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
General Dynamics F-16 – The Rebirth of the Dogfighter | PlaneHistoria
Do you know the General Dynamics F-16 – the rebirth of the dogfighter? This is the fighter that took air combat to the next level. This is the fighter that redefined the art of the possible. This is the fighter that made you king of the skies. The F-16 was the product of a group of maverick pilots and engineers who were unafraid to think outside the box. They were...
The Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback is a multipurpose aircraft that entered the services of the Russian Air Force in 2014. This aircraft is a true masterpiece of modern engineering and technology. During a long process of development, the Su-34 received the most updated technology to match the requests of the recent operational environment. This was best proven during the Syrian civil war, where the Su-34 displayed exceptional performance against ISIS and rebel targets....
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...
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 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...
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...
