Military Aviation in WWII

There are so many different planes used in WWII, that it would be impossible to name them all in one paper. This paper will list only a few of them. Among these will be bombers, fighters, and gliders. American, German, Japanese, British, and more countries’ planes are listed. In the early 1900s, WWI was the first war with a new type of weapon: an airplane. After 1914, airplanes revolutionized combat forever. In between the world wars, aircraft technology was revolutionized. WWI fighters had open cockpits and fixed landing gear.

Newer WWII aircraft had retractable landing gear and closed cockpits which allowed pilots to stay warm at high altitudes and communicate through radio while in the cockpit. Another improvement made was that metal instead of wood was used to build aircraft frames (Taylor and Guilmartin).

Speed and altitude limits were almost doubled. Many technological advancements were made in the aircraft industry. Fighter aircraft were by far the most common type of plane used in WWII.

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According to, there were about 631 different types of jets in service for the Allied and Axis powers from 1939-1945. There were many different kinds of fighters used in just the United States Army Air Force (USAAF). One of the most well known was the North American P-51 Mustang. It was in service from 1942 until the end of the war (WWII Aircraft Timeline). There were a total of 15,586 Mustangs made (WWII A). The plane had a crew of one and a top speed of 437 miles per hour making it one of the fastest planes of its time.

The P-51 was a fighter-bomber with the ability to carry up to 1,000 pounds of bombs or missiles. One of its main uses was as a bomber escort, but it could also attack ground targets with bombs or missiles.

Many of the Mustangs used in the war were used by Britain as reconnaissance fighters. The Mustang consistently outperformed other British fighters of its time. One disadvantage of the fighter was that it lost speed at altitudes over 15,000 feet. This problem was later solved and the plane clocked over 400 miles per hour at 30,000 feet (WW2 Aircraft Timeline). All and all, the P-51 Mustang was a great high-performance fighter. One of the most well known Japanese fighters was the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen (). Developed in 1940, the Zero was used throughout the war. The Zero had a maximum speed of 354 miles per hour,. The Zero also had a maximum ceiling of 37,730 feet,. The Zero had a crew of one, and four machine guns. Although not a bomber, the Zero could carry up to 550 pounds of bombs. Mostly carrier based, the Zero played a big role in the Pacific War. The Zero was a mighty foe for the Allies, but, after American engineers captured one of the Zeros, its flaws became apparent. The Americans saw that the Zero had limited armor along with other flaws.

During the Battle of Midway, the lack of armor on the Zero resulted in heavy casualties for the Japanese. Another Japanese plane was the Nakajima B5N, or “Kate,” carrier-born torpedo bomber. Coming into play in 1941, this plane was regarded as the best torpedo bomber in the world (WWII Aircraft Timeline). The plane had a crew of three; a pilot, a bombardier, and a tail gunner. She had a maximum speed of 235 miles per hour and a 27,100 feet maximum ceiling. The Kate was used in many Japanese attacks including Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea, Midway, and over the Santa Cruz Islands. As American pilots became more experienced, the bomber’s flaws showed, causing heavy losses among Japanese pilots. The Kate served well early in the war but lost effectiveness at the end of the war (WW2 Aircraft Timeline) because of advances in Allied aviation. Most people know that planes were used in WWII, but not many know that gliders were also used.

Gliders would be towed or carried by another larger plane and dropped off to glide down to a landing area. Gliders needed less room to land. One of these was the British Airspeed Horsa. The Horsa was first used in 1941. The glider had a hinged nose so that troops, supplies, and vehicles could be easily loaded. It also had a two-man crew and could hold 25 other men. It was built with the ability to carry more weight than a similar glider of that time. Gliders were not well known but they were in the war (WW2 Aircraft Planes). Bombers probably played the most vital role in the war on both sides. One of the most well known American bombers was the B-17 Flying Fortress. The B-17 had a huge impact on the war, accounting for 47 percent of the bombs dropped by Allied forces.

They also made up 45 percent of bomber casualties (WW2 Aircraft Planes). This plane could fly missions from London to Berlin to bomb the German capital. Also, the B-17 boasted an amazing array of defensive cannons mounted around the plane. The plane first went into production during the 1930s but only came into service in 1938. The plane had a 4,000-pound bomb-load limit. Several B-17 squadrons were British with most of them being Coastal Guard planes. The top speed of the bomber was 287 miles per hour at 25,000 feet. Later models had a crew of 10 men. The B-17 was a high-performance, high-efficiency bomber that served well throughout the war (WW2 Aircraft Planes). Another great American bomber was the B-29 Superfortress. The B-29 was developed in 1943 during WWII. It had a top speed of 358 miles per hour and a maximum ceiling of 31,808 feet.

The B-29 had 13 defensive guns mounted throughout the plane and had a maximum payload of 20,000 pounds. One of its innovations was that it had remote-controlled guns. This allowed gunners to sit in an observation bubble next to the gun allowing the gunner to avoid the cold of high altitude flight but still shoot effectively (Clark). The Superfortress was only in service on the Pacific front and did not see battle over Europe (Boeing). One the B-29’s most famous achievements was the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan. The B-29 was a very important bomber which played a major role in Pacific campaigns. Planes in WWII worked well on land-based operations, but they could not have done many missions without the support of aircraft carriers. Aircraft carriers were almost non-existent early in the war but became a powerful force by the end.

Carriers were helpful because it was an easier way to transport planes without having to island hop, and they put planes within range of targets they would not have otherwise been able to reach. Carriers were used by both sides during the war. “One American carrier was the USS Bogue. The Bogue had a very limited arsenal of guns like most other carriers. It had a crew of 890 people and a max speed of 21 mph. Also, it could carry 24 planes” (WWII ). One Japanese carrier was the IJN Zuiho. It had a crew of 785. It also had a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour and a fighter group of 30 planes. It, like most carriers, was lightly armed (Military Factory). Another amazing new plane from WWII was the PBY-5A Catalina (Consolidated PBY). The Catalina was one of the first “flying boats” or float planes in WWII.

Probably one of its most important jobs was U-boat hunting and ship patrol (National). Another purpose for the Catalina was air-to-sea rescues where the Catalina would land in the water next to a life raft or other escape craft and pick up survivors. With a maximum speed of 179 miles per hour and a maximum ceiling of 14,698 feet., it also had a bomb load of 4,000 pounds. The Catalina had a crew of 10, half of which manned defensive guns (Consolidated PBY). WWII sparked a need for many innovative changes in aviation. Hundreds of new planes were invented as a result of the war. All those new planes and capabilities had a huge impact on the war and helped the Allies win. In conclusion, a key factor in WWII was the aircraft like fighters, bombers, and gliders.