WWII | International Aviation HQ

Remembering The Rise And Fall of London’s Croydon Airport

5Feb

By Salomón MarcoNo Comments

History

Remembering The Rise And Fall of London’s Croydon Airport

Once the UK's only international airport, and the place where Winston Churchill took flying lessons, Croydon Airport is a shell of its former self. Unused since the late 1950's, most of the old airport has been built on with only the Terminal Building and ATC remaining. Replaced by Heathrow as the UK's main airport after the end of WWII, Croydon Airport was important for creating both the world's first airport terminal and air traffic control. So where did it all go so wrong? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Origins Expansion WWII Postwar Closure Today Do you remember Croydon Airport? Tell me in the comments! Featured image courtesy of Matt Brown via Flickr.

Boeing B-17 vs B-29: The Best WWII Bomber?

9Jan

By Alya KulikovaNo Comments

Aircraft Compare

Boeing B-17 vs B-29: The Best WWII Bomber?

The B-29 was designed to be the replacement for the B-17. However, WWII saw both bombers be used on a mass scale, often alongside one another, often not. Since then, people have often wondered which aircraft was better! Whenever it comes to the best WWII aircraft, or those WWII aircraft that made a large impact, both the B-17 and B-29 are often featured on them! You'd be hard pressed to find another WWII-era bomber that made a similar-sized impact on the aviation industry as either the B-17 or B-29. The only real contender might be the British-made Avro Lancaster! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Boeing B-17 vs B-29: What is a Heavy Bomber? Both the B-17 and B-29 are a type of bomber called a "Heavy bomber". To many, even those familiar with ...

Vultee P-66 Vanguard: The US’s Forgotten WWII Fighter

6Jan

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Vultee P-66 Vanguard: The US’s Forgotten WWII Fighter

When you think of WWII aircraft, you often think of aircraft like the P-51, Mitsubishi Zero, Bf 109, Hurricane and Spitfire. The Vultee P-66 Vanguard? Not so much... For pretty much everyone, even seasoned aviation historians, the Vultee P-66 Vanguard is forgotten. Although it was originally designed as a fighter, the Vanguard served mainly as a trainer, and partly as a fighter during WWII. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-P-66 Vultee had been established during the interwar period, by Gerard Vultee, a former Lockheed engineer. Initially, Vultee had made its money producing highly successful airliners, as had most other aircraft manufacturers. As with many other aircraft manufacturers, Vultee saw the growing market for general aviation a...

P-47 vs P-51: America’s Best WWII Fighter?

23Dec

By Alexander PaskNo Comments

Aircraft Compare

P-47 vs P-51: America’s Best WWII Fighter?

During WWII, the Republic P-47 and North American P-51 served alongside one another in almost every battle. Since the end of the war, and the retirement of the aircraft, people have wondered which was better, the P-47 or the P-51? A while ago, we covered the Hurricane and Spitfire, by all accounts, the British equivalent to the dynamic duo of the iconic Thunderbolt and Mustang. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); P-47 vs P-51: What is a Fighter? Today, the term "fighter aircraft" has become a very term. Today, the general public believes that any small, comparatively fast aircraft is a fighter aircraft, when that is simply not the case. For the most part, this is due to a few wildly successful aviation-themed movies. Perhaps the worst culprit of...

Hurricane vs Spitfire: Britain’s Best WWII Fighter?

14Oct

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Aircraft Compare

Hurricane vs Spitfire: Britain’s Best WWII Fighter?

Both the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane served with the RAF prior, during and after WWII. During this time, both aircraft served alongside one another in combat, with people often wondering which was better. We recently compared the P-51 Mustang and Spitfire, where we were inundated with requests for a Hurricane-Spitfire comparison. Today, most people view both the Hurricane and Spitfire as some of the best WWII-era fighter aircraft ever made. This is alongside the Japanese Zero, Soviet Yak-3, North American P-51, German Bf.109 and the French Caudron C.714. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Hurricane vs Spitfire: What is a Fighter? The role of WWII fighter aircraft differ greatly from modern fighter aircraft. On top of this, mod...

What is a Warbird? A Brief History of Warbirds

3Oct

By Alexander PaskNo Comments

History

What is a Warbird? A Brief History of Warbirds

Warbirds are some of the most favored airshow acts. Their ability to combine the aircraft of the past and the technology of the present attracts thousands of spectators from all around the world! Aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, Grumman F8F Bearcat, North American P-51 Mustang and Yakovlev Yak-3 are also considered to be warbirds. But what exactly makes a warbird so special? And why are they so prized (and expensive)? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); What Are Warbirds? Warbirds are any type of former military aircraft that are now in the hands of private individuals. They are commonly used as airshow display as well as airworthy museum displays. The term originates in the 1950's when WWII-era aircraft had be...

Yakovlev Yak-3: The WWII Fighter Everyone Forgets…

27Jul

By Christopher HarrowNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Yakovlev Yak-3: The WWII Fighter Everyone Forgets…

In recent years, the Yakovlev Yak-3 has been eclipsed by its Soviet, British, German, American and Japanese counterparts. However, during WWII, surviving a Yak-3 was a miracle! Both during and after the war, the Yakovlev Yak-3 was revered all around the world as one of the best fighter aircraft of its time. Today, few have heard of it, so why is that? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre Yak-3 Prior to the Yak-3, Yakovlev Design Bureau, the aviation manufacturer headed by Alexander Yakovlev had just introduced the Yakovlev Yak-1. This aircraft was one of the most advanced monoplanes in the Soviet Union. At the time, the Soviets and Nazi Germany had just signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, ensuring peace between the two nations. However, Stali...