Questions tagged [aircraft]

Of or pertaining to aircraft and or man powered flight.

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84 votes
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What were paper airplanes called before there were real airplanes? (i.e. untethered winged flyers, not kites or balloons)

According to the Google Ngram Viewer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Ngram_Viewer) the English word "airplane" was practically unused before the year 1900. Given that paper is ...
dhinson919's user avatar
68 votes
5 answers
61k views

Did World War II-era bombs actually whistle?

In WWII-era films and newsreels, aerial bombs are often shown making a whistling sound as they fall; starting high pitched, then decreasing as the bomb approaches the Earth (example here, starting at ...
Garrett Albright's user avatar
47 votes
6 answers
8k views

Has any country ever diverted an international flight in order to arrest a wanted person?

Belarus recently came under scrutiny for forcing a Ryanair plane to divert so they could capture a wanted person on board: A Ryanair plane from Greece to Lithuania was diverted to Belarus for several ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
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38 votes
3 answers
16k views

Transatlantic Zeppelin trips usually took > 100 hours. How did they stock enough food, and where did they sleep?

I never fail to be bewildered with the Zeppelins. Apart from the arduous and boring journey - how did the passengers rest - I don't see pics of any rooms or beds - how did they sleep at all? ...
killjoy's user avatar
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25 votes
9 answers
17k views

Why weren't aircraft carriers utilized during D-day?

Why were aircraft carriers not used during and following D-Day? They could have added a great deal of range to the air support operations.
Sardathrion - against SE abuse's user avatar
25 votes
5 answers
13k views

How was the Luftwaffe able to destroy nearly 4000 Soviet aircraft in 3 days of operation Barbarossa?

According to Wikipedia: a Soviet archival document recorded the loss of 3,922 Soviet aircraft in the first three days against an estimated loss of 78 German aircraft. How were German combat ...
Eugen Sunic's user avatar
24 votes
3 answers
6k views

Was there a fighter jet designed without cannons?

I have heard in the past that there was a jet fighter somewhere in the Korean War time (might also have been Vietnam) that didn't have any onboard cannons since at that time it was believed that air-...
PejoPhylo's user avatar
  • 359
23 votes
2 answers
4k views

How did the Allies achieve air superiority on Sicily?

The Allies had freed all of Africa by the start of 1943. Afterwards, they landed in Sicily with a huge air force and fleet. How did they manage to land with the opposition of the Luftwaffe and Regia ...
totalMongot's user avatar
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22 votes
1 answer
4k views

"Destructive force" carried by a B-52?

In the 1957 film Bombers B-52 an instructor says of the then-new B-52 Stratofortress: “On a single mission one of these airplanes, just one, can carry greater destructive force than that of all ...
DaG's user avatar
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19 votes
4 answers
3k views

Do any historians consider superior German airpower as the most important factor in the Battle of France?

In the Battle of France, the Allies and Germans had roughly equal number of divisions and troops, and the Allies actually had more artillery and tanks. But the one area where the Germans had a clear ...
Tom Au's user avatar
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18 votes
8 answers
9k views

When did aircraft carriers eclipse battleships as the "King of the seas"?

During the 19th century and into the early 20th century, battleships were the Kings of the Sea, and every naval power of note had at least one. When did they lose this title to the aircraft carrier, ...
canadiancreed's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
2k views

Did airports have security checks before the 1970s?

I just accidentally discovered a few pictures on the web, that seem to imply, that there were some sort of airport security checks on passengers all the way back in the 1960s. It was always my general ...
Kit Smith's user avatar
  • 351
14 votes
2 answers
4k views

Amount of time an aeroplane could stay in the air during the last stages of WW1

I know for a fact that aeroplanes were used at the last stages of the first world war to capture images of the enemy trench system and supply lines. They were also used to alert the artillery how far ...
clickonMe's user avatar
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13 votes
1 answer
9k views

Transatlantic Zeppelin Flight Time

In the 1930s, the zeppelins LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg made frequent transatlantic voyages. They had a top speed of around 85 mph, but I doubt they could manage that throughout the ...
wonton's user avatar
  • 303
13 votes
3 answers
11k views

Which Allied aircraft scored the most air-to-air kills against the Me 262 in WWII?

Backgound: The Schwalbe (German: "Swallow") fighter version of the Messerschmitt Me 262 was the first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft, with the first test unit having been formed on 19 April,...
Kerry L's user avatar
  • 6,187
12 votes
5 answers
13k views

When did the Luftwaffe lose air-superiority over the Reich?

To me one of the many crucial stages of WWII was when the Luftwaffe were no longer able to mount serious resistance to the Allied bombing raids. While the effect of the raids if often debated, it ...
davidjwest's user avatar
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12 votes
6 answers
16k views

Who were the Wright brothers' competitors?

