64als-cannonfield.com/docs/SportAviation_202008_Success-in... · 2020. 9. 16. · transport and PB4Y-2 Privateer naval patrol bomber. The B-24 was known as a heavy lifter and could

64� �August 2020

DH.82 TIGER MOTH

MANUFACTURER: de HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT CO.

CATEGORY: TRAINER

YEAR INTRODUCED: ��

Designer Geo�rey de Havilland built his first airplane

in 1909 and started his professional aviation career the following year. A decade

later, he founded his own company that produced a series of successful designs.

The DH.82 Tiger Moth was developed from the popular DH.60 series and first flew

in October 1931. The DH.82 was built in huge numbers from 1931 to 1944 and served

as the primary trainer for the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. The type was built

under license by multiple manufacturers. The Canadian variant, distinguished by its

enclosed canopy, was the backbone of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan,

an extraordinary e�ort that produced more than 130,000 trained Allied air crew in

Canada alone.

MODEL 75/PT-13/PT-17/ N2S STEARMAN

MANUFACTURER: STEARMAN AIRCRAFT/BOEING

CATEGORY: TRAINER


The Stearman Aircraft Corp. was founded in 1927

by designer Lloyd Stearman after he left Travel Air, his partnership with fellow

household aviation names Walter Beech and Clyde Cessna. The Model 75 Kaydet was

used as a primary trainer for all branches of the U.S. armed forces before and during

WWII. More than 10,000 of the sturdy radial-engine biplanes were built, largely by

Boeing after the company acquired Stearman in 1934. The airplane was known by

many names but, to many people, it will always simply be a Stearman.

ONE OF THE CENTRAL THEMES OF EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH �� was slated to be a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. AirVenture may have been canceled this year in light of unprecedented world events, but that doesn’t mean we won’t pause and reflect on the valor and the sacrifice of those veterans who saved the free world three-quarters of a century ago. To that end, here, in order of the year of their introduction, are 20 aircraft that played vital roles in that conflict. These are types that you might have seen at Oshkosh this year had things gone as we’d originally planned.

�� AIRPLANES THAT WERE KEY TO THE

ALLIES’ SUCCESS IN WORLD WAR II

BY HAL BRYAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN BRUEGGEN

CLICK HERE TO SEE A VIDEO ABOUT

WARBIRDS THAT WON WWII

www.eaa.org�65

HURRICANE

MANUFACTURER: HAWKER AIRCRAFT LTD.

CATEGORY: FIGHTER


Often overshadowed by its younger brother, the Supermarine Spitfire, the Hawker Hurricane was a British fighter that first flew in 1935. Hawker had built a series of successful biplane fighters in the interwar period, but the Hurricane was the company’s — and the RAF’s — first modern monoplane fighter (after the Bristol M.1 used in World War I). During the storied and pivotal Battle of Britain, the Hurricane made up the bulk of the RAF Fighter Command and accounted for a majority of the enemy aircraft shot down. There were nearly 15,000 Hurricanes built from 1937 to 1944. Only a handful remain in flying condition.

T-6 TEXAN/SNJ/HARVARD

MANUFACTURER: NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION

CATEGORY: TRAINER


If you were an Allied pilot during WWII, whether you started in a Tiger Moth or a Stearman or another primary trainer, the odds were that you did your advanced training in the T-6. Known to the U.S. Navy as the SNJ, and in Great Britain, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries as the Harvard, the prototype first flew in April 1935. Powered by a 650-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial, the T-6 served to introduce pilots to increased speeds, improved maneuverability, and more complex aircraft systems like retractable landing gear. More than 15,000 were built. The type remains extremely popular with warbird enthusiasts and air show performers to this day.

