Take to the skies with the finest combat aircraft of World War II. Get an in-depth look at their specifications, armaments and what made them so successful in the skies of Britain, the Mediterranean the Pacific theatre and more, and discover their design secrets.
WELCOME
SPITFIRE MARK IX • The Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX fighter proved more than a stopgap measure for the RAF and was built in large numbers
DEWOITINE D.520 • France’s most modern fighter in 1940, was too little too late
MESSERSCHMITT BF 109G • Take a tour around one of World War II’s most iconic aircraft and the backbone of the Third Reich’s Luftwaffe
GRUMMAN F6F HELLCAT • The Grumman F6F Hellcat dominated the skies and became the premiere carrier-based fighter of the Pacific War
NORTH AMERICAN P-51 MUSTANG • Despite an unpromising start, the Mustang became a worldclass fighter and the aircraft that destroyed the Luftwaffe
MITSUBISHI A6M ‘ZERO’ • Japan’s legendary carrier fighter distinguished itself in WWII’s Pacific theatre
YAKOVLEV YAK-9 • With a hardy and practical design, this was the USSR’s best fighter aircraft in WWII
LAVOCHKIN LA-5 • One of the best Soviet fighter planes of World War II, the Lavochkin La-5 also saved its design bureau
FOCKE-WULF FW 190 • The Luftwaffe’s nimble Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter proved superior in performance to many Allied aircraft types during World War II
VOUGHT F4U CORSAIR • The Vought F4U Corsair fighter earned the nickname ‘Whistling Death’ in air combat against the Japanese in World War II
REPUBLIC P-47D THUNDERBOLT • This Juggernaut fighter bomber tore through the Luftwaffe during the air battle over Europe
MACCHI C.205 • An improved variant of the Macchi C.202, the C.205 proved a worthy opponent of Allied fighter planes in the Mediterranean
ILYUSHIN IL-2 SHTURMOVIK • The ‘bread and air’ of the Soviet Air Force during World War II
HAWKER HURRICANE • This aircraft bore the brunt of the Luftwaffe onslaught during the early days of World War II
NAKAJIMA KI-43 HAYABUSA ‘OSCAR’ • Inside the Japanese Army’s lightweight but flawed fighter
BRISTOL TYPE 156 BEAUFIGHTER • This versatile fighter plane was vital to the Allies during World War II
CURTISS P-40 WARHAWK • An early-war fighter design that never quite earned the recognition of many of its contemporaries, this aircraft nonetheless made a huge contribution to Allied air forces around the globe
MESSERSCHMITT ME 262 • The first operational jet fighter heralded a new era of aviation, but failed to make a significant impact on the war
BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT • The RAF’s turret fighter was doomed to fight a war for which it wasn’t designed
BELL P-39 AIRACOBRA • Hated by the British and Americans, this unorthodox fighter was loved by the Soviet Red Air Force
MASTER OF THE SKIES JOHN CURATOLA • From changing roles to new technologies, discover how fighter planes shaped World War II
History of War Fighter Planes of World War II