Tomlinson-Online - Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft

With the development of the Wright Flyer in 1903, soon aircraft builders turned their thoughts to developing the new technology for military uses. The Wright Model A was commissioned by the US Army Signal Corps in 1908, and a German-built Etrich Taube reconnaissance plane was used in combat during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911, when an Italian pilot manually dropped an aerial bomb on Turkish troops in Libya. From these humble beginnings, the military aircraft was born. Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft offers a comprehensive guide to military aircraft of all types, from the early artillery spotters of World War I to the latest stealth aircraft stalking our skies today. Find out about the German Fokker Eindecker, the first purpose-built monoplane fighter and labelled the ‘Fokker scourge’ by Allied pilots because of its effectiveness; learn about the elegant Spitfire, an aircraft that gained mythic status because of its role in the Battle of Britain; discover the Boeing B-29, the aircraft that dropped the first nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima; learn about the vertical take-off and landing qualities of the Harrier, a type deployed since the 1970s by navies around the world; be amazed at the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, which is able to fly at altitudes of 25,900m (85,000ft); and explore the Chengdu J-20 ‘Mighty Dragon’, China’s new stealth fighter. Each aircraft is illustrated with detailed, accurate artworks – some of them cutaways – a photograph, a concise account of the plane’s development, production and service history and a panel of essential specifications. Featuring more than 430 entries, Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft is a complete reference work on the most important fighters, bombers, interceptors, reconnaissance planes, seaplanes, helicopters and drones from the early 20th century to the present.

Introduction WORLD WAR I & INTERWAR Blériot XI Taube Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2C Albatros B.II Vickers FB.5 Voisin LA-3 LVG C.I & C.II Fokker E series Caudron R.11 A.3 Aviatik C.I Albatros C.I / C.III Nieuport 10 Morane-Saulnier Type N Rumpler C.I Sopwith Camel 10 Sopwith Triplane Nieuport 17 RAF SE.5a Nieuport 11 Airco DH.2 LFG Roland C.II Halberstadt D.V Albatros D.I & D.II Sopwith Pup Bristol F.2A / F.2B Royal Aircraft Factory FE2b Royal Aircraft Factory RE8 Albatros D.III DFW C.V Hanriot HD.1 SPAD VII Handley Page O/400 Nieuport 27 Fokker Dr.1 14 SPAD XIII 18 Pfalz DIII Siemens-Schuckert D.III Gotha G.IV Albatros D.V Airco DH.4 Zeppelin Staaken R.VI Airco DH.9 Breguet Br14 Felixstowe F.2A Caproni Ca.3 Fokker DVII Hansa-Brandenburg W12 Sopwith Dolphin Breguet Model 19 Armstrong Whitworth Siskin Boeing P-26 Peashooter Blackburn Shark Curtiss SBC Helldiver Vought OS2U Kingfisher Curtiss P-36 & Hawk Model 75 Blackburn Skua Boulton Paul Defiant Douglas A-20 Havoc Fairey Albacore Martin PBM Mariner Hawker Fury Grumman FF Bristol Bulldog Avia B.534 Curtiss P-6E Hawk Gloster Gauntlet Fiat CR.32 Caproni Ca.133 Seversky P-35 Dornier Do 24 Henschel Hs 126 Blohm und Voss BV 138 Martin T3M-2 & T4M-1 WORLD WAR II Tupolev ANT-9 Tupolev TB-3 Curtiss SBC Helldiver Vought OS2U Kingfisher Curtiss P-36 & Hawk Model 75 Vickers Wellington Boulton Paul Defiant Douglas A-20 Havoc Fairey Albacore Martin PBM Mariner Polikarpov I-16 PZL P.11c Messerschmitt Bf 109 Hawker Hurricane Junkers Ju 87 Stuka Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Douglas C-47 Skytrain Heinkel He 111 Heinkel He 51 Supermarine Walrus A5M Claude Supermarine Spitfire Junkers Ju 88 Messerschmitt Bf 110 Consolidated