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  • Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10

    The Messerschmitt Bf 109 began as an entry by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in a Luftwaffe (German Air Force) fighter competition in the early 1930s. Willy Messerschmitt's creation incorporated one of the most advanced aerodynamic designs at the time, with retractable landing gear, an enclosed

  • Macchi MC.200 Saetta

    Developed in the mid-1930s for the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force), the Saetta was one of its principal fighters during World War II. The prototype made its first flight in December 1937, and by Italy's entry into WWII in June 1940, some 156 were in service. A total of 1,151 were

  • Interstate L-6 “Grasshopper”

    The Interstate Co. entered the aviation industry in 1940 with the S-1B "Cadet," a tandem seat liaison airplane. When the United States entered World War II, the U.S. Army Air Forces contracted with Interstate for 250 S-1B aircraft, designating the prototype as the XO-63. It was the last airplane to

  • Stinson L-5 Sentinel

    The L-5 was the military version of the commercial Stinson 105 Voyager. The U.S. Army Air Forces purchased six Voyagers in 1941 as YO-54s for testing, and quantity orders for Sentinels began in 1942. Between 1942-1945, the USAAF ordered 3,590 L-5s, making it the second most widely used USAAF liaison

  • Piper L-4A “Grasshopper”

    The L-4A, originally designated the O-59, was the military version of the famous Piper J3 Cub. The U.S. Army Air Forces ordered the first O-59s in 1941 for tests in conjunction with its growing interest in the use of light aircraft for liaison and observation duties in direct support of ground

  • Aeronca L-3B "Grasshopper"

    The L-3, originally designated O-58, was the military version of the Aeronca Model 65 Defender. This high-wing, light airplane could operate from small, hastily-built flying fields. The Army ordered the first O-58s in 1941 to test the use of light aircraft for liaison and observation missions in

  • Taylorcraft L-2M Grasshopper

    Adapted for military use from the commercial, prewar Taylorcraft Tandem Trainer, the L-2 initially carried the designation O-57. The "L" for "liaison" replaced the "O" designation for "observation." In the summer of 1941, the L-2 Grasshopper performed its service tests during US Army maneuvers in

  • Vultee L-1A Vigilant

    The L-1 liaison aircraft, originally designated O-49, was the military version of the civilian Stinson Model 74. It marked the transition between heavier and larger observation aircraft used by the Air Corps in the 1930s and the lighter liaison "grasshopper" type aircraft represented by the L-series

  • Kawanishi N1K2-Ja Shiden Kai (George)

    The N1K2-Ja Shiden Kai (Japanese for "Violet Lightning--Improved") was the best fighter used in significant numbers by the Japanese Navy during World War II. Known by the Allies as the "George," this maneuverable, heavily-armed fighter was a formidable opponent in the closing months of the war. The

  • Junkers Ju 88D-1/Trop

    The German Ju 88 was one of the most versatile airplanes of World War II. It operated in nearly every kind of combat role, including dive bomber, level bomber, night fighter, day interceptor, photographic reconnaissance, tank destroyer and even as an unpiloted missile. The Ju 88 made its first