In the midst of the war, the US Air Force completely abandoned camouflage. Instead of the traditional light tones (the color of the sky) on the underside of the wing and green paint on the top (to blend in with the ground), there is only a dazzling shine of aluminum. Of the paintwork, only the identification marks and a dark stripe in front of the cockpit have survived to protect the pilot's eyes from glare on the polished metal.
This measure made it possible not only to reduce the cost and speed up the production cycle, but also to improve the aerodynamics of aircraft: the smooth metal skin created less resistance than the enamel.
But the main thing was the essence of the decision. The rejection of camouflage as one of the most important principles of combat was evidence of absolute contempt for the enemy.
The once formidable Luftwaffe lost all regalia and lost the battle for air with a crash. The reason was the banal lack of intelligence and production culture. The Germans were unable to establish a serial supply of turbocharged engines and create a reliable aircraft engine with a capacity of over 2000 hp. Without all this, the Luftwaffe came to a quick and inevitable end.
The bet on missiles was not justified. In fact, the German rocket engineers were ahead of everyone only because no one seriously competed with them. Experiments with missiles have been carried out since the beginning of the century, but they did not find military use until the appearance of precise targeting systems (second half of the 20th century). Therefore, all these "Fau" had no military value and were suitable for terrorizing the population of large cities. Just like jet fighters, whose engines, created according to the technologies of the 40s, had a motor life of only 20 hours.
Based on the technological level of those years, the most logical solution was to improve the piston engines and designs of existing aircraft. Turbocharging, cockpit ergonomics, reliable weaponry, sights, communications and combat controls.
When meeting with the Mustangs and Thunderbolts, it turned out that the Germans had nothing.
"Mustang" - a plane from the future
The pilots who flew the North American P-51 "D" modification had such things in the cockpit that are associated with a much later era:
- anti-overload suit "Berger";
- AN / APS-13 tail warning radar. The system detected the enemy at a distance of up to 800 yards (~ 700 meters). When an enemy fighter appeared from behind, an alarm in the cockpit was turned on. “Do the barrel, now! Leave! Leave! ;
- analog computer sight K-14.
In the heat of air combat, the pilot tried to keep the enemy in sight. At this moment, the K-14 device, which measured the acceleration and roll rate, determined the lead to the selected target. At the right time, the computer gave the command to open fire. If the pilot pressed the trigger, then the paths of the fired bullets intersected with the target with devilish precision.
The invaluable combat experience that our Pokryshkins gained in hot battles, risking their lives and paying with blood, went to every American cadet along with a diploma of graduation from the flight school. They did not have to engage in battle 10 times to understand how to aim correctly and when to open fire, the automatics did everything for them. Given that, without this experience, the chance of survival was small. To the fallen - eternal memory, to the survivors - the glory of the air aces.
Aces could notice the enemy without the rear hemisphere control system, as well as shoot without analog computers. But it is impossible to overestimate the importance of such means for beginners or not too successful pilots, "extras". Who were given a chance to shoot down their first and only plane, or at least hold out until the end of the battle.
All this equipment was mounted not on 5-10 experimental aircraft, but on thousands and thousands of serial "hawks"
Together with a multichannel radio station, a radio navigation system and an IFF ("friend or foe") responder for competent coordination of their actions and facilitating the work of ground radar operators.
Location of avionics blocks on the Mustang fighter
A drop-shaped lamp with excellent visibility. Oxygen system. Suspended fuel tanks, with the use of which "Mustang", having risen from the territory of Great Britain, had the opportunity to conduct a 15-minute battle over Berlin, and then return to its base in Mildenhall.
Armament - six "Browning" 50-caliber. The choice of weapons was dictated by the situation. The main enemy - fighters of the Luftwaffe, in the "dog dumps" with which the maximum rate of fire and the duration of bursts were required.
The total salvo is 70 rounds per second. Even before the advent of six-barreled guns and Hollywood special effects, the P-51D was nicknamed "circular": its turns literally "sawed off" the tails and wings with a swastika.
12.7 mm is a dangerous caliber. In terms of muzzle energy, the Browning machine gun was superior to the German 20-mm Oerlikon MG-FF aircraft cannons.
And finally, the heart of the fighter.
By the middle of World War II, the designers had exhausted all the reserves of modernizing aircraft engines. The only way out for a radical improvement in performance was the installation of a turbine on the exhaust pipe. Using the energy of hot gases (up to 30% of the engine's energy!) To pressurize air into the carburetor.
