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Nightfighter Aircraft


Military Aviation | History

At one point in military aviation history, the dedicated 'Night Fighter' ruled the night sky largely due to specially-trained crews, onboard radar and available weaponry.

The Nightfighter was born during the fighting of World War 1 where night-time defenders were needed against marauding enemy warplanes. The type evolved considerably in World War 2 thanks to onboard radar where purpose-built aircraft emerged from drawing boards. For a brief period of time thereafter, the types became known as all-weather fighters / interceptors before their end arrived.

There are a total of [ 68 ] Nightfighter Aircraft entries in the Military Factory. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order (1-to-Z). Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily the primary operator. Base models converted to, or considered for, the nightfighter role are also included.




1
Picture of the Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning)
National Flag Graphic
1946
Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning)
Twin-Engine Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal
2
Picture of the ANF Les Mureaux (Series)
National Flag Graphic
1933
ANF Les Mureaux (Series)
Light Observation Aircraft
3
Picture of the Arado Ar 240
National Flag Graphic
1940
Arado Ar 240
Multi-Purpose / Multi-Role Heavy Fighter Aircraft
4
Picture of the Arado Ar 68
National Flag Graphic
1936
Arado Ar 68
Single-Seat, Single-Engine Biplane Fighter
5
Picture of the Arado Ar Projekt II
National Flag Graphic
1945
Arado Ar Projekt II
Nightfighter / All-Weather Fighter Proposal
6
Picture of the Arado Ar TEW 16/43-19
National Flag Graphic
1943
Arado Ar TEW 16/43-19
Multi-Role Aircraft Proposal
7
Picture of the Arado NJ-1 Nacht Jager (Night Hunter)
National Flag Graphic
1945
Arado NJ-1 Nacht Jager (Night Hunter)
Jet-Powered Night Fighter / Night Bomber
8
Picture of the Bell D-36
National Flag Graphic
1950
Bell D-36
All-Weather Heavy Fighter / Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal
9
Picture of the Boulton Paul Defiant
National Flag Graphic
1939
Boulton Paul Defiant
Twin-Seat, Single-Engine Interceptor / Night-fighter / Turret Fighter Aircraft
10
Picture of the Breguet Br.5
National Flag Graphic
1916
Breguet Br.5
Bomber / Escort Fighter / Night-Fighter Biplane
11
Picture of the Bristol Beaufighter
National Flag Graphic
1940
Bristol Beaufighter
Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter / Night-Fighter Aircraft
12
Picture of the Bristol Blenheim
National Flag Graphic
1937
Bristol Blenheim
Light-Medium Bomber / Heavy Fighter / Night Fighter
13
Picture of the CONVAIR Skate
National Flag Graphic
1949
CONVAIR Skate
Seaplane Fighter / Flying Boat Fighter / Interceptor
14
Picture of the Curtiss-Wright XP-87 / XF-87 Blackhawk
National Flag Graphic
1948
Curtiss-Wright XP-87 / XF-87 Blackhawk
Prototype Interceptor / Night-Fighter Aircraft
15
Picture of the de Havilland DH.100 Vampire
National Flag Graphic
1946
de Havilland DH.100 Vampire
Single-Seat Jet-Powered Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft
16
Picture of the de Havilland DH.112 Venom
National Flag Graphic
1952
de Havilland DH.112 Venom
Single-Seat Jet-Powered Fighter / Fighter-Bomber / Night-Fighter Aircraft
17
Picture of the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito
National Flag Graphic
1942
de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito
Multirole Heavy Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft
18
Picture of the Dornier Do 17 (Flying Pencil)
National Flag Graphic
1937
Dornier Do 17 (Flying Pencil)
Medium Bomber Aircraft
19
Picture of the Dornier Do 215
National Flag Graphic
1939
Dornier Do 215
Reconnaissance / Light Bomber / Night-Fighter Aircraft
20
Picture of the Dornier Do 217
