As with aviation in world war i, military investment during world war ii drove aviation forward in leaps and bounds. Fifty years later, he revisited the site at kingman, where, of course, there is no evidence of and stored military aircraft, although there are some stored airliners there today. It was developed as a larger, improved 14bed sleeper version of the douglas dc2. Victor and vanquished both awaited the smelter in germany after world war ii in this remarkable photo showing remnants of an upended german ju 52 transport at left, with the torn aft fuselage of an american b17g flying fortress in the foreground. The period between 1945 and 1979 is sometimes called the postwar era or the period of the. For security reasons the 1949 figures do not include exports after april on military and cargo aircraft. Pistonfueled military aircraft that appeared in world war i commonly included biplanes constructed of wood frames that topped out at roughly 100 mph 161 kmh. After the war he served three years in the intelligence section of the aaf reserve and three years in. Yet, its planned mass production was refocused when war broke out. I repeat them all here with the hope that someone will eventually be able to provide that missing bit of information that will either confirm or debunk the stories told. The author of this book, william larkins, is an aviation photographer and historian. There are countless books, dvds and websites about the great aircraft of world war two. However, there were hundreds of aircraft types used between 1939 and 1945, and, inevitably, some were abject. Collectors edition with higher quality coated paper.
The united states alone had manufactured approximately 294,000 aircraft. What happened with german army equipment after wwii. Since it lacked a large cargo door, it was better suited as a vip transport. Near the end of world war ii, the use of pistonpowered military aircraft began giving way to faster and lighter jetpowered aircraft, notably including germanys messerschmitt jet. Percent of earnings as dividends and surplus, eighteen top aircraft. These were 1073 four engined and 4 twin engined bombers. Customers from alaska, hawaii and canada for the best shipping rates, please call 18006538528 to place your orders. Epic militaria specialise in ww2 german, british and american militaria, including wwii uniforms, equipment, boots, helmets, caps, badges and insignia, including military, army surplus and outdoor products. Photo above courtesy julie le bolzer, also published in my book the dakota hunter reflects a good reasoning for the second stage of the magic survival of the gooney bird. Rnzaf maintained rukuhia as a storage depot for surplus ww2 aircraft. United states army in world war ii, and alfred goldbergs.
The scenes at kingman are priceless, and if it wasnt for bills persistence, there would be no photographic record of. Wwii vehicle boneyards were essentially war machine landfills. The world war ii german air force the luftwaffe was a force to be reckoned with. World war ii transport aircraft of the united states. Bills book on surplus aircraft showcases his many great and historically significant images that he shot in the days following world war ii. It was a highly agile, maneuverable and fast aircraft for any military at the time. After world war ii, a few surplus c46 aircraft were briefly used in their originally designated role as passenger airliners, but the glut of surplus c47s dominated the marketplace and the c46 was soon relegated to primarily cargo duty. Right after wwii, there was an urgent need for passenger transport worldwide, the dc3 filled the surge with instant availability in great numbers. Many of the hundreds of blackwhite photos in the book were taken personally by him. Some of them eventually ended up back in the us after long service with th. By 1944 aircraft manufacturing was the largest industry in the country, and piston technology had been exploited nearly to its limits. Shortly after, the aircraft received the designation ta 154, which it would keep for the duration of its existence. Military airplane boneyards and scrapping depots after world war ii. A total of 2 were built with a number having being converted from the me 321 glider.
Longterm military aircraft storage facilities after world war ii. On november 1942, the technical research office continued their support for the project, then known as the ta 211 or the fockewulf night fighter, and urged fockewulf to continue developing the aircraft. Is it true that after ww2 american fighter pilots could. Coastguard, captured incredible photos of an airplane graveyard in kwajalein atoll, containing over 150 allied world war 2 aircraft, lying 30 feet under the pacific ocean near the marshall islands, more specific kwajalein atoll, roinamur. Over 10,000 veterans showed up at the base, with many of them camping out overnight. German aircraft designs were consistently among the most advanced and successful of the war. There are a total of 221 transport aircraft in the military factory. It was a powered variant of the messerschmitt me 321 glider and was the largest transport aircraft of the war. The 1956 aircraft year book aerospace industry association. Almost everyone would recognize the spitfire, p51 mustang, me109 or lancaster. After the war, many french army tank units were equipped with panthers eg.
The list of aircraft of world war ii includes all the aircraft used by those countries which were at war during world war ii from the period between their joining the conflict and the conflict ending for them. Many sites involved in this massive distribution are documented in this book. Selected from my lifetime adventures and encounters with vintage aircraft as dc3 c47, the curtiss commando c46, and the catalina pby5a, i have collected the best stories in my book of 320 pages, engagingly written and illustrated with 250 unique photos. A world war ii transport aircraft of the united states. Luftwaffe and allied air forces discussion forum discussion the second world war in general scrapped planes after. As regards the instructions issued to the ships crews dumping surplus ww2 materiel, vehicles, armaments and aircraft they were told to dump the items in water depth that. The douglas dc3 is a propellerdriven airliner which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s1940s and world war ii. Actually, the american air force sold many of its fighter aircraft, particularly p51 mustangs, to other countries, and they continued in service for decades after the war. After the conflict was over, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civilian market. Militaries need storage containers to store and transport a variety of materials, including documents, ammunition, food, and medical supplies. Wanted to expand on jay bazzinottis excellent post. Cargo planes and trainers were sold off under various programs. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order 1toz.
Wwii fighters disposed of in pacific pprune forums. Aircraft developed but not used operationally in the war are in the prototypes section at the end. See more ideas about ww2 aircraft, aircraft and wwii. Bombing established itself as a major strategic force, and this was also the first war in which the aircraft carrier played a significant role. Military aircraft for sale to civilians military machine.
