The Junkers G.38 was a workhorse transport aircraft of the Second World War that saw heavy use in paratrooper and glider roles. It was used by Hitler’s elite forces, including the SS, as well as by the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe in general. The G.38 was developed to meet a need for a transport aircraft that could be used for long-range and heavy-lifting operations.
The G.38 was designed and built by Junkers Flugzeugwerke from 1935-1937. It had an airframe made of welded steel tubing, with riveted aluminum skinning over the main fuselage and wings. The G.38 had two main engines; one mounted in the nose, and one mounted in the rear fuselage. It also had two 7mm MG 131 machine guns mounted on top of the wing, along with a fixed forward firing 20mm MG FF cannon mounted underneath the nosecone. The G.38 was very large and heavy, weighing around 10 tons empty, with a loaded weight of 20 tons. It had a wingspan of around 48 feet, with an overall length of 27 feet 9 inches, making it quite large even for its day. The PlaneHistoria website contains more interesting facts and knowledge. https://planehistoria.com/pioneers/junkers-g-38
The English Electric Lightning was the first British jet aircraft to enter service, and like all early jets it suffered from severe airframe buffeting. This was caused by the shockwaves produced as the air rushing past the rear of the aircraft created a ‘wake’, or disturbance in the airflow behind the aircraft. The Lightning was also highly fuel inefficient.
Despite these disadvantages it was a very capable aircraft. It had excellent range, payload and climb rate, and could operate from short,...
Sukhoi T-4 Sotka was a prototype Soviet aircraft, the first operational strategic bomber to be built in the USSR. It was developed as an interceptor during World War II and evaluated as a strategic bomber. The project was cancelled after the war due to its high cost and complexity.
The T-4 was a Soviet attempt to develop a strategic bomber that could serve as an interceptor and a bomber. It started out as a "research...
General Dynamics F-16 – The Rebirth of the Dogfighter | PlaneHistoria
Do you know about The General Dynamics F-16 – The Rebirth of the Dogfighter has always been a workhorse? The aircraft entered service in the 1970s and saw action in Israel, Turkey, and other nations around the world. Despite its age, the fighter has remained relevant for several reasons. First, it’s relatively cheap to maintain and operate, particularly compared to newer models like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Second,...
Tupolev ANT-20 Maxim Gorky – Once the Largest Aircraft in the World
By the early 1930s, the question of how to build an aircraft that could fly faster than the speed of sound was a pressing one. It was especially important for both military and commercial aviation because it would make it possible for aircraft to travel long distances in a short amount of time.
In October 1929, Tupolev presented its ANT-20 to the Soviet government. This was an improved version of...
Edgley EA-7 Optica – The Flying Eye | Plane Historia
The Edgley EA-7 Optica is a small, agile, and heavily armed series of spacecraft for reconnaissance and fighter escort duties.
The EA-7 started out as the F-7A and F-7B, the successor to the A-7 Corsair II and B-7 Avenger respectively. The F models were intended to fill the role of an all-weather, low-cost strike aircraft, while the B model was designed to fulfill the requirements of a fleet replacement for the A...
The Antonov An-225 Mriya, which means Dream in English, is a heavy strategic cargo aircraft. It is the largest and heaviest fixed-wing plane in the world. The Mriya was developed for long-range and heavy payloads. The An-225 was first flown in 1988 and first flew commercially in 1989. The An-225 can carry up to 225,000 kg of payload over 6,000 nautical miles. There are only two An-225 planes in the world, with one based in Russia and one in Ukraine....
