Republic P-43 Lancer on Yhdysvalloissa suunniteltu sekä valmistettu potkurihävittäjä.
Konetyypin edeltäjä oli Seversky P-35 ja seuraaja Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. Kaikkia näitä yhdisti tähtimoottori. P-43:ssa oli Pratt & Whitneyn R-1830 Twin Wasp -moottori, samaa tyyppiä kuin esim. F4F Wildcatissa. Turboahdetun moottorin teho oli 1 200 hevosvoimaa (895 kW). P-43 Lancer ylsi 573 km/h huippunopeuteen ja 10 975 metrin lakikorkeuteen. Toimintamatka oli 1 046 kilometriä.
P-43 omasi jo paljon seuraajansa piirteitä, mutta konetyyppi oli P-47:ää pienempi, kevyempi sekä kevyemmin aseistettu. Ampuma-aseistus käsitti kaksi 12,7 mm konekivääriä rungon yläosassa edessä ja toiset kaksi siivissä. Pommeja tyyppi saattoi kuljettaa enintään 6x 9 kg:n (20 paunan) verran. Yhdysvaltain lentojoukot USAAC ei hyväksynyt tyyppiä taistelukäyttöön.
Konetyyppiä ei valmistettu paljoakaan. Yhdysvallat lähetti sitä sen sijaan kahdelle liittolaismaalleen Lend-Lease-sopimuksen nojalla. Yhdysvaltojen jälkeen suurimmat käyttäjämaat olivat Kiina (arviolta 250 lentokonetta) sekä Australian RAAF
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The Republic P-43 Lancer was a single-engine, all-metal, low-wing monoplane fighter aircraft built by Republic, first delivered to the United States Army Air Corps in 1940.
Crew: 1
Length: 28 ft 6 in (8.7 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 1 in (11.0 m)
Height: 14 ft 1 in (4.3 m)
Wing area: 222.7 ft² (20.7 m²)
Empty weight: 5,982 lb (2,713 kg)
Loaded weight: 7,418 lb (3,365 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 8,460 lb (3,837 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-49 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,200 hp (895 kW
Maximum speed: 356 mph (573 km/h)
Range: 650 mi (1,046 km)
Service ceiling: 35,990 ft (10,970 m)
Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (13 m/s)
Wing loading: 33 lb/ft² (163 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.27 kW/kg)
Armament: 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns
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The Seversky Aircraft Company, which in 1939 changed its name to Republic, constructed a range of private venture, one-off variants of its P-35 design, featuring different powerplants and enhancements, designated AP-2, AP-7, AP-4 (which flew after the AP-7), AP-9, XP-41. The series included a carrier-based version designated the NF-1 (Naval Fighter 1) that was also built. The most significant of these was the AP-4, which served as the basis for future Seversky/Republic aircraft. It featured fully retractable landing gear, flush riveting, and, most significantly, a Pratt & Whitney R-1830-SC2G engine with a belly-mounted turbo-supercharger, producing 1,200 hp (890 kW) and good high-altitude performance. The turbo-supercharger had been refined by Boeing as part of the development program for the B-17 Flying Fortress, and the improved performance it offered was of great interest to other aircraft manufacturers.
The XP-41 and sole AP-4 were nearly identical, although the AP-4 was initially fitted with a large prop spinner and a tight-fitting engine cowling, as a testbed to evaluate means of improving the aerodynamics of radial-engined fighters, following similar experiments with the first production P-35. The AP-4's big spinner was later removed and a new tight cowling fitted. Unsurprisingly, these measures led to overheating problems. On 22 March 1939, the engine caught fire in flight, the pilot had to bail out, and the AP-4 was lost. Despite the loss of the prototype, the USAAC liked the turbo-supercharged AP-4 demonstrator enough to order 13 more in May 1939, designating them YP-43.
The YP-43 differed from AP-4 in having a "razorback" fuselage with a tall spine extending back from the canopy. The engine air intake was moved from the port wing to under the engine resulting in the distinctive ovoid cowling. The aircraft was powered by an R-1830-35 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine with a General Electric B-2 turbo-supercharger generating 1,200 hp and driving a three-blade variable-pitch propeller. Armament consisted of two synchronized .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the cowl and a single .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun in each wing.
The first of 13 YP-43s was delivered in September 1940, the last in April 1941. Early testing revealed a strong tendency to yaw during takeoff and landing rolls, fixed by redesigning the tailwheel. Although the aircraft exceeded the initial USAAC performance requirements, by 1941 it was clearly obsolete, lacking maneuverability, armor, or self-sealing fuel tanks. The USAAC felt the basic P-35/P-43 design had exhausted its reserves for further improvement in performance and shifted its interest to the promising P-47.