Interesting facts about the aircraft of world war ii. Tmp what happened to the german equipment after the war. Some of the surplus jeeps, however, made it to the bay area, with a batch of 1,588 vehicles being put up for sale at the benicia arsenal on june 24, 1946. I havent read much of ww2 but this book may start my journey. The soviet union used a similar tactic to bring down german aircraft. The first practical helicopters were developed during world war ii, and many more. There are many stories circulating about military equipment and aircraft being dumped, buried, burnt, scrapped or saved after world war 2.
Eisenhower had an eclectic collection of aircraft at his disposal for a variety of. Likewise there were far more qualified pilots available ensuring massive growth in air travel compared to prewar. Most aircraft carriers in world war ii carried three types of planes. Flag images indicative of country of origin and not. Vw instead began production of light, allterrain passenger cars. The messerschmitt me 323 giant, gigant in german, was a massive german military transport aircraft of world war ii. It is easy to overlook the logistical side of the market be it peacetime or war but both sectors are won and lost by the hauling power of the fixedwing transport. Great savings free delivery collection on many items. However, once peace was assured, the military found itself with a huge surplus of aircraft. Indeed, he is one of the leading authorities on surplus wwii aircraft. Military aircraft played a key role in the united statess victory over enemy forces in world war ii. The curtiss c46 commando is a transport aircraft derived from a commercial highaltitude airliner design. Pages in category world war ii transport aircraft of the united states the following 11 pages are in this category, out of 11 total. Postwwii surplus harleys, cheap transports for willy and their boys.
In the late 30s, ferdinand porsche designed the vw beetle. It was used as a military transport during world war ii by the united states army air forces and also the u. Ww2 aircraft military aircraft navy aircraft aircraft carrier luftwaffe photo avion imperial japanese navy ww2 photos ww2 planes what others are saying this forlorn collection of mitsubishi zero fighters and other redundant planes, abandoned by japan at the end of world war two, offers a fairly typical depiction of the aircraft graveyards that. It takes awhile for the enormity of the surplus at hand at the end of world war ii to be truly grasped. Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily the primary operator. Dumped, buried, burnt, scrapped or saved in australia.
Postwwii surplus harleys, cheap transports for willy and. The aerospace industry since world war ii, then, is the story of an increasingly capitalintensive business whose manufacturing function has steadily declined, and its product cost has risen so high that it has almost priced itself out of its market. Thats why they love our extensive inventory of ww2 collectables, memorabilia, antiques and militaria. The jetmakers the aerospace industry since world war.
The book begins by discussing the governments problem of disposing of surplus property in. The me 323 giant the biggest transport aircraft of wwii. Epic militaria is uk based, but we ship to the usa, europe and worldwide. It was the worlds only jet airliner in operation between 1956 and 1958 after which the.
Since militarygrade items are typically known for their durability and nononsense functionality, surplus military storage containers are highly sought after for civilian use and can be repurposed in a. Prototypes for aircraft that entered service under a different design number are. The japanese used a tactic called kamikaze where they would purposely crash a plane into an enemy ship to sink it. Longterm military aircraft storage facilities after world. There are a total of 71 ww2 transport aircraft 19391945 in the military factory. This category has the following 6 subcategories, out of 6 total. When world war ii drew to a close in 1945, the allies had a massive surplus of military vehicles on their hands. The united states disposed of millions of dollars worth of surplus military equipment and this book gives the reader the total overall picture of the distribution of world war ii.
Army air forces leaders were painfully aware how surplus aircraft left over from world war i had stifled congressional interest in budgeting for new developments then. The united states alone had manufactured approximately 294,000 aircraft for the war. Aviation comes of age the aerospace companies of the united states grew to maturity during the second world war. Aircraft boneyards, surplus airplane sales depots, and scrapping. Airplanes also played an important role in the war at sea through the use of aircraft carriers. This book is about procurement in the broadest sense of the word. The british decided to employ it as an advanced training aircraft soon after ordering the first six test aircraft. Of all the nations, germany was the first to begin to make significant use of jet aircraft, although these nevertheless came too late in the war and in insufficient quantity to have a decisive effect on the course of the air war. Airlines procured a number of transport planes, primarily dc3 and c54 aircraft, for building up. Oth588 lisunov li2 soviet ww2 military transport aircraft, longrange bomber and paratroop transport story hard cover book by mikhail maslov author, eksmo publ. Book awards book club selections books by author books by series coming soon kids books new releases teens books this months biggest new releases. Buy collectable wwii military books and get the best deals at the lowest prices on ebay. Brandi mueller, a merchant mariner licensed by the u. Cowboy barriers, a small business located in wausau oklahoma, has developed a portable, interchangeable, quick assembly vehicle barrier.
Army air forces leaders were painfully aware how surplus aircraft left. The gnat could climb at 10,000 feetperminute and roll at more than 360 degrees per second. Each combat aircraft book concentrates on one of the greatest. World war 2 proved the logistical value of the dedicated transport aircraft to an unprecedented degree. Following the war, estimates of the number of excess surplus airplanes ran as.
World war ii collectibles are highly sought after by military collectors and historical reenactors. My father witnessed the disposal of aircraft at sea after the war, north east of brisbane. Military surplus containers military storage containers. Kids learn about aircraft carriers in ww2 including how planes took off and landed, how big they were, the type of aircraft on the carriers, and why they were so important. The photo below shows wlas in one small part of a huge military vehi cle dump at mourmelonlegrand. As supreme allied commander in europe during world war ii, gen. His photos, and the stories of what he had to do to get the photos, make for good reading.
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