National Flag Graphic
1941
Dornier Do 217
Twin-Engine Multi-role Medium Bomber Aircraft
21
Picture of the Dornier Do P.252
National Flag Graphic
1946
Dornier Do P.252
Night-Fighter / Heavy Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Proposal
22
Picture of the Dornier Do P.254 (Do 535 / He 535)
National Flag Graphic
1945
Dornier Do P.254 (Do 535 / He 535)
Mixed-Propulsion Heavy Fighter Aircraft Proposal
23
Picture of the Dornier Do P.256 (Project 256)
National Flag Graphic
1946
Dornier Do P.256 (Project 256)
Night-Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft Proposal
24
Picture of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider (AD-1)
National Flag Graphic
1946
Douglas A-1 Skyraider (AD-1)
Single-Engine, Single-Seat Fighter-Bomber / Ground Attack Aircraft
25
Picture of the Douglas A-20 Havoc / Boston
National Flag Graphic
1941
Douglas A-20 Havoc / Boston
Light Bomber / Night-Fighter Aircraft
26
Picture of the Douglas F3D / F-10 Skyknight
National Flag Graphic
1951
Douglas F3D / F-10 Skyknight
Carrier-Borne Night-Fighter Aircraft
27
Picture of the Douglas P-70 Nighthawk
National Flag Graphic
1942
Douglas P-70 Nighthawk
Night-Fighter Aircraft Conversion
28
Picture of the Fairey Fulmar
National Flag Graphic
1940
Fairey Fulmar
Carrier-Borne Fighter / Fighter-Bomber
29
Picture of the Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu (Eagle-Owl)
National Flag Graphic
1940
Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu (Eagle-Owl)
Twin-Engine Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft
30
Picture of the Focke-Wulf Ta 154 Moskito (Mosquito)
National Flag Graphic
1944
Focke-Wulf Ta 154 Moskito (Mosquito)
Night Fighter Aircraft
31
Picture of the Gloster Gauntlet
National Flag Graphic
1935
Gloster Gauntlet
Single-Seat, Single-Engine Biplane Fighter Aircraft
32
Picture of the Goodyear GA-17
National Flag Graphic
1950
Goodyear GA-17
All-Weather Heavy Fighter / Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal
33
Picture of the Gotha Go P.60C
National Flag Graphic
1945
Gotha Go P.60C
All-Weather / Nightfighter Aircraft
34
Picture of the Grumman F7F Tigercat
National Flag Graphic
1944
Grumman F7F Tigercat
Carrier-Borne Nightfighter / Heavy Fighter Aircraft
35
Picture of the Grumman TBF Avenger
National Flag Graphic
1942
Grumman TBF Avenger
Carrier-Borne Torpedo Bomber Aircraft
36
Picture of the Hawker P.1005
National Flag Graphic
1942
Hawker P.1005
Twin-Engine, Three-Seat High-Speed Light Bomber / Heavy Fighter
37
Picture of the Hawker P.1056
National Flag Graphic
1947
Hawker P.1056
Dedicated Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal
38
Picture of the Hawker P.1057
National Flag Graphic
1947
Hawker P.1057
Dedicated Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal
39
Picture of the Hawker Woodcock
National Flag Graphic
1924
Hawker Woodcock
Night-Fighter / Night Interceptor Aircraft
40
Picture of the Heinkel He 219 Uhu (Eagle-Owl)
National Flag Graphic
1943
Heinkel He 219 Uhu (Eagle-Owl)
Twin-Seat, Twin-Engine Night-Fighter Aircraft
41
Picture of the Heinkel He P.1078B
National Flag Graphic
1945
Heinkel He P.1078B
Jet-Powered Tailless Fighter / Interceptor / Night Fighter
42
Picture of the Heinkel He P.1080
National Flag Graphic
1946
Heinkel He P.1080
Ramjet-Powered Interceptor Proposal
43
Picture of the Junkers Ju 388 (Stortebeker)
National Flag Graphic
1944
Junkers Ju 388 (Stortebeker)
Multi-Role Heavy Fighter Aircraft
44
Picture of the Junkers Ju 88
National Flag Graphic
1939
Junkers Ju 88
Medium Bomber / Multi-Role Aircraft
45
Picture of the Kawasaki Ki-102 (Randy)
National Flag Graphic
1944
Kawasaki Ki-102 (Randy)
Ground Attack / Heavy Fighter / Night Fighter Aircraft
46
Picture of the Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu (Nick)
National Flag Graphic
1944
Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu (Nick)
