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
Introducing the SEPECAT Jaguar - a jet trainer turned nuclear attacker. The Jaguar was designed in the 1960s as a jet trainer. But as with many aviation projects, they grow in scope and become more expensive. This Anglo-French venture eventually became a supersonic tactical nuclear-capable aircraft.
It ended up being a huge success and despite aircraft being built from 1968 – 1981, it is still in service with the Indian Air Force, some 50 years later. Many other nations also bought the Jaguar with exports heading to Oman, Ecuador, and Nigeria too. Even though she had humble origins, it has been used in many major conflicts including the 1990 Gulf War. Visit our website to know more information. https://planehistoria.com/modern-day/sepecat-jaguar
The EA-7 Optica is a British-designed and built aircraft for low-speed observation work that could loiter extremely slowly and for long periods. The design is based on the BAe Puma, but with several modifications intended to improve performance. The most obvious change is the use of a turboprop engine instead of the piston engine and drivetrain combination used in the Puma. Another important modification was the addition of an aft-mounted door, which allowed the aircraft to be quickly and easily...
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...
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird – The Plane Designed to Leak | PlaneHistoria
Do you know about the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird – the Plane Designed to Leak? PlaneHistoria provides the history of the SR-71 Blackbird aircraft, which was designed and built by Lockheed from 1964 to 1989. An all-black aircraft, it was used for reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union, North Vietnam, and other areas of interest around the globe.
Moreover, it was built to withstand extreme pressure and heat. And it did just...
Douglas X-3 Stiletto – The Flying Shoe
The Douglas X-3 Stiletto was a series of experimental, VTOL aircraft developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It would have been the first practical VTOL aircraft, and represented the technical limit for the aircraft at the time.
The first X-3 was released in 1945 – with only one prototype being built. The airframe was a large single-seat, low-wing monoplane with an unconventional tailplane arrangement. The prototype X-3 used a four-stroke radial engine. After testing the...
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,...
