American fighter aircraft of World War II. The best fighters of the second world war

In World War II, aviation was one of the main strike forces. The combat readiness of the aircraft was the key to successful military operations. Fighters fought for air supremacy.

Soviet high-altitude fighter MiG-3

MiG-3 is a Soviet high-altitude fighter of the Great Patriotic War, developed on the basis of the Polikarpov I-200 fighter by a design team headed by A. I. Mikoyan and M. I. Gurevich.

At high altitudes, the MiG-3 was more maneuverable than other fighters. The fighter played an important role in the first months of the war, and then during the Battle of Moscow in 1941, when it was effectively used to repel German air raids on the capital. The relatively weak machine-gun armament of the fighter was recognized as a disadvantage. The need for mass production of engines for the Il-2 led to the withdrawal of the high-altitude fighter from production, given that a significant part of the battles took place at medium and low altitudes, where the MiG-3 did not have significant advantages.

On the MiG-3, the famous test pilot, Gero Soviet Union Stepan Suprun. A total of 3178 MiG-3s were produced.

German fighter Messerschmitt Bf.109

The Bf.109 fighter became one of the most famous and massive German aircraft of the Second World War. The first combat use took place during civil war in Spain. Depending on the modification, it could be used as a fighter, high-altitude fighter, fighter-interceptor, fighter-bomber or reconnaissance aircraft.

Early modifications were armed with four 7.92 mm machine guns; on later ones, in addition to machine-gun armament, two 20 mm or one 30 mm guns were installed. Throughout the Second World War, it was the main fighter of Germany. Until the end of the war in April 1945, 33,984 Bf.109 fighters of all modifications were produced. It became one of the most massive fighters in history, and in terms of the number of World War II aircraft produced, it was second only to the Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft.

American fighter-bomber P-38 "Lighting"

An American fighter-bomber that performed well during World War II. The design of the aircraft consisted of two tail booms and a gondola with a cockpit.

In addition to powerful small arms, consisting of a 20 mm cannon and four 12.7 mm machine guns, the Lighting could carry two 726 kg bombs or ten rockets. The aircraft was actively used both for escorting heavy bombers and for attacking ground targets. By the end of the war, two-seat "flagship" fighters appeared, the crews of which coordinated the assault actions of single-seat aircraft. The plane was simple and reliable in control. The P-38 became the only fighter aircraft produced in the United States throughout the war. In total, about 10 thousand units were produced. Advertising

Japanese fighter "Zero"

The Japanese carrier-based fighter of the times was produced from 1940 until the very end of World War II. The aircraft carried powerful armament for the beginning of World War II, consisting of two 20 mm cannons and two 7.7 mm machine guns.

Until 1942, the Zero had a clear advantage over most Allied aircraft, and the presence of a large number of well-trained pilots made it possible to make full use of the best properties of the machine - high maneuverability and a long (up to 2600 kilometers) flight range.

The battle at Midway Atoll was a turning point not only in the struggle in the Pacific Ocean, but also in the fate of the Zero, which gradually began to lose its air supremacy. At the end of the war, Zeros were also used by kamikaze pilots. So, during the battle in Leyte Gulf on October 25, 1944, the escort aircraft carrier Saint-Lo was sunk. A total of 10,939 fighters were produced and it became the most massive Japanese fighter of World War II.

Soviet fighter La-5FN

One of the most successful modifications of the La-5 fighter was the La-5FN, which received a new engine with a capacity of 1850 l / s. The maximum speed of the fighter reached 635 km / h. The aircraft carried a similar La-5 armament, consisting of two 20 mm. automatic guns.

The La-5FN fighter was rightfully ranked among the best aircraft in the world in the second half of the war. In terms of maneuverability and speed at low and medium altitudes, it surpassed the German FW 190A fighter. The first mass use of La-5FN is associated with the battles on the Kursk Bulge. Heroes of the Soviet Union Alexei Maresyev and Alexander Gorovets accomplished their exploits on the La-5FN on the Kursk Bulge. He began his combat path on La-5FN and Ivan Kozhedub is the most productive Soviet pilot, which accounted for 62 air victories.

In the Second World War, aviation was one of the main branches of the military and played a very important role in the course of hostilities. It is no coincidence that each of the belligerents sought to ensure a constant increase in the combat capability of their aviation by increasing the production of aircraft and their continuous improvement and renewal. As never before, scientific and engineering potential was widely involved in the military sphere, many research institutes and laboratories, design bureaus and testing centers were operating, through the efforts of which the latest military equipment was created. It was a time of unusually rapid progress in aircraft construction. At the same time, the era of the evolution of aircraft with piston engines who have reigned supreme in aviation since its inception. Combat aircraft of the end of World War II were the most advanced examples aviation technology created on the basis of piston engines.

The essential difference between the peaceful and war periods of the development of combat aviation was that during the war the effectiveness of technology was determined directly by experience. If in peacetime military specialists and aircraft designers, when ordering and creating new types of aircraft, relied only on speculative ideas about the nature of a future war or were guided by the limited experience of local conflicts, then large-scale military operations dramatically changed the situation. The practice of air combat became not only a powerful catalyst in accelerating the progress of aviation, but also the only criterion for comparing the quality of aircraft and choosing the main directions for further development. Each side improved its aircraft based on its own experience of warfare, the availability of resources, the capabilities of technology and the aviation industry as a whole.

During the war years in England, the USSR, the USA, Germany and Japan, big number aircraft that played a prominent role in the course of the armed struggle. Among them are many outstanding examples. Of interest is the comparison of these machines, as well as the comparison of those engineering and scientific ideas that were used to create them. Of course, among the numerous types of aircraft that took part in the war and represented different schools of aircraft construction, it is difficult to single out the indisputably best ones. Therefore, the choice of machines to some extent is conditional.

