By the beginning of World War II, fighter aviation had become a major factor in military advantage. Let’s take a look back at the best planes of those years.
Messerschmitt Bf.109 (1937)
One of the most successful and mass-produced aircraft of those times might not have come into existence at all if not for the tenacity of Willy Messerschmitt. His firm was refused a contract to develop combat aircraft because of personal animosity between Messerschmitt and the head of the Secretariat of Aviation Affairs, Milch. But the stubborn aircraft designer signed several contracts with foreign firms, which led to a scandal, accusations of German aviation leaders of neglecting national interests, and the involvement of Bavarian manufacturers in the development of the new aircraft.
The first combat use of the Bf.109 took place during the Spanish Civil War. From 1937 to 1945, 34,000 fighters in various modifications were produced, with the Bf.109 second only to the IL-2. In many respects it was the advantage of Messerschmitts over Soviet planes that allowed the German army to achieve serious success in advancing eastward in 1941-1942. The maneuverable and aerodynamically perfect aircraft revealed the shortcomings of Soviet fighters and became a catalyst for the hard work of domestic aircraft designers.
La-5FN (1943)
This fighter was one of the planes that broke the Luftwaffe’s hegemony in World War II. It greatly outperformed the Bf.109 in low- and medium-altitude maneuverability, as well as in vertical maneuverability. One of the first mass battles in which the Lavochkin showed its advantage was the Battle of Kursk in July-August 1943.
The La-5FN was a modification of the LaGG-5 aircraft developed in 1942. This fighter, though structurally very simple, was no longer inferior in basic flight characteristics to Reich fighters. And simplicity of maintenance turned out to be a very important factor considering the difficult conditions in which the Soviet troops found themselves at the end of 1942 – beginning of 1943.
Supermarine Spitfire MkI (1939)
One of the best British fighter planes of the war was created by Reginald Mitchell, the man who designed racing biplanes. The all-metal monoplane with excellent controllability (thanks to its elliptical wing shape) appeared at just the right moment. In the Battle of Britain the German fighters were opposed by the Hurricane Mk1, “workhorses” that were considerably inferior to the Messerschmitts in their performance. The appearance of the Spitfires evened out the balance and prevented the Germans from breaking the spirit of British resistance.
The Supermarine Spitfire MkI was then nicknamed the “savior of Britain. Not surprisingly, it was the aircraft that became Britain’s most mass-produced fighter. Various modifications of the Spitfire remained in service with the local air force until 1961.
P-51 Mustang (1942)
“The Mustang was developed at a truly Stakhanovite pace, if you can say that about an American aircraft. The first flight of the fighter took place only 117 days after the production order was placed. Due to the fact that the first versions of the plane could only fly at relatively low altitudes, its development was about to be curtailed, but the invitation of specialists from Rolls-Royce, who developed a new engine, saved the situation.
The P-51 was the first fighter to use a laminar wing, which significantly reduced fuel consumption and increased its range: the practical – up to 1,500 km, and up to 3,700 km for the flight. Thanks to these characteristics, the Mustangs were used as escort and cover fighters for bombers. Among other things, the P-51 was very comfortable for pilots, for which it was nicknamed the “Flying Cadillac”.
Yak-9 (1942).
This aircraft incorporated the best qualities of the previous Yakovlev Design Bureau aircraft – the Yak-1 and Yak-7. The light and swift fighter was extremely simple in its design, but made it possible to mount more powerful armament than its predecessors. The Yak-9 was on an equal footing with the German Bf.109, and after World War II these fighters took an active part in the Korean War.
The “Niners” underwent baptism of fire in the Battle of Stalingrad and proved themselves very well. It was the Yak-9 that became the most mass-produced Soviet fighter. Until 1948 about 17 thousand of such aircraft in a dozen and a half variations were produced.
