ADCs Available
The following ADC sets are
available. Some are available directly online as PDF files that can be read
with Adobe's Acrobat Reader.
Acrobat Reader
4.0is available for free from several places. You can also
request that I send them
to you.
Note: My ADCs are marked with my initials and the date they
were last edited. They are NOT official, but were developed with a fair amount
of analysis of aircraft and ADCs.
France's Armee de l'Air
The Armée de
l'Air had been hamstrung in its attempts to modernize for a critical two years
(1936-1938) when the French government's socialist defense minister
nationalized its military aircraft industry. Basically, development was slowed
to a crawl and production nearly stopped. The fine pilots were flying machines
behind the modernization curve - or were flying too few of the fine modern
aircraft available. Part of this disadvantage was made up by ordering a LOT of
US-built aircraft - a boon to the US aircraft industry - but too few of these
aircraft arrived in time to deploy before May 1940. (Many of those that did
arrive performed well. Some survived to fly with the Vichy Air Force against US
aircraft in November, 1942. Many other build contracts were reassigned to
Britain.)
Then there were doctrinal problems about how the Armée de l'Air
should be deployed. The army generals that controlled the French high command
believed that the Armée de l'Air was too fragile to meet the dreaded
Luftwaffe head on, and issued air unit commanders orders to keep their aircraft
grounded or non-aggressive. The senior airmen who knew better did not have
enough rank to argue back. And in May, 1940, the Germans struck like a
thunderbolt...
At any rate, there three ADC sets are available as PDF files:
- French fighters - 150 Kb (MB.152, MS.410,
D.510, Po.631, C.714, VG.33)
- French light bombers - 125 Kb (MB.174,
Martin 167F, Po.633, Po.63-11, Bre.693, LN.41)
- French medium and heavy bombers - 145 Kb
(Am.143, Am.354, MB.210, LeO 451, Farman F.222.2, Farman F.223.3)
There is some information of French organization and air ordinance available among
the Minor Air Forces information. Armée de l'Air
Orders of
Battleare available from Nowfel Leulliot.
Aircraft of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and the RAF
Fleet Air Arm
Because I was asked to produce them, here are two
aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm built by Blackburn, plus a late war addition:
- Skua - a divebomber (emphasis on bomb) that served on RN
carriers early in the war in the North Sea and the Med.
- Roc - Skua's even less agile, slower fighter cousin, armed
only with the Boulton-Paul Defiant turret.
- Firebrand - a single-seat carrier-borne fighter whose
development was slowed by an engine change that became the first single-seat
torpedo fighter in the FAA just after the end of the war.
They are available together in
one PDF file (77
Kb).
RAF Fighters
Produced for my own edification (but aren't they all), this
set of 6 RAF fighter
ADCs includes:
- Hawker Hurricane IID - before there was the Typhoon, there was
the Hurri IID tank buster, busily annoying the Germans in North Africa and the
Japanese in Burma.
- de Havilland Mosquito Nightfighters -very similar to the
fighter-bomber version, but carrying radar instead of bombs.
- Fairey Firefly F.I and FR.IV - Late- and post-war variants of
the successor to the Fulmar. Used as a shipborne search and nghtfighter until
the Korean War.
- Hawker Fury II - Very successful (for its day) 1930s biplane
fighter. Used by Yugoslavia and by the South Africans in East Africa.
- Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 - Last (and best) FAA carrier-borne
fighter-bomber. Used in Korea.
RAF Bomber Command
In September, 1939,
Britain had something the vaunted Luftwaffe did not - a strategic bomber
command. Here are some of their toys:
Light and Medium Bombers:
Not every job calls for Heavy bombers.
This set of 6
ADCs (139Kb) includes:
- Bristol Blenheim I - The RAF's first modern bomber. Used by
Yugoslavia, Finland, and Greece, as well as by the RAF as a night fighter.
- Handley-Page Hampden - The "Flying Suitcase" was a mainstay
of British Bomber Command for the first 2 years of the war.
- Avro Manchester - The unsuccessful fore-runner of the
Lancaster (admittedly heavier than the Whitley, but classified as a
medium)
- Martin 180 Baltimore (I & V) - Larger cousin to the
Maryland. Used in the Med.