Catalina Henschel Hs 123 Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero Tupolev SB-2 Fairey Swordfish Morane-Saulnier MS406 Nakajima B5N Bristol Blenheim Gloster Gladiator Fieseler Fi 156 Storch Ilyushin DB-3 Douglas TBD Devastator Vought SB2U Vindicator Short Sunderland Mk III Handley-Page Hampden Brewster F2A Buffalo Blackburn Skua Mitsubishi A6M Zero Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik North American B-25 Mitchell Dewoitine D. 520 Arado Ar 196A-5 Dornier Do 17P Aichi D3A Nakajima Ki.43 Hayabusa Polikarpov I-153 Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk Lockheed Hudson Mk.1 Ilyushin Il-4 Blackburn Roc North American P-51 Mustang Yakovlev Yak-1 SBD-3 Dauntless Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor Mitsubishi Ki.46 Dinah Petlyakov Pe-8 Avro Manchester Bristol Beaufighter TF.Mk X Handley Page Halifax Short Stirling Douglas Boston III Grumman F4F Wildcat Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 Yakolev fighters (inc. Yak-1, Yak-3, Yak-7) Fairey Fulmar P-38 Lightning Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt De Havilland Mosquito Avro Lancaster B-24 Liberator Mikoyan-Guryevoich MiG-1 Petlyakov Pe-2 Supermarine Seafire Martin B-26 Marauder Piper L-4 Grasshopper Messerschmitt Me 210 Bell P-39 Airacobra Yermolaev Yer-2 Grumman F6F Hellcat Vought F4U Corsair Northrop P-61 Black Widow Hawker Typhoon Kawasaki Ki.45 Toryu Kawasaki Ki.61 Hien Curtiss SB2C Helldiver Grumman TBF1-C Avenger Dornier 217 Heinkel He 177 Lavochkin La-5 Fairey Barracuda Me 323 Gigant Fiat G.55 Centauro Bell P-63 Kingcobra Messerschmitt Me 410 Fairey Firefly Messerschmitt Me 262 Boeing B-29 Superfortress Arado Ar 234B-2 Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet Mitsubishi Ki.67 Hiryu Yokosuka MXY7 Okha Lavochkin La-7 Tupolev Tu-2 Gloster Meteor III Hawker Tempest Supermarine Spitfire FR. Mk XIVE Dornier Do 335 Pfeil Grumman F7F Tigercat Bachem Ba 349 Natter Heinkel He 162 Focke-Wulf Ta 152 Junkers Ju 88 Mistel Grumman F8F Bearcat COLD WAR Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star Gloster Meteor Douglas A-26 Invader Ryan FR-1 Fireball De Havilland Vampire Douglas A-1 Skyraider De Havilland Hornet F.Mk 3 MiG-15 McDonnell FH-1 Phantom Lockheed P2V-1 Neptune Hawker Sea Fury Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 McDonnell F2H Banshee Convair B-36 Peacemaker North American F-86 Sabre Iluyshin IL-28 Beagle Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 Sikorsky HRS-1 Douglas C-124C Globemaster II English Electric Canberra Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Mil Mi-4 Avro Vulcan Grumman F9F-5P Panther Westland Whirlwind Lockheed C-130 Hercules Gloster Meteor NF.14 Hawker Hunter T. Mk.8 Tupolev Tu-16 Badger North American F-100 Super Sabre Republic F-84F Thunderstreak Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Vickers Valiant Tupolev Tu-95 Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker Gloster Javelin FAW Mk 9 Douglas A-4E Skyhawk Vought F-8 Crusader Lockheed U-2 Grumman OV-1D Mohawk Douglas C-133 Cargomaster Lockheed T-2V1 SeaStar McDonnell F-101 Voodoo Supermarine Scimitar McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II Aeritalia G-91 Beriev Be-10 'Mallow' Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Republic F-105 Thunderchief Fiat G.91 Handley Page Victor Avro Arrow Convair F-106 Delta Dart Sukhoi Su-7 De Havilland Sea Vixen Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) Saab J-35 Draken English Electric Lightning F. Mk.2A Convair B-58 Hustler Westland Wessex Nanchang CJ-6 Dassault Mirage III North American A-5A Vigilante Boeing RC-135 Boeing CH-47 Chinook Lockheed SR-71 ‘Blackbird’ Lockheed P-3C Orion Tupolev Tu-22 Blinder Shenyang F-6 Grumman A-6 