Aircraft of the World Revolutionary War - Part II

Hammer of the Comintern - The A-14 Shillelagh

_This section written by@Zolarian01 _

Surviving A-14F on display at the National Air Force Museum in Monino, USSR. ​

The Red May Revolution had brought about a sea change in the global geopolitical order, with the newly formed Union of American Socialist Republics looking fearfully across the Atlantic, anticipating an offensive war by the British Empire in the future, with the full support of the French and their German, Italian and Japanese lapdogs. It was in this tense situation that the Spanish Civil War erupted, leading to the Communist and the Fascist powers providing volunteers and materiel to the warring sides.

The Spanish Civil War was considered to be “the arena where all the major powers would refine their military tactics and equipment” and the UASR was no exception. Besides the usage of tanks, they would seek to improve their aircraft in preparation of the Great War that would come.

In 1935, Donald Douglas along with Jack Northrop and Alan Loughead, came up with a proposal for a light bomber-reconnaisance aircraft powered by a pair of 373 kW East Hartford R-995-80A Wasp Junior radial engines mounted on a shoulder wing. It was estimated to be capable of 420 km/h with a bomb load of 500 kg. However, reports from the IVA volunteers fighting in the Spanish Civil War showed the design to be significantly underpowered, and it was scrapped.

The next year, the WFRAAF Stavka issued a new specification for an attack aircraft. The Skunk Works EDB, under Douglas, Northrop and Loughead, developed the Lo-7, which was similar to their old project, but powered by 890 kW East Hartford R-1830-90C Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines and capable of carrying 1000 kg of bombs.

The first prototype of the Lo-7 took flight on 24 September 1937. The aircraft attracted the attention of a delegation of VVS generals and aircraft designers visiting the United Republics. During the flight trials, while attempting to demonstrate single engine performance, the Lo-7 prototype crashed, killing the test pilot. In spite of the crash, the Soviets were sufficiently impressed to place a preliminary order of 100 production aircraft.

Due to the Soviet order, Douglas, Northrop and Loughead carried out a major redesign of the aircraft. While the wings were left largely unchanged, the fuselage was deeper and narrower, which accommodated a crew of four - a pilot, a navigator, a bombardier and a gunner. The wings were mounted a bit lower, and the engines were mounted in nacelles slung under the wings. Normal bombload was 500 kg, or 750 kg in overload conditions. The revised aircraft, to be later known as the YA-14, first flew on 16 May 1938.

In 1938, the WFRAAF decided that the new aircraft perfectly met it’s requirements for an attack bomber, and in June 1938, ordered 200 planes powered by Parsippany R-2600 Twin Cyclone engines, under the designation A-14 (the A-14s having 1300 kW turbosupercharged R-2600-7 engines). These had a larger vertical tail to cope with the increased power of the Parsippany engines, had a longer nose to give more room for the bombardier/navigator, and carried more fuel. However, technical issues with the R-2600-7 would lead to it being replaced with the two-stage supercharged R-2600-11.

The WFRAAF was impressed by the A-14’s high power to weight ratio and easy handling characteristics. The initial production A-14s were to feature a battery of 4 x 7.62mm MG-7-Br1 machine guns in fuselage blister positions. An additional two 7.62mm machine guns would be manned from a dorsal position while a single 7.62mm machine gun was allotted to a manned ventral gun position. Interestingly, rearward-firing 7.62mm machine guns were also introduced in this design, with these being mounted in each engine nacelle. Bombload was a reported 750 kg of internal ordnance. Performance specs allowed for a top speed of 620 km/h (comparable to fighter performance) and a ceiling of up to 9,600 m and range totaling some 1,770 km (ferry range).

After the first A-14 was produced in this fashion, the Workers and Farmers Revolutionary Army Air Force came back with a “modest” change to the requirement, deleting the need for a dedicated high-altitude platform and instead centering on a design capable of handling operations in a low-to-medium altitude zone. The first A-14 had been already produced for high-altitude work, and the following ones would conform to the new requirement.

An A-14A forced to make a forced landing in a field during Operation Teutonic. ​

The A-14A differed from the A-14 in having 1200 kW supercharged R-2600-11 engines, marking a clear departure from the high altitude role. Armament of A-14A models included the 4 x 7.62mm forward-firing machine guns in fuselage blisters, 2 x 7.62mm machine guns in the dorsal position, 1 x 7.62mm machine gun in the ventral position and the 2 x 7.62mm rear-firing machine guns in fixed engine nacelle positions. Additionally, 750 kg of internal ordnance could be carried. Performance allowed for a top speed of 558 km/h, a ceiling of 8,600 m and an operating range of 1,609 km.

In the initial days of Operation Teutonic, the A-14A fared poorly due to the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica running riot in the skies above the Western Soviet Union. The few that did manage to score a hit were hampered by the (apparently) small bombload. The reports coming in at the WFRAAF Stavka and the Skunk Works EDB would influence the design of the following models, the A-14C and the A-14D.

