Tag: World War Two
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Macchi C.205 Captured by Australia
Macchi C.205 Captured by Australia During the Allied invasion of Sicily in mid-1943, No. 3 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) encountered abandoned Axis aircraft on captured airfields. Among these was a Macchi C.205 (MM9377), found on 24 August 1943 at Catania Main airfield and taken to Agnone in Sicily. RAAF ground crews restored it to… Read more
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Arado Ar 234 Jet Bomber
Arado Ar 234 The Arado Ar 234 “Blitz” was the world’s first operational jet-powered bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. Designed by Arado Flugzeugwerke under Walter Blume, it was conceived initially as a long-range reconnaissance machine that could not be intercepted by conventional fighters. Its speed, advanced aerodynamics, and jet propulsion put it years ahead of its… Read more
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Finnish Mörkö-Morane Fighter Aircraft
Finnish Mörkö-Morane Fighter Aircraft The Mörkö-Morane was a Finnish-engineered upgrade of the French Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighter during WWII. Faced with rising losses in 1942, Finnish commanders (led by Col. Richard Lorenz) decided to re-engine their obsolete Moranes with captured Soviet Klimov M-105P V-12 engines (1,100 hp) and aerodynamic refinements. Under designer Aarne Lakomaa, the first prototype… Read more