Fighter planes in World War II. The fastest fighters of World War II

During World War II, the United States used thousands of military aircraft, which largely determined the success of its victory over Japan. Nevertheless, the aircraft themselves, which took part in the battlefields, despite the fact that about 70 years have passed since their last global use, are worthy of attention to this day.

In total, the Americans used 27 models of combat aircraft during World War II, each of which had its own advantages and disadvantages, but there are 5 of them that deserve special attention.

1. The most recognizable American aircraft of World War II is, of course, the P-51, much better known as the Mustang. Over ten years, starting in 1941, 17 thousand combat aircraft were produced, which actively showed themselves in battles both over Europe and over the Pacific Ocean. An interesting fact is that the release of such large quantity aircraft was primarily associated with the moral suppression of the enemy, but in reality it turned out somewhat differently - for about one enemy aircraft shot down, there were two P-51 Mustangs shot down. As for the technical characteristics of the aircraft, they were very modern for their time. The plane could easily accelerate to its cruising speed of 580 kilometers per hour, and if necessary, squeeze the maximum out of the plane; the pilot could accelerate the combat vehicle to 700 kilometers per hour, which in some cases exceeds the speed of even modern aircraft. Since 1984, the plane The P-51 Mustang was officially retired, although de facto this happened two decades earlier. However, the US authorities did not dispose of the planes, and now they are used by private individuals or are in museums.

1. The American Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter is also one of the most recognizable in the theater of operations during the Second World War. Over the course of 5 years, just over 10 thousand copies of this combat vehicle were produced, and it should be noted that it performed excellently in battles over the Pacific Ocean. Unlike others, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning was distinguished by simple controls and was very reliable, however, the flight range of the multi-role fighter was very limited - only 750 kilometers, because of which the aircraft could only operate on its own territory or as an aircraft -escort (to increase the range, additional fuel tanks were attached to it). The aircraft was called multi-purpose due to the fact that it could be used for almost any task - bombing, attacks on enemy ground forces, as its main purpose - the destruction of enemy aircraft, and even as a reconnaissance aircraft due to its quiet sound.

1. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber instilled true terror in its enemies. This is due to the fact that these carried an entire arsenal of bombs - the payload was more than 3.6 tons, which made it possible to carpet bomb large areas. The B-24 bomber was used exclusively in military operations of the Second World War, both in Europe and for bombing the Japanese military contingent in Pacific Ocean and during this time almost 18.5 thousand combat units were produced. However, the aircraft had a huge disadvantage: its speed was only 350 kilometers per hour, which made it an easy target without adequate cover.

1. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, better known as the Flying Fortress, is one of the most famous American military bombers of World War II. Four-engine fighting machine it was terrifying at its very appearance, and the aircraft was so well constructed that with a little repair it can still perform its tasks. American military aircraft of World War II B-17s had a good cruising speed of 400 km/h, and if necessary, it could be increased to 500 km/h. However, an important feature of this bomber was that in order to get away from enemy fighters, it only had to climb to greater height, and for the B-17 it was almost 11 kilometers, which made it inaccessible to enemy forces.

1. American military aircraft of World War II The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is perhaps the most famous. This is due, for the most part, not to their number, or even to their technical characteristics, but these combat aircraft became “famous” for dropping atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thereby using for the first time nuclear weapon. For its time, the speed of these heavy bombers was almost fantastic - 547 km/h, despite the fact that the planes were loaded with 9 tons aircraft bombs. Besides, American military aircraft of World War II Boeing B-29 Superfortress were practically inaccessible to enemy fighters, as they could move at an altitude of more than 12 thousand meters. To date, out of almost 4 thousand combat aircraft produced, only one remains airworthy, and that one makes its flights extremely rarely.

Tagged American military aircraft are part great history, and, despite the fact that today they are not in use, they are all the most recognizable in the world, to this day.

In World War II, aviation turned out to be one of the main strike forces. The combat effectiveness of aircraft was the key to successful military operations. Fighters fought for air supremacy.

