When the Swedish Air Force got funding for long range reconnaissance airplanes in 1938 it compiled a list of possible candidates and sent out a commission who studied the following Aircraft:
Camouflage and Markings
by Mark Wlodarczyk This essay is part of a larger work on the Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 ”Oscar” fighter airplane, soon to be published in Polish by AJ Press in the ”Monografie Lotnicze” book series. An English translation will hopefully follow soon. The ”Oscar” was the Imp. Japanese Army’s main […]
IJA Type 1 Fighter Nakajima Hayabusa (Oscar)
by Rick Kent The elegant Hawker Hunter, with it’s shark-like fin and graceful lines was arguably one of the prettiest aircraft to come out of England. The Hunter also provided RAF fighter force with a transsonic flight capability. Later it was also much used as trainer and ground attack aircraft, […]
Hawker Hunter
by Rick Kent Does the Fw 190 need any introduction? Well… The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 still is widely regarded as Germany’s best fighter. When it appeared on the Channel Front in 1942, it was more than a match for the contemporary Spitfires. At one time in 1942, desperate plans were […]
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
by Rick Kent Gloster Gladiator in Profile Throughout aviation history, few aircraft reached the level of design elegance equal to that of British biplanes at the peak of their development in the 1930s. Classic designs like Hawker Hind, Fury or Gloster Gladiator all prove the point. The Gladiator was produced […]
Camouflage and markings of Gloster Gladiator
by Rick Kent This page is a continuation of Camouflage and Markings of No. 74 Sqn RAF, Part 1. It covers post-war history and aircraft of this famous RAF unit. The Jet Age 74 Squadron was re-equipped as the RAF’s third Meteor squadron in June 1945 at Colerne in Wiltshire […]
Camouflage and markings of No. 74 Squadron RAF, Part ...
by Rick Kent ”I Fear No Man” Throughout aviation history, tiger motifs have been increasingly popular, culminating in the contemporary Tiger Meets. I recently completed a series of profiles devoted to the very first Tiger aviation unit in the world – No.74 RAF Squadron. The unit was formed in 1917 […]
Camouflage and markings of No. 74 Squadron RAF, Part 1
by Rick Kent P-51 in the U.S. Service The Mustang did not gain it’s immortal fame until this American airframe was married with the British Merlin engine. Providing long-range escort to B-17s and B-24s, the Mustang carried the air war to the heart of Germany. By war’s end, P-51s had […]
Camouflage and markings of North American P-51 Mustang, Part ...
by Rick Kent I believe some readers will raise their eyebrows seeing that I have captioned the most popular German fighter ever Me 109 rather than Bf 109. Well, there is an explanation. During my work as the librarian of the RAF Museum I studied several copies of German books […]
Camouflage and markings of Messerschmitt Me 109
by Rick Kent This page is a continuation of Camouflage and Markings of No. 112 Sqn RAF, Part 1. World War II: Italy Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk. III, 112 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Foggia Main, Italy, October 1943 Before going into the details of this particular 112 Sqn Kittyhawk III, it […]
Camouflage and markings of No.112 Squadron RAF, Part ...
by Rick Kent The Sharkmouth Squadron Several moths ago, after the release of my pictorial history of No. 74 ”Tiger” Squadron RAF I received requests from readers asking me do do the similar profile article for the No. 112 Sqadron, which is commonly remembered for their sharkmouth-painted aircraft. So… presenting […]
Camouflage and markings of No.112 Squadron RAF, Part ...
by Tomasz Gronczewski Simply known as ”King of Strafers” or ”Eager El”, Elwyn Guido Righetti was not only a top fighter ace of the 55th FG but a top strafing ace in Europe. Righetti joined 338th FS of the 55th FG in October 1944. He was 29 years old and he was experienced […]
Elwyn Righetti and his P-51
by Tomasz Gronczewski Lance Cleo Wade – American RAF Ace Lance Wade was one of the top US aces fighting within RAF. In early 1941 he volunteered into American Eagle Squadrons but in fact he never flew with any of them. Instead of that he was posted to Malta and later […]
Lance Wade – Desert Spitfire Ace
1 by Tomasz Gronczewski Frederick Hughes was the fourth top RAF night fighting ace with 18.5 victories. Hughes was 21 years old when, in summer 1940, the hottest days of the Battle of Britain came. He was initially posted to No. 26 Squadron RAF, but soon joined the 264th Squadron flying […]
Frederick Hughes and the Boulton Paul Defiant
artwork and photos by Ricardo Dacoba text by Martin Waligorski For a brief moment in the early 1950s, Argentina stood at the forefront of aviation development. The Pulqui series of jet fighters was a result of a bold undertaking envisioned to push the Argentinean industry into a completely new era. […]