B-17 FLYING FORTRESS

MANUFACTURER: BOEING

CATEGORY: BOMBER


The prototype for what would become the B-17, Boeing’s Model 299, first flew in July 1935. A reporter from the Seattle Times dubbed the bomber, which was massive for its time, a “Flying Fortress.” Boeing trademarked the name immediately. The 299 crashed and was destroyed on its second test flight, rendering the design ineligible for the Army Air Corps proposal it was competing for. Despite this setback, the Air Corps ordered 13 prototypes for testing, and it was impressed. Ultimately, more than 12,000 B-17s were produced and the type served with great distinction as a strategic bomber, particularly in the European theater.

W I N N I N G

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN DIBBS, CONNOR MADISON, SCOTT SLOCUM 66� �August 2020

SPITFIRE

MANUFACTURER: SUPERMARINE AVIATION WORKS

CATEGORY: FIGHTER


Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful

airplanes ever built, the Supermarine Spitfire is a

British icon. Supermarine Aviation Works was a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrongs

when R.J. Mitchell began designing the Type 300, the airplane that would become

the Spitfire. Before that, the company, as is evident from the name, was best known

for flying boats and race-winning seaplanes. The Spitfire was flown by the air forces

of Great Britain, Canada, and the United States, among dozens of other friendly

nations. It spawned multiple marks and variants, including the carrier-based

Seafire. More than 20,000 of the sleek and capable fighters were built, and the

design has come to symbolize the RAF.

P-40 WARHAWK

MANUFACTURER: CURTISS�WRIGHT

CATEGORY: FIGHTER


Perhaps best known as the iconic shark-mouthed

mount of the American Volunteer Group, better known

as the Flying Tigers, the Curtiss P-40 first flew in 1938. Early variants of the fighter

used by Soviet and British Commonwealth forces were known as the Tomahawk.

Later versions were dubbed Kittyhawk. P-40s were produced from 1939 to 1944 and

used by Allied air forces in multiple theaters of the war. Even the Japanese army

reportedly used as many as 10 captured Warhawks operationally in Burma. More

than 13,000 were built, making the P-40 the third-most produced U.S. fighter after

the P-51 and P-47.

SBD DAUNTLESS

MANUFACTURER: DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT

CATEGORY: BOMBER


The Dauntless naval dive bomber traces its roots to

the Northrop BT-1, a project started in 1935 by an early

incarnation of the Northrop Corp., which was dissolved and absorbed into Douglas

Aircraft in 1937. While a version of the Dauntless, the A-24 Banshee, was built and

used by the U.S. Army Air Forces, the type is best known for its service with the U.S.

Navy and Marine Corps. Dauntlesses served with distinction in the Battle of Midway,

sinking or disabling all four aircraft carriers that the Japanese had brought to the

fight. Of the nearly 6,000 Dauntlesses built, only about six are still flying.

W A R B I R D S

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK, CONNOR MADISON, SCOTT SLOCUM www.eaa.org�67

F4F WILDCAT

MANUFACTURER: GRUMMAN

CATEGORY: FIGHTER


Somewhat like the British Hawker Hurricane,

Grumman’s F4F Wildcat was developed from a successful series of biplane fighters.

The Grumman FF, which was followed by the F2F and F3F, was the first U.S. naval

fighter with retractable landing gear, a distinctive hand-cranked mechanism whose

design carried forward to the F4F. In addition to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps,

Wildcats also served with the navies of Great Britain and Canada. While inferior

to the Japanese Zero on paper, Wildcats were tough, and pilots quickly developed

tactics that led to a solid combat record throughout the war. More than 7,800 were

built, and more than a dozen remain airworthy.

P-38 LIGHTNING

MANUFACTURER: LOCKHEED

CATEGORY: FIGHTER


Before his groundbreaking work on the U-2 and

the SR-71 Blackbird, legendary Lockheed designer

Kelly Johnson led the team that designed the P-38 Lightning. Powered by a pair of

counter-rotating Allison V-12 engines, the Lightning was fast, as its name implied.