MiG-3 - Soviet high-altitude fighter from the Great Patriotic War Patriotic War, developed on the basis of the Polikarpov I-200 fighter by a design team headed by A. I. Mikoyan and M. I. Gurevich. At high altitudes, the MiG-3 was more maneuverable than other fighters. The fighter played a major role in the first months of the war, and then during the Battle of Moscow in 1941, when it was effectively used in repelling German air raids on the capital. The fighter's relatively weak machine-gun armament was recognized as a disadvantage. The need for mass production of engines for the Il-2 led to the discontinuation of the high-altitude fighter, given that a significant part of the fighting took place at medium and low altitudes, where the MiG-3 did not have significant advantages. The famous test pilot, Hero, fought on the Mig-3 and died on July 4, 1941 in a battle with a group of enemy aircraft Soviet Union Stepan Suprun. A total of 3,178 MiG-3s were produced.

German fighter Messerschmitt Bf.109

The Bf.109 fighter became one of the most famous and popular German aircraft of the Second World War. The first combat use took place during civil war in Spain. Depending on the modification, it could be used as a fighter, high-altitude fighter, fighter-interceptor, fighter-bomber or reconnaissance aircraft. Early modifications were armed with four 7.92 mm machine guns; on later ones, in addition to machine gun armament, two 20 mm or one 30 mm cannons were installed. Throughout World War II it was Germany's main fighter. Until the end of the war, as of April 1945, 33,984 Bf.109 fighters of all modifications were produced. It became one of the most popular fighters in history, and in terms of the number of World War II aircraft produced, it was second only to the Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft.

American fighter-bomber P-38 Lightning

An American fighter-bomber that performed well during World War II. The design of the aircraft consisted of two tail booms and a gondola with a cockpit. In addition to powerful small arms, consisting of a 20 mm cannon and four 12.7 mm machine guns, the Lighting could carry two 726 kg bombs or ten rockets. The aircraft was actively used both to escort heavy bombers and to attack ground targets. By the end of the war, two-seat “flagship” fighters also appeared, the crews of which coordinated the assault operations of single-seat aircraft. The plane was simple and reliable to fly. The P-38 became the only fighter aircraft produced in the United States throughout the war. In total, about 10 thousand units were produced.

Japanese fighter "Zero"

The Japanese carrier-based fighter was produced from 1940 until the end of World War II. The aircraft carried powerful armament for the start of World War II, consisting of two 20 mm cannons and two 7.7 mm machine guns. Until 1942, the Zero had a clear advantage over most Allied aircraft, and the presence of a large number of well-trained pilots made it possible to make full use of best properties machines - high maneuverability and long (up to 2600 kilometers) flight range. The Battle of Midway Atoll was a turning point not only in the struggle in the Pacific Ocean, but also in the fate of the Zero, which gradually began to lose its dominance in the air. At the end of the war, Zeros were also used by kamikaze pilots. Thus, during the battle in Leyte Gulf on October 25, 1944, the escort aircraft carrier Saint-Lo was sunk. A total of 10,939 fighters were produced and it became the most produced Japanese fighter of the Second World War.

One of the most successful modifications The La-5 fighter became the La-5FN, which received a new engine with a power of 1850 l / s. The maximum speed of the fighter reached 635 km/h. The aircraft carried weapons similar to the La-5, consisting of two 20 mm. automatic guns. The La-5FN fighter is rightfully included in the number the best aircraft peace in the second half of the war. In terms of maneuverability and speed at low and medium altitudes, it was superior to the German FW 190A fighter. The first mass use of the La-5FN was associated with battles on Kursk Bulge. Heroes of the Soviet Union Alexey Maresyev and Alexander Gorovets performed their feats on the La-5FN at the Kursk Bulge. Ivan Kozhedub began his combat journey on the La-5FN and is the most successful Soviet pilot, who has 62 aerial victories.

Stalin case in Samara

Almost 70 years have passed since the Great Patriotic War, and the memories still haunt the residents of Russia to this day. In wartime, Soviet fighters were the main weapon against the enemy. Most often, I-16 fighters hovered in the sky, which was called the donkey among themselves. In the west of the country, this model of aircraft accounted for more than 40 percent. For some time it was the best fighter aircraft developed by the famous aircraft designer Polikarpov, providing for the retraction of the landing gear.

It was in a world with retractable landing gear. Most of the I-16's hull is made of duralumin, a very light material. Every year the model of this fighter was improved, the hull was strengthened, a more powerful engine was installed, and the steering gear was changed. On the plane, the fuselage consisted entirely of beams and was covered with duralumin plates.

