Military Aviation in World War II

There are so many different planes used in World War II. Among these there are bombers, fighters and gliders. Mostly American, German, Japanese and British air planes were used in the war. In the early 1900s, World War I was the first with a new type of weapon or we should say an airplane. After 1914, airplanes revolutionized combat forever. In between World War I and World War II, aircraft technology was revolutionized.

WWI had open cockpits and fixed landing gear in their aircrafts. Newer WWII aircraft had retractable landing gear and closed cockpits which allowed pilots to stay warm even at higher altitudes and communicate through radio while in the cockpit. Another improvement made was that metal used to build aircraft frame instead of wood. Speed and altitude limits were almost doubled-up. Many technological advancements were made in the aircraft industry. By the way, fighter aircrafts were the most common aircraft type used in WWII.

According to, there were about 631 different types of jets in service for the Allied and Axis power from 1939-1945. There were many different kinds of fighters used in just the United States Army Air Force (USSAF). One of the most well known was the "North American P-51 Mustang". It was in service from 1942 until the end of the war. The plane had a crew of one and a top speed of 437 miles per hour making it one of the fastest planes of its time. One of the most well known Japanese fighters was the "Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen 0". Developed in 1940 the Zero was used through out war. The Zero had a maximum speed of 354 miles per hour. The Zero also had a maximum ceiling of 37,730 feet. The Zero also had a crew of one but also had four machine guns. The Zero could carry up to 550 pounds of bombs. Mostly carrier based, the Zero played a big role in the Pacific War.

World War II sparked a need for many innovative changes in aviation. Hundreds of new planes were invented as a result of the war. All those new capabilities had a huge impact on the war and helped the Allies win. In conclusion, a key factor in WWII was the aircraft like fighters, bombers and gliders.

[ Gunitha Rathnayaka - 13A Maths ]