Category: raf cosford

Messerschmitt Me 262

This Messerschmitt Me 262 was on display at RAF Cosford.

Messerschmitt Me 262

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft.

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. It was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. Design work started before World War II began, but problems with engines, metallurgy and top-level interference kept the aircraft from operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944, and it quickly proved to be a formidable opponent for Allied fighters. 

Messerschmitt Me 262

The Me 262 was faster and more heavily armed than any Allied fighter, including the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor. The Allies countered by attacking the aircraft on the ground and during takeoff and landing. As one of the most advanced Second World War combat aircraft, the Me 262 operated as a light bomber, reconnaissance, and experimental night fighter.

The Me 262 was a technological marvel for its time. It was powered by two Junkers Jumo 004B turbine engines, which gave it a top speed of over 870 km/h (540 mph).

Junkers Jumo 004B turbine engine

The Me 262 was also armed with four 30-mm cannons, which gave it a devastating firepower.

The Me 262 was a major threat to the Allies, and it could have changed the course of the war if it had been available in greater numbers earlier. However, the Me 262 was introduced too late in the war to have a decisive impact. The Allies had already gained air superiority, and they were able to overwhelm the Me 262 with numbers.

Despite its late introduction, the Me 262 was a significant technological achievement. It was the first jet-powered fighter to enter service, and it paved the way for the development of future jet fighters. The Me 262 is considered to be one of the most important aircraft of World War II.

More photographs of the Me 262.

Hawker Tempest II

This Hawker Tempest II was on display at RAF Cosford.

Hawker Tempest II

The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. It was an improved version of the Hawker Typhoon, and was designed to address the Typhoon’s unexpected deterioration in performance at high altitude. The Tempest was renamed after it diverged considerably from the Typhoon. It emerged as one of the most powerful fighters of World War II, and was the fastest single-engine propeller-driven aircraft of the war at low altitude.

The Hawker Tempest was powered by a 2,210 hp Bristol Centaurus V air-cooled radial engine. The Hawker Tempest was a highly successful aircraft, and was considered to be one of the best British fighters of the Second World War. It was fast, powerful, and well-armed, and proved to be very effective in both ground attack and air-to-air combat.

The Hawker Tempest II was designed to use the Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder radial engine, as an alternative to the liquid-cooled engines that were originally proposed. The new engine and cowling were the only major differences between the Tempest II and the earlier Tempest Vs. The carburettor air intakes were in the inner leading edges of both wings, an oil cooler and air intake were present in the inner starboard wing. The engine installation owed much to examinations of a captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190.

Avro Type 694 Lincoln

This Avro Lincoln was on display at RAF Cosford.

Avro Type 694 Lincoln

The Avro Type 694 Lincoln was a British four-engined heavy bomber that first flew on 9 June 1944. It was developed from the Avro Lancaster, and the first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV and V. The Lincoln was the last piston-engined bomber used by the Royal Air Force.

The Lincoln was a larger and more powerful aircraft than the Lancaster. It had a wingspan of 112 feet, a length of 76 feet, and a height of 23 feet. It was powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin 85 engines, which gave it a top speed of 330 mph. The Lincoln could carry a bomb load of up to 22,000 pounds.

Avro Type 694 Lincoln

The Lincoln entered service with the RAF in August 1945. It was used operationally in the Far East during the Malayan Emergency and the Korean War. The Lincoln was also used by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Argentine Air Force.

The Lincoln was retired from RAF service in 1963. A total of 607 Lincolns were built. The Lincoln was a successful aircraft and was a valuable addition to the RAF’s inventory. It was a capable bomber that served the RAF well for many years.

More photographs of the Avro Lincoln at RAF Cosford.

De Havilland Mosquito

This De Havilland  Mosquito was on display at RAF Cosford.

The de Havilland Mosquito was a British twin-engine, shoulder-winged, multirole combat aircraft that was introduced during World War II. It was unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, which made it faster and more manoeuvrable than other aircraft of its time. The Mosquito was nicknamed the “Wooden Wonder” and was one of the most successful aircraft of the war.

Films starring the Mosquito.