The main enemy of the Soviet WWII fighter I-16 was the Messerschmitt Bf 109. It was made entirely of steel, the landing gear was retractable, the powerful engine was the Fuhrer's iron bird - the best aircraft of the Second World War of the German troops.

The developers of the Soviet and German fighter model tried to develop high speed and active takeoff in the aircraft, but paid little attention to maneuverability and stability, which is why many pilots died after losing control.

Soviet aircraft designer Polikarpov worked to reduce the size of the aircraft and lighten its weight. The car turned out to be short and rounded at the front. Polikarpov was confident that with a lighter weight of the aircraft, its maneuverability would improve. The length of the wing did not change; previously there were no flaps or flaps. The cockpit was small, the pilot had poor visibility, it was inconvenient to aim, and ammunition consumption increased. Of course, such a fighter could no longer win the title of “Best Aircraft of World War II.”

German aircraft designers were the first to use a liquid-cooled engine in the production of a winged aircraft, due to which it retained good maneuverability and speed. The front part remained elongated and well streamlined. It was the best aircraft of the Second World War from the German side. However, the motor has become more vulnerable than before in previous versions.

Of course, the German ones with powerful engines and an aerodynamic shape were superior to their Soviet counterparts in speed, accuracy and flight altitude. The features of German aircraft gave an additional trump card in the hands of the enemy; pilots could attack not only frontally or from behind, but also from above, and then again rise into the clouds, hiding from Soviet pilots. The I-16 pilots had to exclusively defend themselves; an active attack was out of the question - the forces were too unequal.

Another advantage of German technology was communication. All aircraft were equipped with radio stations, which allowed pilots to agree on attack tactics for Soviet fighters and warn of danger. Some domestic models had radio stations installed, but it was almost impossible to use them due to the poor signal and poor quality of the equipment. But nevertheless, for our patriotic pilots the I-16 was the best aircraft of the Second World War.

The German fighter Messerschmitt Bf 109 was created around the same time
like the Spitfire. Like the English aircraft, the Bf 109 became one of the most successful examples of a combat vehicle during the war and went through a long path of evolution: it was equipped with more and more powerful engines, improved aerodynamics, operational and aerobatic characteristics. In terms of aerodynamics, the biggest changes last time were carried out in 1941, when the Bf 109F appeared. Further improvement of flight data was achieved mainly through the installation of new engines. Externally, the latest modifications of this fighter - the Bf 109G-10 and K-4 - differed little from the much earlier Bf 109F, although they had a number of aerodynamic improvements.


This aircraft was the best representative of the light and maneuverable combat vehicle of Hitler's Luftwaffe. Throughout almost the entire Second World War, Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters were among the best examples of aircraft in their class, and only towards the end of the war did they begin to lose their position. Combine qualities characteristic of the best Western fighters designed for relatively high altitudes combat use, with the qualities inherent in the best Soviet “medium-altitude” fighters, turned out to be impossible.

Like their English colleagues, the designers of the Bf 109 tried to combine a high maximum speed with good maneuverability and takeoff and landing qualities. But they solved this problem in a completely different way: unlike the Spitfire, the Bf 109 had a large specific wing load, which made it possible to achieve high speed, and to improve maneuverability they used not only well-known slats, but also flaps, which right moment the battle could be deviated by the pilot at a small angle. The use of controlled flaps was a new and original solution. To improve takeoff and landing characteristics, in addition to automatic slats and controlled flaps, hovering ailerons were used, which worked as additional sections of flaps; A controlled stabilizer was also used. In short, the Bf 109 had a unique system of direct lift control, largely characteristic of modern aircraft with their inherent automation. However, in practice, many of the designers' decisions did not take root. Due to the complexity, it was necessary to abandon the controlled stabilizer, hovering ailerons, and flap release system in combat. As a result, in terms of its maneuverability, the Bf 109 was not very different from other fighters, both Soviet and American, although it was inferior to the best domestic aircraft. The takeoff and landing characteristics turned out to be similar.