Fighters were the main means of gaining air supremacy in the fight against the enemy. The success of the combat operations of the ground forces and other branches of aviation, the security of rear facilities largely depended on the effectiveness of their actions. It is no coincidence that it was the class of fighters that developed most intensively. The best of them are traditionally called the Yak-3 and La-7 aircraft (USSR), the North American R-51 Mustang (Mustang, USA), the Supermarine Spitfire (Spitfire, England) and the Messerschmitt Bf 109 ( Germany). Among the many modifications of Western fighters, the R-51D, Spitfire XIV and Bf 109G-10 and K-4 were selected for comparison, that is, those aircraft that were mass-produced and entered service with the air force at the final stage of the war. All of them were created in 1943 - early 1944. These machines reflected the richest combat experience already accumulated by that time by the warring countries. They became, as it were, symbols of the military aviation equipment of their time.

Before comparing different types fighters, it is worth saying a little about the basic principles of comparison. The main thing here is to keep in mind the conditions of combat use under which they were created. The war in the East showed that in the presence of a front line where ground forces were the main force of the armed struggle, relatively low flight altitudes were required from aviation. The experience of air battles on the Soviet-German front shows that the vast majority of them were fought at altitudes up to 4.5 km, regardless of the altitude of the aircraft. Soviet designers, improving fighters and engines for them, could not ignore this circumstance. At the same time, the British Spitfires and the American Mustangs were distinguished by their higher altitude, since the nature of the actions for which they were counting was completely different. In addition, the P-51D had a much longer range needed to escort heavy bombers and was therefore significantly heavier than Spitfires, German Bf 109s and Soviet fighters. Thus, since the British, American and Soviet fighters were created for different combat conditions, the question of which of the machines as a whole was the most effective loses its meaning. It is advisable to compare only the main technical solutions and features of machines.

The situation is different with the German fighters. They were intended for air combat on both the Eastern and Western fronts. Therefore, they can reasonably be compared with all Allied fighters.

So what stood out the best fighters of the Second World War? What was their fundamental difference from each other? Let's start with the main thing - with the technical ideology laid down by the designers in the projects of these aircraft.

The most unusual in terms of the concept of creation were, perhaps, the Spitfire and Mustang.

“This is not just a good plane, this is a Spitfire!” - such an assessment by the English test pilot G. Powell, no doubt, applies to one of the last fighter variants of this family - the Spitfire XIV, the best fighter of the British Air Force during the war. It was on the Spitfire XIV that a German jet fighter Me 262.

When creating the Spitfire in the mid-1930s, the designers tried to combine seemingly incompatible things: the high speed inherent in the high-speed monoplane fighters then coming into life with the excellent maneuverability, altitude and takeoff and landing characteristics inherent in biplanes. The goal was basically achieved. Like many other high-speed fighters, the Spitfire had a well-streamlined cantilever monoplane design. But this was only a superficial resemblance. For its weight, the Spitfire had a relatively large sizes, which gave a small load per unit of the bearing surface, much less than that of other monoplane fighters. Hence, excellent maneuverability in the horizontal plane, high ceiling and good takeoff and landing properties. This approach was not something exceptional: Japanese designers, for example, did the same. But the creators of Spitfire went further. Due to the high aerodynamic drag of such a large wing, it was impossible to count on achieving a high maximum flight speed - one of the most important indicators of the quality of fighters of those years. To reduce drag, they used profiles of a much thinner relative thickness than other fighters, and gave the wing an elliptical shape in plan. This further reduced aerodynamic drag when flying at high altitude and in maneuver modes.

The company managed to create an outstanding combat aircraft. This does not mean that the Spitfire was devoid of any shortcomings. They were. For example, due to the low load on the wing, it was inferior to many fighters in terms of accelerating properties in a dive. Slower than German, American, and even more so Soviet fighters, it reacted to the actions of the pilot in a roll. However, these shortcomings were not of a fundamental nature, and in general, the Spitfire was undoubtedly one of the strongest air combat fighters, which demonstrated excellent qualities in action.

Among the many variants of the Mustang fighter, the greatest success fell on aircraft equipped with English Merlin engines. These were the R-51B, C and, of course, the R-51D - the best and most famous American fighter of World War II. Since 1944, it was these aircraft that ensured the safety of heavy American B-17 and B-24 bombers from attacks by German fighters and demonstrated their superiority in battle.

Home hallmark"Mustang" in terms of aerodynamics was a laminar wing, for the first time in the world practice of aircraft industry installed on a combat aircraft. About this "highlight" of the aircraft, born in the laboratory of the American research center NACA on the eve of the war, it should be said specifically. The fact is that the opinion of experts on the advisability of using a laminar wing on fighters of that period is ambiguous. If before the war high hopes were placed on laminar wings, since under certain conditions they had less aerodynamic resistance compared to conventional ones, then the experience with the Mustang reduced the initial optimism. It turned out that in real operation such a wing is not effective enough. The reason was that in order to implement a laminar flow on a part of such a wing, a very careful surface finish and high accuracy in maintaining the profile were required. Due to the roughness that arose when applying a protective color to the aircraft, and even a small inaccuracy in the profiling, which inevitably appeared in serial production (small wave-like thin metal skin), the effect of laminarization on the R-51 wing was greatly reduced. In terms of their load-bearing properties, laminar airfoils were inferior to conventional airfoils, which caused difficulties in ensuring good maneuverability and takeoff and landing properties.

At low angles of attack, laminar wing profiles (sometimes called laminated wing profiles) have less aerodynamic drag than conventional type profiles.

In addition to reduced resistance, laminar profiles had better speed qualities - with an equal relative thickness, the effects of air compressibility (wave crisis) manifested themselves at higher speeds than on conventional type profiles. This already had to be reckoned with. In dives, especially at high altitudes, where the speed of sound is much lower than near the ground, aircraft began to reach speeds at which the features associated with approaching the speed of sound were already manifested. It was possible to increase the so-called critical speed either by using faster profiles, which turned out to be laminar, or by reducing the relative thickness of the profile, while putting up with the inevitable increase in the weight of the structure and reducing the wing volumes often used (including on the R-51D) for placement of gas tanks and weapons. Interestingly, due to the much smaller relative thickness of the airfoils, the wave crisis on the wing of the Spitfire occurred at a higher speed than on the wing of the Mustang.

Research in English Aviation scientific center RAE showed that due to the significantly smaller relative thickness of the wing profiles, the Spitfire fighter at high speeds had a lower drag coefficient than the Mustang. This was due to the later manifestation of the wave flow crisis and its more “soft” character.

