Yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe. So this had me thinking, what was the impact of WWII on aviation?
WWII impacted every industry that was around in the 1940’s. Whilst this only comprises what was developed during the Second World War, there is likely no way of knowing the entire impact of WWII on aviation!
Save Aircraft Manufacturers
The 1930’s hit every industry incredibly hard, thanks to the Great Depression. Many aircraft manufacturers were forced to close as there was no one to buy their aircraft.
Some aircraft manufacturers were able to change their business and provide other goods. This affected major players in all countries, including the legendary William Boeing and Geoffrey de Havilland.
In the case of the former, he went from producing wooden aircraft, to producing wooden furniture! In the case of the latter, they were forced to reduce their workforce and focus on building general aviation trainers!
The onset of WWII meant that Britain, France and later the US, needed more aircraft, and better quality aircraft. This resulted in their respective governments pouring millions of pounds, francs and dollars into their aviation industries.
The result was that many of these government’s unintentionally saved their nation’s aircraft manufacturers!
Forefront of the Public’s Mind
Perhaps the most important impact of WWII on aviation is the fact that it put aircraft in a completely different light.
Before the war, the US Army Air Corps, RAF, Navy Air Corps and even to some extent the Luftwaffe, were very obscure to the average person.
Yes, they knew that they existed. Perhaps they’d even seen one or two of their aircraft. But it was very much an unattainable club for the average working man.
However, the war definitely changed that. The aviation arms of each country’s military needed more pilots, so they opened it up to anyone with good enough eyesight, health and patriotism.
This made it so anyone who wanted to become a pilot, would have the chance to become one. Many WWII fighter aces came from the poorest backgrounds, a far shy from the officer-only, upper class air forces of the past!
To the general public, especially that in Britain, the air forces became revered! Then-Prime minister, Winston Churchill made a statement about the RAF after the Battle of Britain:
Never was so much owed by so many to so few
Winston Churchill (Here is the entire speech!)
Jet Engine
Thanks to the boost in funding from their respective governments, many manufacturers were able to invest heavily in research. This includes into jet engines and air frames that were strong enough to support them!
The result was not only the allies developing their own jet aircraft, in the form of the Gloster Meteor, but also the Bell P-59. The Axis too developed their own jet aircraft, including the Me 262, He 178, He 280 and the Nakajima Kikka.
Despite the fact that the He 178 was the first jet aircraft, the Me 262 is by far the most famous!
Whilst there was a lot of research done by people like Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain before the war, WWII greatly sped that up!
Arguably, without the Second World War, it would’ve been several more years until the jet engine had been invented! Perhaps it could’ve even been a Russian who invented it! It could’ve even took until 1950 without the war!
Aircraft Design
A big impact of WWII on aviation was the fact that it helped to popularize one aircraft design: the monoplane.
Before WWII, there had been several designs that had to be chosen between. Most notably, these were the monoplane, biplane and the rare triplane design.
However, the war dictated that fighters needed to be faster, more maneuverable and more sturdy than their competitors. This facilitated that monoplanes should be used.
The wings were thicker, lower and made of a better and slightly lighter material. All this meant that the aircraft were faster and more maneuverable than other designs.
This made the biplane and triplane designs totally irrelevant. From then on, all successful aircraft designs would be monoplanes, even in the modern day!
This design became very clear at the start of the war, when Me109s decimated the RAF and French Air Forces.
Indeed, many aircraft that were being designed before the war had their designs altered. This included one of the most legendary RAF aircraft of WWII- the Hawker Hurricane, redesigned by Harry Hawker himself!
Development of RADAR
Perhaps the most significant impact of WWII on aviation was the invention of RADAR.
RADAR stands for Radio Detection and Ranging ,and came in handy for both the allies and axis powers.
Although the British invented it, and used it heavily in WWII (especially the Battle of Britain!) , Germans also invented it later on in the war.
During WWII, it was used to see how far off the Germans were from Britain. However, these systems were absolutely massive!
Over time, the British, Americans and French were able to develop smaller and smaller radars. Today, most fighters are equipped with their own radars, as are commercial and general aviation aircraft!
And radar has helped to stop many mid-air collisions, as pilot have been pre-notified and have been able to divert away from a potential accident. It has undoubtedly saved millions of live in war, and millions of lives in peace too!
Pressurization
Perhaps the most common impact of WWII on aviation is the use of aircraft pressurization. Bombers and reconnaissance aircraft had to fly higher and faster in order to avoid German radar.