Work in this direction was carried out in each of the belligerent powers, but they were able to bring the idea to mass production only overseas. Licensed Rolls-Royce "Merlin" ("little falcon") with a turbocharger of its own design allowed the "Mustang" to fight at altitudes above 7000 m. Where the "Messers" and "Focke-Wulfs" writhed from oxygen starvation and became sluggish targets.
In terms of its overall performance, the P-51D was undoubtedly the best fighter in World War II. Produced due to its technological design in a series of more than 15 thousand aircraft (including 8156 modification "D").
Just like the Soviet Union and Germany, the Americans were armed with two main types of fighters. Swift "hawks" with water-cooled engines (Yakovlev, Messerschmitt, P-51 "Mustang"). And outwardly clumsy "blunt-nosed" monsters with a star-shaped air-cooled engine (Lavochkin, Focke-Wulf, P-47).
Thunderclap
The takeoff weight is 8 tons and the combat load is the same as that of two Il-2 attack aircraft.
Such was the Republican P-47 "Thunderbolt", created by the efforts of the Russian-Georgian aircraft designer Alexander Kartvelishvili.
According to the equation for the existence of an aircraft, when installing any additional load (gun, oxygen system, radio station), all other structural elements (wing area, volume of fuel tanks, etc.) will have to be proportionally increased to maintain the original flight characteristics. The weight spiral will twist and rest against a critical parameter - engine power.
In other words, in the presence of a higher power engine, you can safely increase the take-off weight and install any equipment without compromising the flight characteristics of the aircraft.
The lucky star of Alexander Kartveli was the 18-cylinder "double star" R-2800 with a working volume of 56 liters and a capacity (depending on the modification) of 2100 … 2600 hp.
During the war years, this engine was installed on many famous aircraft, incl. naval fighters "Hellcat" and "Corsair". When landing on the deck of the R-2800 ship, the Double Wasp posed considerable threats. At low speeds, its monstrous torque threatened to steer off course and flip the plane. Because of this, the "Corsairs were forced to land" from the side ", in a circle. But the land “Thunderbolts” did not have such problems, the size of the airfield was enough for everyone.
Having received the supermotor at their disposal, the engineers of Republic Aviation designed the same huge fuselage - "jug" for it, filling it with an impressive amount of equipment.
Eight points of built-in weapons with a total of 3400 rounds of ammunition. “Thunderbolt” fired 85 large-caliber bullets at the target every second, the length of a continuous burst is 40 seconds! Record for a WWII fighter.
A ton of bombs or PTBs on external suspensions.
90 kilograms of armor plates. The front cabin of the "Thunderbolt" was covered with a huge engine, and at the back - with a second, additional, radiator and turbocharger mechanisms. If damaged, the P-47 lost its altitude capabilities, but continued to fly and could still fight.
A steel "ski" was installed under the cockpit floor to protect the pilot during a forced landing with the landing gear retracted.
The cockpit had a full range of amenities, including an oxygen system, urinal and autopilot. The composition of the onboard radio equipment was not inferior to the Mustang.
Do not be ironic about the genius of Kartveli, who turned a combat aircraft into an airliner of superior comfort. The designer (himself a former pilot) knew his business. The drag coefficient of the thick-faced “Thunderbolt” was less than that of the small, narrow and thin “Messerschmitt”. The P-47 was one of the fastest fighters of its era. In horizontal flight at an altitude of 8800 meters, it showed a speed of 713 km / h.
It was a versatile machine, the ancestor of the modern class of fighter-bombers. A high-speed strike aircraft capable of standing up for itself in aerial combat. In another scenario: a long monotonous flight next to the "boxes" of strategic bombers.
During one of these attacks, the tank of the famous ace Michael Wittmann was burned (138 victories)
Here is such an amazing attack aircraft, tank hunter and escort fighter. Whose design contained far more amazing instruments and innovations than any German “wunderwaffe”.
As for the experimental technique of "tomorrow", they did not sit idly by the ocean either. Only, unlike the fascist scoundrels, the winners were in no hurry to promote their secret developments.
Half a century before stealth aircraft, the Northrop YB-49 strategic bomber took off. Development - since 1944, first flight - 1947. Eight jet engines, speed 800 km / h, crew - 7 people.
Unlike Hitler's mythical flying saucers, these very real machines remained buried under the ashes of time.