If air battles were fought at relatively low altitudes, the crisis phenomena of air compressibility almost did not manifest themselves, so the need for a special high-speed wing was not acutely felt.

The way of creating the Soviet aircraft Yak-3 and La-7 turned out to be very unusual. In essence, they were deep modifications of the Yak-1 and LaGG-3 fighters, developed in 1940 and mass-produced.

In the Soviet Air Force at the final stage of the war there was no fighter more popular than the Yak-3. At that time it was the lightest fighter. The French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen regiment, who fought on the Yak-3, spoke of its combat capabilities in the following way: “The Yak-3 gives you complete superiority over the Germans. On the Yak-3, two can fight against four, and four against sixteen!

A radical revision of the Yak design was undertaken in 1943 in order to dramatically improve flight performance with a very modest power plant. The decisive direction in this work was the lightening of the aircraft (including by reducing the wing area) and a significant improvement in its aerodynamics. Perhaps this was the only opportunity to qualitatively promote the aircraft, since the Soviet industry had not yet mass-produced new, more powerful engines suitable for installation on the Yak-1.

Such an exceptionally difficult path for the development of aviation technology was extraordinary. The usual way to improve the aircraft flight data complex was then to improve aerodynamics without noticeable changes in the dimensions of the airframe, as well as to install more powerful engines. This was almost always accompanied by a marked increase in weight.

The designers of the Yak-3 coped brilliantly with this difficult task. It is unlikely that in the history of aviation during the Second World War one can find another example of a similar and so effectively done work.

The Yak-3 compared to the Yak-1 was much lighter, had a smaller relative profile thickness and wing area, and had excellent aerodynamic properties. The power-to-weight ratio of the aircraft has increased significantly, which has dramatically improved its rate of climb, acceleration characteristics and vertical maneuverability. At the same time, such an important parameter for horizontal maneuverability, takeoff and landing as the specific load on the wing has changed little. During the war, the Yak-3 turned out to be one of the easiest fighters to fly.

Of course, in tactical plan The Yak-3 did not replace the aircraft, which were distinguished by stronger armament and longer combat flight duration, but perfectly complemented them, embodying the idea of a light, high-speed and maneuverable air combat vehicle, designed primarily to fight enemy fighters.

One of the few, if not the only air-cooled fighter aircraft that with good reason can be attributed to the best air combat fighters of the Second World War. On the La-7, the famous Soviet ace I.N. Kozhedub shot down 17 German aircraft (including the Me-262 jet fighter) out of 62 destroyed by him on La fighters.

The history of the creation of La-7 is also unusual. At the beginning of 1942, on the basis of the LaGG-3 fighter, which turned out to be a rather mediocre combat vehicle, the La-5 fighter was developed, which differed from its predecessor only in the power plant (the liquid-cooled motor was replaced with a much more powerful two-row “star”). In the course of further development of the La-5, the designers focused on its aerodynamic improvement. During the period 1942-1943. fighters of the La brand were the most frequent "guests" in full-scale wind tunnels of the leading Soviet aviation research center TsAGI. The main purpose of such tests was to identify the main sources of aerodynamic losses and to determine design measures that help reduce aerodynamic drag. An important feature of this work was that the proposed design changes did not require major alterations to the aircraft and changes in the production process and could be relatively easily carried out by mass-produced factories. It was a truly "jewelry" work, when, it would seem, a rather impressive result was obtained from mere trifles.

The fruit of this work was the La-5FN, which appeared at the beginning of 1943, one of the strongest Soviet fighters of that time, and then the La-7, an aircraft that rightfully took its place among the best fighters of the Second World War. If during the transition from La-5 to La-5FN, the increase in flight data was achieved not only due to better aerodynamics, but also due to a more powerful engine, then the improvement in the performance of La-7 was achieved solely by means of aerodynamics and a reduction in the weight of the structure. This aircraft had a speed of 80 km / h more than the La-5, of which 75% (that is, 60 km / h) was given by aerodynamics. Such an increase in speed is equivalent to an increase in engine power by more than a third, and without increasing the weight and dimensions of the aircraft.

The best features of an air combat fighter were embodied in the La-7: high speed, excellent maneuverability and rate of climb. In addition, compared with the rest of the fighters, which are here in question, he had greater survivability, since only this aircraft had an air-cooled engine. As you know, such motors are not only more viable than liquid-cooled engines, but also serve as a kind of protection for the pilot from fire from the front hemisphere, since they have large cross-sectional dimensions.

The German fighter Messerschmitt Bf 109 was created around the same time as the Spitfire. Like the English aircraft, the Bf 109 became one of the most successful examples of a combat vehicle during the war and went through a long evolutionary path: it was equipped with more and more powerful engines, improved aerodynamics, operational and flight characteristics. In terms of aerodynamics, the biggest changes last time were implemented in 1941, when the Bf 109F appeared. Further improvement of flight data was mainly due to the installation of new motors. Externally, the latest modifications of this fighter - Bf 109G-10 and K-4 differed little from the much earlier Bf 109F, although they had a number of aerodynamic improvements.

This aircraft was the best representative of the light and maneuverable combat vehicle of the Nazi Luftwaffe. Throughout almost the entire second world war, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters were among the best examples of aircraft in their class, and only towards the end of the war did they begin to lose their positions. It turned out to be impossible to combine the qualities inherent in the best Western fighters, designed for a relatively high combat altitude, with the qualities inherent in the best Soviet "medium-altitude" fighters.

Like their British counterparts, the designers of the Bf 109 tried to combine a high top speed with good maneuverability and takeoff and landing qualities. But they solved this problem in a completely different way: unlike the Spitfire, the Bf 109 had a large specific load on the wing, which made it possible to obtain high speed, and to improve maneuverability, not only well-known slats were used, but also flaps, which at the right time battles could be deflected by the pilot at a small angle. The use of controlled flaps was a new and original solution. To improve takeoff and landing characteristics, in addition to automatic slats and controlled flaps, hovering ailerons were used, which worked as additional sections of the flaps; a controlled stabilizer was also used. In a word, the Bf 109 had a unique direct control system. lifting force, largely characteristic of modern aircraft with their inherent automation. However, in practice, many of the designers' decisions did not take root. Due to the complexity, it was necessary to abandon the controlled stabilizer, hanging ailerons, and the flap release system in battle. As a result, in terms of its maneuverability, the Bf 109 did not differ much from other fighters, both Soviet and American, although it was inferior to the best domestic aircraft. Takeoff and landing characteristics were similar.

