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World War 2 Airplanes

There are 176 World War 2 Airplanes in the Military Factory.

Aichi B7A Ryusei (Grace)
The Aichi-produced B7A Ryusei (translated to "Shooting Star" and nicknamed "Grace" by the Allies) was a limited-production torpedo bomber in service with the Empire of Japan during the latter years of World War Two. Unfortuna...

Imperial Japan
1944

Aichi D3A (Val)
The D3A series of aircraft (dubbed "Val" by the Allied forces) were thought to be all but extinct when the war in the Pacific began between the Empire of Japan and the Allies - principally the United States of America. The ru...

Imperial Japan
1940

Aichi E13A (Jake)
Based on number alone, the Aichi production E13A series of floatplanes (dubbed "Jake" by the Allies) was the most important such aircraft type for the Japanese Navy during the Second World War. The system was fielded in quant...

Imperial Japan
1941

Aichi E16A Zuiun (Paul)
The E16A Zuiun (translated into "Auspicious Cloud" and codenamed "Paul" by the Allies) was a dedicated reconnaissance floatplane and part-time dive-bomber for the Empire of Japan in World War Two. The system was an excellent ...

Imperial Japan
1944

Aichi M6A Seiran
This oft-forgotten Aichi design was classified as an attack floatplane that was designed to be carried aboard the Japanese Navy I-400 class submarines. The aircraft was held in water-tight containers until implemented into fl...

Imperial Japan
1945

Airspeed Oxford
The Airspeed Oxford was an important British and Commonwealth aerial trainer that served through World War Two. The system appeared in two notable forms as the Oxford I and the Oxford II with a few subvariants sprinkled in be...

United Kingdom
1937

Amiot 143
The Amiot 143 of the French Air Force represented an evolution in the Amiot piston-engine bomber series that replaced the Amiot 140 of 1931. First flying in 1935, the Amiot 143 system was an unspectacular design whose time ha...

France
1935

Amiot 354
The Amiot 354 bomber and reconnaissance platform was a quite capable aircraft when war broke out over France. The system had it's origins based on the unarmed transport mail plane to which further development would produce th...

France
1940

Arado Ar 195
The Arado Ar 195 was prototype design intended for operations from Germany's first aircraft carrier known as the Graf Zeppelin. The aircraft was developed to a requirement for a carrier-based torpedo bomber, to which some thr...

Nazi Germany
1937

Arado Ar 196
The Arado Ar 196 was the principle floatplane of the German Luftwaffe throughout World War Two. The system was fielded in quantity on nearly every front that German was threatened - or was threatening. The system faired well ...

Nazi Germany
1939

Arado Ar 232 Tausendfussler (Millipede)
The Arado aircraft firm produced one of the more identifiable transport aircraft of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War in the form of the Ar 232. Known unofficially as the "millipede" (or "Tausendfussler") thanks to th...

Nazi Germany
1941

Arado Ar 234 Blitz (Lightning)
The Arado Ar 234 "Blitz" (or "Lightning") was part of the German success with turbojet development in the latter years of World War Two. The system was the world's first purpose-built jet bomber to ever enter service, and did...

Nazi Germany
1944

Arado Ar 240
The Arado Ar 240 was designed to an RLM 1938 response to replace the twin engine, two seat Messerschmitt BF 110 Zerstorer heavy fighter, being made obsolete by the changing face of war. The Arado firm and the Messerschmitt fi...

Nazi Germany
1940

Arado Ar 68
The Arado-production of the Ar 68 signaled a stepping stone for fighter design in the German Luftwaffe. With the air force branch still held in secret from the rest of the world, the Luftwaffe quietly set about building up th...

Nazi Germany
1934

Arado Ar E.340
The Arado-produced Ar E.340 was designed to a German requirement for a twin-engined bomber to replace the aging Junkers Ju 88 and Dornier Do 217's currently in service. The design offered up the potential for multirole capabi...

Nazi Germany
1943

Arado Ar E.381
The Ar E.381-series of prototypes was submitted in 1944 for review by the German Air Ministry. Whilst a plethora of companies (including Messerschmitt and Sombold) were competing to fulfill the role of what was to be dubbed "...

Nazi Germany
1944

Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle
The Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle became one of those aircraft designs that evolved into a role not initially envisioned. The system came from an earlier Bristol-designed reconnaissance aircraft that went to nowhere and was d...

United Kingdom
1941

Armstrong Whitworth AW.27 Ensign
The impressive Armstrong Whitworth Ensign AW.27 series was made originally designed to a 1934 British government requirement for an air mail service transport to spearhead an improved method of correspondence to all points of...

