Emergency fighter
Encyclopedia
An emergency fighter is an aircraft
designed or adapted for use as a fighter
during an emergency period in war. While useful as a broad concept or definition, it is not easy to make the category of emergency fighter clear cut, as many aircraft designs are produced under pressure in wartime, and aircraft which were hastily adapted for use as fighters may then go on to have a mainstream career.
in World War II
, resulting in the design of the Commonwealth Boomerang.
An emergency fighter may also have been produced to meet a need for a particular sort of fighter aircraft. For instance, Britain’s RAF used hastily converted Bristol Blenheim
light bomber
s as twin engined heavy fighters. A materials shortage arising in the course of conflict may have led to experiments with new kinds of fighters, like the Finnish
VL Humu
, which was based on the American
Brewster F2A, but with a higher proportion of wood in its construction.
Emergency fighters were also designed to a tight time scale in a crisis situation, in the hope that a new aircraft might be able to change a nation’s fortunes. Most famous of these was undoubtedly the Heinkel He 162
jet aircraft of Germany
.
Many examples of the emergency fighter concept date from the Second World War. In that global conflict, situations of strategic national emergency arose in several nations due to total war. At the same time, fighter design was still sufficiently simple that an aircraft designed and produced in a matter of months had some chance of being effective.
and general purpose military aircraft were used to intercept a Japanese raid on Rabaul
, with disastrous effects when all the defenders were shot down. Some Russia
n Sukhoi Su-2
light bombers were used as fighters during the opening days of Operation Barbarossa
when nothing else was available.
To meet the challenge posed by a shortage of strategic materials like the light alloys used in aircraft construction, several prototype emergency fighters were designed to use more readily available materials. For example, the British Martin-Baker MB 2
used a simple design made from steel tubes, while the VL Myrsky
used much plywood
. However, less strategically important materials like steel or wood tended to affect the performance of the aircraft adversely.
light bomber lacked performance in its intended role as a heavy day fighter
, but found a useful niche as a strike fighter
in Coastal Command and as a night fighter
, pioneering the use of airborne intercept
radar
; the Russian Ilyushin Il-2
was occasionally used to escort other Shturmoviks on ground attack missions; and 26 British Miles Master
s were produced, but never used, as the M.24 Master fighter with a single seat and six wing guns.
entered mass production and even squadron service, shooting down some opponents, but its effectiveness was limited by a dire shortage of fuel in the collapsing Reich.
Other designs which did not enter service included the British Miles M.20
, which had a similar performance to the contemporary Hawker Hurricane
; and the American Bell XP-77.
France
Germany
In the final years of the war, Nazi Germany
produced a wide array of radical aircraft concepts. Some of these did not progress beyond initial design stages. An emergency fighter competition was also launched to develop jet aircraft with great performance advantages over Allied aircraft.
Japan
Sweden
Neutral Sweden built up its airforce during World War II, in an effort to deter potential aggressors. It was difficult to obtain foreign built aircraft, so new designs were built locally.
United Kingdom
The crisis point for the British RAF came at the Battle of Britain, and British use of emergency fighters centres on this time.
Time Scale: Even though emergency fighters were produced to a tight time scale (the He 162 flew within 5 months of design work beginning), by the time they were ready for combat, events had usually moved on. Either the crisis had passed (as with the Miles M.20 which first flew as the Battle of Britain
was being won), or it had deepened so far that rescue was impossible (as occurred with the Bachem Ba 349).
Performance: Conversions from existing aircraft were usually inadequate as frontline fighters, although some like the Bristol Blenheim IF found useful employment elsewhere. Likewise emergency fighters which used non-strategic materials usually suffered in performance, although they could be used for other roles, like the VL Myrsky which was used for reconnaissance
Sometimes the rush into production meant that the emergency fighter was positively dangerous to all but the best pilots, like the He 162.
Overall therefore it can be seen that the lack of operational effectiveness of emergency fighters stemmed from the inherent limitations of the concept.
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
designed or adapted for use as a fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
during an emergency period in war. While useful as a broad concept or definition, it is not easy to make the category of emergency fighter clear cut, as many aircraft designs are produced under pressure in wartime, and aircraft which were hastily adapted for use as fighters may then go on to have a mainstream career.
