The MiG-31 ‘Foxhound’ was developed to counter the threat posed by new low-level strike aircraft and cruise missiles, complementing the Su-27 in service, and using its ultra-long-range capability to fill gaps in Russia’s ground-based radar chain. A two-seat derivative of the MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’ airframe, the ‘Foxhound’ introduced an all-new structure, a new wing planform with small LERXes, Soloviev D-30F-6 turbofans and a new undercarriage. The Ye-155MP prototype flew on 16 September 1975 and series production of 280 MiG-31 s began in 1979. Read more…
MiG-31 Foxhund Fighter 
German Bombers in WW2 German Bombers of the Second World War
Dive Bombers of Luftwaffe 
German Bombers in WW2
German Bombers in WW2
German World War II bombers were first and foremost aggressive weapons, and they reflected the fundamental role of the Luftwaffe: tactical ground support. Therefore these airplanes were designed primarily to fit this task. As such they were successful, but their failure became only too evident when they were required to perform other roles, for example strategic bombing. Read more…
Dive Bombers of Luftwaffe
Dive Bombers of Luftwaffe
Dive bombers, the principal German weapon of aggression, played a vital role in the victorious German campaigns of 1939–1941, as the Blitzkrieg doctrine involved close integration of tactical air power and mechanized army units on the ground. The combination of Panzer mobility and Stuka firepower seemed to be unstoppable, and enabled the German ground force to hold the initiative Read more…
Ground Attack Aircraft in Luftwaffe
Ground Attack Aircraft in Luftwaffe
Ground attack is the use of aircraft to provide close support to troops in the battlefield. The effectiveness of air attack on ground targets, in term of destructiveness and lethality, was considerably less than might be expected from the quantity of firepower that can be mounted on a relatively small aircraft. Read more…
Heinkel He-50 and Arado Ar-81 Dive Bombers
Heinkel He-50 Dive bomber
The Heinkel He-50, intended to be a dive bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, was designed in 1931 originally to meet an order from the Japanese navy. It had a crew of two, pilot and observer/rear gunner. Read more…
Blohm & Voss Ha-137
Blohm & Voss Ha-137 Dive Bomber
The dive bomber Blohm & Voss Ha-137 was designed in 1935 by Richard Vogt, who had been working for a decade with Kawasaki and was looking to return to Germany. The singleseat, low-wing, cantilever monoplane aircraft had a length of 9.46 m (31 ft), a span of 11.15 m (36 ft 7 in) and an empty weight of 1,814 kg (4,000 lbs). Read more…
Henschel Hs-123
The single-seat dive bomber/ground support Henschel Hs-123 was designed in 1933, and entered Luftwaffe service in 1936. Powered by a 880-hp BMW 132 Dc nine-cylinder radial engine, it had a maximum speed of 345 km/h (214 mph) and a range of 850 km (530 miles). The biplane had an empty weight of 1,504 kg (3,316 lbs), a length of 8.3 m (27 ft 4 in), a height of 3.2 m (10 ft 6.5 in) Read more…