An A-14B (Yer-3) preparing to take off from a makeshift airstrip in the Soviet Union. ​

During the early days of Teutonic, the VVS was in dire need of a Shturmovik -type aircraft in order to combat Axis armor. Though there was the Il-2 designed by the Ilyushin OKB, at the time, it was not being produced in sufficient numbers. A stopgap was needed while the factories brought Il-2 production up to speed.

Vladimir Yermolayev, who had visited the UASR back in 1937, was reminded of the aircraft prototype whose trial he had seen. In spite of the crash, he had felt that it was a good aircraft, and convinced the generals to give it a chance.

Now, as the Soviet Union was being invaded by the Stahlpakt, Yermolayev wrote a letter to the aircraft’s chief designer and his good friend, Donald Douglas, asking if he could produce the said aircraft under a license. Douglas immediately forwarded Yermolayev’s letter to the People’s Secretariat for Aeronautics, who wasted no time in approving the request.

The Yer-3, as it would be known, differed but little from its American half-sister, the A-14, in using 1200 kW Mikulin AM-43 supercharged radial engines, 23 mm VYa-23 cannons, 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns / 12.7 mm DShK machine guns. The WFRAAF would retroactively designate this variant as the A-14B.

A WFRAAF aircrew in front of their A-14C. ​

The A-14C differed from its predecessor, the A-14A, in mounting just 2 x 12.7mm nose-mounted (lower fuselage) MG-12-Br2 machine guns, 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in the dorsal position, 1 x 7.62mm machine gun in the ventral position and the two engine nacelle-mounted rear-firing 7.62mm machine guns. To make up for the lessened offensive firepower, the internal bombload was increased to 1,000 kg. Performance remained comparable with the top speed reported at 563 km/h, a (maximum) ferry range of 3,700 km and a ceiling of 8,700 m.

An A-14D successfully skip bombs the Japanese troop transport ship Kinugawa Maru.​

The A-14D model appeared as an “improved” A-14A. D models brought back the cluster of 4 x 7.62mm lower-fuselage nose mounted MG armament. 2 x 7.62mm machine guns were appropriated to the dorsal aft gun position along with a 7.62mm machine gun in a flexible ventral tunnel mount. Bombload was an impressive 1,000 kg though this could be supplemented by an internally-held fuel supply instead, increasing the aircraft range somewhat. Additional improvements over the A-models included improved armor plating for increased crew protection and 2 x Parsippany R-2600-23 Twin Cyclone radial engines of 1,300 kW each. Despite these additions and the aircraft proving heavier than preceding models, the A-14D saw only a slight reduction to overall speed. Performance included a top speed of 550 km/h, a (maximum) ferry range of 3,700 km and a reduced ceiling of 7,720 m.

The A-14D was received favorably by Soviet and American air crews, who felt it to be substantially superior to the A-14C. The Soviets felt that the 7.62 mm Browning MGs were underpowered, and replaced them with the 7.62 mm ShKAS MG. By the end of 1941, several VOSCOM air crews had become well-versed in raiding Axis ground forces with their aircraft. Based on their feedback, the A-14F would be developed.

An A-14F carrying a Mark 13 aerial torpedo. ​

The A-14F became the definitive production run of the series, numbering some 2,759 total aircraft. The A-14F followed on the heels of the A-14D production model and was a dedicated ground attack platform as opposed to the light bomber role carried out by preceding models. The initial production A-14F block featured the distinctive solid nose assembly mounting 4 x 20mm MG-20-A1 cannons (deleting the bombardier’s nose position and bringing the crew total down to three personnel). Later production blocks would replace the MG-20-A1 with the MG-20-A4 revolver cannons. Additional armament for this aircraft included 2 x 12.7mm MG-12-Br2 machine guns in a flexible dorsal position and a single 7.62mm machine gun in the ventral position (flexible mount). Bombload totaled 2000 kg of internally-held ordnance or a 1000 kg aerial torpedo and/or 1400 liter drop tank. Engines for the aircraft were Parsippany R-2600-23 Twin Cyclone supercharged radials of 1,350 kW each. Top speed was 527 km/h with a combat range of 1,530 km and a modest ceiling of 7,220 m.

An RAF Havoc I being rearmed after a bombing run.

An RAF Havoc II being loaded with ammunition. ​

The Franco-British Union would receive a lot of American military equipment during the course of the Great Revolutionary War via Lend Lease, and among the more notable ones was the A-14. Named the “Havoc” in RAF service, the plane was much liked by the aircrews who flew it, with Captain Eric Brown considering it to be “one of the best planes I have flown so far, with considerable firepower”. The A-14D and A-14F variants were exported as the Havoc I and the Havoc II, with the American 20 mm cannons being replaced by 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannons.