The context
The crisis which gives rise to an emergency fighter may have been the sudden outbreak of war, which resulted in a country lacking sufficient fighter aircraft. This was the case for Australia at the beginning of the Pacific WarPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, resulting in the design of the Commonwealth Boomerang.
An emergency fighter may also have been produced to meet a need for a particular sort of fighter aircraft. For instance, Britain’s RAF used hastily converted Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
light bomber
Light bomber
A light bomber is a relatively small and fast class of military bomber aircraft which were primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance....
s as twin engined heavy fighters. A materials shortage arising in the course of conflict may have led to experiments with new kinds of fighters, like the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
VL Humu
VL Humu
VL Humu was a Finnish fighter aircraft, designed by the State Aircraft Factory in 1944. The Humu was based on the American Brewster F2A design...
, which was based on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Brewster F2A, but with a higher proportion of wood in its construction.
Emergency fighters were also designed to a tight time scale in a crisis situation, in the hope that a new aircraft might be able to change a nation’s fortunes. Most famous of these was undoubtedly the Heinkel He 162
Heinkel He 162
The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger was a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Designed and built quickly, and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft, the He 162 was nevertheless the fastest of...
jet aircraft of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Many examples of the emergency fighter concept date from the Second World War. In that global conflict, situations of strategic national emergency arose in several nations due to total war. At the same time, fighter design was still sufficiently simple that an aircraft designed and produced in a matter of months had some chance of being effective.
Types of solution
Some emergency fighters were aircraft designed for other purposes but pressed into service to meet an immediate need. In early 1942 eight Australian Wirraway trainerTrainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
and general purpose military aircraft were used to intercept a Japanese raid on Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, with disastrous effects when all the defenders were shot down. Some Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Sukhoi Su-2
Sukhoi Su-2
-External links:***-Related content:*List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS...
light bombers were used as fighters during the opening days of Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
when nothing else was available.
To meet the challenge posed by a shortage of strategic materials like the light alloys used in aircraft construction, several prototype emergency fighters were designed to use more readily available materials. For example, the British Martin-Baker MB 2
Martin-Baker MB 2
|-References:NotesBibliography* Bowyer, Michael J.F. Interceptor Fighters for the Royal Air Force, 1935-45. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1984. ISBN 0-85059-726-9....
used a simple design made from steel tubes, while the VL Myrsky
VL Myrsky
-Bibliography:* Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume One. London: Macdonald & Co. Ltd., 1960. ISBN 0-356-01445-2....
used much plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
. However, less strategically important materials like steel or wood tended to affect the performance of the aircraft adversely.
Adaptation of existing aircraft
The advantage of adapting existing aircraft was that the emergency fighter could be produced quickly. A variety of aircraft types were used: the Bristol BlenheimBristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
light bomber lacked performance in its intended role as a heavy day fighter
Day fighter
A day fighter is a fighter aircraft equipped only to fight during the day. More specifically, it refers to a multi-purpose aircraft that does not include equipment for fighting at night , although it is sometimes used to refer to some interceptors as well.Examples of planes that were classified as...
, but found a useful niche as a strike fighter
Strike fighter
In a current military parlance, a strike fighter is a multi-role combat aircraft designed to operate primarily in the air-to-surface attack role while also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. As a category, it is distinct from fighter-bombers...
in Coastal Command and as a night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
, pioneering the use of airborne intercept
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
; the Russian Ilyushin Il-2
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
was occasionally used to escort other Shturmoviks on ground attack missions; and 26 British Miles Master
Miles Master
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter and Don Lambert Brown. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0....
s were produced, but never used, as the M.24 Master fighter with a single seat and six wing guns.
New designs
Very few new emergency fighter designs progressed beyond the prototype stage. Of those that did, the Commonwealth Boomerang was probably the most successful, but even then it was most effectively used in the ground support role. The Heinkel He 162Heinkel He 162
The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger was a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Designed and built quickly, and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft, the He 162 was nevertheless the fastest of...
entered mass production and even squadron service, shooting down some opponents, but its effectiveness was limited by a dire shortage of fuel in the collapsing Reich.