I heard that there was a person who was sponsored by the government to make the first flying airplane. The Wright brothers beat him to it and this made him really depressed and he gave up his career. ...
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12 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is there a difference between Douhet and Walther Wever's strategic bombing theories?

Wiki introduces Wever this way: Walther Wever (11 November 1887 – 3 June 1936) was a pre-World War II Luftwaffe Commander. He was an early proponent of the theory of strategic bombing as a ...
Felix Goldberg's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
898 views

RAF Vulcan nuclear missions - returning to base planning

Having seen several documentaries and interviews with Vulcan crew & pilots regarding their nuclear flight plans and proposed missions, there's a reticence to discuss the post-mission plan. It's ...
Tania Thomas's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
966 views

WWII boat-looking bus

What was the purpose of this WWII boat-looking bus? Description says: Royal Navy officers 'aboard' 'HMS SPURIOUS MARK II' - a bus converted to resemble the island of an aircraft carrier. The bus ...
nic's user avatar
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12 votes
1 answer
7k views

How many suicide attack (kamikaze) pilots died and how many of them successfully hit ships during World War II?

Wikipedia cites two different accounts that give different estimates: During World War II, about 3,860 kamikaze pilots died, and about 19% of kamikaze attacks managed to hit a ship. Zaloga, "...
Sakib Arifin's user avatar
  • 1,987
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can you identify the plane in the picture?

Can you help identify this U.S. Air force four engine prop, numbered 2753.
Photolibrarian's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
4k views

Was the de Havilland Mosquito ever deployed on an aircraft carrier?

The de Havilland Mosquito was a highly versatile aircraft of World War II, designed as a light bomber, but also used as a fighter, torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft among other things. The ...
rwallace's user avatar
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10 votes
5 answers
2k views

Why did the United States not seriously develop Anti Aircraft Missiles?

During the Cold War, the United States did not seem to actively develop anti-aircraft missiles (I know that Wikipedia is not an exhaustive source for lists, but just as a rough estimate, they list ...
user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

Distinguish Mitsubishi G6M1-L2 and G4M1 aircraft in this picture

Here is a picture of Bataan 1 and Bataan 2: Wikipedia: Bataan 1 and Bataan 2 were two demilitarized Japanese bomber/transport aircraft that carried the first surrender delegations from Japan to Ie ...
nic's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
2k views

What plane would have been used to airdrop someone into occupied Europe?

I'm trying to write a story in which the main protagonist is a fictional Polish spy, who has to retrieve a 'macguffin' that's been captured from the Germans. It is set in the spring of 1943. She ...
Nick C's user avatar
  • 322
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Which company offered this aircraft interior in the 60s?

I found this image on LinkedIn post. This was economy class back in the 1960s. [...] I'm not sure whether it's fake or not. Was there a company that offered this aircraft interior in the 60s? If ...
J. Doe's user avatar
  • 671
9 votes
3 answers
1k views

How did the US fall behind in airplane technology from 1909-1917?

In December 1902 a Wright brothers built glider flew 600 feet. A World Record December 17, 1903 The Wright built the first successful powered airplane and Wilbur Wright flew 852 feet (260 m) in 59 ...
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9 votes
1 answer
929 views

Why was the WW2 air war over Europe fought considerably higher than the Eastern Front?

I have read on various Wikipedia pages on WW2 aircraft that the tactical situation of the western European theater and the Eastern Front led to very different engagement altitudes for air warfare. See ...
fgysin's user avatar
  • 1,300
9 votes
1 answer
479 views

When was it first noticed that airplane passengers really seemed to like tomato juice?

There is this observation/theory that during flights, people really like to drink much more tomato juice than while on the ground. "A small study" (as Wikipedia calls it) from 2015 tries to ...
LаngLаngС's user avatar
8 votes
4 answers
3k views

What happened to aircraft if their aircraft carrier was damaged?

Obviously if a plane takes off from a carrier but can't return because the carrier is damaged or sunk, it has to go somewhere. Or if it can't reach an airfield, its crew would need to ditch it and ...
sasfrog's user avatar
  • 183
8 votes
2 answers
5k views

During World War II, did the Luftwaffe try to bomb 10 Downing Street?

If Luftwaffe did, in fact, attempt to bomb 10 Downing Street, why was it unsuccessful? I know that Britain in general, and London in particular, had an air raid defense system and strict blackout ...
Andrew's user avatar
  • 197
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

How many of Japan's 29 lost Pearl Harbor aircraft have been accounted for?

