War Planes

Beautiful propeller planes in black and white.

[lonestarflight]

A Boeing B-17B Flying Fortress stuck in a field,

Date: late 1930s

source

[carbone14]

Hydravion de reconnaissance catapultable Loire 130 et son équipage – Base aéronautique de Lanveoc-Poulmic – Finistère – France – 1930's

[dieselfutures]

Handley Page Halifax

[retrowar]

Piaggio P.111 Italian high-altitude research aircraft designed and built by Piaggio for the Regia Aeronautica  

[theczarny-deactivated20170308]

[usaac-official]

A 310th Bomb Group B-25 runs up its engines at Berteaux Airfield, Algeria, 1943

[usaac-official]

Two men of Air Early Squadron 1 pose with a PB-1W at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, December 1952

[usafphantom2]

View of the commencement of a launch of the Saratoga Air Group on board the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), 1941. The plane nearest to the camera is a Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat of fighting squadron VF-3 (3-F-15), followed by Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless of bombing squadron VB-3. Douglas TBD-1 Devastators are spotted on the aft part of the flight deck (wings folded), followed by SBD-3s, probably of scouting squadron VS-6. Note the overall light gray paint schemes with white lettering and numbering that was carried aboard naval aircraft for a short time during 1941.

[retrowar]

F7F-3N night fighter of VMF(N)-513 in April 1950.

[big-kahuno]

[usafphantom2]

Fiat CR-42-Falco 3S23G75SA 75 8 transferring Sicily 1940-01

[carbone14]

Bombardiers en piqué Junkers Ju 87B-1 - 1941

[usafphantom2]

Loire-Nieuport LN 401

[usafphantom2]

kitchener.lord

Loire 130

The Loire 130 originated from a mid-1930s requirement from the French Navy for a reconnaissance seaplane or flying boat that could also serve aboard French battleships and cruisers. Chosen in 1936 against five competitors (Bréguet 610, Gourdou-Leseurre GL-820 HY, Levasseur PL.200, Potez CAMS 120), the Loire 130's performance was deemed to be good and production orders for 150 of the machines were placed. It entered production in 1937 and replaced most shipborne seaplanes and flying boats already in service.

In the late 1930s, Loire 130s were serving aboard most battleships and cruisers of the French Navy, as well as aboard seaplane tender Commandant Teste. Although appearing quite obsolete and having very marginal performance for their time, quite a few Loire 130s survived the war and remained in post-war French service, especially in French colonies until 1951.

[usafphantom2]

kitchener.lord

Lioré et Olivier LeO H-246

[bigwave18]

[retrowar]

Mustang #41

[usafphantom2]

BR 693-II