The experience of aircraft construction shows that the gradual improvement of a combat aircraft is almost always accompanied by an increase in its weight. This is due to the installation of more powerful, and therefore heavier engines, an increase in the supply of fuel, an increase in the power of weapons, the necessary structural reinforcements and other related measures. In the end, there comes a time when the reserves of this design are exhausted. One of the limitations is the specific load on the wing. This, of course, is not the only parameter, but one of the most important and common to all aircraft. So, as the Spitfire fighters were modified from version 1A to XIV and Bf 109 from B-2 to G-10 and K-4, their specific wing load increased by about a third! Already in the Bf 109G-2 (1942) it was 185 kg/m2, while the Spitfire IX, which was also released in 1942, had about 150 kg/m2. For the Bf 109G-2, this wing loading was close to the limit. With its further growth, the aerobatic, maneuvering and takeoff and landing characteristics of the aircraft deteriorated sharply, despite the very effective mechanization of the wing (slats and flaps).

Since 1942, German designers have been improving their best air combat fighter under very strict weight restrictions, which greatly narrowed the possibilities for qualitative improvement of the aircraft. And the creators of the Spitfire still had sufficient reserves and continued to increase the power of the installed engines and strengthen the weapons, not particularly considering the increase in weight.

The quality of their mass production has a great influence on the aerodynamic properties of aircraft. Careless manufacturing can negate all the efforts of designers and scientists. This doesn't happen very often. Judging by the captured documents, in Germany, conducting a comparative study of the aerodynamics of German, American and British fighters at the end of the war, they came to the conclusion that the Bf 109G had the worst quality of production, and, in particular, for this reason, its aerodynamics turned out to be the worst, which With highly likely can be extended to the Bf 109K-4.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that in terms of the technical concept of creation and the aerodynamic features of the layout, each of the compared aircraft is quite original. But they also have a lot common features: well streamlined shapes, careful engine cowling, well-developed local aerodynamics and aerodynamics of cooling devices.

As for the design, Soviet fighters were much simpler and cheaper to manufacture than British, German and, especially, American aircraft. Scarce materials were used in them in very limited quantities. Thanks to this, the USSR managed to ensure a high rate of aircraft production in the face of the most severe material restrictions and a lack of skilled labor. I must say that our country is in the most difficult situation. From 1941 to 1944 inclusive, a significant part of the industrial zone, where many metallurgical enterprises were located, was occupied by the Nazis. Some factories managed to be evacuated inland and set up production in new places. But a significant part of the production potential was still irretrievably lost. In addition, a large number of skilled workers and specialists went to the front. At the machines they were replaced by women and children who could not work at the appropriate level. Nevertheless, the aircraft industry of the USSR, although not immediately, was able to meet the needs of the front in aircraft.

Unlike all-metal Western fighters, wood was widely used in Soviet aircraft. However, in many power elements, which actually determined the weight of the structure, metal was used. That is why, in terms of weight perfection, the Yak-3 and La-7 practically did not differ from foreign fighters.

In terms of technological sophistication, ease of access to individual units and ease of maintenance in general, the Bf 109 and Mustang looked somewhat preferable. However, Spitfires and Soviet fighters were also well adapted to the conditions of combat operation. But in terms of such very important characteristics as the quality of equipment and the level of automation, the Yak-3 and La-7 were inferior to Western fighters, the best of which in terms of automation were german planes(not only Bf 109, but others).

The most important indicator of high flight performance of the aircraft and its overall combat capability is the power plant. It is in the aircraft engine industry that the latest achievements in technology, materials, control and automation systems are first of all embodied. Engine building is one of the most science-intensive branches of the aircraft industry. Compared to an aircraft, the process of creating and fine-tuning new engines takes much more time and requires a lot of effort.

During the Second World War, England occupied a leading position in aircraft engine building. It was the Rolls-Royce engines that equipped the Spitfires and the best versions of the Mustangs (P-51B, C and D). It can be said without exaggeration that just the installation of the English Merlin engine, which was produced in the USA under license by Packard, made it possible to realize the great capabilities of the Mustang and brought it into the category of elite fighters. Prior to this, the R-51, although original, was a rather mediocre aircraft in terms of combat capabilities.

The peculiarity of English engines, which largely determined their excellent performance, was the use of high-grade gasoline, the conditional octane number of which reached 100-150. This made it possible to apply a large degree of air pressure (more precisely, the working mixture) into the cylinders and thereby obtain high power. The USSR and Germany could not meet the needs of aviation in such high-quality and expensive fuel. Typically, gasoline with an octane rating of 87-100 was used.

A characteristic feature that united all the engines that were on the compared fighters was the use of two-speed drive centrifugal superchargers (PTsN), providing the required altitude. But the difference between Rolls-Royce engines was that their superchargers had not one, as usual, but two successive compression stages, and even with intermediate cooling of the working mixture in a special radiator. Despite the complexity of such systems, their use turned out to be fully justified for high-altitude motors, since it significantly reduced the power losses spent by the motor for pumping. This was a very important factor.

The original was the DB-605 motor injection system, driven through a turbo coupling, which, with automatic control, smoothly adjusted the gear ratio from the motor to the blower impeller. In contrast to the two-speed drive superchargers that were on Soviet and British engines, the turbo coupling made it possible to reduce the power drop that occurred between the injection speeds.

An important advantage of German engines (DB-605 and others) was the use of direct fuel injection into the cylinders. Compared to a conventional carburetor system, this increased the reliability and efficiency of the power plant. Of the other engines, only the Soviet ASh-82FN, which was on the La-7, had a similar direct injection system.