United Kingdom
1936

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Continuing in the tradition of ugly yet robust and reliable heavy bombers, the British Armstrong Whitworth Whitley was the heavy bomber of choice during the early war years and up through 1942. The massive unappealing design ...

United Kingdom
1937

Avia B.534
The Czechoslovakian Avia B.534 series of biplane was a highly regarded though often forgotten product of the European nation. Some reports make it the best aircraft of its category during its early run through the 1930s. Such...

Czechoslovakia
1934

Avro 621 Tutor
The Avro 621 Tutor was a primary component of RAF and RN pilot training in the interwar years. Developed from the World War 1 era Avro 504 series, the 621 type proved to be a follow-up success. Built to some 852 examples, the...

United Kingdom
1933

Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is regarded by many as the best bomber of either side in the Second World War. The system proved quite capable from the outset and was put into production the same year that the prototype had flown. From th...

United Kingdom
1941

Bachem Ba 349 Natter (Viper)
The Bachem Ba 349 Natter (or "Viper") was another of the ingenious - if desperate - German designs in the ultimate defense of Germany against Allied bombers. The Natter design put to use the ever-developing study of rocketry ...

Nazi Germany
1945

Beech AT-10 Wichita
...

United States
1940

Bell P-39 Airacobra
The P-39 Airacobra was the product of the Bell Aircraft Corporation and went on to see more action in the hands of Soviet pilots via the Lend-Lease Act, to which no fewer than 5,000 were shipped and / or locally produced. The...

United States
1938

Bell P-63 Kingcobra
The P-63 Kingcobra was developed by the Bell Aircraft Corporation as the ultimate successor to the P-39 Airacobra. Despite the two systems sharing many of the same visual design features, the P-63 Kingcobra is generally regar...

United States
1943

Blohm & Voss Bv 138
The Blohm and Voss Bv 138 was a German floatplane that saw quantitative production in the Second World War. Initially conceived of as early as 1936, the system would enter service by 1940 and play the most pivotal role of mar...

Nazi Germany
1940

Blohm & Voss Bv 238
The mammoth Blohm & Voss Bv 238 was the next evolution in the Blohm & Voss flying boat series for Germany during World War Two. The system was built as the largest aircraft ever produced by any of the Axis powers and was to p...

Nazi Germany
1944

Boeing 314 Clipper (C-98)
The Boeing Model 314 "Clipper" was a floatplane primarily developed by the Boeing Aircraft Company to fulfill a Pan American requirement for a long-range passenger floatplane. The system saw only 12 examples produced in two v...

United States
1939

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Though the Consolidated B-24 Liberator was built in greater numbers, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is often regarded as the more important heavy bomber for the Allies in the Second World War, accounting for over 290,000 sor...

United States
1937

Boeing B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress status is often relegated to the aircraft that dropped the atomic bombs (“Fat Man” and “Little Boy”) on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war in the Pacific for the Allies. The fact that there were in fact ...

United States
1943

Boeing P-26 Peashooter
The P-26 became the first all-metal fighter design for the United States. Appearing similar to the later "Gee Bee" series of racers, the P-26 replaced the P-12 to which the newer P-26 outclassed in nearly every way. The P-...

United States
1932

Boeing-Stearman PT-17 Kaydet
When The Boeing Company acquired the Stearman company in 1939, it also acquired the design and production rights to the promising Model 75 series, which itself was flow as the X-70 as early as 1933. The two-seat biplane would...

United States
1941

Boulton Paul Defiant
The P-26 became the first all-metal fighter design for the United States. Appearing similar to the later "Gee Bee" series of racers, the P-26 replaced the P-12 to which the newer P-26 outclassed in The Boulton Paul Defiant ha...

United Kingdom
1937

Brewster F2A Buffalo
The stubby F2A Buffalo series became the United States Navy's first operational aircraft of monoplane design. Despite this honor, the system as a whole failed to live up to expectations set forth by technology and combat tact...

United States
1937

Bristol Beaufighter
Serving until the 1960s with the Royal Air Force, the Bristol Beaufighter (or simply "Beau") became a national hero through her service in the Battle of Britain, World War Two and beyond. The Beaufighter became the world's fi...

United Kingdom
1939

Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort enjoyed a strong run between the war years of 1940-1943 as the primary British torpedo bomber in service. Designed as the successor to the aged biplane Vildebeest design by Vickers, the Beaufort saw succe...

United Kingdom
1940

Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim billed as a bomber though when it was officially installed into operational active service, the aircraft was quite capable of outrunning some fighters. The twin-engine, 3-person aircraft would equip the f...