I've seen varying numbers regarding the amount of Japanese aircraft that attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, but the number of attacking planes that failed to return to Japan's carriers remains ...
Major Stackings's user avatar
8 votes
0 answers
187 views

How many Me Bf 109 were produced in Czechoslovakia during WW2

It is known fact that Czechoslovak factories(or at least Avia) produced Messerschmitt Bf 109 during WW2. After the war ended, they for some time continued production, called Avia S-99 and when engines ...
Failus Maximus's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
677 views

What was the first recorded use of Aerial Weapons in warfare?

Fighter planes were popularised by their extensive use in WWI. What Aerial weapons were used before that period (if any)? What is earliest recorded use of Aerial Attacking and what was the technology ...
check123's user avatar
  • 1,649
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

When was the first airborne combat drop?

I know that airborne troops became famous in WWII, but was that the first time they actually fought after parachuting into the combat zone? What was the first instance in which paratroopers in an ...
Wad Cheber's user avatar
  • 4,269
7 votes
4 answers
851 views

Organized and intentional suicide attacks during military conflicts

First of all I want to make it clear that we're not speaking about terrorist attacks here. This question is strictly dedicated to war operations, in a dictionary meaning. Also this question is about ...
Darek Wędrychowski's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
5k views

What did a WW2 fighter cost? [closed]

The second world war was among other things a war in resources and economy. So it got me wondering, what were the prices for fighter planes used? With some searching I count not find a satisfying ...
Flummox - don't be evil SE's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Were the 1940-42 RAF bombing raids over Germany unescorted?

Considering the Spitfire's chronic lack of range, was the RAF doing unescorted bombing runs over Nazi Germany in 1940-42 or did they have another fighter that escorted their bombers?
Karlth's user avatar
  • 2,209
6 votes
1 answer
686 views

During WW2, what B-29 crew role did the abbreviation EMG mean?

My grandfather was an EMG on a B-29 superfortress flying out of Guam during World War 2, but I can’t find what the abbreviation stands for. A friend told me that it’s likely he was an electrical ...
Heather Marquette's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
280 views

I would like to identify the airplane in this photo

My Grandfather was an airplane owner in the early 1940s. This picture was taken between 1941-1946 from what we believe. I would like to know the make and model of aircraft so I can model it. Any ...
Tim Lemke's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
209 views

Nationalisation during wartime in the West: With or without compensation?

I was just reading about the forerunner to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraftworks, who designed and manufactured the legendary ME/BF-109 fighter). Apparently the owner, Herr Otto, was ...
Engineer's user avatar
  • 190
6 votes
1 answer
195 views

First eastbound transcontinental flight departed from...?

On Feb. 8th, 1912, the first eastbound US transcontinental flight landed in Jacksonville, FL. After several Google searches, I can't find anything that says where the flight departed from. So where ...
Paul J. Lucas's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
523 views

Is this 60's Atlanta airport security picture geniuine, and if so, what is happening here?

Following the advice I got from the user Semaphore I would like to split my original airport security question into separate parts and go into a bit more detail in regards to what I would like to know ...
Kit Smith's user avatar
  • 351
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Was the communication between Spitfire and other fighters' pilots encrypted?

If machines like SIGSALLY were occupying so much space like in the picture above, were the pilots' communication encrypted or somehow obscured in order to prevent the enemy from eavesdropping on the ...
Gabrijel Šimunović's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Aircraft identification

I am trying to identify the aircraft in the picture here. I know it is a U.S. Army Air Corps training aircraft from World War II, and I'm guessing its an AT-6. But I can't find a comparable photo ...
Bruce James's user avatar
  • 5,134
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

What restrictions were in place after WWII on the German aircraft industry?

A question on Aviation.StackExchange asked why the German aircraft industry is smaller than other countries in Europe. I know that the Allies did not want German rearmament after the war and had ...
JScarry's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
1 answer
266 views

Why does Charles Lindbergh appear to avoid England in 1927?

If you look at this (admittedly poor) map you see that Charles Lindbergh appears to skirt the English coast on his way to Paris but never go into English "airspace" (not sure such a concept existed at ...
user7358648's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
373 views

What changes were made to address the Junkers 88 initial high accident losses?

There were three main German bombers in use during the Battle of Britain: the Dornier Do 17, the Heinkel He 111, Ju 87 Stuka and the Junkers Ju 88. The Dornier 17 was an old bomber, no longer in ...
Yasskier's user avatar
  • 3,420
5 votes
1 answer
635 views

What was the purpose of Lt. Gen. Frank M. Andrews' flight when he was killed in the Iceland crash on May 3, 1943?

Lt. General Frank Maxwell Andrews. Source: Wikipedia Question What was the purpose of Lt. Gen. Andrews' flight in May, 1943 aboard the B-24 Liberator Hot Stuff? Was it a routine inspection tour of ...
Kerry L's user avatar
  • 6,187