A significant factor in improving the flight performance of the Mustang and Spitfire was that their motors had relatively short-term modes of operation at high power. In combat, the pilots of these fighters could for some time use, in addition to long-term, that is, nominal, either combat (5-15 minutes), or in emergency cases, emergency (1-5 minutes) modes. The combat, or, as it was also called, the military regime became the main one for the operation of the engine in air combat. The engines of Soviet fighters did not have high power modes at altitude, which limited the possibility of further improving their flight characteristics.

Most variants of the Mustangs and Spitfires were designed for high combat altitude, which is typical for aviation operations in the West. Therefore, their motors had sufficient altitude. German motor builders were forced to solve a complex technical problem. With the relatively high design height of the engine required for air combat in the West, it was important to provide the necessary power at low and medium altitudes required for combat operations in the East. As is known, a simple increase in altitude usually leads to increasing power losses at low altitudes. Therefore, the designers showed a lot of ingenuity and applied a number of extraordinary technical solutions. In terms of its altitude, the DB-605 engine occupied, as it were, an intermediate position between English and Soviet engines. To increase power at altitudes below the calculated one, an injection of a water-alcohol mixture was used (MW-50 system), which made it possible, despite the relatively low octane number of fuel, to significantly increase boost, and, consequently, power without detonation. It turned out a kind of maximum mode, which, like the emergency one, could usually be used for up to three minutes.

At altitudes above the calculated one, nitrous oxide injection (GM-1 system) could be used, which, being a powerful oxidizing agent, seemed to compensate for the lack of oxygen in a rarefied atmosphere and made it possible for some time to increase the altitude of the motor and bring its characteristics closer to the data of Rolls-motors. Royce. True, these systems increased the weight of the aircraft (by 60-120 kg), significantly complicated the power plant and its operation. For these reasons, they were used separately and were not used on all Bf 109G and K.

A fighter's armament has a significant impact on the combat capability of a fighter. In terms of the composition and location of weapons, the aircraft in question differed very much. If the Soviet Yak-3 and La-7 and the German Bf 109G and K had a central location of weapons (cannons and machine guns in the forward fuselage), then the Spitfires and Mustangs had them located in the wing outside the area swept by the propeller. In addition, the Mustang had only heavy machine gun armament, while other fighters also had guns, and the La-7 and Bf 109K-4 had only gun armament. In the Western theater of operations, the P-51D was intended primarily to fight enemy fighters. For this purpose, the power of his six machine guns was quite sufficient. Unlike the Mustang, the British Spitfires and the Soviet Yak-3s and La-7s fought against aircraft of any purpose, including bombers, which naturally required more powerful weapons.

Comparing the wing and central installation of weapons, it is difficult to answer which of these schemes was the most effective. But still, Soviet front-line pilots and aviation specialists, like the German ones, preferred the central one, which ensured the greatest accuracy of fire. Such an arrangement turns out to be more advantageous when an attack by an enemy aircraft is carried out from extremely short distances. Namely, this is how Soviet and German pilots usually tried to act on the Eastern Front. In the West, air battles were fought mainly at high altitude, where the maneuverability of fighters deteriorated significantly. Get close to the enemy close quarters it became much more difficult, and with bombers it was also very dangerous, since it was difficult for a fighter to evade the fire of aerial gunners due to sluggish maneuver. For this reason, they opened fire from a long distance and the wing installation of weapons, designed for a given range of destruction, turned out to be quite comparable with the central one. In addition, the rate of fire of weapons with a wing scheme was higher than that of weapons synchronized for firing through a propeller (guns on the La-7, machine guns on the Yak-3 and Bf 109G), the armament turned out to be near the center of gravity and the consumption of ammunition practically did not affect it. position. But one drawback was still organically inherent in the wing scheme - this is an increased moment of inertia relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, which worsened the fighter's roll response to the pilot's actions.

Among the many criteria that determined the combat capability of an aircraft, the combination of its flight data was the most important for a fighter. Of course, they are not important on their own, but in combination with a number of other quantitative and qualitative indicators, such as, for example, stability, aerobatic properties, ease of operation, visibility, etc. For some classes of aircraft, training, for example, these indicators are of paramount importance. But for combat vehicles of the past war, flight characteristics and armament, which are the main technical components of the combat effectiveness of fighters and bombers, are decisive. Therefore, the designers sought, first of all, to achieve priority in flight data, or rather, in those that played a paramount role.

It is worth clarifying that the words “flight data” mean a whole range of important indicators, the main of which for fighters were maximum speed, rate of climb, range or time of a sortie, maneuverability, the ability to quickly pick up speed, sometimes a practical ceiling. Experience has shown that the technical excellence of fighters cannot be reduced to any one criterion, which would be expressed by a number, a formula, or even an algorithm designed for implementation on a computer. The question of comparing fighters, as well as the search for the optimal combination of basic flight characteristics, is still one of the most difficult. How, for example, to determine in advance what was more important - superiority in maneuverability and practical ceiling, or some advantage in maximum speed? As a rule, priority in one is obtained at the expense of the other. Where is the "golden mean" that gives the best fighting qualities? Obviously, much depends on the tactics and nature of air warfare as a whole.

It is known that the maximum speed and rate of climb significantly depend on the mode of operation of the motor. One thing is a long or nominal mode, and quite another is an emergency afterburner. This is clearly seen from a comparison of the maximum speeds of the best fighters of the final period of the war. The presence of high power modes significantly improves flight performance, but only for a short time, otherwise damage to the motor may occur. For this reason, a very short-term emergency operation of the engine, which gave the greatest power, was not considered at that time the main one for the operation of the power plant in air combat. It was intended for use only in the most urgent, deadly situations for the pilot. This position is well confirmed by the analysis of the flight data of one of the last German piston fighters - the Messerschmitt Bf 109K-4.

On the above graph of the vertical rate of climb (in fact, this is the rate of climb characteristic), it is clearly visible what increase the use of maximum power could give. However, such an increase is rather formal in nature, since it was impossible to climb in this mode. Only at certain moments of the flight could the pilot turn on the MW-50 system, i.e. extreme power boost, and even then, when the cooling systems had the necessary reserves for heat removal. Thus, although the MW-50 boost system was useful, it was not vital for the Bf 109K-4 and therefore it was not installed on all fighters of this type. Meanwhile, the Bf 109K-4 data is published in the press, corresponding precisely to the emergency regime using the MW-50, which is completely uncharacteristic of this aircraft.