United Kingdom
1935

C-45 Expeditor
...

United States
1941

Caproni-Campini N1 (CC.2)
With the introduction of the N1 (may also be known as the CC.2), Italy became only the second nation in the world to achieve jet-powered flight (Germany being the first), though the development of this particular aircraft did...

Italy
1940

Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator design was generated from the successful airframe of an existing flying boat model (explaining the enlarged fuselage and high-mount wing assembly). The B-24 actually provided better performance...

United States
1941

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer
The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer was a further development of the United States Navy's PB4Y-1 anti-submarine warfare aircraft which, itself, was a further variant based on the successful Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber ai...

United States
1943

Consolidated PBY Catalina
Maritime aircraft play an understated role, especially in that of war time. Fly boats came to pass, first in peace-time development as early as 1901, and ultimately in the First World War. Their development, with experience g...

United States
1936

Curtiss P-36 Hawk / Mohawk
The P-36 Hawk aircraft produced by Curtiss was a widely accepted and operated weapon system. From its initial appearance once can see the influence that the P-36 had in the design of the P-40 Warhawk of "Flying Tigers" fame. ...

United States
1935

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk / Kittyhawk / Tomahawk
The P-40 Warhawk / Kittyhawk / Tomahawk series of aircraft was the further development of the P-36 Hawk platform (detailed elsewhere on this site). The Warhawk would become synonymous with the American Volunteer Group fightin...

United States
1941

Curtiss P-6 Hawk
Originally based on the existing P-1B series of aircraft, the P-6 Hawk series was a first-line pursuit aircraft for the United States in the early 1930s. The Hawk became the last of the fighter biplanes built in quantity for...

United States
1929

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a rather unassuming dive bomber / reconnaissance aircraft serving throughout the Second World War. Originally designed in a competition to replace the aging SBC biplane series, the SB2C faced of...

United States

Curtiss XP-42
The Curtiss XP-42 was a further development of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk model though it would share some initial outward similarities to Curtiss' most well known aircraft - the P-40 Warhawk. Later in its development, the XP-42 w...

United States
1939

Curtiss XP-46
The smallish XP-46 was to be the answer for the deficiencies encountered in the P-40 Warhawk platform. Unfortunately for Curtiss, the XP-46 would be doomed by underperformance and sluggish capabilities - essentially dooming t...

United States
1941

Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando
The United States Air Force utilized the C-46 Commando series as their primary transport workhorse in the Pacific Theater of War during the Second World War. The system was initiated to replace the Douglas series of DC-3 tran...

United States
1942

Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender
The XP-55 Ascender was an unorthodox attempt by the Curtiss-Wright company that produced just three prototype models. Answering a United States Army Air Corps call for unconventional aircraft designs, the XP-55 fit the bill w...

United States
1943

de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth
The Tiger Moth series produced by the UK firm of de Havilland went on to become one of the more beloved trainers of all time, sending many a British and Commonwealth nation pilot in the inter-war years and through World War T...

United Kingdom
1931

de Havilland D.H.98 Mosquito
Few can find much fault in the de Havilland design of its Mosquito series of nightfighters featured so prominently in the Battle of Britain and throughout the entire World War Two campaigns across Europe. The twin-engine nigh...

United Kingdom
1942

Dewoitine D.500
The D.500 series, as a whole, was merely a stop-gap design for France - bridging a gap between two eras of aviation resulting from post-World War One design and preceeding World War, commonly known as the interwar years. The ...

France
1936

Dewoitine D.520
The Dewoitine D.520 was a single seat piston-engine fighter designed and built for the French Air Force. Developed from lessons learned in their ill-fated D.513 design, Dewoitine produced a fighter of sleek design and accepta...

France
1939

Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17 (sometimes referred to as "the Pencil" due to its fundamental shape) was a respect medium bomber class utilized by the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain and throughout the Second World War. Initia...

Nazi Germany
1934

Dornier Do 217
The Dornier Do 217 was a multi-faceted performer for the German Luftwaffe that ended up fulfilling various roles from bomber to reconnaissance aircraft, aerial test bed to torpedo bomber. The twin-engine 4-man aircraft appear...

Nazi Germany
1938

Dornier Do 335 Pfeil (Arrow)
The Dornier Do 335 Pfeil (or "Arrow") was one of the more unique prop-driven designs of the Second World War. Designed and patented by Doctor Claudius Dornier himself as early as 1937, the Do 335 utilized a concept of mountin...

