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Charles Oliphant

Writing 2010

Mckenna

2/26/2019

What Were The Airplanes Used By The Allied Powers During World War Two?

Powered aircraft were first used in warfare in the year 1911 by the Italians against the

Turks near Tripoli. Their first widespread use was in the Great War (1914-1918). Planes were

used for several different types of tasks during wartime including dogfighting other planes,

attacking targets on the ground or ocean, and transporting tens of thousands of troops from one

battlefield to the next. During World War 2, the Allied powers had many versions of the

Dogfighter, Bomber, Transport, and Jet airplanes that had their advantages and disadvantages.

Dogfighters were a huge part of WW2. Both the Allied and Axis powers had their own

versions of dogfighters that were each designed to be the plane that would give them superiority

in the air. One such plane was the P-38 Lockheed. This plane was a twin-engined fighter that

was flown all over the world including Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific (NASM 1).

This fighter was able to reach and sustain a speed of up to 420 MPH at over 25,000 ft. Because

of its heavy armament consisting of a 20mm cannon, 4.50 caliber machine guns, and the capacity

to carry almost 2,000 pounds worth of bombs, it was quickly able to handle any threat (Winthrop

1). There were, however, some downsides; because of its unique design, it was easily recognized

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by German fighters and therefore did not excel in Europe. The P-38 Lockheed was unstable at

high speed causing crashes and deaths at the beginning of its development. But, despite these

issues, the P-38 Lockheed was able to in the Pacific as a reconnaissance plane as well as a fighter

performing many crucial missions that helped bring victory to the Allies (AHOM 1). Another

dogfighter for the Allies was the British Spitfire.

In 1934, Reginald Mitchell, of Supermarine Ltd, was charged with the creation of a high-

performance craft with eight 7.7mm machines on its wings. What he came up with was

designated the Spitfire(EB 1). It was a formidable plane with a top speed of 390 MPH and a

ceiling of 34,000 ft. According to Encyclopedia Britannica: “Faster than its formidable German

opponent the Bf 109 at altitudes above 15,000 feet (4,600 meters) and just as maneuverable,

Spitfires were sent by preference to engage German fighters”(EB 1). They were used in the

Battle of Britain and all across Europe to help win the war. It was able to outperform almost all

other fighters that it came across and even though it had four of the 7.7mm machine guns instead

of all eight, it was able to outgun most of its opponents as well (EB 3). This fighter was one of

the driving forces in the allies winning air superiority in Europe. But flying alongside these

fighters was also some of the best bombers the war had ever seen.

The B-17 bomber, also known as the “Flying Fortress,”(Boeing 1) was one of the largest

bombers flown in World War Two. This plane was truly massive, with a wingspan of over 103

feet and a weight of 54,000 pounds when loaded, this plane was easily one of the biggest in the

war. The B-17E variation had a top speed of 325 MPH thanks to its four 1,200 horsepower

engines. It also boasted a complement of 13.50 caliber machine guns and the ability to hold up to

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17,600 pounds of bombs(AHOM 5). Even with its massive size, making it sluggish in the air, its

defensive armament, fighter escort, and range of up to 2,000 miles made it amazing at carrying

out long-distance raids. This plane saw action all over the world and was used heavily by both

the US and British air forces. It saw action the Pacific where it helped the US defeat the Japanese

and win in the Pacific. In 1945 it saw action in Germany where 1,000 B-17 bombers escorted by

400 fighters in a bombing raid against Berlin (AHOM 5). This plane was truly one of the most

important parts of bringing victory to the Allies. But no war is won without the ability to move

massive amounts of troops long distances in a short amount of time.

C-47 was one of the most widely used troop and cargo transports in World War Two.

Originally used as a commercial airplane called the DC-3, the C-47 was used to transport troops,

cargo, drop paratroopers, and ferry around the wounded. Unlike its predecessor, the DC-3: “the

C-47, with a reinforced fuselage, stronger cabin floors for heavy loads, large doors in the rear

fuselage for loading cargo and dropping paratroops, and more-powerful engines,”(Britannica 1).

This plane could easily carry troops and cargo to wherever they were needed. It had a wingspan

of 95 ft and was powered by two 1,200 horsepower engines. It had a cruise speed of 155 MPH

and a range of 1,600 miles. It could carry 28 fully armed men or up to 7,000 pounds of cargo.