The foregoing is well confirmed by the combat practice of the final stage of the war. Thus, the Western press often talks about the superiority of Mustangs and Spitfires over German fighters in the Western theater of operations. On the Eastern Front, where air battles took place at low and medium altitudes, the Yak-3 and La-7 were out of competition, which was repeatedly noted by the pilots of the Soviet Air Force. And here is the opinion of the German combat pilot V. Wolfrum:

The best fighters I have seen in combat have been the North American Mustang P-51 and the Russian Yak-9U. Both fighters had a clear performance advantage over the Me-109, regardless of modification, including the Me-109K-4

Start:

The German fighter Messerschmitt Bf 109 was created around the same time
like the Spitfire. Like the English aircraft, the Bf 109 became one of the most successful examples of a combat vehicle during the war and went through a long evolutionary path: it was equipped with more and more powerful engines, improved aerodynamics, operational and flight characteristics. In terms of aerodynamics, the last major change was made in 1941 with the introduction of the Bf 109F. Further improvement of flight data was mainly due to the installation of new motors. Externally, the latest modifications of this fighter - Bf 109G-10 and K-4 differed little from the much earlier Bf 109F, although they had a number of aerodynamic improvements.

This aircraft was the best representative of the light and maneuverable combat vehicle of the Nazi Luftwaffe. Throughout almost the entire second world war, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters were among the best examples of aircraft in their class, and only towards the end of the war did they begin to lose their positions. It turned out to be impossible to combine the qualities inherent in the best Western fighters, designed for a relatively high combat altitude, with the qualities inherent in the best Soviet "medium-altitude" fighters.

Like their British counterparts, the designers of the Bf 109 tried to combine a high top speed with good maneuverability and takeoff and landing qualities. But they solved this problem in a completely different way: unlike the Spitfire, the Bf 109 had a large specific load on the wing, which made it possible to obtain high speed, and to improve maneuverability, not only well-known slats were used, but also flaps, which at the right time battles could be deflected by the pilot at a small angle. The use of controlled flaps was a new and original solution. To improve takeoff and landing characteristics, in addition to automatic slats and controlled flaps, hovering ailerons were used, which worked as additional sections of the flaps; a controlled stabilizer was also used. In a word, the Bf 109 had a unique system of direct lift control, largely characteristic of modern aircraft with their inherent automation. However, in practice, many of the designers' decisions did not take root. Due to the complexity, it was necessary to abandon the controlled stabilizer, hanging ailerons, and the flap release system in battle. As a result, in terms of its maneuverability, the Bf 109 did not differ much from other fighters, both Soviet and American, although it was inferior to the best domestic aircraft. Takeoff and landing characteristics were similar.

The quality of their mass production has a great influence on the aerodynamic properties of aircraft. Careless manufacturing can negate all the efforts of designers and scientists. This doesn't happen very often. Judging by the captured documents, in Germany, conducting a comparative study of the aerodynamics of German, American and British fighters at the end of the war, they came to the conclusion that the Bf 109G had the worst quality of production, and, in particular, for this reason, its aerodynamics turned out to be the worst, which with a high probability can be extended to the Bf 109K-4.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that in terms of the technical concept of creation and the aerodynamic features of the layout, each of the compared aircraft is quite original. But they also have many common features: well-streamlined shapes, careful engine cowling, well-developed local aerodynamics and aerodynamics of cooling devices.

In terms of technological sophistication, ease of access to individual units and ease of maintenance in general, the Bf 109 and Mustang looked somewhat preferable. However, Spitfires and Soviet fighters were also well adapted to the conditions of combat operation. But in terms of such very important characteristics as the quality of equipment and the level of automation, the Yak-3 and La-7 were inferior to Western fighters, the best of which were German aircraft (not only Bf 109, but others) in terms of automation.

Comparing the wing and central installation of weapons, it is difficult to answer which of these schemes was the most effective. But still, Soviet front-line pilots and aviation specialists, like the German ones, preferred the central one, which ensured the greatest accuracy of fire. Such an arrangement turns out to be more advantageous when an attack by an enemy aircraft is carried out from extremely short distances. Namely, this is how Soviet and German pilots usually tried to act on the Eastern Front. In the West, air battles were fought mainly at high altitude, where the maneuverability of fighters deteriorated significantly. It became much more difficult to approach the enemy at close range, and it was also very dangerous with bombers, since it was difficult for a fighter to evade the fire of air gunners due to sluggish maneuvers. For this reason, they opened fire from a long distance and the wing installation of weapons, designed for a given range of destruction, turned out to be quite comparable with the central one. In addition, the rate of fire of weapons with a wing scheme was higher than that of weapons synchronized for firing through a propeller (guns on the La-7, machine guns on the Yak-3 and Bf 109G), the armament turned out to be near the center of gravity and the consumption of ammunition practically did not affect it. position. But one drawback was still organically inherent in the wing scheme - this is an increased moment of inertia relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, which worsened the fighter's roll response to the pilot's actions.

The main characteristics of the Bf 109K-4 are given in a rather extensive report prepared at the end of 1944 for the German Chancellor. The report covered the state and prospects of the German aircraft industry and was prepared with the participation of the German aviation research center DVL and leading aviation firms such as Messerschmitt, Arado, Junkers. In this document, which there is every reason to consider quite serious, when analyzing the capabilities of the Bf 109K-4, all its data correspond only to the continuous operation of the power plant, and the characteristics at maximum power are not considered or even mentioned. And this is not surprising. Due to thermal overloads of the engine, the pilot of this fighter, when climbing with maximum takeoff weight, could not even use the nominal mode for a long time and was forced to reduce speed and, accordingly, power after 5.2 minutes after takeoff. When taking off with less weight, the situation did not improve much. Therefore, it is simply not necessary to talk about any real increase in the rate of climb due to the use of an emergency mode, including the injection of a water-alcohol mixture (MW-50 system).

