WWII Weapons Jet Aircraft


Arado Ar 234B-2, Germany Single seat tactical light bomber. Max speed 461mph, two BMW 003A-1 turbojets 1764lb thrust, ceiling 32810ft, range 1013 miles, span 46ft 3.5in, length 41ft 5.5in, height 14ft 11.5in, armament 4409lb of bombs, plus on some two 20mm guns. The pictured aircraft Ar 234B-2 served with KG76 in January 1945.	Bachem Ba349 Natter, Germany Single seat expendable interceptor. Max speed 497mph, one Walter 109-509A-2 liquid fuel rocket motor 3748lb thrust and four Schmidding 109-533 solid fuel jettisonable booster rockets 2646lb thrust, ceiling 45930ft, radius of action 24.8 miles, span 11ft 9.75in, length 20ft, armament 24 Föhn 2.67in unguided rocket projectiles in nose. Aircraft made it into service but time ran out before they saw use.

Fieseler Fi 103R-IV, Germany Single seat flying bomb. Max speed 404mph, one Argus 109-014 pulse jet 772lb thrust, 20 minutes endurance, span 18ft 9in, length 26ft 3in, armament 1874lb warhead. This flying bomb project never made it to active service.	Heinkel He 162A-1 Salamander, Germany Single seat interceptor fighter. Max speed 519mph, one BMW 109-003E turbojet 1764lb thrust, ceiling 36090ft, range 621 miles, span 23ft 7.5in, length 29ft 8.5in, height 8ft 4.375in, armament two 30mm Mk 108 or 20mm MG 151 cannon in nose. They saw some service for a very short period only.

Heinkel He 178 (initial powerplant), Germany Single seat research aircraft. Max speed 360mph, one Heinkel HeS 3b centrifugal-flow turbojet 1102lb thrust, span 23ft 3.5in, length 24ft 6.5in, height 6ft 10.625in, armament none. A test aircraft that flew in August 1939.	Heinkel He 280 V5, Germany Single seat prototype interceptor fighter. Max speed 559mph, two HeS 8A (1009-001A) turbojets 1653lb thrust, ceiling (estimated) 37730ft, range 404 miles, span 40ft, length 34ft 1.5in, height 10ft 0.5in, armament three nose mounted 20mm MG 151 cannon (six were finally planned). Aircraft first flew August 1941 but remained as a prototype.

Henschel HS 132 V1, Germany Single seat dive bomber. Max speed 485mph, one BMW 109-003E-2 turbojet 1764lb thrust, ceiling 33630ft, range 423 miles, span 23ft 7.5in, length 29ft 2.5in, armament 1102lb bomb. Although built this aircraft never flew.	Gotha Go 229A-0, Germany Single seat fighter bomber. Max speed 621mph, two Junkers Jumo 109-004C turbojets 2205lb thrust, span 55ft 0.625in, length 24ft 6.125, armament four 300mm Mk 103 cannon and 4409lb bombs. Only reached prototype stage.

Junkers Ju 287 V1, Germany Prototype high speed heavy bomber. Max speed 347mph, four Junkers Jumo 109-004B-1 turbojets 1984lb thrust, ceiling 35435ft, range 930 miles, span 65ft 11.75in, length 60ft 0.5in, armament (V3) up to 8818lb bombs and tail guns in barbette. Only the V1 prototype flew.	Messrschmitt Me 262A-1a, Germany Single seat interceptor fighter. Max speed 541mph, two Junkers Jumo 109-004B-4 turbojets 1984lb thrust, ceiling 26965ft, range 525 miles, span 41ft 0.125in, length 34ft 9.5in, height 12ft 6.75in, armament four MK 108 30mm cannon. Pictured is the bomb carrying Me 262A-2a/U1 that flew with an experimental detachment of the KG51.

Messerchmitt Me 163B-1a Komet, Germany Single seat interceptor fighter. Max speed 596 mph, one Walter 109-509A-2 rocket motor 3748lb thrust, ceiling 39700ft, range 50 miles, span 30ft 7.25in, length 18ft 8in, height 9ft 0.5in, armamnet two 30mm MK 108 cannon. Saw operational service. Pictured Me 163B-1.	Caproni-Campini CC.2, Italy Two seat research aircraft. max speed 233mph, one Isotta-Fraschini radial piston engine driven by three stage ducted-fan compressor 900hp, span 52ft, length 43ft, no armament. Flew August 1940. Not a true turbojet and no development potential.

Nakajima Kikka (1st Prototype), Japan Single seat attack bomber. Max speed 433mph, two Ne-20 axial-flow turbojets 1047lb thrust, ceiling 39370ft, range 586 miles, span 32ft 9.75in, length 26ft 7.875in, height 9ft 8.125in, armament one 1102lb or one 1764lb bombs. Fighter version to be armed with two 30mm type 5 cannons. The one prototype flew August 1945.	Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka Model II, Japan Single seat suicide aircraft. Max speed 403mph, three solid fuel Type 4 Mark I Model 20 rockets total thrust 1764lb, range 23 miles, span 16ft 9.5in, length 19ft 10.75in, height 3ft 9.625in, armament 2646lb warhead. Released from a mother aircraft. Pilot was sealed in the cockpit

de Havilland Vampire, UK Single seat interceptor fighter. Max speed 512mph, one de Havilland Goblin centrifugal-flow turbojet 2700lb thrust, ceiling 41400ft, range 740 miles, span 40ft, length 30ft 9in, height 8ft 10in, armament four 20mm Hispano cannon. First flew April 1945 but did not make operational service until 1946. Pictured Vampire F.Mk I.	Gloster E.28/39, UK Single seat research aircraft. Max speed 466mph, one Power Jets W.2/500 turbojet 1760lb thrust, ceiling 32000ft, span 29ft, length 25ft 3.75in, height 9ft 3in, armament none. Two aircraft built. First flew May 1941.

Gloster Meteor F,Mk I, UK Single seat interceptor fighter. Max speed 415mph, two Rollys-Royce Welland I turbojets 1700lb thrust, ceiling 40000ft, span 43ft, length 41ft 3in, height 13ft, armament four 20mm Hispano cannon. Pictured is the second prototype. First flew March 1943. Aircraft saw service, some with 616 Sqn from July 1944.	Bell P-59B Airacomet, USA Single seat interceptor fighter. Max speed 409mph, two General Electric J31-GE-5 turbojets 2000lb thrust, ceiling 46200ft, range 400 miles, span 45ft 6in, length 38ft 1.5in, height 12ft, armament one 20mm M4 cannon and three 0.5in machine guns. First flew 1st October 1942. Pictured P-59B-1 that flew tests from May 1945. Never went into service.

Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star, USA Single seat interceptor fighter. Max speed 580mph, one General Electric J33-A-11 turbojet 4000lb thrust, ceiling 45000ft, range 540 miles, span 39ft 11in, length 34ft 6in, height 11ft 4in, armament six 0.5in machine guns. Arrived Italy May 1945, but did not fly an operational sortie. Main production began December 1945.	Berez-ISA BI, USSR Single seat prototype. Max speed (estimated) 621mph, one Dushkin D-1A rocket engine 2205lb thrust, ceiling 16405ft, 8-15 minutes endurance, span 21ft 3in, length 21ft, armament two 20mm ShVAK cannon. Did not get beyond prototypes, aircraft was found to be unstable.