World War II

World War II started in 1939, although the Americans did not get involved until 1941. In World War II American fighter planes were fighting in Europe against the Germans as well as in the Pacific against the Japanese. For the Americans the most important planes were the B-17g Flying Fortress bomber, the B-24 (18,884 were built, the most at that time of any plane) and the P-51b Mustang fighter. The fastest fighter plane for the U.S. was the F4U which could go over 400 miles per hour. This plane also had a good kill ratio: for every one F4U shot down, eleven enemy planes went down. The U.S.A.'s first radar equipped warplane was the P-61. The U.S.A.'s allies, the British, used Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes.

American planes: B-17g left, P-51b right

German Jets: Messerschmitt Me 262 above

The Germans perhaps had the biggest advancements in planes during World War II. They had the first jets like the Arado Ar 234 jet bomber and the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. However, throughout most of the war they used the BF-109. The BF-109 was used because it had a powerful engine on a small body, which not many planes had, and was hard to make.

Military forces were using mono wing planes as well as biplanes. By far though, the majority was mono wing. Mono wings were faster and more agile than biplane wings. The propeller driven plane was most common. Only the Germans had a jet plane, and that was only for a short time at the end of the war. The jet plane was better because it was faster than a propeller. Wings and fuselage were made out of aluminum because it was very light and cheap.

In 1949 World War II was won by the Allies. After the Allies had stormed the beaches in Normandy, it took nearly a whole year to finally defeat the Germans. In Japan a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese surrendered.

Formula 1 Flying Tip:

In World War II the main advances were in propulsion and weight. The Germans were the first to use jets, and aluminium was the material of choice for the frame.