Aircraft
PZL P. 37 Los
The Los (Elk) was a world-class attack bomber and Poland’s most formidable air weapon of World War II. It arrived in only limited quantities but nonetheless performed heroic work throughout a hopelessly lopsided campaign. The amazing P. 37 Los had its origins in the experimental P.30 civilian transport of 1930, which failed to attract a buyer. That year a design…
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Liberators in Europe II
An early B-24D In June 1942 the Wing became non-operational; a new and very specialised training period set in. Combat crews had no idea what ultimate target they were pointing for, but it was obvious that it had nothing to do with high-altitude bombing. The big ships were sent roaring…
The 46th and 72nd Reconnaissance Squadrons’ operations in the Arctic: 1946
The winters at Ladd Field were always severe, and sometimes exceptionally so. Every month of the year except July could bring freezing temperatures, but in winter they could descend to -50°C. The winter of 1946 was particularly bad and played havoc with the maintenance of aircraft and ground equipment. As…
The First Secret Missions over Great Britain
In the mid-1930s, the German high command was dominated by the view that the main threat to the formation and expansion of the ‘Thousand-Year Reich’ was France. Furthermore, Hitler considered Britain a potential ally. However, the ubiquitous Abwehr stretched its secret tentacles in the direction of England. In 1936, the…
For the Freedom of Northern Ireland!
The influence of aviation on intelligence activities was not limited to photographing the territory of other states. The use of aircraft greatly simplified the problem of delivery of agents and saboteurs. It was a real revolution in the work of the secret services! Previously agents were able to enter the…
Nakajima Kitsuka I
Nakajima Kitsuka (Kikka) by Piotr Forkasiewicz Even though the genesis of the turbojet began long before World War 2, it would take the war to accelerate the development of this new powerplant to the point that by the close of hostilities jet aircraft had been blooded in battle. Germany can,…
Nakajima Kitsuka II
Art by MUNEO HOSAKA Set up in warehouses belonging to a tobacco factory, the Ne 20 group comprised 10 officers and 200 men. Here, two bench testing stations were created and Ne 20 development and testing continued. The process revealed numerous flaws. At one stage the pressure of the axial-flow…