it seemed at that time. This is maneuverability, high speed, which was then characteristic only of high-speed monoplane fighters, as well as maneuverability. Basically, the goal was achieved.
Like most other high-speed fighters, the Spitfire was a cantilever, streamlined monoplane. At the same time, it had a sufficiently large wing for its weight, which gave a large load on a separate unit of surface.
Of course, this approach could not be considered exceptional. Japanese designers have already resorted to such a technological solution. But the British went even further. Due to the significant aerodynamic drag of the wing, which was very large, it was impossible to hope for a maximum flight speed. And this indicator was one of the key ones for fighters of that time.
To reduce the resistance, thinner profiles were used. For this, the wing was given an elliptical shape. This technical solution made it possible to reduce aerodynamic drag in maneuver modes and when flying at the highest possible altitudes.
The British managed to create a really outstanding combat aircraft, but this does not mean at all that it did not have any shortcomings. Due to the low load that fell on the wing, it was inferior to most fighters of that time in terms of accelerating properties in a dive. Much slower than almost all similardevices of that time, he responded to the actions of the crew during the roll.
At the same time, it is worth recognizing that all these shortcomings were not of a fundamental nature. Military experts admit that overall it was one of the outstanding aircraft for combat in the sky, which in the present case demonstrated its excellent qualities.
Mustang
Among several variants of the American Mustang aircraft, the models equipped with the English Merlin engine were the most popular. Since 1944, it was they who ensured the safety of US Air Force heavy bombers from attacks by German fighters.
Their main distinguishing feature in the field of aerodynamics was the laminar wing, which was first used in the aircraft industry. Interestingly, experts argued a lot about the advisability of using it on fighters.
Immediately at the end of the 30s, great hopes were placed on such wings, since under certain conditions they had significantly less aerodynamic drag. However, the experience of their use on the Mustangs has diminished optimism. It turned out that when used directly in combat, the wing becomes too ineffective. The reason was that maximum precision in shaping design and meticulous surface finishing were required to implement laminar flow on such a wing.
During the work on applying protective painting, roughness occurred, which inevitably appeared at the beginningbatch production. As a result, the effect of laminarization on the wing was significantly reduced. As a result, laminar profiles were significantly inferior to those used earlier, and this led to serious difficulties when it became necessary to provide effective characteristics of takeoff and landing and maneuvering properties.
At the same time, laminar profiles had the best speed qualities. When diving at significant heights, at which the speed of sound was lower than near the ground, the aircraft managed to achieve speeds at which features appeared that are characteristic of conditions close to the speed of sound. It was possible to increase the critical speed of American fighters of World War 2 by reducing the thickness of the profile or by using higher speed profiles, which were laminar.
History of Appearance
It is noteworthy that the Mustang was developed in the shortest possible time. Initially, its customer was the British government. The first prototype made a test flight at the end of 1940. Only 117 days have passed since the production order was placed.
It is interesting that in the spring of 1942, according to the results of tests by British testers, the high- altitude characteristics of the aircraft did not satisfy the experts. But at the same time, they were so impressed with their speed at low altitudes and maneuverability that it was decided to hold further consultations.
During World War 2, US fighters patrolled the English Channel, storming ground targets in northern France. The first air battle took place over Dieppe in the summer of 1942.
SIn 1944, they began to be used as reconnaissance aircraft to cover long-range bombers that attacked German territory.
The appearance of US fighters in World War 2 in the skies over Germany greatly worsened the situation for the air defense forces of the Third Reich. It turned out to be problematic for the Germans to deal with American fighters, which actually tied them up with attacks during climb, takeoff, and attempts to intercept allied bomber aircraft.
Soviet aviation
The history of the creation of Soviet fighters of World War 2 turned out to be very unusual. By and large, the La-7 and Yak-3 aircraft became modifications of the LaGG-3 and Yak-1 models, developed back in 1940.
By the end of the war, it was the Yak-3 that became the most popular fighter in the domestic air force. For example, the French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen air regiment fought on it, who noted that this aircraft gives them complete superiority over the enemy.