Dedicated Night-Fighter Aircraft
47
Picture of the McDonnell F2H Banshee
National Flag Graphic
1947
McDonnell F2H Banshee
Single-Seat, Twin-Engine Carrierborne Jet-Powered Fighter Aircraft
48
Picture of the Messerschmitt Bf 109
National Flag Graphic
1937
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Single-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter Aircraft
49
Picture of the Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstorer (Destroyer)
National Flag Graphic
1937
Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstorer (Destroyer)
Twin-Seat, Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter Aircraft
50
Picture of the Messerschmitt Me 262 (Schwalbe / Sturmvogel)
National Flag Graphic
1944
Messerschmitt Me 262 (Schwalbe / Sturmvogel)
Single-Seat Jet-Powered Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft
51
Picture of the Messerschmitt Me P.262 HG III
National Flag Graphic
1945
Messerschmitt Me P.262 HG III
Proposed Jet-Powered Fighter / Interceptor
52
Picture of the Miles M.22A
National Flag Graphic
1940
Miles M.22A
Turret Fighter / Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal
53
Picture of the Mitsubishi Ki-46 (Dinah)
National Flag Graphic
1941
Mitsubishi Ki-46 (Dinah)
Reconnaissance / Heavy Fighter / Bomber Interceptor Aircraft
54
Picture of the Nakajima J1N1 Gekko (Irving)
National Flag Graphic
1942
Nakajima J1N1 Gekko (Irving)
Reconnaissance Aircraft / Night-Fighter / Heavy Fighter
55
Picture of the North American F-82 / P-82 Twin Mustang
National Flag Graphic
1946
North American F-82 / P-82 Twin Mustang
Long-Range Escort / Ground Attack / Nightfighter Aircraft
56
Picture of the Northrop P-61 / F-61 Black Widow
National Flag Graphic
1943
Northrop P-61 / F-61 Black Widow
Night Fighter / Reconnaissance Aircraft
57
Picture of the Petlyakov Pe-2 (Pawn)
National Flag Graphic
1941
Petlyakov Pe-2 (Pawn)
Dive Bomber / Light Bomber Aircraft
58
Picture of the Petlyakov Pe-3
National Flag Graphic
1941
Petlyakov Pe-3
Long-Range Heavy Fighter / Night-Fighter Aircraft
59
Picture of the Potez 630 (Series)
National Flag Graphic
1938
Potez 630 (Series)
Heavy Fighter / Multirole Aircraft
60
Picture of the Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II (Falcon II)
National Flag Graphic
1941
Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II (Falcon II)
Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft
61
Picture of the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
National Flag Graphic
1912
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
Reconnaissance / Artillery Spotting / Trainer Biplane Aircraft
62
Picture of the Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter (One-and-One-Half Strutter)
National Flag Graphic
1916
Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter (One-and-One-Half Strutter)
Fighter / Reconnaissance / Light Bomber
63
Picture of the SPAD S.XI
National Flag Graphic
1917
SPAD S.XI
Biplane Fighter Aircraft
64
Picture of the Sukhoi Su-9 / Su-11 / Su-13 (1946)
National Flag Graphic
1946
Sukhoi Su-9 / Su-11 / Su-13 (1946)
Fighter / Fighter-Bomber / Night-Fighter Prototype Aircraft
65
Picture of the Vought F4U Corsair
National Flag Graphic
1942
Vought F4U Corsair
Carrier-Based Fighter / Fighter-Bomber / Night Fighter
66
Picture of the Yakovlev Yak-9 (Frank)
National Flag Graphic
1943
Yakovlev Yak-9 (Frank)
Single-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft
67
Picture of the Yokosuka P1Y1 Ginga (Frances)
National Flag Graphic
1944
Yokosuka P1Y1 Ginga (Frances)
Light-Medium Bomber / Dive Bomber / Torpedo Bomber / Night-Fighter
68
Picture of the Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora)
National Flag Graphic
1944
Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora)
Night-Fighter / Night-Intruder Aircraft
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