633 Squadron – A WWII Royal Air Force squadrom prepare for an important and dangerous mission…to demolish a Nazi-run munitions factory deep in the fjords of Norway–an installation which is a source of fuel for German rocket-launching. Based on the novel by Frederick E. Smith.

Mosquito Squadron – Quint Munroe loses his oldest friend, Squadron Leader David Scott on a mission to destroy a group of German V-1 launchers, and Quint must break the news to his wife Beth, with whom Quint had once been involved.

The Mosquito was originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, but its speed and agility made it ideal for a variety of other roles. It was used as a low- to medium-altitude daytime tactical bomber, a high-altitude night bomber, a pathfinder, a day or night fighter, a fighter-bomber, an intruder, a maritime strike aircraft, and a photo-reconnaissance aircraft. It was also used by the British Overseas Airways Corporation as a fast transport to carry small, high-value cargo to and from neutral countries through enemy-controlled airspace.

The Mosquito was a highly versatile aircraft that was used in a wide variety of roles. Its speed, agility, and range made it an ideal aircraft for a variety of missions. The Mosquito was a major factor in the Allied victory in World War II and is considered to be one of the most successful aircraft of all time.

More photographs of the Mosquito at RAF Cosford.

The De Havilland Mosquito B35 at RAF London.

Buy the Airfix A04023 de Havilland Mosquito model kit.

Fw 190 at RAF Cosford

This Fw 190 was on display at RAF Cosford.

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger (“Shrike”) was a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force) of the Luftwaffe.

The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and to a lesser degree, night fighter.

The Fw 190 entered Luftwaffe service in August 1941 and quickly proved to be a formidable opponent for Allied aircraft. It was faster, more manoeuvrable, and had a heavier armament than the Spitfire V, which was the RAF’s main frontline fighter at the time. The Fw 190 also had a longer range, which allowed it to escort bombers deeper into enemy territory.

The introduction of the Fw 190 forced the RAF to upgrade its fighter fleet. The Spitfire IX, which entered service in July 1942, was a much-improved version of the Spitfire V and was finally able to match the Fw 190 in terms of performance. The arrival of the Spitfire IX helped to turn the tide of the air war in the Allies’ favour.

The Fw 190 continued to be used by the Luftwaffe until the end of the war. It was a versatile and effective aircraft that played a major role in the conflict.

One of the more unusual roles for the Fw 190 was as part of the twin-aircraft drone combination, code-named mistletoe or Mistel. A single engine fighter was mounted on top of a twin engine bomber, and on lining up with the target the fighter detached itself, leaving the bomber, packed with explosives, to impact the target.

Cosford’s Fw 190 is a unique survivor of a Mistel combination. Surrendered in Denmark in May 1945, the Fw 190 was part of a combination with a Junkers Ju 88, and assigned to a unit which trained Mistel crews. Flown to Germany as a twin combination, the Fw 190 was then split from its Ju 88 in order to be ferried to the UK for examination. The Ju 88 half never reached the UK, and it is assumed it was scrapped.

Other photographs of the RAF Cosford Fw 190 from earlier visits to RAF Cosford.

Photographs of the two seater Fw 190 at RAF London.

Me 410 Hornisse

The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet) was a German heavy fighter and Schnellbomber (fast bomber) used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. It was developed from the Me 210, which had been plagued by problems with stability and handling. The Me 410 addressed these issues with a new wing design, a longer fuselage, and more powerful engines. It was also armed with a more powerful armament than the Me 210.

This Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse was on display at RAF Cosford.

The Me 410 entered service in 1943 and was used in a variety of roles, including fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, and night fighter. It was most effective in the fighter role, where it was used to escort bombers and attack enemy fighters. The Me 410 was also used to attack ground targets, including tanks and troop concentrations.

The Me 410 was a capable aircraft, but it was not without its flaws. It was relatively slow for a heavy fighter, and it was not as manoeuvrable as some of its contemporaries. However, it was well-armed and had a long range, making it a valuable asset to the Luftwaffe.

The Me 410 was produced in a number of variants, including the Me 410A, Me 410B, and Me 410C. The Me 410A was the basic variant, armed with two 20mm MG 151 cannons and four 7.92mm MG 17 machine guns. The Me 410B was a bomber variant, armed with a bomb load of up to 2,200 pounds. The Me 410C was a night fighter variant, armed with a radar and a 30mm MK 108 cannon.