On the above graph of the vertical rate of climb (in fact, this is the rate of climb characteristic), it is clearly visible what increase the use of maximum power could give. However, such an increase is rather formal in nature, since it was impossible to climb in this mode. Only at certain moments of the flight could the pilot turn on the MW-50 system, i.e. extreme power boost, and even then, when the cooling systems had the necessary reserves for heat removal. Thus, although the MW-50 boost system was useful, it was not vital for the Bf 109K-4 and therefore it was not installed on all fighters of this type. Meanwhile, the Bf 109K-4 data is published in the press, corresponding precisely to the emergency regime using the MW-50, which is completely uncharacteristic of this aircraft.

In the Great Patriotic war we defeated an experienced, organized, brutal and well-armed enemy. However, in our literature throughout all the post-war years, an objective analysis of the German military equipment, including aviation. While preparing material about the La-5 and FW 190 fighters, I could not stop only at short description German aircraft, for it was one of our main opponents in the skies of war, really strong and dangerous.

But it seems to me that a whole generation of people who are more or less interested in aviation are used to thinking in certain stereotypes. So, without any doubt, we call the Spitfire aircraft the best English fighter of the Second World War period and disparagingly speak of the Hurricane. The American Airacobra has become almost our favorite aircraft, and at the same time we know almost nothing about the Hellcat. We are accustomed to treat the Mustang with respect and look at the fat, ugly Thunderbolt with obvious misunderstanding, without even thinking about why this particular fighter was the most massive aircraft in the US Air Force during the war years.

There is nothing surprising in the fact that we consider the Yak-3 the best fighter in the world. An equally stereotypical opinion exists regarding German aviation aircraft, because in almost all books we read the same words. Let's open, for example, the famous book of the aircraft designer A. Yakovlev " Soviet aircraft". He writes: “Our main Yak and La fighters, in terms of their combat qualities, throughout the war had an advantage over German machines of a similar purpose - Me 109 and FW 190.”

In addition, the FW 190 fighter is quite often shown as a clumsy overweight aircraft that cannot be compared with Soviet and foreign aircraft. Well, how can you doubt it? And suddenly, a quotation from the book of the English researchers D. Richards and X. Sanders sounds dissonant Air Force Great Britain in World War II 1939-1945.

"The Spitfire fighter in all its variants was little superior (if it had any superiority at all) in terms of flight and tactical data to the best German fighter Focke-Wulf 190."

Isn't it quite an interesting statement? So, in order to more clearly understand the issue, let's take a closer look at the flight performance of the Fokker in comparison with other aircraft, and above all with the La-5 fighter. Moreover, these aircraft not only constantly waged air battles among themselves, but were more or less close in size, flight weight and power plant power.

As you know, the main criterion that characterizes the perfection of any aircraft is its maximum flight speed. Let's see who had the advantage. Let's start from 1942 (since the appearance of these aircraft at the front). At this time, the maximum flight speed of the La-5 was 509 km/h near the ground and 580 km/h at an altitude of 6000 m. For the German aircraft, these figures were 510 and 610 km/h, respectively (data from the results of flight tests of the captured FW 190A fighter -4 at nominal engine operation). A year later, improved La-5FN and FW 190 aircraft of the A-5, A-8 and A-4 series appeared in the battles on the Kursk Bulge, many of which were equipped with the MW-50 system for injecting a water-methanol mixture into the engine cylinders. The maximum flight speeds of these machines were: for the FW 190 - 571 km / h at the ground and 654 km / h at an altitude of 6000 m. Without the use of the MW-50 system, the maximum speed was 10 km / h less. Thus, Soviet fighters had some advantage in speed at altitudes of less than 4000 m, where, as a rule, air battles were fought. However, there are certain subtleties here. So, in the book by A. Shakhurin "Wings of Victory" (who was then People's Commissar aviation industry) the pilots' statements are given about the comparison of the La-5 and FW 190 fighters. “La-5FN slowly but catches up with the FW 190 horizontally, then they give up the candles and the FW 190 slowly leaves.”

In this regard, the pilots have repeatedly turned to the designers with a request to add another 20-30 km/h to the aircraft. In 1944, improved La-7 fighters began to arrive at the front, with a maximum flight speed of 680 km / h. However, here, for the sake of objectivity, it must be compared with a new version of the "Focke-Wulf" - the FW 190D fighter, also released in 1944 and appeared at the front. The flight speed of this aircraft reached 685 km / h. Speaking about the value of the maximum flight speed, it should be noted that they were never achieved in air battles, since the aircraft constantly maneuvered, many of them had weapons on external slings, worn out engines, patches in damaged areas, removed or torn off landing gear doors, which greatly reduced flight speed.

It is known from the history of air combat that pilots tried to attack the enemy from above in order to increase their flight speed, gaining it in a dive. In this regard, the Focke-Wulfam was unrivaled (at least on the Soviet-German front). Our pilots constantly noted the fact that the Germans often evaded pursuit by diving to the ground (if altitude allowed). At the same time, even in a rather gentle dive with an angle of thirty degrees, the FW 190 accelerated to a speed of 1045 km / h (one of the evidence of its good aerodynamics). Of all the Allied aircraft, only the Mustang and Thunderbolt could catch up with the Fokker on the descent. But in terms of maneuverability in close air combat, the FW 190 was somewhat inferior to our fighters.

As is known, the horizontal maneuverability (radius of the turn and the time it takes to complete it) is directly proportional to the specific load on the wing. In the FW 190, it was quite high and amounted, depending on the modification, to 210-240 kg / m2. At the same time, for all Lavochkin fighters, it did not exceed 190 kg / m2. Not surprisingly, the turn time of the La-5 and La-7 was 3-4 seconds less than that of the Focke-Wulf (19 instead of 22 seconds). The Yakovlev fighters had even better horizontal maneuverability.

The British Spitfire V and Spitfire IX fighters had the highest horizontal maneuverability among all Allied aircraft, since their specific wing load did not exceed 150 kg / m2. It would seem that these highly maneuverable high-speed fighters, which proved their complete superiority over the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters, should have had even greater advantages over the heavy Focke-Wulfs. However, this just did not happen. It was quite difficult for the Spitfire pilots to shoot down the FW 190.