In combat, the A-14 proved to be a little aircraft of large worth. The ability for the system to adapt to various armament configurations allowed for the type to reach further and deeper into the war than it would have otherwise. The “Shillelagh”, as it would be called by it’s crews, proved to provide its operators with a sturdy and powerful attack platform capable of undertaking a variety of specialized roles - ground attack, light bombing, strafing, skip bombing and even torpedo bombing, as needed. Its agility, speed and resilience were a headache to Luftwaffe pilots and anti-aircraft gunners in the Heer , who called it “Der Zementbomber “[7], “Der Schnelle Teufel ” and “Der Fliegende Panzer “[8]. Comintern aviators, however, were full of praise for the aircraft, with some VVS pilots calling it “летающий танк ” (letayushchiy tank , meaning “flying tank”) , a name shared by the other workhorse of the VVS’ Shturmovik fleet, the Ilyushin Il-2, and the Cold War-era Mil Mi-24 “Krokodil ” assault gunship.

Against the Japanese, it was a different story altogether. The A-14 initially faced severe difficulties while engaging in combat in the Pacific Theater due to the exceptionally agile Japanese fighters being able to stay neck to neck with them, in spite of increasing speed. The situation was so bad that A-14s only flew under heavy fighter escort for a while in the Pacific. But when they managed to strike a target, the results were devastating, as the survivors from several Japanese troop transport ships, merchant ships, destroyers and light cruisers would attest.

A-14 “Shillelagh” (Lo-7/Yer-3)
Role : Light bomber, ground attack aircraft
National origin : UASR
Designer : EDB-18 “Skunk Works”
First flight : 16 May 1938
Introduced : 1940
Primary users : UASR, USSR
Produced : 1939 - July 1944
Number built : 18,529
AFS Reporting Name : Beast

_A-14A and A-14C

Specifications:_

Crew : 4 (Pilot, navigator, bombardier and gunner)
Length : 14.27 m (A-14A), 14.63 m (A-14C)
Wingspan : 18.69 m
Height : 5.36 m (A-14A), 5.51 m (A-14C)
Wing area : 43.11 m²
Empty weight : 6,879 kg (A-14A), 6,730 kg (A-14C)
Maximum takeoff weight : 9,394 kg (A-14A), 10,800 kg (A-14C)
Powerplant : 2 × Parsippany R-2600-11 Twin Cyclone supercharged radial engines, 1,200 kW each.

Performance:

• A-14A :
  • Maximum speed : 558 km/h at 3,780 m
  • Cruise speed : 475 km/h at 3,500 m
  • Range : 1,609 km with 750 kg bombs
  • Service ceiling : 8,600 m
• A-14C :
  • Maximum speed : 563 km/h at 3,780 m
  • Cruise speed : 479 km/h at 3,500 m
  • Range : 1,330 km with 500 kg bombs
  • Service ceiling : 8,700 m

_Armament:

Guns:_

• A-14A :
  • 4 x 7.62mm forward-firing MG-7-Br1 machine guns in fuselage blisters, 2 x 7.62mm machine guns in the dorsal position, 1 x 7.62mm machine gun in the ventral position and the 2 x 7.62mm rear-firing machine guns in fixed engine nacelle positions.
• A-14C :
  • 2 x 12.7mm MG-12-Br2 nose-mounted (lower fuselage) machine guns, 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in the dorsal position, 1x 7.62mm MG-7-Br1 machine gun in the ventral position and the two engine nacelle-mounted rear-firing 7.62mm machine guns.

Bombs:

• A-14A : 750 kg of bombs
• A-14C : 1000 kg of bombs

_A-14D

Specifications:_

Crew : 4 (Pilot, navigator, bombardier and gunner)
Length : 14.19 m
Wingspan : 18.69 m
Height : 5.36 m
Wing area : 43.11 m²
Empty weight : 7,087 kg
Maximum takeoff weight : 11,113 kg
Powerplant : 2 x Parsippany R-2600-23 Twin Cyclone supercharged radial engines, 1,300 kW each

Performance:
Maximum speed : 550 km/h at 3,960 m
Cruise speed : 450 km/h at 3,700 m
Range : 1,200 km with 450 kg of bombs
Service ceiling : 7,720 m

Armament:
Guns : 4 x 7.62mm lower-fuselage nose mounted MG-7-Br1 machine guns. 2 x 7.62mm machine guns in the dorsal aft gun position along with a 7.62mm machine gun in a flexible ventral tunnel mount.
Bombs : 1,000 kg bombs
Rockets : 4 × 130 mm triple tube rocket launchers with T64 HVAR rockets.

_A-14F

Specifications:_

Crew : 3 (Pilot, navigator and gunner)
Length : 14.63 m
Wingspan : 18.68 m
Height : 5.52 m
Wing area : 43.11 m²
Empty weight : 7,272 kg
Maximum takeoff weight : 12,338 kg
Powerplant : 2 × Parsippany R-2600-23 Twin Cyclone supercharged radial engines, 1,350 kW each.
Performance:

Maximum speed : 527 km/h at 4,400 m
Cruise speed : 450 km/h at 4,300 m
Range : 1,530 km
Service ceiling : 7,220 m
Armament:

Guns : 4 fixed forward firing 20 mm MG-20-A1 autocannons in the nose (Initial production block) / 4 fixed forward firing nose mounted 20 mm MG-20-A4 revolver cannons (Later production blocks), 2 × 12.7 mm MG-12-Br2 machine guns in dorsal turret, 1 flexible 12.7 mm machine gun, mounted behind bomb bay.
Bombs : 2,000 kg bombs
Rockets : 4 × 130 mm triple tube rocket launchers with T64 HVAR rockets.
Torpedoes : 1 × 1000 kg Mark 13 aerial torpedo.