P-38s served in multiple theaters of the war, but they are best known for their e�orts

in the Pacific. America’s highest-scoring ace of the war, Richard Bong, scored his 40

victories flying a P-38. More than 10,000 Lightnings were built, and it’s the only

American fighter that was in full production from Pearl Harbor to V-J Day. Several

airworthy examples remain today, including the beloved Glacier Girl.

B-25 MITCHELL


CATEGORY: BOMBER


Named for the late Gen. Billy Mitchell, the man

generally seen as the father of the U.S. Air Force,

the North American B-25 medium bomber first

flew in 1940. It was used in every theater of the war by the U.S. Army Air Forces and

Marine Corps and multiple Allied air forces as well. EAA’s example, Berlin Express,

had a starring role in the 1970 film Catch-22, but the type is best remembered for the

historic Doolittle Raid, in which 16 B-25s were flown o� the deck of the USS Hornet

and bombed Japan for the first time in April 1942. Nearly 10,000 B-25s were built.

More than 40 are believed to be flyable today.

W I N N I N G

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK, CONNOR MADISON68� �August 2020

B-24 LIBERATOR

MANUFACTURER: CONSOLIDATED AIRCRAFT

CATEGORY: BOMBER


The sturdy B-24 Liberator served alongside

the B-17 as the backbone of America’s

strategic bombing campaigns in the European theater of the war. B-24s served in

every major theater of the war and spawned variants like the C-87 Liberator Express

transport and PB4Y-2 Privateer naval patrol bomber. The B-24 was known as a heavy

lifter and could carry as much as 8,000 pounds of bombs on short-range missions.

The B-24 is said to be the most produced military aircraft in United States history.

However, of the more than 18,000 built, just two airworthy examples remain.

O-59/L-4 GRASSHOPPER

MANUFACTURER: PIPER AIRCRAFT

CATEGORY: LIAISON


Based on the legendary J-3, Piper added a greenhouse cockpit and transformed

the ubiquitous Cub into a versatile liaison aircraft that was used for VIP transport,

artillery spotting, and other reconnaissance, light supply, and air ambulance work.

Thanks to some ingenious field modifications, L-4s even saw duty as ground-attack

aircraft, made famous by Maj. “Bazooka Charlie” Carpenter, who used his bazooka-

equipped Grasshopper, Rosie the Rocketer, to destroy six enemy tanks and multiple

other ground vehicles during the war. More than 5,000 L-4s were built. Those that

survive are popular and a�ordable warbirds.

DH.98 MOSQUITO

MANUFACTURER: de HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT CO.

CATEGORY: FIGHTER�BOMBER


Building on the success of its prewar Comet racer,

de Havilland built the Mosquito as a high-speed

unarmed bomber out of nonstrategic materials — in other words, wood. The RAF

didn’t want the airplane at first, but Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman liked the

idea and lent his support. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, the Mosquito

could fly high and fast, with a maximum speed exceeding 400 mph and a service

ceiling of 37,000 feet. It is probably best known for its low-level strike missions

against the Axis. More than 7,500 Mosquitos were built in the United Kingdom,

Canada, and Australia, with just a few airworthy examples remaining, though that

number will increase as restorations continue.

W A R B I R D S

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON, CHRIS MILLER, JASON TONEY www.eaa.org�69

C-47 SKYTRAIN

MANUFACTURER: DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT

CATEGORY: TRANSPORT


Developed from the iconic DC-3 airliner,

Douglas built the C-47 with a cargo door and

other modifications to make it suitable for use as a military transport. C-47s, and

their subsequent variants, served the U.S. Army Air Forces and Navy and several

Allied nations. C-47s hauled anything and everything, including more than 50,000

paratroopers in support of the D-Day landings. C-47s were used to tow gliders, and,

unlike many other aircraft of the era, C-47s remained in service in the United States

long after the war. More than 10,000 C-47s were built, many of which, along with

their civilian cousins, are still flying — and even working — today.