Heavy Bombers:
These are the bad boys of Bomber Command. They
flew the night war against Germany as the 8th Air Force flew by day - and were
vets when the first 8th AF planes landed in England. This
set of 6 ADCs
(143Kb) includes:
- Handley-Page Halifax I & VI - Second fiddle to the
Lancaster, this is the only British heavy to fly in the Med.
- Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley - Only RAF Heavy available in
1939.
- Short Stirling I Mk 3 and III - the first RAF
four-engine bomber
Where's the Lancaster? JD published it in Air Power #53.
Ships of the Royal Navy
This section holds sets of SDCs for
various projects involving the British Royal Navy.
British Far East Fleet: These are the
ships of the British
Far East Fleet (94 Kb) in 1941 and early 1942 used for the
Force Z and Ceylon campaigns:
- HMS Prince of Wales: Battleship, flagship of Force Z.
- HMS Repulse: Battlecruiser, Force Z's other major unit.
- HMS Hermes: Light aricraft carrier. An experimental design in
the 20s, it was not meant to be a major combat unit in WW2. Sunk off
Ceylon
- HMS Cornwall: Heavy cruiser, sunk with near sister HMS
Dorsetshire off Ceylon
- Class S & W destroyers: British WW1 period DDs still in
service: Tenedos and Vampire
- Class E destroyers: British 1930s destroyers
- HMS Hollyhock: Flower-class corvette
Polish Lotnictwo
Wojskowe
You usually don't hear much about the Polish Air Force during
World War II, except that they were obsolete and were knocked out of the skies
by the Luftwaffe. All of which is true. But, did you know that the
Poles:
- Set the state of the art for fighter design in the early 30s?
- Exported military aircraft to much of central and eastern
Europe?
- Had a light bomber as good as a Stuka?
Unfortunately, what was a good air force in 1936 was obsolete by
1939. The technology changed that quickly. The Polish Air Force's parasol-wing
PZL P-11 fighters were no match for hordes of Bf 109s and 110s. Yet, they took
to the air - all 120 of them plus thirty-some older P-7s - to face more than
1000 modern Luftwaffe fighters (not to mention bombers and recon aircraft that
could mostly outrun them!). And they did surprisingly well, considering...
By the way, for more information, see Robert Postowcz's excellent
Polish Aviation History Pages
(the September '39 campaign and more).
Elevon
also has a lengthy article about the PZL P-7/11/24 family. See also the minor
nation air forces page entry for Poland.
The Polish aircraft are all in
one PDF file (179
Kb), including:
- PZL P-7a fighter - earlier Polish wing fighter still in use
in September '39
- PZL P-11c fighter - Polish Air Force's main fighter model
plus variants
- PZL P-24 - modernized export P-11 used by Bulgaria, Rumania,
Turkey, and Greece
- PZL P-23/43 Karas light/recon bomber - slower than the
Stuka, fulfilling the same mission.
- PZL P-37 Los medium bomber - an excellent
medium bomber
- RWD-14 Czapla observation/recon - parasol wing
observation aircraft
Other Minor European Nation Aircraft
Assorted European European Fighters
Poland
was not the only eastern european aircraft manufacturer. Up to its engulfment
by Germany, Czechoslovakia had a robust aircraft industry. Yugoslavia tried its
hand at indigenous fighter design, and the results were not bad. Rumania took
stock of what it learned producing licensed versions of Polish aircraft and
advanced after Poland was conquered. I provide the following four fighter ADCs
in one PDF file (85Kb):
- Ikarus Ik-2: (Yugoslavia) A high gull-winged fighter that was
maneuverable and armed with a french moteur-cannon.
- Rogozarski Ik-3: (Yugoslavia) A monoplane fighter a bit
better than a Hurricane I. There were just too few of them...
- Avia B-534: (Czechoslovakia) Probably the fastest biplane
fighter ever produced; given to German allies and used in Russia and
Bulgaria.