Comintern variants:

XA-14 : Initial test prototype. Powered by two 890 kW East Hartford R-1830-90C Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines and capable of carrying 1000 kg of bombs. Crashed while attempting to demonstrate single engine performance.

YA-14 : Revised test prototype, powered by two 890 kW East Hartford R-1830-90C Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines and capable of carrying 750 kg of bombs.

A-14 : The first aircraft of the series to be produced for high-altitude daylight bombing. Powered by two Parsippany R-2600-7 turbosupercharged radial engines. Armed with 7 to 9 MG-7-Br1 machine guns and capable of carrying 750 kg of bombs.

A-14A : The first mass production variant, built for low-to-medium altitude operations. Powered by two Parsippany R-2600-11 supercharged radial engines. Armament and bombload similar to the A-14. 1,187 built.

A-14B : Soviet license produced version and the most produced variant. VVS name - Yermolayev Yer-3. Powered by 2 × Mikulin AM-43 supercharged radial engines, 1200 kW each. Armed with 3 × 23 mm VYa-23 cannons and 5 × 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns or 3 × 12.7 mm DShK machine guns, 4 × triple tube rocket launchers with RS-132 rockets and 750 kg bombs. 7,230 built in the USSR.

A-14C : Improved version of the A-14A with reduced machine gun armament (3 MG-7-Br1 guns and 3 MG-12-Br2 guns compared to 9 MG-7-Br1 guns on the A-14A) and bomb load increased to 1,000 kg. 1,365 built.

A-14D : Improved version of the A-14C with 7 MG-7-Br1 machine guns, increased armor protection and 130 mm triple rocket launcher tubes installed. Powered by two Parsippany R-2600-23 supercharged radial engines. 1,794 built.

A-14E : Testbed for improved nose armament and powered turrets.

A-14F : The definitive production variant. Significant increase in firepower, with four nose mounted 20 mm MG-20-A1 cannons in the initial production block and three 12.7 mm MG-12-Br2 machine guns. Later production blocks were armed with MG-20-A4 revolver cannons. Bombload increased to 2,000 kg. Provision for carrying 130 mm T64 HVAR rockets or a 1,000 kg Mark 14 aerial torpedo. 2,759 built.

A-14G : Similar to A-14F with increased MTOW and upgraded engines (Parsippany R-2600-29 series radials). 1,136 built.

A-14H : “Lead Ship” aircraft model based on A-14F with glassed-in nose and bombardier position. 873 built.

A-14J : “Lead Ship” aircraft model with glassed-in nose and bombardier position based on A-14G models; improved powerplant, improved armament capabilities and updated onboard equipment. Represents final production variant. 862 built.

Lend Lease variants:

Havoc I : RAF designation for A-14D aircraft received from the UASR under Lend Lease. 827 built.

Havoc II : RAF designation for the A-14F. 492 built.

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A Fighting Aircraft for the Proletariat - The F-34 Belladonna

_This segment written by@Aelita _

Surviving F-34C Belladonna on display at the National Museum of The Great Revolutionary War in Moscow. ​

In March 1937, the Stavka of the Air Forces issued a directive for the development of a prospective fighter capable of operations at all altitudes. Based on the observed successes of the Royal Air Force’s new Supermarine Spitfire prototype, as well as intelligence gathered by the Main Reconnaissance Directorate (MRD) sources on the Air Ministry’s Specification P.13/36 long-range bomber, it was clear that the first generation monoplane fighters, which had entered production immediately after the Civil War, were already greatly outclassed.

Project 3.114F was the most demanding specification yet issued by the WFRAAF: a single-engine high-altitude interceptor, with cannon armament capable of reliably engaging heavy bombers, a liquid-cooled “hyper-engine” currently being developed by the Allison collective coupled with a turbo-supercharger, a level airspeed in excess of 600 km/h at altitude, and could climb to 6,000 meters in less than six minutes.

The Bell Aircraft Design Bureau answered the proposal with its highly unorthodox Be-13 design, with rear mounted engine and tricycle landing gear. The unusual configuration was made possible by running the drive-shaft beneath the pilot’s feet. It also allowed the well-streamlined nose to carry an impressive armament and ammunition load. Designated the XF-34, the prototype mounted a powerful MG-20-A4 revolver cannon firing through the propeller hub, as well as two of the reliable and battle tested 12.7mm M2 machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. Both were accurate and flat-shooting, enabling a skilled pilot to hit hard even at longer ranges. In terms of stopping power, it easily outclassed its competitors, the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire, which currently mounted eight .303 machine guns.

When mated with the turbo-supercharger, the XF-34 prototypes were able to climb to 6,000 meters in seven minutes, and later developments of the engine were expected to enable it to make the required time to altitude marks. The prototype was impressive, but faced a number of teething issues, especially related to mechanical reliability, and was further hampered by ongoing development problems with the Allison engines, which were operating below the intended specifications while reliability issues were being worked out on the cutting edge.