The Me 410 was used in combat until the end of World War II. It was a successful aircraft, and it played a significant role in the Luftwaffe’s war effort.

V1

This V1 was  on display at RAF Cosford.

The V1 was the first of the so-called “Vengeance weapons” series  deployed for the terror bombing of London. It was developed at Peenemünde Army Research Center in 1939 by the Luftwaffe. Because of its limited range, the thousands of V-1 missiles launched into England were fired from launch facilities along the French (Pas-de-Calais) and Dutch coasts. The Wehrmacht first launched the V-1s against London on 13 June 1944, one week after (and prompted by) the successful Allied landings in France.

The V1 flying bomb was powered by an Argus 109-014 pulse-jet engine, carried a warhead of approximately 850kg, and was guided to its target by an autopilot. The maximum range was typically 149 miles, with a maximum speed of 400mph.

I’ve always thought that either a Dutch or French Resistance or UK Commando raid on a V1 base to stop them launching would make for an interesting game. Why send in ground troops when a bombing raid would work just as well? Then I was thinking about adding in the complication of a chemical or biological armed V1 that would need to be taken care of on the ground. There were some real raids on V1 bases as part of Operation Crossbow., which was the code name in World War II for Anglo-American operations against the German long range reprisal weapons (V-weapons) programme. In 1965 a film Operation Crossbow, based on these raids, was released.

Battlefront released a 15mm version in their Hit the Beach Boxed set.

For 20mm gamers there is a 1/72nd model kit of the V1 and launch ramp available.

If you are playing Bolt Action, then Charlie Foxtrot Models do a MDF kit of the ramp for 28mm gamers, but you probably need to buy the Tamiya 1/48th scale plastic kit for the V1 itself. That kit does come with a trolley as well.

V1

There was a V1 at the Imperial War Museum in London.

There was a V1 flying bomb and ramp on display at The Imperial War Museum at Duxford.

V2 Ballistic Missile

The V2 was the world’s first long range guided ballistic missile. he missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Germany as a “vengeance weapon”, assigned to attack Allied cities as retaliation for the Allied bombings against German cities.

This V2 missile was on display at RAF Cosford.

It is one of several rockets prepared by the British with support from German troops during Operation Backfire. It so happened that this rocket was not launched during the Backfire tests. Operation Backfire was a military scientific operation during and after the Second World War that was performed mainly by British staff. The operation was designed to completely evaluate the entire V-2 rocket assembly, interrogate German personnel specialised in all phases of it and then to test and launch missiles across the North Sea.

More photographs of the V2 at RAF Cosford.

Junkers Ju88R-1

The Ju88 was the most versatile German combat aircraft in World War Two. It began life as a bomber, became a night fighter and intruder; undertook anti-shipping operations and flew long-range reconnaissance missions. It is one of the truly great multi-role combat aircraft.

This Ju88R-1 was a C-series night fighter with BMW 801 engines and was on display at RAF Cosford.

Junkers Ju88R-1

Deliveries of the first production aircraft took place in September 1939 and on the 26th it undertook its first operational mission against British shipping in the Firth of Forth. It was not until the Battle of Britain, however, that the Ju88A played a major role in German operations. At the time of the Battle of Britain the Ju88 was at the beginning of its service career and its remarkable adaptability, particularly as a night fighter, had still to be exploited by the Luftwaffe.

Junkers Ju88R-1

This aircraft is thought to have been built in mid–1942 as a model A bomber, before being converted to a model R–1 fighter in early 1943. It was flown to Scotland by its defecting crew in May 1943; two of the three crew on board (who may have been British agents) had taken the decision to defect after being ordered to shoot down a civilian BOAC Mosquito courier flight from Sweden to the UK.

Junkers Ju88R-1

The surrender of this aircraft was of great intelligence value at the time, as it was fitted with the latest UHF-band FuG 202 Liechtenstein BC A.I radar. The Ju 88R-1 was operated by the RAF’s No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight and evaluated in depth by various British groups.

Junkers Ju88R-1

More photographs of the Junkers Ju88R-1.