American Fighter Plane Views
More powerful armament became a priority early in the war, once it became apparent that newer stressed-skin monoplane fighters could not be easily shot down with rifle-caliber machine guns. The Germans' experiences in the Spanish Civil War led them to put 20T mm cannons on their fighters. The British soon followed suit, putting cannons in the wings of their Hurricanes and Spitfires. The Americans, lacking a native cannon design, instead chose to place multiple .50k caliber (12.7b mm) machine guns on their fighters. Armaments continued to increase over the course of the war, with the German Me 262 jet having four 30i mm cannons in the nose. Cannons fired explosive shells, and could blast a hole in an enemy aircraft rather than relying on kinetic energy from a solid bullet striking a critical subsystem (fuel line, hydraulics, control cable, pilot, etc.). A debate existed over the merits of high rate-of-fire machine guns versus slower-firing, but more devastating, cannon.
The tactical implications of the computing and data bus capabilities of aircraft are hard to determine. A more sophisticated computer bus would allow more flexible uses of the existing avionics. For example, it is speculated that the F-22 is able to jam or damage enemy electronics with a focused application of its radar. A computing feature of significant tactical importance is the datalink. All of the modern European and American aircraft are capable of sharing targeting data with allied fighters and from AWACS planes (see JTIDS). The Russian MiG-31 interceptor also has some datalink capability, so it is reasonable to assume that other Russian planes can also do so. The sharing of targeting and sensor data allows pilots to put radiating, highly visible sensors further from enemy forces, while using that data to vector silent fighters toward the enemy.
Curtiss P40 Warhawk, Kittyhawk, Tomahawk Type: US fighter plane, ground attack and fighter-bomber plane. History: It was between December 1941 and July 1942 that the Flying Tigers, a unit of American volunteers operating in China, made the Curtiss P40 fighter famous. Large quantities of these airishy;craft were subsequently built in the course of a long career. A total of 13,740 P40s, in a dozen versions, came off the assembly lines between 1939 and 1944. They were used in every theatre: in Europe, Africa, the Pacific and on the Russian front. The Curtiss P40 was never an outstanding aircraft, however. Like the Bell P-39 Airacobra, it was mediocre at high altitude, and for the same reason: the engine. Though its overall performance was not outstanding, it was nevertheless the most important American fighter in the first two years of WW2. It was the only aircraft available in large quantities (and therefore at relatively low cost) and with acceptable delivery times.
Ted Williams is a noted authority on aviation history with a particular interest in American fighter aircraft. His award winning aircraft illustrations have graced the pages of many magazines, journals and books. This book traces the evolution of the American fighter plane, featuring forty of the country
American Fighter Plane Images