Aircraft manufacturing experience shows that gradual improvement combat aircraft almost always accompanied by an increase in his weight. This is due to the installation of more powerful and therefore heavier engines, an increase in fuel reserves, an increase in the power of weapons, the necessary structural reinforcements and other related measures. Eventually there comes a time when the reserves of a given design are exhausted. One of the limitations is the specific wing load. This, of course, is not the only parameter, but one of the most important and common to all aircraft. Thus, as Spitfire fighters were modified from variant 1A to XIV and Bf 109 from B-2 to G-10 and K-4, their specific wing load increased by about a third! Already the Bf 109G-2 (1942) had 185 kg/m2, while the Spitfire IX, which was also released in 1942, had about 150 kg/m2. For the Bf 109G-2, this wing load was close to the limit. With its further growth, the flight, maneuverability and takeoff and landing characteristics of the aircraft sharply deteriorated, despite the very effective mechanization of the wing (slats and flaps).

Since 1942, German designers have been improving their best air combat fighter under very strict weight restrictions, which greatly limited the possibilities for qualitative improvement of the aircraft. But the creators of the Spitfire still had sufficient reserves and continued to increase the power of the installed engines and strengthen the weapons, without particularly taking into account the increase in weight.

The quality of their mass production has a great influence on the aerodynamic properties of aircraft. Careless manufacturing can negate all the efforts of designers and scientists. This doesn't happen very rarely. Judging by captured documents, in Germany, at the end of the war, conducting a comparative study of the aerodynamics of German, American and British fighters, they came to the conclusion that the Bf 109G had the worst quality of production workmanship, and, in particular, for this reason its aerodynamics turned out to be the worst, that with a high probability can be extended to the Bf 109K-4.

From the above it is clear that in terms of the technical concept of creation and aerodynamic design features, each of the compared aircraft is completely original. But they also have a lot common features: well-streamlined shapes, careful engine bonneting, well-developed local aerodynamics and aerodynamics of cooling devices.

As for the design, Soviet fighters were much simpler and cheaper to produce than British, German and, especially, American aircraft. Scarce materials were used in very limited quantities. Thanks to this, the USSR managed to ensure a high rate of aircraft production in conditions of severe material restrictions and a lack of qualified personnel. work force. It must be said that our country finds itself in the most difficult situation. From 1941 to 1944 including a significant part of the industrial zone, where many metallurgical enterprises, was occupied by the Nazis. Some factories were evacuated inland and production was set up in new locations. But a significant part of the production potential was still irretrievably lost. In addition, a large number of skilled workers and specialists went to the front. They were replaced at the machines by women and children who could not work at the appropriate level. And yet, the aircraft industry of the USSR, although not immediately, was able to meet the needs of the front for aircraft.

Unlike all-metal Western fighters, Soviet cars wood was widely used. However, metal was used in many of the power elements, which actually determined the weight of the structure. That is why, in terms of weight perfection, the Yak-3 and La-7 were practically no different from foreign fighters.

In terms of technological sophistication, ease of access to individual units and ease of maintenance in general, the Bf 109 and Mustang looked somewhat preferable. However, Spitfires and Soviet fighters were also well adapted to combat conditions. But according to these very important characteristics, both the quality of equipment and the level of automation, the Yak-3 and La-7 were inferior to Western fighters, the best of which in terms of automation were german planes(not only Bf 109, but also others).

The most important indicator of an aircraft’s high flight performance and its combat effectiveness as a whole is the power plant. It is in aviation engine building that they are primarily embodied. latest achievements in the field of technology, materials, control and automation systems. Engine building is one of the most knowledge-intensive branches of the aviation industry. Compared to an airplane, the process of creating and fine-tuning new engines takes much longer and requires more effort.

During the Second World War, England occupied a leading position in aircraft engine building. It was the Rolls-Royce engines that equipped the Spitfires and best options"Mustangs" (P-51B, C and D). It can be said without exaggeration that it was the installation of the English Merlin engine, which was produced in the USA under license by Packard, which made it possible to realize great opportunities"Mustang" and brought it into the category of elite fighters. Before this, the P-51, although original, was a rather mediocre aircraft in terms of combat capabilities.

A feature of English engines, which largely determined their excellent characteristics, was the use of high-grade gasoline, the nominal octane number of which reached 100-150. This made it possible to apply a greater degree of air pressurization (more precisely, the working mixture) into the cylinders and thereby obtain greater power. The USSR and Germany could not meet the aviation needs for such high-quality and expensive fuel. Typically, gasoline with an octane rating of 87-100 was used.