A large-scale reworking of this model was undertaken in 1943 to improve air performance with a fairly low power of the installations themselves. The decisive factor in this project was the reduction in the weight of the combat vehicle, which was done by reducing the wing area. This affected the aerodynamic features. This project for a significant improvement of the aircraft was recognized as the most effective, since modern engines of sufficient power in the Soviet industry were not yet in serial production.
It is interesting that this path inaviation technology was extremely extraordinary. The standard way to improve the flight data complex at that time was to improve the aerodynamic characteristics without fundamental changes in the dimensions of the airframe itself. Also practiced installing more powerful motors, which was accompanied by a significant increase in weight.
"Yak-3" turned out to be much lighter than "Yak-1". It had a smaller wing area and profile thickness, and also had outstanding aerodynamic properties. At the same time, the power-to-weight ratio of the aircraft has significantly increased, its acceleration characteristics, rate of climb, and vertical maneuverability have improved. At the same time, there were practically no changes in terms of landing and take-off, horizontal maneuverability, and specific wing load. During the war, the Yak-3 became one of the simplest combat aircraft to pilot.
It is worth recognizing that in tactical terms, he was still inferior to vehicles that had more powerful weapons and the duration of a combat flight. But at the same time, he supplemented them, realizing the idea of a high-speed, light and maneuverable vehicle for a swift air battle. First of all, it was intended for battles with enemy fighters.
Baptism of Fire
The success of World War II fighters in the USSR was discussed in the summer of 1944, when the Yak-3 passed its baptism of fire. The pilots loved him and appreciated him for his lightness and ease of operation.
This fighter was made as light as possible, including due to the fact that its wooden elements were replaced with metal ones. also insignificantly reduced the fuel supply. As a result, the Yak-3 turned into one of the lightest fighters of World War II. Almost five thousand models were produced in the USSR, more than four thousand of them directly during the war.
Most air combat vehicles were equipped with small-caliber automatic cannons and Berezin machine guns.
La-7
Those who are interested in aviation and want to learn something about World War II fighters will be interested in the history of the creation of another Soviet combat aircraft - La-7. First, on the basis of "LaGG-3", which turned out to be frankly unsuccessful, they developed "La-5". It compares favorably with the previous model only with a powerful power plant.
In the future, it was decided to pay attention to aerodynamic improvement. During 1942-1943, fighters of this type underwent numerous tests in design bureaus. Their main goal was to identify the main sources of aerodynamic losses, as well as to determine how to reduce aerodynamic drag.
The important significance of this work was the proposed design changes that did not require significant alterations to the aircraft, changes in the production process and made it possible to mass-produce them.
"La-7" can rightfully be called one of the best high- altitude fighters of World War 2. It was distinguished by excellent maneuverability, high speed, and climb rate. Compared withthe rest of the fighters, "La-7" were very tenacious, as they had an air-cooled engine. And most of the fighters of that time could not boast of this.
German car
The German fighter Messerschmitt was designed in parallel with the Spitfire. Like the English car, it has become a successful example of a military combat aircraft that has come a long way in evolution. More powerful engines were installed, its aerodynamics, flight and operational characteristics were improved.
It is believed that this particular aircraft was the most outstanding representative of the maneuverable and light combat vehicle of the Nazi air force. Almost throughout the Second World War, the Messerschmitts were recognized as the best aircraft in their class.
Junkers
The Junkers fighter was produced in several modifications, becoming a model of modern high-precision weapons for its time. Among the aircraft that climbed to relatively low altitudes and dived vertically, there were German aircraft of the 2nd World War. Tank destroyers - that's what they called "Junkers".
Due to the specifics of the use in conditions of high overloads, the machine was equipped with automatic brakes, which were used in case of loss of consciousness by the pilot to exit the dive.
"Junkers" used an additional psychological effect, including whenattack on the Jericho trumpet. This was the name of a special device that emitted a terrible howl.