Service-test versions, the YF-34A and B, introduced new innovations that would become standard on successful fighters in the war, such as direct-fuel injection, bubble-canopies, and automatic engine control systems. The airframe was slightly increased in dimensions, allowing a much more efficient and aerodynamic turbocharger configuration to be achieved. A rear armor plate was added, serving to protect both the pilot and the engine from rear attack, though not from higher deflection angle attacks.

The F-34 developed into an increasingly specialized platform based on the experience fighting the Luftwaffe in the Soviet Union. While initially envisioned as a high altitude fighter-interceptor, beginning with the E variant the boost control of the turbocharger was configured to improve peak engine power rather than maintaining performance at altitudes above 5000 meters, with high-altitude work being taken up by the F-35 and F-41 platforms.

The airframe configuration and low fuel load of the “Belladonna”, as air crews came to call it, was better suited to the coverage of ground forces role with Frontal Aviation. These operations prioritized very rapid climbs to medium altitudes, seldom higher than 5000 metres, to both escort friendly tactical bombers as well as attack enemy tactical aviation. The Belladonna’s excellent roll-rate and energy retention, combined with formidable turn performance, made the plane deadly in the constant clash with German fighters demanded by this role. Attacks on enemy ground forces themselves were a low priority, usually limited to the strafing of soft targets. The Belladonna could carry a 250 kg bomb (1 in early models, up to 3 in the K model and later), but this capability was seldom used, with other fighters proving to be better suited to the fighter-bomber role.

Some issues with the basic model proved more difficult to resolve. The plane’s balance with the mid-mounted engine created an instability issue that could only be mitigated with fuel-tank configuration. The plane had a tendency to flat-spin in certain stall conditions, and this was fiendishly difficult to recover or bail out from, contributing to the WFRAAF’s early investigations into the ejection seat concept. As dangerous as the Belladonna could be to careless pilots, its temperamental character was little comfort to Luftwaffe aviators, who called it Spitzer for its pointed bullet shape.

Unlike most other American fighter designs of this era, the F-34 eschewed wing mounts for its armament in favor of central mounting. The main armament on all variants would fire through the propeller hub, supplemented by nose or wing-root mounted electrically synchronized machine guns. A few prototypes were made with underwing gondolas for additional machine guns, but were ultimately rejected in pilot testing for the adverse effect it had on the plane’s roll rate.

The majority of Belladonnas would be armed with the MG-20-A4 revolver cannon, developed by the Garand bureau. An extension on the design principles of the ShKAS aircraft machine gun, the weapon used a five-chamber revolver to increase the reliable maximum of feeding and extraction by shortening the recoil stroke and chambering fresh cartridges in stages.

While early models suffered from reliability problems, improved quality control reduced the mean-time between failures to less than more conventional aircraft cannon. While the resulting weapon was heavy, it was also able to fire at 1200 rounds per minute, nearly double the rate of other aircraft cannon. On the Belladonna, the central mount enable very accurate, concentrated fire to be delivered at all ranges, made only more devastating once American arsenals began to produce HEI shells based on the German Minengeschoß(mine shot), made with a thinner shell case of drawn steel to increase the high explosive payload.

Some subvariants were outfitted instead with an NS-37 cannon, designed by Soviet engineers A. E. Nudelman and A. Suranov to improve the plane’s potency against German ground attack aircraft and medium bombers. The very high muzzle energy of this 37mm cannon resulted in structural damage on early examples, and the vibration induced by sustained fire could increase the wear on the propeller reduction gearing. This trade-off was judged to be worth it, as the 37mm HE shells were devastating to larger craft, and the plane still retained dogfighting capabilities that the higher altitude interceptors lacked.

The F-34 proved to be a well liked fighter by its pilots throughout the war, and was only superseded by the F-39 “Belladonna II” in the air superiority role in 1944, itself a slightly enlarged F-34 powered by a turbo-compound engine.

F-34 “Belladonna” (Be-13)
Role : Single engine fighter
National origin : UASR
Designer : Bell Aircraft Design Bureau
First flight : 6 May 1938
Introduced : 1940
Primary users : UASR, Soviet Union
Produced : 1939-May 1944
Number built : 24,154
AFS Reporting Name : Fig

Specifications (F-34C, 1940)
Crew: One
Length: 9.4 m
Wingspan: 10.4 m
Height: 3.8 m
Empty weight: 2,425 kg
Loaded weight: 3,347 kg
Max takeoff weight: 3,900 kg
Powerplant: 1× Allison V-1710-60 liquid-cooled vee, 1,088 kW
Never exceed speed: 845 km/h
Max level speed: 680 km/h at 8,800 m
Combat radius: 840 km (internal fuel)
Service ceiling: 13,100 m
Rate of climb: 19.1 m/s
Power/mass: 325 W/kg
Armament: 1 x MG-20-A4 20x102mm cannon w/ 180 rounds in propeller hub, 2 x M2 12.7x99mm machine guns w/ 220 rounds per gun in nose

**Variants:

XF-34:** Two prototypes. Powered by Allison V-1710-17 (900 kW). Later fitted with turbo-supercharger and four-bladed propeller. Provision for two 12.7mm MGs and one 20mm cannon.