- Avia B-135: (Czechoslovakia) A monoplane fighter shown at the
1939 Brussels Air Show, 12 were sold to Bulgaria before the factory was
retooled to produce for the Luftwaffe.
- IAR-80: (Rumania) A decent early war fighter developed in
mid-war. Served in Russia and Rumania.
Finn Flown Fighters
Finland flew an interesting
assortment of aircraft, including a few not covered elsewhere. This
PDF file (88 Kb)
contains:
- Brewster F2A-1 / B-239: The first production version
of the Brewster was spritelier than the more common F2A-2s and F2A-3s that were
beaten up so badly in the Pacific in 1941-2. The Finns rather liked them!
- (Mule) - an MS-406 souped up with a salvaged Klimov M-105P
generating 1100 hp. The Finns rigged up 40 of these.
- VL Myrsky II: A home-built fighter that saw combat in
Spetember 1944 against fleeing Germans.
- Fokker D.XXI: license-built version of the D.XXI fighter with
a Twin-Wasp engine.
Holland's Luchtvaartafadeling
Holland's LVA
is another air force that was small, but well-equipped in 1938 - and a bit
obsolete in 1940 when the Germans attacked. They also seem to have had some
issues with maintenance. They expected their declared neutrality would keep
them out of the war and out of need for a larger, more modern air force. The
LVA fought hard for about five days before organized resistance ceased. Click
for more information about the LVA in 1940.
The (european) Dutch aircraft included this
PDF file (106 Kb):
- Fokker G.Ia Faucheur - Twin-boomed fighter.
- Fokker D.XXI - Dutch "standard" fighter, last one designed by
Anthony Fokker.
- Fokker T.V - A domestic medium bomber; a decent aircraft but
there were too few available.
- Douglas DB-8A-3N (export version of Northrop's A-17A Nomad) -
an American light bomber used as a fighter becuase it had 4 fixed MGs.
After May, 1940, the Dutch East Indies continued to function with the
Allies. It had a separate air force that included a variety of aircraft that
went into action in December 1941. They were mostly wiped out by February,
1942. This was not completely due to the quality of the aircraft or pilots -
their landing fields were taken!
The Netherlands
East Indies Air Force used:
- Hawk 75A-7s (24) - available in Hawk ADC
set
- Brewster F2A-2 Buffalos (72)- - available in Air Power
#45
- Curtiss-Wright CW-21b Demons (24) - download the
PDF file (70
Kb).
- Martin 139WH and Martin 166 bombers - export versions
of the USAAC B-10. Available for download with the
CW-21.
Belgian Aircraft
This set of ADCs has the
Belgian aircraft
available in May 1940 (167 kb) not accounted for elsewhere (Fiat Cr.42,
Fairey Battle):
- Fairey Fox III light bomber
- Fairey Fox VI light bomber/fighter
- Fairey Fox VII fighter
- Renard R.31: recon
- Fokker C.X: light bomber
Italian Aircraft by John Carr
I was
inspired into creating ADCs by the Italian aircraft designs of John Carr. His
aircraft (those not published by JD) are now available for download:
- Fiat
fighters (CR.32, G.50 Freccia, G.55 Centaure (115 Kb)
-
Reggiane
fighters (Re.2000, Re.2001, Re.2002, Re.2005) (121 Kb)
- Macchi fighters (Macchi 200, 202,
205V)
- Other Italian fighters (SAI 207, SAI 403,
IMAM Ro.57)
- Italian bombers (Fiat BR.20,
SM.79, SM.84, P.108) (122 Kb)
- Z501 Gabbiano (a seaplane; no
picture) (5K)
Australian Aircraft
For
the most part, Australian air units (RAAF) flew in British or American
aircraft. The British supplied most aircraft until the beginning of 1942, when
American supplies began to arrive. The British did send Brewster F2A-2
Buffaloes to Australia (and New Zealand) in 1941. However, early in the Pacific
war, as the Japanese ran through the southwest Pacific toward New Guinea and
Australia, aircraft were thin on the ground; Australia developed aircraft using
what was available. Later, as Australia developed a small aircraft industry,
Australia did try its domestic hand at aircraft design. There is some
information about the RAAF on the minor air
force page.
