Types of WWII Fighter Aircraft

Fighters

• The Brewster Buffalo, an Allied airplane, operated under a higher level than the standard WWII fighter plane. This more technologically advanced aircraft was equipped with wing flaps, retractable landing flaps, an enclosed cockpit and arrester gear. Except for the control surfaces, the airplane featured an all-metal construction. After its first flight in 1936, the airplane was clocked in excess of 300 miles per hour, thanks to its Wright Cyclone piston engine. Along with the four machine guns, the airplane could mount two 100-pound bombs.

Attack Aircraft

• The Allied forces deployed the Blackburn Skua and put it on the initial front battle lines until 1941. The pilot of the attack aircraft dive-bombed his enemy. The fighter could reach a maximum speed of 225 miles per hour, with a ceiling of 19,095 feet and a fuel range of 799 miles. The Blackburn was equipped with four machine guns and a Lewis gun in the cockpit. A 500-pound bomb rested beneath the plane and eight 30-pound practice bombs were positioned under the wing racks.

Heavy Bomber

• The Nazis developed over 15,000 Junker Ju 88s. Though the German attack wasn't known for their bombers, this airplane stands out as the cause for much of the stress of the Allied forces. The versatile fighter operated under a twin-engine monoplane system, with 1,000 horsepower in each. Junkers were equipped with an external bomb loadout and a series of machine guns for defense purposes. These planes entered service near the end of 1939.

Torpedo Bomber

• In 1935, the Japanese had developed the Nakajima B5N, which entered the war in 1941. This carrierborne torpedo-bomber has a maximum speed of 235 miles per hour, a ceiling of 27,100 feet and a fuel range of 1,237 miles. This monoplane had a capacity of three crew members. The Nakajima B5N2 was involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The fighter came up against U.S. airplanes such as the USS Hornet, Yorkton and the Lexington. In all, 1,149 B5Ns were made.