YF-34A: Service test version. Outfitted with two 12.7mm M2s and one MG-20-B2

YF-34B: Final service test. Improved streamlining w/ revised canopy shape, cooling and carburetor air intakes. Trialed 37mm autocannon for bomber intercept role.

F-34C: Production variant. Uprated V-1710-60 (1,088 kW) w/ fuel injection. Engine/Pilot armor plus self-sealing fuel tanks added. Electric synchronization system implemented.

• F-34C-1: Fighter-interceptor. 1 x MG-20-A4 2 w/180 rounds, 2 x M2. 800 built.
• F-34C-2: Provisions for drop tanks added, improved armor for oil cooler. 1621 built.
• RF-34C: Photo-recon version. Cameras added to rear fuselage.
• TF-34C: Two seat trainer version.

F-34D: Bomber-interceptor variant. Slight redesign wing and tail, improved V-1710-70 (1190 kW)

• F-34D-1: 1 x NS-37 autocannon, 2 x M2. 300 built, retained in continent for bomber defense.
• F-34D-3: Deleted M2 machine guns, added 2 x MG-20-ShV1 cannons with 200 rpg to wing roots. 400 built. Deployed as high altitude bomber defense in Soviet Union.
• F-34D-4: D-1 w/ 37mm swapped out for MG-20-A4, stopgap while new models began production. 356 built.

F-34E: Gyro reflector gunsight. Improved airframe and bubble canopy. Adjusted center of gravity. V-1710-75 w/ 1190 kW dry (1450 kW w/ water-injection). First flight April 1941.

• F-34E-1: 1 x MG-20-A4 w/ disintegrating belt feed system increasing ammo capacity to 300 rounds. 2 x MG-12-B2 w/ 450 rpg in wing roots. 1720 built.
• F-34E-2 through 4: Bomber killers with different weapon configurations centered around NS-37 autocannon w/60 rounds. 200 built.
• F-34E-5: E-1 w/ 2 x MG-12-B3 in wing roots. 2180 built.

F-34F: Trial with new five bladed propeller and automatic boost control. 4 built.

F-34G: Testbed with twin contra-rotating propellers.

F-34J: Commonwealth export model. F-34E w/ 1 x Hispano Mk IV in prop hub, 2 x 13.9x99mmB HMG. 2800 built.

F-34K: V-1710-117 (1190 kW dry, 1650 kW with ADI), improved throttle/RPM control and automatic boost control.

• F-34K-1: 1 x MG-20-A4 in the prop hub, 2 x MG-12-Br3 in wing roots, new underwing pylons. 5123 built
• F-34K-2: Bomber hunter. 1 x NS-37 w/ 65 rounds, 2 x MG-20-A4 in wing roots. 185 built

F-34L: Soviet license built version. F-34K powertrain, VYA-23 cannon w/150 rounds in prop hub, 2 x ShVAK cannon in wing roots. 2240 built.

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Above the Battlefield - The FA-35 Yeoman

An FA-35 about to take off from an airfield in the USSR during the Second Battle of Stalingrad. ​

In 1937, the WFRAAF had put out a set of requirements for an all-altitude interceptor that could respond to the RAFs P.13/36 bomber specifications and the observed performance of the Supermarine Spitfire, as it was clear that the extant monoplane fighters were sorely outclassed by the RAF.

The requirements for Project 3.114F called for a single-engine all altitude fighter plane that could climb 6,000 meters in under six minutes and be capable of flying at 600 km/h at altitude.

Bell, Skunk Works, and the Farmingdale-based design bureau named “Republic Aviation” would submit designs for a high altitude interceptor.

Skunk Works would submit the Lo-22, a two engine twin boom design with a central nacelle for the cockpit, the WFRAAF would assign this the designation F-36. Bell’s Be-13 submission would become the F-34 Belladonna, while Republic would submit the Re-5.

Bell’s aircraft proved itself to work well at all altitudes, while the Re-5 was only effective at high altitudes. The testing was conclusive and the Be-13 was the one that would be built.

This changed in 1939, when a source for the MRD had slipped them information that the German Reichsluftfahrtministerium had put out a set of requirements to their aircraft industry for a project called Amerikabomber , which was to be a heavy bomber capable of reaching Metropolis and back from airfields on the Azores Islands.

This information, while extremely alarming, was also seen as an inevitability. And when members of the MRD met with the Stavka for the WFRAAF, as well as aeronautical engineers from the Red Star and Skunk Works EDBs, it was soon realized that the aerodynamic constraints that had shaped the XB-15 and the Unthinkable Bomber would also force Germany’s aircraft designers into a similar design envelope.