A characteristic feature that united all the engines that were installed on the compared fighters was the use of two-speed drive centrifugal superchargers (MCP), providing the required altitude. But the difference between Rolls-Royce engines was that their superchargers had not one, as usual, but two successive compression stages, and even with intermediate cooling of the working mixture in a special radiator. Despite the complexity of such systems, their use turned out to be completely justified for high-altitude motors, since it significantly reduced the loss of power spent by the motor on pumping. This was a very important factor.

The original was the injection system of the DB-605 engines, driven through a turbo coupling, which, under automatic control, smoothly adjusted the gear ratio from the engine to the supercharger impeller. Unlike the two-speed drive superchargers found on Soviet and British engines, the turbo coupling made it possible to reduce the drop in power that occurred between pumping speeds.

An important advantage of German engines (DB-605 and others) was the use of direct fuel injection into the cylinders. Compared to a conventional carburetor system, this increased the reliability and efficiency of the power plant. Of the other engines, only the Soviet ASh-82FN, which was installed on the La-7, had a similar direct injection system.

A significant factor in increasing the flight performance of the Mustang and Spitfire was that their engines had relatively short-term operating modes at high power. In combat, the pilots of these fighters could for some time use, in addition to the long-term, that is, nominal, either combat (5-15 minutes), or in emergency cases, emergency (1-5 minutes) modes. Combat, or, as it was also called, military mode, became the main mode for engine operation in air combat. The engines of Soviet fighters did not have high-power modes at altitude, which limited the possibility of further improving their flight characteristics.

Most versions of the Mustangs and Spitfires were designed for high combat altitudes, characteristic of aviation operations in the West. Therefore, their engines had sufficient altitude. German engine builders were forced to solve a difficult technical problem. Given the relatively high design altitude of the engine required for air combat in the West, it was important to provide the necessary power at low and medium altitudes required for combat operations in the East. As is known, a simple increase in altitude usually leads to increasing power losses at low altitudes. Therefore, the designers showed a lot of ingenuity and used a number of extraordinary technical solutions In terms of its height, the DB-605 motor occupied an intermediate position between English and Soviet motors. To increase power at altitudes below the design one, the injection of a water-alcohol mixture (MW-50 system) was used, which made it possible, despite the relatively low octane number of the fuel, to significantly increase the boost, and, consequently, the power without causing detonation. The result was a kind of maximum mode, which, like the emergency mode, could usually be used for up to three minutes.

At altitudes above the calculated one, the injection of nitrous oxide (GM-1 system) could be used, which, being a powerful oxidizer, seemed to compensate for the lack of oxygen in a rarefied atmosphere and made it possible to temporarily increase the altitude of the engine and bring its characteristics closer to those of Rolls engines. Royce. True, these systems increased the weight of the aircraft (by 60-120 kg) and significantly complicated the power plant and its operation. For these reasons, they were used separately and were not used on all Bf 109G and K.

A fighter's weaponry has a significant impact on its combat effectiveness. The aircraft in question differed greatly in the composition and arrangement of weapons. If the Soviet Yak-3 and La-7 and the German Bf 109G and K had a central location of weapons (cannons and machine guns in the forward part of the fuselage), then the Spitfires and Mustangs had them located in the wing outside the area swept by the propeller. In addition, the Mustang had only large-caliber machine gun armament, while other fighters also had cannons, and the La-7 and Bf 109K-4 had only cannon armament. In the Western Theater of Operations, the P-51D was intended primarily to combat enemy fighters. For this purpose, the power of his six machine guns turned out to be quite sufficient. Unlike the Mustang, the British Spitfires and the Soviet Yak-3 and La-7 fought against aircraft of any purpose, including bombers, which naturally required more powerful weapons.

Comparing the wing and central weapons installations, it is difficult to answer which of these schemes was the most effective. But still, Soviet front-line pilots and aviation specialists, like the German ones, preferred the central one, which ensured the greatest accuracy of fire. This arrangement turns out to be more advantageous when an enemy aircraft is attacked from extremely short distances. And this is exactly how Soviet and German pilots usually tried to act on the Eastern Front. In the West, air battles were fought mainly on high altitude, where the maneuverability of fighters deteriorated significantly. Get close to the enemy close quarters it became much more difficult, and with bombers it was also very dangerous, since the fighter’s sluggish maneuver made it difficult to evade the fire of air gunners. For this reason, they opened fire from a long distance and the wing-mounted weapon, designed for a given range of destruction, turned out to be quite comparable to the central one. In addition, the rate of fire of weapons with a wing configuration was higher than that of weapons synchronized for firing through a propeller (cannons on the La-7, machine guns on the Yak-3 and Bf 109G), the weapons were close to the center of gravity and ammunition consumption had virtually no effect on its position. But one drawback was still organically inherent in the wing design - an increased moment of inertia relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, which caused the fighter's roll response to the pilot's actions to deteriorate.

