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The Bristol Blenheim was a twin-engined three-seat all-metal structured bomber and long range reconnaissance aircraft. When it first saw service in 1937; the Blenheim had the enviable position of a bomber faster than any figher. It had the drawbacks of its qualities too (insufficient defensive armament and paylaod). When the war started two and a half years later, its speed advantage had evaporated while its weaknesses were still there. It remained in production until 1943 though, until its missions were taken over by the Mosquito and the Boston. The Blenheim IV appeared two years after the Blenheim I, tried to remedy the drawbacks deteteced on its predecessor: more powerful and more armament
The Messerschmitt Bf.109, which served as the Luftwaffe's standard single-seat fighter from 1936 to the war's end, was the one of the greatest combat aircraft of the Second World War.  First appearing in 1935, it was the forerunner of all fighters that followed, completely outclassing every opponent it encountered.  The Bf.109 was not an easy plane to fly however, due to its weak landing gear and high wing loading.  With a great capacity for progressive development, its engine power, firepower and armor continued to increase through various models.  Later models were considerably heavier and less maneuverable than the earlier model, but were still renowned as very capable fighter planes.
Hurricane - see british cardpack.  The Defiant was an attempt to use an hydraulic turret on a classical fighter. The project started in 1933 and resulted in the first flight of a prototype in August of 1937. Despite the weight of the turret and the second crew member, the fighter retained much of its performances. The Defiant saw combat for the first time on May 12, 1940, above Belgium. Victories and defeats followed each others in quick successions but the losses were too heavy and the Defiant was clearly not the equal of a single seat figher. It started a career as a night fighter, probably less glamorous but where it proved valuable. It served not only in Britain but also in the Middle and Far East
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The long and thin fuselage of the Dornier Do 17 earned it the nickname "flying pencil". Launched as a civilian fast mail/passenger transport plane, it was rejected because of the insufficient available commercial space. The new born Luftwaffe in contrast took over the project to make a bomber out of it. In the Spanish skies, the Dornier 17 had the comfortable position of a bomber and reconnaissance plane faster than the interceptors of the opposite side. At the start of World War II, it had become too slow and carried an insufficient bomb load. The Do 17 was reliable and easy to maintain with adequate perfomance but the bomb-load, and defensive armament was inadequate.
Entering service in 1937, the Hurricane was the first monoplane fighter of the Royal Air Force.  It was also the first to be armed with 8 machine-guns, and the first to exceed 300 mph in level flight.  It is best remembered for its actions in the "Battle of Britain", where it shot down more enemy aircraft than any other fighter involved.  Although it was outclassed by its opponents in a straight dogfight, it remained in RAF service in various roles throughout the war.
The Spitfire, most often remembered for its role in the "Battle of Britain", entered the British service during the dark and early days of WWII.  With its elegant line, remarkable performance, and by its very name, it was the symbol of the nation's defense.  It had superb maneuverability, excellent handling quality, and was described by the pilots who flew it as "aeroplane par excellence, airplane of one's dreams."  The Spitfire was originally designed as a lightweight, short-range defensive interceptor, yet remained as the RAF's main front-line fighter throughout the war.
Entering service in 1937, the Hurricane was the first monoplane fighter of the Royal Air Force.  It was also the first to be armed with 8 machine-guns, and the first to exceed 300 mph in level flight.  It is best remembered for its actions in the "Battle of Britain", where it shot down more enemy aircraft than any other fighter involved.  Although it was outclassed by its opponents in a straight dogfight, it remained in RAF service in various roles throughout the war.
Entering service in 1937, the Hurricane was the first monoplane fighter of the Royal Air Force.  It was also the first to be armed with 8 machine-guns, and the first to exceed 300 mph in level flight.  It is best remembered for its actions in the "Battle of Britain", where it shot down more enemy aircraft than any other fighter involved.  Although it was outclassed by its opponents in a straight dogfight, it remained in RAF service in various roles throughout the war.
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The Messerschmitt Bf.109, which served as the Luftwaffe's standard single-seat fighter from 1936 to the war's end, was the one of the greatest combat aircraft of the Second World War.  First appearing in 1935, it was the forerunner of all fighters that followed, completely outclassing every opponent it encountered.  The Bf.109 was not an easy plane to fly however, due to its weak landing gear and high wing loading.  With a great capacity for progressive development, its engine power, firepower and armor continued to increase through various models.  Later models were considerably heavier and less maneuverable than the earlier model, but were still renowned as very capable fighter planes.
