world war ii

Beloved singer and unparalleled French aerospace historian/writer died yesterday, the 2nd of March 2025, at 80 after a long battle with cancer: For those that are unfamiliar with his top selling history of Soviet and German aircraft, might you find in the below titles a glimpse of what was his...

Hello, Described in both Naval Fighters #75: Grumman F7F Tigercat and F7F Tigercat in Action is a zero-length launch rack for launching the 11.75" Tiny Tim rocket without need for a drop beforehand, developed at NOTS China Lake and intended for the F7F. Evidently it seems it's only for the...

Hello, recently I've come across a 1942 Data Sheet for the Lockheed Hudson Mk.V aircraft, and in this sheet it lists the aircraft having: * 2 x Fixed forward Firing .303s (500 rounds per gun) * 2 x .303s in Dorsal turret (2000 rounds per gun) * 1 x .303 in a ventral Position (1000 rounds per...

[I have taken the liberty of moving this discussion to its own new thread, to avoid stepping on the toes of Oberon_706's Australia-oriented thread.] Dilandu points out that Canada had 2 coasts to defend in the first half of the 20th century, although I believe that was considered in Ottawa to...

In reading "Diary of A Wartime Naval Constructor", DNC Sir Stanley Goodall's wartime diary, I can identify most of the ships referred to, but there are repeated references to a 20Kt Fast Oiler, probably for the 1945 Programme, where I'm coming up blank. 1942 P136. 11 November: … Bateson...

Hello, , I have an old 80 gal fuel tank from North American Aviation Inc. It is from the Engeneering and Experimental Division. Its about 4 ft long X 2 ft tall. X 1 ft wide. It says Model SOC-1, or I. Part number 17-48002. Contract No. 41257. Material SS AL.ALLOY. marked with a NA 6 in a...

Hello, i'm looking to experimental projects for supplying isolated japanese garrisons in ww2. For example: Special containers used with submarines. Unkato, Tokugata Unkato, Unpoto. Special waterproof landing craft on after deck of submarines. How the supply were stoked on the deck ? With a net...

Hi everyone, I just came across this current video on the unguided glide bomb GB-1 experimentally used by the USAAF in WW2: View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ij1FjUwi-E It wasn't very successful, but I think it shows an interesting technical approach to the problem, and the video also...

Things in the Pacific seem to be moving closer to a Sino-US war. View: https://youtu.be/Bck_CHmtWPI?si=lO_Glm0Ud3HFUCt7 View: https://youtu.be/CW1TYDVBSmI?si=7Cixue4hcIjrBSmU

Hi people, Recently I was reading David K Brown's work on British naval design ( Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development 1923-45), and here this description about what he referred to as "B bomb" caught my attention. Unfortunately I could not find much information about it...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqcc2ActCCU

Hi everybody, I often read that Curtiss-Wright Aviation did not do enough research work during the Second World War to be able to survive its aeronautical branch and face the new markets after the Second World War. It is considered that its production and improvement work on the P-40 (we can...

Ever since the first Zeppelin raids in World War 1 the vulnerability of the civilian population of the UK to attack from the air has been a major factor in shaping our armed forces. The tile "Air Defence of Great Britain" comes from the organisation set up to meet the only air threat imagined in...

The British aviation historian Michael J F Bowyer died recently, aged 95. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/sep/30/michael-bowyer-obituary

CONTENTS GUNS Ikaria MG FF (20-mm) Mauser MG 151 Series (15/20-mm) Rheinmetall-Borsig MK 103 (30-mm) Rheinmetall-Borsig MK 108 (30-mm) Mauser MG 81 (7.92-mm) Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 131 (13-mm) Mauser MG/MK 213 C Rheinmetall-Borsig BK 3.7 (37-mm) Rheinmetall-Borsig BK 5 (50-mm) Mauser...

Today marks the ten-year anniversary of the United States theatrical release of the World War II tank film Fury on October 17, 2014. Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, and Jon Bernthal were phenomenal as a tight-knit band of battle-hardened tankers joined by a raw recruit as...

I’d never heard of this before, but it’s one of the worst friendly fire incidents I’ve heard of from WW2, made worse that no action was taken against the person who seemingly was most responsible for it.

For anyone with deeper pockets, a collection of drawings, sketches and ephemera by Giovanni Caproni is up for auction at Abdingdon on 12 November. https://www.mallams.co.uk/auction/details/ab-early-flight---the-caproni-collection--the-collectors-sale/?au=565

Vertical Flight Society just published excellent video narrated by Cherles Seibel himself about Seibel helicopters. Described are: - Seibel S-1 (design study on tiltrotor) - Seibel S-2 (design study on coaxial helicopter) - Seibel S-3 (single-seat helicopter with CG control mechanism...