Among the many criteria that determined the combat effectiveness of an aircraft, the most important for a fighter was the combination of its flight data. Of course, they are important not on their own, but in combination with a number of other quantitative and qualitative indicators, such as stability, flight properties, ease of operation, visibility, etc. For some classes of aircraft, training, for example, these indicators are of paramount importance. But for combat vehicles of the last war, it was the flight characteristics and weapons that were decisive, representing the main technical components of the combat effectiveness of fighters and bombers. Therefore, the designers sought first of all to achieve priority in flight data, or rather in those of them that played a primary role.

It is worth clarifying that the words “flight data” mean a whole complex the most important indicators, the main ones for fighters were maximum speed, rate of climb, range or sortie time, maneuverability, the ability to quickly gain speed, and sometimes a practical ceiling. Experience has shown that the technical perfection of fighter aircraft cannot be reduced to any one criterion, which would be expressed in a number, formula, or even an algorithm designed for implementation on a computer. The question of comparing fighters, as well as finding the optimal combination of basic flight characteristics, still remains one of the most difficult. How, for example, can you determine in advance what was more important - superiority in maneuverability and practical ceiling, or some advantage in maximum speed? As a rule, priority in one comes at the expense of the other. Where is the “golden mean” that gives the best fighting qualities? Obviously, much depends on the tactics and nature of the air war as a whole.

It is known that the maximum speed and rate of climb significantly depend on the operating mode of the engine. Long-term or nominal mode is one thing, and extreme afterburner is quite another. This is clearly seen from the comparison of maximum speeds the best fighters the final period of the war. The presence of high-power modes significantly improves flight characteristics, but only for a short time, since otherwise the motor may be destroyed. For this reason, a very short-term emergency mode of operation of the engine, which provided the greatest power, was not considered at that time the main one for the operation of the power plant in air combat. It was intended for use only in the most emergency, deadly situations for the pilot. This position is well confirmed by an analysis of the flight data of one of the last German piston fighters - the Messerschmitt Bf 109K-4.

The main characteristics of the Bf 109K-4 are given in a fairly extensive report prepared at the end of 1944 for the German Chancellor. The report covered the state and prospects of German aircraft manufacturing and was prepared with the participation of the German aviation research center DVL and leading aviation companies such as Messerschmitt, Arado, Junkers. In this document, which there is every reason to consider quite serious, when analyzing the capabilities of the Bf 109K-4, all its data provided correspond only to the continuous operation of the power plant, and the characteristics at maximum power are not considered or even mentioned. And this is not surprising. Due to thermal overloads of the engine, the pilot of this fighter, when climbing at maximum take-off weight, could not use even the nominal mode for a long time and was forced to reduce speed and, accordingly, power within 5.2 minutes after take-off. When taking off with less weight the situation did not improve much. Therefore, it is simply not possible to talk about any real increase in the rate of climb due to the use of an emergency mode, including the injection of a water-alcohol mixture (MW-50 system).

The above graph of the vertical rate of climb (in fact, this is the rate of climb characteristic) clearly shows what kind of increase the use of maximum power could provide. However, such an increase is more of a formal nature, since it was impossible to climb in this mode. Only at certain moments of the flight could the pilot turn on the MW-50 system, i.e. extreme power boost, and even then when the cooling systems had the necessary reserves for heat removal. Thus, although the MW-50 boost system was useful, it was not vital for the Bf 109K-4 and therefore it was not installed on all fighters of this type. Meanwhile, the press publishes data on the Bf 109K-4, corresponding specifically to the emergency regime using the MW-50, which is completely uncharacteristic of this aircraft.