The Messerschmitt Bf.110 Zerstorer (Destroyer) was designed as a strategic long-range fighter - a heavy fighter capable of escorting bombers to their target and back.  However, it was soon found to be ineffective at its intended role; it was too heavy and not maneuverable enough to compete with the single-engine fighters in combat.  The Bf.110 came to its own as a Pulk-Zerstorer (Formation-Destroyer) when employed against the large American day-bomber formations. 
The long and thin fuselage of the Dornier Do 17 earned it the nickname "flying pencil". Launched as a civilian fast mail/passenger transport plane, it was rejected because of the insufficient available commercial space. The new born Luftwaffe in contrast took over the project to make a bomber out of it. In the Spanish skies, the Dornier 17 had the comfortable position of a bomber and reconnaissance plane faster than the interceptors of the opposite side. At the start of World War II, it had become too slow and carried an insufficient bomb load. The Do 17 was reliable and easy to maintain with adequate perfomance but the bomb-load, and defensive armament was inadequate.
The Messerschmitt Bf.109, which served as the Luftwaffe's standard single-seat fighter from 1936 to the war's end, was the one of the greatest combat aircraft of the Second World War.  First appearing in 1935, it was the forerunner of all fighters that followed, completely outclassing every opponent it encountered.  The Bf.109 was not an easy plane to fly however, due to its weak landing gear and high wing loading.  With a great capacity for progressive development, its engine power, firepower and armor continued to increase through various models.  Later models were considerably heavier and less maneuverable than the earlier model, but were still renowned as very capable fighter planes.
The Messerschmitt Bf.110 Zerstorer (Destroyer) was designed as a strategic long-range fighter - a heavy fighter capable of escorting bombers to their target and back.  However, it was soon found to be ineffective at its intended role; it was too heavy and not maneuverable enough to compete with the single-engine fighters in combat.  The Bf.110 came to its own as a Pulk-Zerstorer (Formation-Destroyer) when employed against the large American day-bomber formations. 
The Junkers Ju.88, originally designed as a fast medium bomber, was the most versatile of the Luftwaffe aircraft; it was used as a reconnaissance plane, a dive-bomber, a close support plane, a torpedo bomber, a heavy fighter, and a night fighter.  The Ju.88 came to be known as the most important bomber in the Luftwaffe arsenal. First version was the Ju 88A. Numerous variants would be built of this version, which remained the usual one during the years of the Blitzkrieg and started to be superseded only after 1942. Although it did not earn the same fame as the Stuka, it is stronger and could operate even in face of a strong opposition. It proved that during the Battle of Britain, albeit with high losses.
The Junkers Ju.87 Stuka achieved its fame during the first year of the war, when the Luftwaffe used it for deadly effect during the Blitzkrieg.  They were vulnerable to the enemy fighters due to their slow speed and lack of maneuverability, and suffered heavy losses during the "Battle of Britain" at the hands of the RAF fighters.
The twin-engine Heinkel He.111, which started out as a fast commercial transport, was the backbone of the Luftwaffe bomber units at the outbreak of the war.  Despite its light defensive armament, the He.111 continued to serve on all fronts for the entire war, with one variant even modified to launch the V-1 from the air.
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Wingspan :
Length :
Height :
Wing Area :
Engine :
Fuel :
Loaded Weight :
Wing Loading :
Maximum Speed :
Service Ceiling :
Rate of Climb :
Combat Radius :
Armaments :
Bristol Blenheim Mk I
17.17 m
12.11 m
2.98 m 
43.57 sq. m 
Bristol or Tampella Mercury VIII 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engines/De Havilland or Hamilton Standard metallic or VLS 8000 laminated wooden: 920 hp 
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4,140 kg/6,960 kg
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435 kph at 4,150 m; 379 kph at 0 m
1,000 m - 1 min 26 sec; 3,000 m - 4 min 51 sec; 5,000 m - 9 min 52 sec/9,200 m 
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4 h 
1 left wing mounted 7.7 mm Browning or Vickers MG, a 7.7 mm Lewis, Vickers or Browning MG fitted into the dorsal turret; and 600 to 1000 kg bomb load
Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
17.17 m
12.98 m
3.05 m 
43.57 sq. m 
Bristol or Tampella Mercury XV 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engines/De Havilland or Hamilton Standard metallic or VLS 8000 laminated wooden: 920 hp 
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4,175 kg/6,600 kg 
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450 kph at 5,000 m; 380 kph at 0 m 
1,000 m - 1 min 26 sec; 3,000 m - 4 min 51 sec; 5,000 m - 9 min 52 sec/9,200 m 
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4 h 
2 wing mounted 7.7 mm Browning or Vickers MG, a 7.7 mm Lewis, Vickers or Browning MG fitted into the dorsal turret; and 600 to 1000 kg bomb load
Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4
32 ft 4 in
28 ft 4 in
11 ft 2 in
174 sq. ft
Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
106 gal.