However, they encountered one major obstacle: the lack of oxygen. You see, as you go higher, the air becomes thinner and thinner, and the heavy oxygen molecules become fewer and fewer.
To combat this, oxygen masks were invented. However, the act of loading and arming bombs became extremely difficult with an oxygen mask on. As a result, scientists had to come up woth a solution.
Whilst many solutions were considered, the ultimate one was pressurization.
Thanks to WWII, pressurization become widespread, and today, all airliners use it. It is probably the reason why you don’t pass out when you get above 10,000 feet!
On a side note, the research done by scientists in WWII for aircraft was also used on submarines later on, for the Navy!
Strategic Use of Aircraft
Before the war, aviation had been viewed as a niche sport. Something that only the wealthiest families and individuals could afford to do- that’s why so many early aviators came from the nobility or rich, landowning families.
In a military sense, aviation was viewed as a good career move for many who were seeking quick promotion as officers. It was very much a ‘dandy’ section, the sons of rich families who didn’t really want to get their hands dirty.
Whilst aircraft were used for reconnaissance and later aerial combat in WWI, they weren’t really a threat.
However, during the war, aircraft were used in so many different ways. Just as in WWI, aircraft were used to spy on the enemy, and even drop propaganda leaflets.
The militaries of the world also came up with better ways to utilize their fleets of aircraft. As a result, aircraft became longer and wider, instead of carrying cargo or troops, they carried explosives.
To begin with, these were conventional bombs, but nearer the end of the war, the US military decided to arm two of their aircraft with atomic bombs.
This resulted in many aircraft being built over the years to fill this purpose- carrying atomic, and later nuclear bombs.
Civil Aircraft
During WWII, the allied and axis militaries needed more aircraft. These aircraft ranged from fighters to strategic bombers, to cargo aircraft.
Whilst many of these aircraft stayed in service with their respective militaries, many did not. Some were put into storage, in anticipation for a conflict that many saw may come during the Cold War.
Many others though, were sold to private entities, or returned to their original owners.
The case of the DC-3, otherwise known as the C-47 (US) or Dakota (Commonwealth), a civil aircraft before the war, were often turned into cargo aircraft post-war.
Other aircraft, including the DC-3 or Junkers Ju-52 were used for air mail or even passengers!
Post-war, many aircraft that had been designed to be cargo aircraft or personnel transport, were turned into passenger or mail aircraft.
This includes aircraft like the de Havilland Comet and BAC One Eleven. Partly as a result of these modifications, these aircraft later went on to become some of the most dangerous aircraft.
Airports
Over the course of the war, the allies needed more and bigger airfields. These ranged from grass fields to launch squadrons of small fighters, to fully tarmacked air bases to launch cargo, recon and bomber aircraft from.
Some of these airfields were requisitioned from private owners who built them before the war, including the former-RAF Biggin Hill, now the Biggin Hill private airport.
Many of these other airfields were built on privately-held farm land during the war.
Whilst many of these airfields are still in use, many are not!
In my local area, Lincolnshire (UK), also known as Bomber County, there are hundreds of airfields. Many of these airfields were decommissioned, but many more are still active.
Less than one mile from my house is a decommissioned WWII RAF base. Two miles in the other direction is one of Lincolnshire’s largest RAF bases, RAF Waddington, which became famous during WWII!
Whilst the abandoned RAF base near my house is nothing but a derelict concrete strip, others have served different purposes.
Many have remained as airports. Many old RAF bases in London have become airports, including Heathrow. Others have become private airports, including the aforementioned Biggin Hill.
The same has also happened in France and in the US. Many regional airports in France and the US owe their existence to WWII. One of these airports includes Wichita Municipal Airport.
Cold War
The Cold War was probably the most unintentional impacts of WWII on aviation and the world!
After WWII, the allies began to carve out Europe. The British, Americans, Canadians and French took the west. The Soviets took the east.
This meant that any German research fell into previously enemy hands. Aircraft like the Me 262 fell into the British, French and American hands. However, a lot of research into future aircraft design was lost to the Russians.
Both helped their respective sides, and were instrumental in the future of the Cold War.
The West used the Me 262 to discover more about jet engines, and even redevelop their own! The East used the designs they had, with the technology they’d developed over the war, to develop better aircraft!
What was the most shocking impact of WWII on aviation? Have any more? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Airwolfhound via Flickr.