Other designs which did not enter service included the British Miles M.20
Miles M.20
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter and Don Lambert Brown. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0....
, which had a similar performance to the contemporary Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
; and the American Bell XP-77.
FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- Caudron C.714Caudron C.714-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Belcarz, Bartłomiej. GC 1/145 in France 1940. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2002. ISBN 83-917178-1-X....
Designed as a wooden lightweight fighter to increase fighter numbers without affecting production capacity of other fighters, but ineffective in service
GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
In the final years of the war, Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
produced a wide array of radical aircraft concepts. Some of these did not progress beyond initial design stages. An emergency fighter competition was also launched to develop jet aircraft with great performance advantages over Allied aircraft.
- Bachem Ba 349Bachem Ba 349The Bachem Ba 349 Natter was a World War II German point-defence rocket powered interceptor, which was to be used in a very similar way to a manned surface-to-air missile. After vertical take-off, which eliminated the need for airfields, the majority of the flight to the Allied bombers was to be...
.
- Blohm & Voss BV 40 glider.
- Heinkel He 162Heinkel He 162The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger was a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Designed and built quickly, and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft, the He 162 was nevertheless the fastest of...
JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- Kawasaki Ki-100Kawasaki Ki-100The Kawasaki Ki-100 was a fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. The Japanese Army designation was "Type 5 Fighter"...
Produced as an emergency measure by adapting a Ki-61-II-KAIKawasaki Ki-61The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien was a Japanese World War II fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force...
to carry a radial engine, the Ki-100 emerged as an outstanding fighter.
SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Neutral Sweden built up its airforce during World War II, in an effort to deter potential aggressors. It was difficult to obtain foreign built aircraft, so new designs were built locally.- FFVS J 22FFVS J 22|-See also:-Bibliography:* Andersson, Hans G. SAAB Aircraft since 1937; 2nd revised edition. London: Putnam Aeronautical books, 1997. ISBN 0-85177-886-0...
United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
The crisis point for the British RAF came at the Battle of Britain, and British use of emergency fighters centres on this time.- Boulton Paul P.94 – experimenting with a turretless Boulton Paul DefiantBoulton Paul DefiantThe Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...
- Bristol BlenheimBristol BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
Mk IF and Mk IVF
- Martin-Baker MB 2Martin-Baker MB 2|-References:NotesBibliography* Bowyer, Michael J.F. Interceptor Fighters for the Royal Air Force, 1935-45. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1984. ISBN 0-85059-726-9....
- Miles M.20Miles M.20|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter and Don Lambert Brown. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0....
- Miles M.24 version of Miles MasterMiles Master-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter and Don Lambert Brown. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0....
- Percival Mew GullPercival Mew GullThe Percival Mew Gull was a British racing aircraft of the 1930s. It was a small, single-engine, single-seat, low-wing monoplane of wooden construction, normally powered by a six-cylinder de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine...
racing aircraft, plans to fit pair of machine guns did not proceed
United States of America
The vast manufacturing resources of the USA, and its lack of vulnerability to invasion, meant that emergency fighters were not extensively developed. Only the Bell XP-77 lightweight fighter using non-strategic materials could be considered akin to an emergency fighter.Assessment
Very few emergency fighters entered service, and of those that did, even fewer types achieved effectiveness in operations. Two main factors can be identified for this failure:Time Scale: Even though emergency fighters were produced to a tight time scale (the He 162 flew within 5 months of design work beginning), by the time they were ready for combat, events had usually moved on. Either the crisis had passed (as with the Miles M.20 which first flew as the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
was being won), or it had deepened so far that rescue was impossible (as occurred with the Bachem Ba 349).
Performance: Conversions from existing aircraft were usually inadequate as frontline fighters, although some like the Bristol Blenheim IF found useful employment elsewhere. Likewise emergency fighters which used non-strategic materials usually suffered in performance, although they could be used for other roles, like the VL Myrsky which was used for reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
Sometimes the rush into production meant that the emergency fighter was positively dangerous to all but the best pilots, like the He 162.
Overall therefore it can be seen that the lack of operational effectiveness of emergency fighters stemmed from the inherent limitations of the concept.