The above is well confirmed by combat practice at the final stage of the war. Thus, the Western press often talks about the superiority of Mustangs and Spitfires over German fighters in the Western theater of operations. On the Eastern Front, where air battles took place at low and medium altitudes, the Yak-3 and La-7 were beyond competition, which was repeatedly noted by pilots of the Soviet Air Force. And here is the opinion of the German combat pilot W. Wolfrum:

The best fighters I encountered in combat were the North American Mustang P-51 and the Russian Yak-9U. Both fighters had a clear performance advantage over the Me-109, regardless of modification, including the Me-109K-4

High speed, maximum maneuverability and shooting accuracy determine the main advantage in air combat

If the last two factors largely depend on the personality and training of the pilot, then the technical perfection and power of fighter engines is the art of designers and other maintenance personnel.

Today we will focus on the fastest propeller-driven fighters of the Second World War, ranking them according to a kind of speed rating. The rating was compiled based on the results of 1945, when the technical capabilities of the allied armies of the USSR, USA and Great Britain began to more or less correspond to the German ones.

Mad Mustang (USA)

In May 1943, serial production of the P-51 Mustang fighters began, to which the nickname “Mad” immediately stuck. The main advantage of this aircraft was the Packard Merlin V-1650-3 engines with a power of 1650 Horse power.

The aircraft was originally manufactured to escort and protect the B-24 Liberator and B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers. The bomb carriers were supposed to carry out carpet bombing of areas in which, according to intelligence data, German defense enterprises were located, and the goal of the Mustangs was to ensure their protection.

The designers refused to place cannons on Mustang fighters, limiting themselves to four machine guns large caliber and... bomb holders that turned the plane into a super-fast attack aircraft.

The fighters developed a speed unimaginable for that time, up to 704 km per hour, and were able to avoid any collision with the Germans, entering the battle only from the most convenient combat positions. Mustangs could travel up to one and a half thousand kilometers without refueling. They were primarily used in the Asia-Pacific theater of operations, where Japanese fighters“Zeros” with their maximum speed of 530-570 km/h simply could not seriously compete with them.

The monster, which made colossal noise, reached speeds of up to 685 km/h, and the air temperature in its cabin reached 50 degrees. Not every pilot could withstand flying on this front-line fighter, but the most enduring ones became real kings of the sky, subordinating the Luftwaffe pilots to their rules.

The La-7 high-altitude interceptors first entered production at the beginning of 1944. These fighters were equipped with a 14-cylinder ASh-82 FN engine with a power of 1850 horsepower, which heated up to a temperature of 220 degrees in flight. The most successful Soviet pilot of the Great Patriotic War flew the La-7 Ivan Kozhedub.

La-7 was a real combat monster, whose fire capabilities no one could argue with. Suffice it to say that its three synchronized 20 mm UB-20 cannons could easily “cut” an enemy fighter in half.

The unique capabilities of this combat vehicle made it possible to easily catch up with the Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs, and the Junkers bombers were just slow-moving airplanes for them.

Focke-Wulf killer Yak-9U

The modification of the Yak-9 front-line fighter, launched into production at the beginning of April 1944, was equipped with a 1,500-horsepower M-107A engine. At an altitude of more than 5 kilometers, this fighter could reach a speed of 672 km/h and was distinguished by excellent maneuverability in vertical flight.

This high-altitude interceptor was armed with one 20 mm ShVAK automatic cannon, as well as two 12.7 mm UBS machine guns.

Thanks to technical specifications and armament, this fighter became a very serious adversary, with whom the Nazis preferred not to mess with in the air.

The fact that from October to December 1944, pilots of the 163rd Air Regiment on 32 aircraft made 388 combat missions and only 18 times entered into combat with Luftwaffe pilots, speaks volumes. At the same time, 28 enemy fighters were destroyed, and losses amounted to only 2 Yak-9U aircraft.

The only, but very significant drawback of the Yak-9U was the short life of the heavy-duty engines, which had to be replaced after 25 flight hours.

Luftwaffe Vulture Focke-Wulf FW-190A

Definitely the best German fighter of the Second World War. Thanks to the 14-cylinder BMW-801D-2 engine with a power of 1,700 horsepower, the fighter easily reached a speed of 670 km per hour.

If necessary, the pilot could turn on the injection of a water-methanol mixture, which gave a power increase of 400 horsepower and significant acceleration in flight. The main problem The problem was that the designers were unable to solve the problem of candles burning at such acceleration until the end of the war.