P-51 MUSTANG


CATEGORY: FIGHTER


Arguably the most iconic American fighter of the

war, the P-51 Mustang went from contract to rollout

of the prototype in just 102 days, and first flew about

six weeks later. Early versions were powered by Allison engines, but the airplane

really hit its stride once it was fitted with the more powerful Merlin. The Mustang’s

impressive range enabled pilots to escort U.S. strategic bombers deep into German

territory, providing far greater protection than was previously possible. P-51s were

found in multiple theaters of the war, flown by U.S. and Allied forces as fighters and

in the ground-attack role. More than 15,000 Mustangs were built, and the type is a

mainstay of the warbird community today.

P-47 THUNDERBOLT

MANUFACTURER: REPUBLIC AVIATION



The rugged P-47 Thunderbolt was designed by Georgian

immigrant Alexander Kartveli for Republic Aviation and

first flew in May 1941. Early models sported a “razorback” framed canopy, while

later variants adopted a full bubble canopy for greater visibility, just as was done

with the P-51. P-47s were fast and could carry a heavy and versatile armament load

depending on the mission, but they were best known for the ability to continue

flying after absorbing almost unbelievable amounts of damage. Like the Mustang,

more than 15,000 were built, but, unlike the Mustang, fewer than 20 still fly.

W I N N I N G

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL HIGH, SCOTT SLOCUM,70� �August 2020

F4U CORSAIR

MANUFACTURER: CHANCE VOUGHT



Though it first flew in 1940, the Corsair didn’t enter

service until late in 1942, about a year after the

attack on Pearl Harbor. Designed and built by Chance Vought, the type was also

manufactured under license by Goodyear and Brewster. The distinctive inverted gull

wing came about to accommodate shorter landing gear while still providing ground

clearance for the airplane’s massive propeller. Best known in popular culture as the

type made famous by Pappy Boyington’s Black Sheep squadron, the Corsair served

in the Pacific theater as a fighter-bomber, though it didn’t arrive in large numbers

until later in the war. More than 12,000 Corsairs were built, and there are several

airworthy examples around the world.

F6F HELLCAT

MANUFACTURER: GRUMMAN

CATEGORY: FIGHTER


Developed with lessons learned from the F4F Wildcat,

Grumman’s Hellcat was considered by many to be the U.S. Navy’s preeminent fighter

during the war. It was first flown in 1942 and entered service in June of the following

year. The Hellcat was a sturdy and solid airplane powered by a massive 18-cylinder

Pratt & Whitney radial engine. The Hellcat was faster and could outclimb its primary

adversary, the Japanese Zero, at high altitudes. F6Fs were responsible for some 75

percent of all U.S. Navy aerial victories, including many at the famed “Great Marianas

Turkey Shoot.” More than 12,000 Hellcats were built between 1942 and 1945, but

only about six are still flyable. Several more are under active restoration.

B-29 SUPERFORTRESS

MANUFACTURER: BOEING

CATEGORY: BOMBER


Designed to supersede the B-17, Boeing’s B-29 represented the

height of strategic bombing technology of the day. It was fast and boasted impressive range

and endurance at high altitudes, all while carrying thousands of pounds of ordnance. B-29s

arrived late in the war, entering service in May 1944 and used exclusively in the Pacific theater.

B-29s can be considered the airplanes that ended the war, as first Enola Gay and then

Bockscar dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading directly to the Japanese

surrender. Nearly 4,000 were built, but only two are in flyable condition today.

Hal Bryan, EAA Lifetime 638979, is senior editor for EAA digital and print content and publi-

cations, co-author of multiple books, and a lifelong pilot and aviation geek. Find him on

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at halbryan or email him at [email protected].

W A R B I R D S

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK, SCOTT SLOCUM www.eaa.org�71

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64als-cannonfield.com/docs/SportAviation_202008_Success-in... · 2020. 9. 16. · transport and PB4Y-2 Privateer naval patrol bomber. The B-24 was known as a heavy lifter and could