Production aircraft identical to the YP-43 prototypes, were designated "Lancer" and were delivered between 16 May and 28 August 1941. Ongoing delays in the P-47 program resulted in USAAC ordering an additional 80 P-43J, with Pratt & Whitney R-2180-1 Twin Hornet engine rated at 1,400 hp (1,000 kW). The engine promised better high-altitude performance, and armament was upgraded with 0.50 in machine guns replacing the 0.30 in in the wings. The USAAC was sufficiently interested to assign the AP-4J variant an official designation P-44 Rocket. Combat reports from Europe indicated that the new type was already obsolete, consequently, the entire order was canceled on 13 September 1940, with no prototypes built.
Alexander Kartveli and his team focused their efforts on the advanced AP-10/XP-47 which eventually became the fabled P-47 Thunderbolt. When the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine intended for the new P-47 was not yet available, it was decided to order 54 P-43s to keep the Republic production lines operating. An additional 125 P-43A-1s were ordered for China through the Lend-Lease program, originally intended to equip the Third American Volunteer Group (AVG). These initially differed in the Air Materiel Command specification from earlier P-43s in being armed with two 0.50 in machine guns in each wing and no fuselage guns, and having rudimentary armor and fuel tank protection.
This would have required a series of serious engineering changes. Reality intervened: actually, as delivered, the P-43A-1 had the same armament layout as the P-43As: four .50 in machine guns, two in the cowl and two in the wings. Externally, they were identical, and only the serial numbers distinguishes a P-43A from a P-43A-1. Many of these aircraft were fitted with cockpit armor before shipment westward from California in crates; evidence is murky whether the cockpit armor came from Republic or was cobbled together after delivery.
By 1942, a total of 272 P-43 and its variants were built, a remarkable number considering the original intention was to not build any.
Heinkel He 70 on saksalaisen lentokonevalmistajan Heinkelin Deutsche Luft Hansalle suunnittelema ja valmistama matkustajalentokone, joka lensi ensilentonsa 1. joulukuuta 1932.
Koneen sotilasversiota käyttivät Saksan ilmavoimat, sekä Espanjan sisällissodassa Kansallisten puolen lentojoukot, ja myöhemmin Espanjan ilmavoimat, yhteys- ja pommikoneena.
Unkarin ilmavoimat käytti koneesta kehitettyä tähtimoottorista He 170 -versiota
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The Heinkel He 70 was a German mail plane and fast passenger aircraft of the 1930s, that also saw use in auxiliary bomber and reconnaissance roles. It had a relatively brief commercial career before it was replaced by types which could carry more passengers. The He 70 was a leading design for its day, setting eight world speed records by the beginning of 1933.
The Heinkel He 70 Blitz (lightning) was designed in the early 1930s to serve as a fast mailplane for Deutsche Luft Hansa. The He 70 was developed in response to a Deutsche Luft Hansa request for a faster aircraft than the Lockheed Vega and Orion (as used by Swissair) for employment on short routes.
It was a low-wing monoplane, with the main characteristics of its revolutionary design its elliptical wing, which the Günther brothers had already used in the Bäumer Sausewind sports plane before they joined Heinkel, and its small, rounded control surfaces. In order to meet the demanding speed requirements, the design minimised drag, with countersunk flush rivets giving a smooth surface finish and a retractable undercarriage, a novel feature for a German aircraft. It was powered by a BMW VI V-12 engine, cooled by ethylene glycol rather than water, allowing a smaller radiator and therefore reducing drag. The pilot and radio operator were seated in tandem, with a cabin housing four passengers on two double seats facing each other.
The first prototype flew on 1 December 1932, and proved to have excellent performance, setting eight world records for speed over distance, and reaching a maximum speed of 377 km/h (222 mph).
Operational history
Luft Hansa operated He 70s between 1934 and 1937 for fast flight service which connected Berlin with Frankfurt, Hamburg and Cologne, as well as on the Cologne/Hamburg route.
He 70s were flown abroad from Stuttgart to Seville between 1934 and 1936. The route was part of the South America mail service provided by Luft Hansa that continued via Bathurst, The Gambia to Natal, Brazil, using Junkers Ju 52/3m and Dornier Wal flying boats.
Remaining aircraft were transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1937.
Military use
Twenty-eight aircraft were sent with the Legion Condor, where they were used during the Spanish Civil War as fast reconnaissance aircraft. Their high speed gave them the nickname Rayo (lightning).
The He 70K (later He 170), a fast reconnaissance airplane variant was used by the Royal Hungarian Air Force in early World War II during 1941-42. The Luftwaffe operated He 70s from 1935, initially as a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. As soon as purpose build designs became available, it was relegated as a liaison and courier aircraft.
The main weakness of the He 70 in military use was that crews considered it a fire risk. Elements of the airframe were made out of so-called "Elektron (alloy)", though the majority of the monocoque fuselage was Duralumin. Elektron is a very light, yet strong, alloy of magnesium, which burns readily when ignited, and is difficult to extinguish. Moreover, the wings contained a 47-gallon fuel tank apiece, which may have further added to the aircraft's reputation for being flammable.