Nazi Germany
1945

Douglas A-20 Havoc / Boston
The A-20 Havoc series of aircraft was designed by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation in the United States and stemmed from the DB-7 sttack bomber series appearing with the first Model 7A's by 1938. Initially, the system was int...

United States
1941

Douglas A-24
The Douglas A-24 dive bomber fit the requirement of the United States Army for a capable dive bomber-type aircraft. After witnessing successes of this type by Germany throughout its European offensives, the US Army convinced ...

United States
1941

Douglas A-26 Invader
The original design of the Douglas-produced A-26 Invader was conceived of in three forms - night fighter, bomber and attack aircraft. The attack aircraft design was selected for production with the United States Army Airforce...

United States
1944

Douglas C-47 Skytrain / Dakota
The C-47 Skytrain was a product of the Douglas Aircraft Company and is regarded as the best transport of World War 2. Interestingly enough, the Skytrain was first born as a civilian passenger airliner in the DC-3 model and be...

United States
1940

Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4)
Derived from the commercial DC-4 airliner, the C-54 Skymaster was a workhorse transport aircraft for both the United States Army and the United States Navy branches of service. Planned as a technologically superior successor ...

United States
1942

Douglas SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber series of aircraft was one of the more vital cogs in the Allied defense and offense in the Pacific Theater of Operations. The system yielded a good blend of offensive and defensive armame...

United States
1938

Fairey Firefly
The Fairey Firefly was a hugely successful, two-seat, carrierborne fighter aircraft serving with the Royal Fleet Air Arm through the latter half of the Second World War, eventually seeing service up until the mid-1950's. The ...

United Kingdom
1943

Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish, despite her archaic appearance even by 1930's standards, was a well-performing reconnaissance and anti-ship aircraft for the United Kingdom throughout the Second World war. The fragile-looking aircraft's...

United Kingdom
1936

Fiat Br.20 Cicogna (Stork)
The Fiat Br.20 Cicogna (translated to "Stork") was a medium bomber in service with the Italian Air Force in the late inter-war years and early years of World War Two. Much like other inter-war designs however, the Cicogna was...

Italy
1937

Fiat CR 32 Falco (Falcon)
Arguably the best biplane fighter of Italian design before the start of the Second World War. The plane was also built for export for Spain and Sweden air defence. The Fiat CR.32 saw air combat service with Spain in the S...

Italy
1938

Fieseler Fi 103R (Reichenberg)
The Fiseler Fi 103R was, in essence, the piloted form of the successful V-1 rocket that terrorized London citizens throughout the Second World War. The piloted system was to be a type of suicide missile that the pilot could a...

Nazi Germany
1944

Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Stork)
The seemingly fragile Fieseler Fi 156 Storch(or "Stork") does not seem to have a home in a global conflict as World War 2 was yet the little machine became a spectacular multi-purpose airframe to which the Third Reich put to ...

Nazi Germany
1937

Fisher XP-75 / P-75 Eagle
The Fisher XP-75 Eagle was a novel attempt to fulfill the role of fast-climbing interceptor for the United States Army. The system was designed with speed of production in mind and thusly was comprised of elements found on ot...

United States
1943

Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke (Falcon)
Despite demonstrating some impressive performance statistics from underpowered engines, the Focke-Wulf product Fw 187 Falke (or "Falcon") never materialized into a production quantity models. Similar in design and reach to th...

Nazi Germany
1937

Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu (Owl)
The Focke-Wulf brand Fw 189 Uhu (translated to "Owl") was of the most peculiar aircraft design for the German Luftwaffe in the Second World War, but by no means made less lethal by it's appearance. The system accounted for a ...

Nazi Germany
1940

Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf (pronounce "fakka-wulf") Fw 190 single-seat fighter is held by some to be the best German piston fighter of the Second World War - and with good reason as the weapon system accounted for hundreds of Allied bom...

Nazi Germany
1939

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 (Condor)
The German Fw 200 Condor was initially a trans-Atlantic passenger and cargo (mail) aircraft developed by Focke-Wulf and legendary designer Kurt Tank in 1936. Early prototypes were fitted with the Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial...

Nazi Germany
1938

Focke-Wulf Ta 152 (Leistungsdaten)
The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 aircraft design was intended for use as a high-altitude interceptor for the German Luftwaffe and appeared in the later years of the war. Now managing a defensive type campaign, German warplanners were lo...

Nazi Germany
1945

Focke-Wulf Ta 154 Moskito (Mosquito)
The Ta 154 Moskito ("Mosquito") was another product of the Focke-Wulf aircraft design firm operating for the Third Reich. The design was classified as a night fighter and appeared most promising until a series of delays and l...