The need for a long combat range would force a bomber to fly at high altitudes in order to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. Likewise, the planes were likely to be lightly armed with only a rear turret due to the drag induced by gun barrels sticking out all over the fuselage. The aircraft would also need to be pressurized in order to stay at high altitudes for long periods of time. With turbocharged or supercharged engines, and with very low drag from the high altitudes, the plane would need to fly faster than most conventional bombers in order to generate enough lift to stay in the air. This in turn would mean an aircraft that is difficult to maneuver at low altitudes but could outlast any fighter at high altitudes, especially when the small wings of any fighter that tried to intercept it would cause them to be sluggish and barely maneuverable at high altitudes.

To combat this threat and the threat of a planned “Ural Bomber,” a similar planned project for a strategic bomber meant to be capable of striking beyond the Ural Mountains at factories in Yekaterinberg, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, and Novosibirsk, in 1940, the WFRAAF Stavka put out a call to the Project 3.114F designers for a revised version of their existing designs for a high altitude short range interceptor.

Under the new requirements for Project 3.114F-2, the new aircraft were required to have:

• Maximum Speed : 650 km/h
• Service Ceiling : 14,000 m
• Range : 1500 km
• Armaments : 8 x 12.7mm machine guns

Under these new requirements, Republic’s engineers would tweak the Re-4 for use at high altitude. Tweaks include changing the original design’s East Hartford R-1830 Twin Wasp engine with an East Hartford R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine, and general tweaks for high altitude use.

The other advantage the Re-4 held was that the comparatively simple air-cooled radial engine would allow the plane to shrug off more damage than the more complex liquid-cooled inline engines of its contemporaries in the F-34 and F-37.

By 1941, the Re-4, now christened the F-35 Yeoman, would begin to arrive at the front in numbers for the WFRAAF to field against incoming Luftwaffe bombers.

The initial results of the F-35 in combat showed it to be an excellent high altitude fighter, where the Luftwaffe ‘s Bf-109s and Fw-190s would struggle in the thin air, the F-35’s larger wings gave it an excellent roll rate, and pilots soon discovered that dive and zoom climbs from high altitude would allow the F-35 to fly circles around their enemies.

Where the initial batch on F-35s fell short on though was the climb performance at low and medium altitudes. Down in the thicker air, the F-35 was vulnerable to attack, and the Axis fighter pilots soon began using carrion tactics to force Yeoman pilots down from the high altitudes they ruled into an awaiting tempest below.

Republic Aviation responded to this with the F-35B8, which added a paddle-bladed propeller to give it better climb performance at low and medium altitudes.

The F-35B’s introduction to the battlefield was a welcome relief to the American and Soviet pilots, who took to the improved climb and turning performance with enthusiasm, surprising the Stahlpakt pilots they had been fighting with a fighter that was suddenly capable of faster climbs and tighter turns at low and medium altitudes.

But where the F-35 soon began to shine was in the role of ground attacks and dive bombing. Republic Aviation had, almost entirely by accident, created one of the best and fastest dive bombing aircraft the Great Revolutionary War had seen. With the improved propellers, the F-35 was capable of reaching speeds of 890 km/h during dives, skirting the edge of the sound barrier, with some pilots claiming to have broken the sound barrier on dives.

In 1942, the WFRAAF responded to this unexpected new use and redesignated the F-35C as FA-35C, with the main design changes being additional hardpoints to carry up to 1000 kg of bombs and ten 130mm HVAR rockets.

F-35 “Yeoman” (Re-5)
Role : Single engine fighter/ground attack aircraft
National origin : UASR
Designer : Republic Aviation Design Bureau
First flight : 6 April 1936
Introduced : 1939
Primary users : UASR, Soviet Union
Produced : 1941-1945
Number built : 18,636
AFS Reporting Name : Flick

Specifications
Crew : 1
Length : 11.02 m
Wingspan : 12.43 m
Height : 4.47 m
Empty weight : 4,536 kg
Max takeoff weight : 7,938 kg
Powerplant : 1 × East Hartford R-2800-59 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,500 kW
Propellers : 4-bladed Parsippany C542S constant-speed propeller, 3.96 m diameter

Performance
Maximum speed : 686 km/h at 9,100 m
Range : 1,660 km
Service ceiling : 13,000 m

Armament
8 x 12.7 mm MG-12-Br2 machine guns (3400 rounds)
Single hardpoint capable of carrying up to 1,000 kg of bombs
10 x 130 mm HVAR unguided rockets

Variants:
XF-35 : Initial prototype version built for Project 3.114F. Featured a liquid cooled Inline engine, 2x nose-mounted MG-12-Br2 Machine Guns

YF-35 : Production prototype version, built in 1940 in response to the Project 3.114F-2 Specifications. Replaced the inline engine with a 1462 kW Parsippany R-2800 Double Wasp Radial Engine and the wing was redesigned to an elliptical design. Armament increased to 8 MG-12-Br2 machine guns.

F-35A : Production version of the YF-35. Engine power was increased to 1492 kW, the hinged cockpit was changed to a sliding design, control surfaces were replaced with all-metal ones, and additional cowl flaps.