A single hit from a light machine gun is reputed to have usually set the entire plane ablaze. The Hungarian He 170A (a military version derived from the He-70 with a new WM-K-14 radial engine), fleet was retired for this and other reasons, including poor defensive armament, short range and poor view from the cabin, and replaced with vintage, high-wing He 46 monoplanes, until modern Bf 109 fighter-recce and specialized Fw 189 "Uhu" medium altitude observation aircraft could be introduced.
License-built Hungarian fast reconnaissance variant equipped with a licence-made 746 kW (1,000 hp) WM-K-14 radial engine.
He 270 V1 (W.Nr. 1973, D-OEHF)
Prototype with DB-601Aa inline engine.
Operators
Deutsche Luft Hansa received the first two prototypes in 1933 and 1934 as well as three He 70D in 1934 and 10 He 70G in 1935.
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service received one aircraft for test.
Swissair received a few Heinkel He-70s for express trans-alpine flights between Zurich and Milan in 1934.
United Kingdom, Rolls Royce acquired one He 70G from the RLM in exchange for 4 Kestrel engines. It was used as an engine test bed.
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Military Operators
Luftwaffe
Royal Hungarian Air Force received 18 domestically license-built He 170A aircraft.
Spanish State
Ejército del Aire received 11 aircraft of the 30 that had served with Legion Condor.
Crew: 3 (pilot, radio operator and dorsal gunner)
Length: 11.70 m (38 ft 4⅔ in)
Wingspan: 14.80 m (48 ft 6⅔.75 in)
Height: 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 36.50 m² (392.9 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,360 kg (5,203 lb)
Loaded weight: 3,386 kg (7,450 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI 7.3 Z water-cooled V12 engine, 750 PS (552 kW)
Propellers: metal, two-bladed
Maximum speed: 360 km/h (195 knots, 224 mph) at sea level
Cruise speed: 295 km/h (159 knots, 183 mph)
Range: 2,100 km (1,135 nmi, 1,305 mi)
Service ceiling: 5,300 m (17,390 ft)
Climb to 1,000 m (3,300 ft: 2.5 min
Climb to 4,000 m (13,125 ft): 15 min
Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun aimed from rear cockpit
Bombs: 6 × 50 kg (110 lb) or 24 x 10 kg (22 lb) bombs internally
Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann oli kaksipaikkainen koulu- ja taitolentokone.
Suomessa oli vain yksi kone joka pakko-otettiin ilmavoimien palvelukseen 14.10.1939.
Koneen lentotunnit oli vain kahdeksan tuntia ja se luovutettiin takaisin omistajalle
heinäkuu 1940. Ennen luovutusta kone peruskorjattiin valtion toimesta.
Koska kone oli ainoa suomessa, se ei kelvannut ilmavoimien palvelu käyttöön.
Kuitenkin kone oli 1930 luvulla maailman paras koulutus ja taitolentokone.
Crew: Two (student and instructor)
Length: 6.62 m (21 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 7.40 m (24 ft 3 in)
Height: 2.35 m (7 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 13.5 m² (145 ft²)
Empty weight: 380 kg (840 lb)
Loaded weight: 670 kg (1,500 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Hirth HM 504 four-cylinder inverted inline engine, 70 kW (100 hp)
Maximum speed: 183 km/h (99 kn, 115 mph)
Cruise speed: 170 km/h (92 kn, 110 mph)
Range: 628 km (339 nm, 390 mi)
Service ceiling: 4,050 m (13,300 ft)
Rate of climb: 2.8 m/s (6,600 ft)
Wing loading: 46.3 kg/m² (9.49 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 100 W/kg (0.064 hp/lb)
The German Bücker Bü 131 "Jungmann" (Young man) was a 1930s basic training aircraft which was used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
After serving in the Kaiserliche Marine in World War I, Carl Bücker moved to Sweden where he became managing director of Svenska Aero AB (Not to be confused with Svenska Aeroplan AB, SAAB).
He later returned to Germany with Anders J Andersson, a young designer from SAAB. Bücker Flugzeugbau GmbH was founded in Berlin-Johannisthal, in 1932,
with the first aircraft to see production being the Bü 131 Jungmann.
Bücker Flugzeugbau 's first production type, the Bü 131A was the last biplane built in Germany. It had two open cockpits in tandem and fixed landing gear. The fuselage was steel tube, covered in fabric and metal, the wings wood and fabric. It first flew on the 80 hp (60 kW) Hirth HM60R.
In 1936, it was followed by the Bü 131B, with a 105 hp (78 kW) Hirth 504A-2.
Most wartime production for the Luftwaffe was by Aero in Prague.