The thing is that any aircraft, before performing a turn, must roll, that is, make a turn around the longitudinal axis. The roll rate of all aircraft was different. It depends on the effectiveness of the ailerons, the moment of inertia of the aircraft and the wingspan. Moreover, with an increase in the span, the roll rate decreases sharply. In this regard, Spitfire, which has more large sizes, lost to Focke-Wulf. The German fighter quickly entered the turn, and when the Spitfire pursuing him began to overtake, the Focke-Wulf pilot quickly transferred the car from the right turn to the left or vice versa and again left the blow. True, the above does not mean that the FW 190 turned out to be more maneuverable. In the same way, the German pilots could not do anything with the Spitfire, which was leaving the fire in a sharp turn. In a word, for the British, the German fighter turned out to be a "hard nut to crack". It is enough to cite the words of F. Lloyd, one of the well-known English specialists in the field of aviation, said by him at the end of 1943.

"If the British aircraft do not equal the FW 190 in this respect (meaning the high rate of roll), then it will always be able to elude the attack."

By the way, the cut ends of the wings on some modifications of the Spitfires, apparently, can be explained by the desire to increase the roll rate. As for the Soviet fighters, they were much better in this regard, since they had a smaller wing span, as well as a small moment of inertia - after all, the guns on Soviet aircraft were in the fuselage, and not in the wing, like all British aircraft.

A few words about vertical maneuverability. Of course, the rate of climb of the FW 190 was not very high - 12-14 m / s, while for other fighters it was 15-20 m / s, and naturally, in maneuverable air combat, the La-5 fighters had complete superiority. However, the following point must be taken into account. It turns out that the rate of climb when performing a vertical maneuver depends not only on the specific power load (the ratio of the mass of the aircraft to the power of its power plant - for the La-5 this value was approximately 2.3 kg / hp, and for the FW 190 - 2, 5 kg / hp), but also on the ratio of the flight mass to the total aerodynamic drag of the aircraft. When an aircraft begins to climb steeply after a dive or after flying high speed, then the first part of the rise occurs due to its inertia. In other words, the greater the mass of the aircraft and the speed of flight and the lower its resistance, the faster the aircraft will climb at the first moment. And in this regard, the German pilots had a certain advantage over the enemy. In any case, their first attack and exit from it were always swift.

Engaging in close maneuverable air combat was considered inappropriate, since during sharp maneuvering the heavy Focke-Wulf quickly lost speed and its rate of climb dropped sharply. In addition, the practice of warfare showed that in group air battles, the advantages of some aircraft over others could not be fully manifested, since the pursuers themselves were often attacked by the enemy. By the way, in the memoir literature, German pilots who evaded air combat are called chickens. However, in this they had their own calculation. The FW 190 could not conduct a maneuverable battle with our fighters at low speed, and the Germans, of course, did not get involved in such battles, especially since a maneuverable battle, in general, is defensive, not offensive. During the war years, the Germans, on the contrary, preferred the tactics of "hunters". And here we come to the most interesting...

It turns out that we and the Germans had a different approach to the actions of fighter aircraft. The main task facing the Soviet pilots was to cover the ground forces from enemy aircraft and escort their bombers. This alone forced them to conduct mainly defensive battles with German fighters. At the same time, the German fighter pilots had another primary task - the destruction of enemy aircraft, and the ground forces had to rely more on their own means. air defense which they had in abundance. With this approach, German pilots more often used free hunting tactics and chose bomber and attack aircraft as targets. Not surprisingly, many of them had 100, 200 and even 300 or more air victories.

As for the FW 190 fighter, it was just quite well suited for just such purposes. The FW 190 was reliably protected from the fire of the bombers' defensive weapons (which, as a rule, were machine guns). And the powerful 20-mm MG151/20 cannons made it possible to hit targets at a slightly greater range than the machine guns on the bombers.

Special mention should be made of the armament of the FW 190 aircraft. According to such a criterion as the weight of a minute volley, the machines of even the first modifications - A-3 or A-4 were almost twice as superior to La-5. Judge for yourself: this value was 275 kg / min for the FW 190, 150 kg / min for the La-5, 202 kg / min for the Spitfire IX, and 160 kg / min for the Aerocobra (version with a 37-mm gun) kg/min. After the Focke-Wulf replaced machine guns and wing cannons with more advanced ones, the weight of a one-minute salvo increased to 350 kg / min, and the FW 190 became the most powerful single-engine fighter in the world. True, the American Thunderbolt had the same weight of a minute salvo, but it was armed only with machine guns, and the lethal effect of bullets was lower than that of an exploding projectile. When, at the end of the war, the FW 190 fighters began to install the latest 30-mm MK108 cannons, in which the projectile mass was three times greater than that of the 20-mm MG 151 cannons, the weight of a minute salvo increased to almost 600 kg / min. For comparison, for a heavy twin-engine fighter "Mosquito", equipped with four cannons and four machine guns, this value was 345 kg / min. Thus, even without taking into account the use of missile weapons, the FW 190 fighters posed a serious danger not only to front-line, but also to heavy strategic bombers.

Summing up the analysis, it should be noted that, on the one hand, the FW 190, of course, is not the best fighter in the world (as Hitler's propaganda represented it), since it had no advantage in air battles with Soviet fighters, but on the other On the other hand, the strengths of this truly formidable combat vehicle cannot be underestimated.

And finally the last. At the end of the war, German aviation, although it posed a certain danger, did not conduct active hostilities. The latest modifications of the FW 190 aircraft appearing in the air were successfully shot down by Soviet, British and American fighter pilots. This did not mean that the German planes were worse than the enemy planes. On the contrary, at this time the Germans had really good cars. By the way, when at the beginning of April 1945 the advanced British units captured Professor K. Tank himself, it was clear from his testimony that the German designers had made significant progress.

However, under the conditions of complete air supremacy of the allied aviation, no most advanced aircraft could change the nature of the war. German fighters only defended themselves in extremely unfavorable conditions for themselves. In addition, there was practically no one to fly them, since the entire color of the German fighter aircraft "fell to pieces" on the Eastern Front in fierce battles with Soviet pilots. And this is precisely what, of course, should be considered the main and decisive reason for the complete defeat of the Luftwaffe.

"Wings of the Motherland" No. 5 1991

American fighter aircraft of World War II. The best fighters of the second world war

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