This PDF file (76 Kb) contains the following
ADCs:
- CA-1 Wirraway (lt bomber) - trainer developed from AT-6 Texan
and pressed into service when the Japanese struck.
- CA-12 Boomerang (fighter) - 1942 fighter developed in 90 days
using parts from CA-1 Wirraway.
- CA-15 "Kangaroo" (fighter) - domestic high performance
fighter developed at the end of the war.
Soviet aircraft in the 1930s through the
WW2 period followed a design paradigm that valued simplicity of construction
and robustness (for simplicity of maintenance) as well as performance. While
design bureaus did not have to worry about turning a profit, the aircraft that
were more efficient to produce and operate were those selected for use. Still,
the Soviets produced some highly successful aircraft.
Soviet Fighters
I became curious about
earlier Soviet aircraft after the Yak-9, Il-2, Pe-2, and La5FN appeared in
Air Power #35, and more so after research in Finnish and Japanese
aircraft and the aerial end of the Spanish Civil War turned up references to
these aircraft. So, here we have:
A set of 5 ADCs (132 Kb) from early in the FW
period including:
- Polikarpov I-15, I-15bis (aka I-152), I-15tre (aka
I-153) - Nicknamed 'Chato' (flat-nosed one) in Spain, this
maneuverable biplane also fought in China and Finland.
- Polikarpov I-16 (Types 10 & 24) - Russia's first
monoplane fighter, it fought in Spain (called Rata (rat) by its
opponents) and China as well as Finland and during Barbarossa.
- MiG-3 - high altitude interceptor designed for a threat that
never materialized (German high level strategic bombers).
A second set of 5 ADCs (167 Kb)
from 1941-43 (with the later Il-10) including:
- Yakovlev Yak-1 - 1st Yak that earned Yakovlev the Order of
Lenin, 100K roubles, and a car.
- Yakovlev Yak-7B - collected mods of Yak-1M
- Yakovlev Yak-3 - Highly maneuverable low-level dogfighter
version of Yak
- LaGG-3 - another early war monoplane fighter available as the
Germans attacked
- Ilyushin Il-10 - Late war attack aircraft, an updated
Sturmovik. This also allows you to play some of Air Power #50 TSOH scenarios
with FW.
Soviet Bombers
A set of Soviet medium and
heavy bombers to supplement the Il-2 Sturmovik and Pe-2 that appeared in Air
Power in one PDF file (300Kb):
- Tupolev SB-2 light bomber - used in China and Spain; well
respected in the late 1930s
- Tupolev Tu-2 light bomber - fought along with Pe-2 and for
some 20 years after WWII
- Ilyushin DB-3B medium bomber - medium bomber used
1938-40
- Ilyushin Il-4 medium bomber - updated DB-3(F); back bone of
Soviet strategic bomber force during WWII.
- Petyalakov Pe-8 heavy bomber
Early Soviet Jets
I became curious about
these aircraft when I began to run across information about early US jets. They
are not as "impressive" as the US jets. This
PDF file (92 Kb)
contains early Soviet straight-wing jet fighters (pre-TSOH) to match the early
US jets. Use them for a 1948 East vs. West campaign:
- Mikoyan-Guerivich MiG-9: (I-301) The Soviet Union's first
large-production jet fighter, an equivalent to the F-80. It was replaced by a
slant-wing version in time for Korea called the MiG-15.
- Mikoyan-Guerivich MiG-13: (I-250) a prop fighter with a jet
booster. Originally devloped for a Nov-1945 military parade, the actual
production versionwent to the Soviet Navy.
- Yakovlev Yak-15: a mixing of reverse engineered German jet
engines and body of the Yak-3.
The on-line
Russian Air
Museum has a lot of information about Soviet aircraft and equipment.
Once WW2 began in Europe, and several aircraft deals died by
non-delivery, Sweden decided it needed a domestic aircraft industry to supply
its air arm to maintain its stance of armed neutrality in the face of
mid-twentieth century combat. So, it began to develop one in time to replace
its last batches of imported aircraft. This set of 6 ADCs are the first fruit
of that industry:
- Saab J-21A: A twin-boomed pusher design
- Saab J-21R: A jet version of the above produced just
postwar.