Nazi Germany
1944

Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first jet-powered aircraft to enter operational service for any air force in history. Though the Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was also under development at the same time, the Meteor actually beat t...

United Kingdom
1944

Granville Gee Bee Z
...

United States
1931

Grumman F4F Wildcat
The Grumman-produced F4F Wildcat series of aircraft was initially proposed to the United States Navy as a biplane-only design, which would explain the visual appearance of the stout fuselage (originally designed to carry two ...

United States
1940

Grumman F6F Hellcat
The F6F Hellcat continued the feline-inspired naming convention for the Grumman series. Build upon the successes of the F4F design, the superceded all expectations and became the star of the air war in the Pacific Theater. Su...

United States
1943

Grumman F8F Bearcat
The F8F Bearcat arrive too late in the Second World War to be used but nevertheless enjoyed a long stay aboard many an aircraft carrier across the globe. The F8F Bearcat was designed to meet the United States Navy specificati...

United States
1945

Grumman TBF Avenger
The TBF Avenger became a classic warfighter thanks to its resilience in the ongoing battle over the Pacific in the Second World War. Able to deliver payloads of torpedoes, drop bombs and rockets, the system was also capable (...

United States
1941

Handley Page Halifax
While the Lancaster Heavy Bomber will always be more identifiable in terms of the British night bombing campaigns of World War Two, the Handley Page Halifax series of bombers should be remembered as being just as equally impo...

United Kingdom
1940

Hawker Fury (I & II)
The Hawker Fury was the mainstay of Britain air defense throughout the 1930's until being replaced by the Gloster Gladiators. The Fury's design was in all actuality, a stop-gap design while the Hawker Hurricane was being desi...

United Kingdom
1931

Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane was indeed the true star of Britain's march against the Third Reich. Often overshadowed by the sleeker and sexier Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane system evolved from the Hawker "Fury Monoplane" as it ...

United Kingdom
1937

Hawker Sea Hurricane
The Hawker Sea Hurricane appeared in 1941 in an effort to protect British merchant ships from German naval attacks. Basically modified versions of the successful Hawker land-based Hurricane fighters, Sea Hurricanes were at fi...

United Kingdom
1941

Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest series was an attempt to improve upon the deficiencies in performance that resulted in the Hawker Typhoon design. The aircraft featured some visual similarities to its predecessor but was designed with a lo...

United Kingdom
1944

Hawker Typhoon
The uniquely designed Hawker Typhoon never lived up to expectations as a top-of-the-line interceptor it was intended to be. A host of powerplant, production and structural problems nearly doomed the weapon system to be withdr...

United Kingdom
1941

Heinkel He 111
Though the base He 111 was arguably the most important bomber of the Third Reich during the Second World War, the idea of bombers winning the war was lost on German warplanners - in particular Adolph Hitler - whom envisioned ...

Nazi Germany
1936

Heinkel He 111 Z (Zwilling)
The He 111 Z (or "Zwilling") was an interesting, albeit bizarre, joining of two He 111 medium bombers (detailed elsewhere on this site). In an attempt to bring together existing designs to produce a large transport capable of...

Nazi Germany
1942

Heinkel He 162 Volksjager (Peoples Fighter)
The He 162 Volksjager (the "People's Fighter") was developed as a quick solution to stem the tide of the major Allied advances witnessed by German forces in the latter years of the war. The plan was to produce these inexpensi...

Nazi Germany
1945

Heinkel He 177 Greif (Griffin)
The Heinkel He 177 Greif (or "Griffin") was a bomber produced in limited numbers for the German Luftwaffe. By any standard, the aircraft should have made more of an impact on the war for Germany's sake but structural flaws an...

Nazi Germany
1942

Heinkel He 178
The Heinkel-produced He 178 has the distinct honor of becoming the world's first aircraft to fly solely with a turbojet engine. The aircraft was already in the design stage in 1936, eventually hitting the skies before the war...

Nazi Germany
1939

Heinkel He 219 Uhu (Eagle-Owl)
The Heinkel He 219 Uhu (meaning "Eagle-Owl") was designed in response to a German need for a dedicated nightfighter type to thwart the advances being made the British nighttime bombing raids on German interests. The He 219 wa...

Nazi Germany
1943

Heinkel He 280
Though never produced in any operational format, the Heinkel He 280 series was the world's first turbojet fighter aircraft designed from the start as a fighter. German scientists were on the cutting edge of turbojet developme...

Nazi Germany
1941