(Britannica 1) Used by both the US and British Air Force, it served in all theatres of war. Over

10,000 C-47’s were made during the war. This plane was used all the way up to the 1960s,

serving in the Korean war as well as taking part in the cold war as a reconnaissance plane

(Britannica 1). Without this plane, the Allies might not have won the war. But towards the end of

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the war, a new form of an airplane was being developed by both sides of the conflict. One that

would help bring to pass a huge change in the modern world.

Many new and amazing technological advances came from World War Two. None the

least of these was the jet engine. Both the allied and axis powers were working on a type of plane

that would endure victory over the other. According to Max Gadney, “In 1945, the beleaguered

Luftwaffe had one ray of hope against the Allies: the Messerschmitt Me 262”(Gadney 1). Able to

fly 559 MPH, this plane was a sure fire way for the Axis powers to win victory over the Allies.

Unfortunately, it came too late. Thanks to the repeated bombing attacks on multiple targets,

Germany’s industry could not keep up with the demands of war and the Messerschmitt saw very

little action before the end of the war(Gandey 4). However, before the end of the war, the Allies

were working on their own jet plane. “Almost unknown by comparison, but arguably more

important to the future of aviation, were the jets developed in the United States during the

war”(THOMAS J.GOETZ 1). The XP-59A was an experimental jet engine plane developed by

the US during World War Two. Because of the unrefined airframe: “Two General Electric Type

I-A centrifugal-flow jet engines drove the unrefined XP-59A airframe to a maximum speed of

only 628 kph (390 mph)”(NASM 4). Because of this low speed that barely kept up with most

other propeller-driven fighters, the XP-59A was never put into a major production and never saw

in World War Two. But there can be no doubt that this plane was a milestone in airplane design

that would change the foreseeable future.

The Allies created many amazing Airplanes During World War Two. These included

dogfighters like the P-39 Lockheed and the Spitfire; Bombers like the B-17; Transports like the

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C-47; and jet planes like the XP-59A. All of these planes were unique and able to best their Axis

counterparts. All of these planes required massive amounts of work and thought in order to be

designed and produced. Each one furthered the Allied cause brought victory.

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Works Cited
● Guilmartin, John F. “Spitfire.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 14 Jan. 2014, www.britannica.com/technology/Spitfire.

● “Lockheed P-38J-10-LO Lightning.” National Air and Space Museum, 10 June

2018, airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/lockheed-p-38j-10-lo-lightning.

● “Lockheed P-38.” The Life and Times of Antoine De Saint-Exupry, www.aviation-

history.com/lockheed/p38.html.

● Battles of Lexington and Concord, www.winthrop.dk/p38specs.html.

● “Boeing.” Boeing: Philip M. Condit, 109380-Leslie Nichols,

www.boeing.com/history/products/b-17-flying-fortress.page.

● “Boeing B-17 ‘Flying Fortress.’” The Life and Times of Antoine De Saint-Exupry,

www.aviation-history.com/boeing/b17.html.

● Guilmartin, John F. “C-47.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica,

Inc., 23 Nov. 2017, www.britannica.com/technology/C-47.

● “Bell XP-59A Airacomet.” National Air and Space Museum, 9 June 2018,

airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/bell-xp-59a-airacomet

Data Base Sources.

1. Gadney, Max. "Nazi jet power arrives too late: the Me 262's engines were both its

strength and cause for fatal delay." World War II, Nov.-Dec. 2010, p. 64+.

Academic OneFile,

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 http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A238979110/AONE?u=marriottlibrary&sid=

AONE&xid=280b986b. Accessed 28 Feb. 2019.

2. Goetz, Thomas J. “BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN JET AGE.” vol 17, issue 1,

Aviation History, Sep 2006, pg 22-29,

http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=2

b11e26f-55d5-4f76-a993-

0d9b85ba26f8%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3

d#AN=21532426&db=aph, 1/28/2019

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 Charles Oliphant

Audience

The Audience of this paper will most likely be someone like me. Someone who is trying

to learn more about a topic that they are very interested in. They will value good solid logical

information that goes along with history and is correct. If something sounds too outrageous they

will probably want to look it up to make sure that it is true. I doubt many old or scholarly people

will want to read this because it probably does not go into enough detail for them to be interested

in it but I think that I could be read by anyone.

I will try to approach me by trying to be interesting without being biased sure that I am

not. I know some bias will slip in just because of my excitement of writing about something that

interests me so much. I will make sure to make logical steps in my thinking and make them clear

to my audience so they are able to easily read and understand my paper. I will try to proofread

my essay as much as possible to make sure that I am not missing any words so what I am writing

actually makes sense.