5,520 lb.
32 lb./sq. ft
354 mph
36,100 ft
3,280 ft/min
125 miles
2 x 20mm MG-FF cannons , 2 x 7.92mm MG-17 machine-guns
Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4/B
32 ft 4 in
28 ft 4 in
11 ft 2 in
174 sq. ft
Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
106 gal.
5,520 lb.
32 lb./sq. ft
354 mph
36,100 ft
3,280 ft/min
125 miles
2 x 20mm MG-FF cannons , 2 x 7.92mm MG-17 machine-guns, 250 kg bomb
Hawker Hurricane I
49 ft 0 in
31 ft 5 in
13 ft 2 in
258 sq. ft
Rolls-Royce Merlin III rated at 1,030 hp
110 gal. internal
6,600 lb.
26 lb./sq. ft
316 mph
33,200 ft
2,300 ft/min
140 miles
8 x .303 cal. Browning machine-guns
Bolton Paul 'Defiant' II
11.99 meters
10.77 meters
3.45 meters
23.23 sq m.
Rolls Royce Merlin XX
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empty: 2 849 kg, loaded: 3 821 kg
164 kg/sq m
504 kph
9 250 meters
579 m/min.
748 km
4 x .303" Browning M2 machine guns in turret
 
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Dornier Do 17 Z 
18.00 m/55.00 sq. m 
15.80 m
4.60 m 
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2 x BMW Bramo 323 P-1 Fafnir 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engines 1,000 hp 
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5,235 kg/8,600 kg 
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410 kph at 5,000 m 
3,000 m - 8 min 40 sec; 5,000 m - 15 min 30 sec/6,900 m 
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5-8 h 
6-8 7.92 mm MG 15 or MG 81 MGs in the cockpit and 1 20 mm Cannon in the nose and racks for 20x50 kg bombs in the belly totalling 500-1,000 kg bomb load
Hawker Hurricane I
49 ft 0 in
31 ft 5 in
13 ft 2 in
258 sq. ft
Rolls-Royce Merlin III rated at 1,030 hp
110 gal. internal
6,600 lb.
26 lb./sq. ft
316 mph
33,200 ft
2,300 ft/min
140 miles
8 x .303 cal. Browning machine-guns
Supermarine Spitfire IA
36 ft 10 in
29 ft 11 in
11 ft 5 in
242 sq. ft
Rolls-Royce Merlin II rated at 1,030 hp
102 gal. internal
5,784 lb.
24 lb./sq. ft
355 mph
34,000 ft
2,500 ft/min
190 miles
8 x .303 cal. Browning machine-guns
Supermarine Spitfire IA
36 ft 10 in
29 ft 11 in
11 ft 5 in
242 sq. ft
Rolls-Royce Merlin II rated at 1,030 hp
102 gal. internal
5,784 lb.
24 lb./sq. ft
355 mph
34,000 ft
2,500 ft/min
190 miles
8 x .303 cal. Browning machine-guns
Supermarine Spitfire IA
36 ft 10 in
29 ft 11 in
11 ft 5 in
242 sq. ft
Rolls-Royce Merlin II rated at 1,030 hp
102 gal. internal
5,784 lb.
24 lb./sq. ft
355 mph
34,000 ft
2,500 ft/min
190 miles
8 x .303 cal. Browning machine-guns
Hawker Hurricane I
49 ft 0 in
31 ft 5 in
13 ft 2 in
258 sq. ft
Rolls-Royce Merlin III rated at 1,030 hp
110 gal. internal
6,600 lb.
26 lb./sq. ft
316 mph
33,200 ft
2,300 ft/min
140 miles
8 x .303 cal. Browning machine-guns
Hawker Hurricane I
49 ft 0 in
31 ft 5 in
13 ft 2 in
258 sq. ft
Rolls-Royce Merlin III rated at 1,030 hp
110 gal. internal
6,600 lb.
26 lb./sq. ft
316 mph
33,200 ft
2,300 ft/min
140 miles
8 x .303 cal. Browning machine-guns
 
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Messerschmitt Bf.109E-3 
9.87 meters
8.65 meters
2.50 meters
16.40 sq m.
Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
106 gal.
empty: 2 125 kg, loaded: 2 665 kg
163 kg/sq m
560 kph
10 500 meters
1000 m/min.
660 km 
3 x 20 mm MG FF guns, 2 x MG 17 machine guns
Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4
9.87 meters
8.65 meters
2.50 meters
16.40 sq m.
Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
106 gal.
empty: 2 125 kg, loaded: 2 665 kg
163 kg/sq m
560 kph
10 500 meters
1000 m/min.
660 km 
2 x 20 mm MG FF guns, 2 x MG 17 machine guns
Messerschmitt Bf.109E-3 
9.87 meters
8.65 meters
2.50 meters
16.40 sq m.
Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
106 gal.
empty: 2 125 kg, loaded: 2 665 kg
163 kg/sq m
560 kph
10 500 meters
1000 m/min.
660 km 
3 x 20 mm MG FF guns, 2 x MG 17 machine guns 
Messerschmitt Bf.110C-4
53 ft 5 in
39 ft 9 in
11 ft 6 in
413 sq. ft
2 x Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
335 gal. internal
14,884 lb.
36 lb./sq. ft
349 mph
32,800 ft
2,200 ft/min
180 miles
2 x 20mm MG-FF cannons, 4 x 7.92mm MG-17 machine-guns, plus 1 x 7.92mm MG-15 machine-gun in rear cockpit
Messerschmitt Bf.110C-4
53 ft 5 in
39 ft 9 in
11 ft 6 in
413 sq. ft
2 x Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
335 gal. internal
14,884 lb.
36 lb./sq. ft
349 mph
32,800 ft
2,200 ft/min
180 miles
2 x 20mm MG-FF cannons, 4 x 7.92mm MG-17 machine-guns, plus 1 x 7.92mm MG-15 machine-gun in rear cockpit
Dornier Do 17 Z 
18.00 m/55.00 sq. m 
15.80 m
4.60 m 
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2 x BMW Bramo 323 P-1 Fafnir 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engines 1,000 hp 
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5,235 kg/8,600 kg 
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410 kph at 5,000 m 
3,000 m - 8 min 40 sec; 5,000 m - 15 min 30 sec/6,900 m 
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5-8 h 
6-8 7.92 mm MG 15 or MG 81 MGs in the cockpit and 1 20 mm Cannon in the nose and racks for 20x50 kg bombs in the belly totalling 500-1,000 kg bomb load
Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4
32 ft 4 in
28 ft 4 in
11 ft 2 in
174 sq. ft
Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
106 gal.
5,520 lb.
32 lb./sq. ft
354 mph
36,100 ft
3,280 ft/min
125 miles
2 x 20mm MG-FF cannons , 2 x 7.92mm MG-17 machine-guns
Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4
32 ft 4 in
28 ft 4 in
11 ft 2 in
174 sq. ft
Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
106 gal.
5,520 lb.
32 lb./sq. ft
354 mph
36,100 ft
3,280 ft/min
125 miles
2 x 20mm MG-FF cannons , 2 x 7.92mm MG-17 machine-guns
Messerschmitt Bf.110C-4
53 ft 5 in
39 ft 9 in
11 ft 6 in
413 sq. ft
2 x Daimler-Benz DB601A rated at 1,100 hp
335 gal. internal
14,884 lb.
36 lb./sq. ft
349 mph
32,800 ft
2,200 ft/min
180 miles
2 x 20mm MG-FF cannons, 4 x 7.92mm MG-17 machine-guns, plus 1 x 7.92mm MG-15 machine-gun in rear cockpit
Junkers Ju.88A-4
60 ft 3 in
47 ft 1 in
17 ft 6 in
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2 x Junkers Jumo 211B rated 1,200 hp 
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22,840 lb.
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280 mph
26,200 ft
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520 miles
4,000 lb. of bombs, 5 x 7.92mm machine-guns
Junkers Ju.88A-4
60 ft 3 in
47 ft 1 in
17 ft 6 in
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2 x Junkers Jumo 211B rated 1,200 hp 
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22,840 lb.
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280 mph
26,200 ft
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520 miles
4,000 lb. of bombs, 5 x 7.92mm machine-guns
Junkers Ju.87B-2 Stuka
45 ft 3 in
36 ft 5 in
13 ft 2 in
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Junkers Jumo 211D rated 1,200 hp 
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9,560 lb.
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238 mph
26,250 ft
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245 miles
2,000 lb. of bombs, 2 x 7.9mm MG-17 machine-guns, 1 x 7.9mm MG-15 machine-gun in rear cockpit
Heinkel He.111H-2
74 ft 1 in
53 ft 9 in
13 ft 1 in
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2 x Junkers Jumo 211A-3 rated 1,100 hp 
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30,860 lb.
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252 mph
26,300 ft
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640 miles
4,000 lb. of bombs, 6 x 7.92mm machine-guns
 
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