F-35B : Last of the razorback variants. Featured a paddle-bladed propeller for better climb performance, a revised antenna, new radios, extra cockpit armor, and changes to the turbosupercharger exhaust system.

F-35C : First F-35 to use a bubble canopy for greater pilot visibility. R-2800-57 engine rated at 2060 kW WEP.

Re-7/F-35M: Further development to utilize the larger R-4360 “Wasp Major” radial, nominatively camouflaged as an F-35 variant to conceal intelligence penetration of the German jet program. Armed with 4 x MG-20-A4 cannons.

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A Long Range Protector - The F-41 Guardian

F-41A in VVS service, c. 1941. ​

At the beginning of the Great Revolutionary War, the WFRAAF’s strategy for bombing was to depend upon heavily armed “porcupine” bombers that were capable of defending themselves. Under this strategy, the need for a fighter escort was considered unnecessary compared to heavily armed bombers. By the middle of 1940, however, the need for a long range high altitude fighter had quickly become apparent.

Due to the demand for radial engines from the B-19, C-39, A-14 — and later on the B-23 projects though, it was made a requirement that the new aircraft use a liquid-cooled inline engine.

With the wartime production lines running in full, the YF-41’s design team took the opportunity to use some newer scientific methods to ease production. Lead designer Edgar Schmued would take the opportunity to work with the People’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Aeronautics to design the aircraft around the use of laminar flow airfoils, which would reduce drag at high speeds.

Initial test flights with the Allison V-1710 engine’s single-stage supercharger proved disappointing and the plane was found to struggle at high altitudes.

The decision was made then to reengine the aircraft with a turbosupercharger that would give it the necessary high altitude performance.

The F-41 differed from the Belladonna in that it was a taildragger that placed the engine in front of the pilot, making for a more “traditional” fighter plane design than the ‘donna.

But once the turbosupercharger was added to it, the YF-41 became a powerhouse at high altitudes, capable of maneuvering at all altitudes and with the addition of drop tanks, fully capable of escorting B-19 and B-23 bombers to their targets and back.

Further improvements would be made in 1942 with the B and C models adding a bubble canopy for increased pilot visibility in addition to engine upgrades to gain more power.

By the war’s end, the F-41 Guardian would be one of the most produced fighter aircraft in the UASR.

F-41 “Guardian” (Na-73x)
Role : Single engine escort fighter
National origin : UASR
Designer : Red Star Aviation Design Bureau
First flight : 6 February 1941
Introduced : 1941
Primary users : UASR, Soviet Union
Produced : 1941-1946
Number built : 21,505
AFS Reporting Name : Foil

Specifications
Crew : 1
Length : 9.83 m
Wingspan : 11 m
Height : 4.077 m tail wheel on ground, vertical propeller blade
Wing area : 21.8 m2​
Empty weight : 3,463 kg
Gross weight : 4,173 kg
Max takeoff weight : 5,488 kg
Fuel capacity : 1,020 l
Powerplant : 1 × Allison V-1710 V-12 liquid-cooled turbo-supercharged piston engine, 1,200 kW
Propellers : 4-bladed constant-speed, variable-pitch, 3.40 m diameter

Performance
Maximum speed : 710 km/h
Cruise speed : 583 km/h
Stall speed : 160 km/h
Range : 2,660 km with external tanks
Service ceiling : 12,800 m
Rate of climb : 16 m/s
Lift-to-drag : 14.6
Wing loading : 1.86 kPa
Power/mass : 300 W/kg
Recommended Mach limit : 0.8

Armament
Guns : 6 × 12.7mm MG-12-Br2 machine guns with 1,840 total rounds (380 rounds for each on the inboard pair and 270 rounds for each of the outer two pair)
Rockets : 6 or 10 × 130 mm T64 HVAR unguided rockets
Bombs : 1 × 50 kg or 100 kg bomb or 250 kg bomb on hardpoint under each wing

Variants :

XF-41 : Initial test version. Featured a liquid cooled Allison V-1710 engine with a single stage supercharger. 1 built

YF-41 : Production prototype version, with the V-1710 re-engined with a turbosupercharger. 6 built.

F-41A : Initial mass production variant. Armed with six 12.7mm MG-12-Br2 machine guns. 2,463 built.

F-41B : Improved version of the F-41A, with a bubble canopy for improved pilot vision. 9,654 built.

F-41C : Weight-reduced version of the B model. 6,148 built.

F-41D : Licensed version of the F-41 built by Soviet Aviation Factory 18 in Voronezh. Modifications include the use of an Mikulin AM-38F liquid-cooled V12 engine, replacements of the MG-12-Br2 machine guns with 12.7×108mm Berezin UBT machine guns. 2,187 built

RF-41 : Photo-reconnaissance version of the F-41B. 100 built.

TF-41B : Two seat trainer version of the F-41B. 33 built.

Lend Lease Variants:

Mustang I : Lend-lease version of the F-41B. 600 built.

Mustang II : Lend-lease version of the F-41C. 313 built.

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[7] and [8] IOTL these names were given to the Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik. *[WPA]: Works Progress Administration *[NBI]: National Bureau of Investigation