Intruder General Dynamics F-111 Grumman E-2 Hawkeye Tupulev Tu-128 Lockheed C-141 StarLifter Sukhoi Su-15 Transall C-160 Chengdu J-7 Sikorsky CH-53 Bell OH-58 Kiowa Cessna 0-2A Skymaster Vought A-7E Corsair II Antonov An-22 Mil Mi-8T Bell AH-1G HueyCobra Bell AH-1W SuperCobra Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low Augusta Bell 212 Aérospatiale Puma HC.Mk 1 Lockheed C-5 Galaxy BAC Strikemaster Lockheed AC-130 Spectre Ilyushin Il-38 Antonov an-30 Phantom FGR.2 Ilyushin Il-20 and Il-22 Rockwell OV-10A Bronco Hawker Siddeley/BAE Nimrod Xi'an H-6 Grumman F-14 Tomcat Antonov An-26 Harrier GR.3 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Saab SF-37 Viggen Tupolev Tu-134 Grumman EA-6B Prowler Bell AH-1J SeaCobra Tupolev Tu-22M Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II Aero L-39 Albatros Sepecat Jaguar Mi-24 'Hind' Tupolev Tu-142 Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon A/B Panavia Tornado Dassault Mirage F.1 Lockheed S-3 Viking Ilyushin Il-76 and 78 Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II Shin Meiwa US-1A McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle Mil Mi-14 Sukhoi Su-24 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27 FMA Pucará Israeli Aircraft Industries Kfir Yakovlev Yak-38 British Aerospace Hawk Sukhoi Su-27 ‘Flanker’ Mikoyan MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’ Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet Mitsubishi F-1 Boeing E-3 Sentry Dassault Mirage 2000 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II Westland Lynx Dassault Super Etendard Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma British Aerospace Sea Harrier Aermacchi M.B.339A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk Mil Mi-26 Halo Kamov Ka-27 Cessna A-27B Dragonfly Shenyang J-8 Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Mikoyan MiG-31 Sukhoi Su-25 Shaanxi Y-8 Mil Mi-17 Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk General Dynamics EF-111A Raven Vickers VC-10 Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon C/D Beriev A-50 Rockwell B-1B Lancer Xi'an Y-7 Changhe Z-8 Antonov An-124 Boeing AH-64 Apache Atlas Cheetah Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack MODERN ERA Kamov Ka-29 Boeing/Grumman E-8 JStars Northrop B-2 Spirit British Aerospace Harrier II/GR.7 Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle Mikoyan MiG-29K AMX Ilyushin Il-80 & Ilyushin Il-82 MQ-1 Predator Sukhoi Su-30 AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Xi'an JH-7 Saab JAS 39 Gripen Boeing C-17 Mikoyan MiG-29M and MiG-35 Harbin Z-9 Kamov Ka-31 Kamov Ka-52 Mil Mi-171 Saab Erieye AH-64D Apache Longbow Bell V-22 Osprey Sukhoi Su-33 Shenyang J-11 and J-11A EH Industries EH101 Merlin RQ-4 Global Hawk Boeing FA-18 Super Hornet Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules Mitsubishi F-2 Aero Vodochody L-159 ALCA Boeing 737 Dassault Rafale Airbus C295 MQ-9 Reaper Antonov An-140 Kamov Ka-226 Guizhou JL-9 Eurofighter Typhoon Shenyang J-11B Beriev Be-200 Chengdu J-10 Antonov An-148 Shaanxi Y-8 and Y-9 Special Mission Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor TA-50 Golden Eagle Bombardier CRJ Shaanxi KJ-200 Xi’an KJ-2000 Leonardo C-27J Spartan Hongdu JL-10 General Dynamics F-16E/F PAC JF-17 Thunder Mil Mi-28 MQ-8B Fire Scout Boeing 737 AEW&C E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Yakolev Yak-130 Wing Loong 1/Chengdu GJ-2 Shaanxi Y-9 Tupolev Tu-214 Changhe Z-10 Kazan Ansat Shenyang J-15 HAL LCA Tejas Sukhoi Su-35 Sukhoi Su-34 Airbus A400M Atlas Shaanxi KJ-500 Bayraktar TB2 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Shenyang J-16 Chengdu J-20 Mitsubish C-2 Xi'an Y-20 CH-5 Rainbow Harbin Z-20 Embraer C-390 Millennium Sukhoi Su-57 Glossary