- FFVS J-22: A quickly-built fighter that maximized available
materials.
- Saab B-17: Single engine light bomber/dive bomber
- Saab B-18A: Medium bomber reminiscent of the Do17Z.
- Saab T-18A: Advanced version of the above.
Jets of World War II Vintage (pre-Air
Superiority)
Allied Jets |
This PDF
file (93 Kb) includes jets that were almost used during WWII by the both
the Allies:
- Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star- the USAAC's first
operational jet fighter
- Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star- the
more powerful final production version that fought in Korea
- Ryan FR-1 Firebal1 - combined jet and prop
carrier-based US naval fighter
- Meteor I - Gloster's 1st mark of the Meteor
- Vampire I - de Havilland's 1st mark of the Vampire
|
Other Early US Jets |
This PDF
file (96 Kb) contains other US straight-wing fighters (pre-TSOH) that you
may fly if you dare:
- Bell P-59A Airacomet: Never intended to be flown in
combat, this was the US's first jet. Fly it at your own risk.
- North American FJ-1 Fury: One of two early naval jet
developed with an eye toward use against Japan in mid-1946. It was not needed,
and was shortly replaced by more capable aircraft. North American built a more
robust, slant-wing version called the Sabre.
- MacDonnell FH-1 Phantom: Ever wonder why the F4 was
called the Phantom II? This was the first pure jet to fly from a carrier.
|
German Jets |
This
PDF
file (108Kb) includes Luftwaffe jets not (yet) covered by JD Webster that
flew (or almost flew) for Germany:
- Arado Ar234B - the world's first operational jet bomber
most notably used to attack the Ludendorf Bridge at Remagen in March,
1945.
- Arado Ar234C-3 - version of the Ar234 with 4 weaker BMW
engines (for more overall power) and other improvements.
- Horten Ho229 - a flying wing jet fighter that was a
couple weeks from pre-production when its factory was overrun by Americans in
April, 1945.
- Heinkel He280 - a rival for production to the Me262,
the He280 was about a year ahead in development, was more maneuverable, but was
held up waiting for an engine...
|
German Dream Machines |
These aircraft were being developed as the Reich was falling,
meaning that prototypes were being constructed (or had been flown) but there
were still a few bugs to be worked out. This
set of 3 ADCs
(153 kb) are presented here as What If aircraft.
(For instance, what if the Me262 had effectively delayed the 8th
Air Force/Bomber Command Offensive and supplied good support on the Eastern and
Western fronts sufficient to give the Reich another 6 months of life...)
- Henschel Hs132 jet dive bomber - a jet version of the
Stuka concept that would depend on speed for its defense. The pilot would lie
prone to decrease the aircraft's cross section (target area) and to better
withstand G forces.
- Focke Wulf Ta183 fighter - an advanced jet fighter that
was preparing for flight test when its factory was over-fun by the Russians in
April 1945. The prototype and its design documents was the basis of the MiG
15.
- Messerschmitt P.1101 jet fighter - The P.1101 was a
designed to research the effects of different wing angles. It's wing could be
swung to different angles on the ground before take off. However, since it was
also a working high-speed jet, planes were under way to mass-produce it as a
jet fighter in multiple configurations. One prototype was taken to the US and
was later rebuilt as the Bell X-5 and used for its original purpose. (not yet
available)
|
Early Soviet Jets |
This PDF
file (92 Kb) contains early Soviet straight-wing jet fighters (pre-TSOH) to
match the early US jets. Use them for a 1948 East vs. West campaign:
- Mikoyan-Guerivich MiG-9: (I-301) The Soviet Union's
first large-production jet fighter, an equivalent to the F-80. It was replaced
by a slant-wing version in time for Korea called the MiG-15.
- Mikoyan-Guerivich MiG-13: (I-250) a prop fighter with a
jet booster. Originally devloped for a Nov-1945 military parade, the actual
production versionwent to the Soviet Navy.
- Yakovlev Yak-15: a mixing of reverse engineered German
jet engines and body of the Yak-3.
|
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