In the early 1940s, Italian fighter aviation had a serious problem on its hands. Its main fighters, the Fiat G.50 and the Macchi C.200, had good maneuverability but were clearly inferior to the newest aircraft in speed, climb rate, and altitude performance. Some of the issues were alleviated by the modernization to “Serie 2” and using licensed copies of the German DB 601 engine. But those were only temporary measures that still didn’t improve them enough to engage targets at high altitudes — altitudes now occupied by strategic bombers. Besides, the Italian fighters were mostly armed with machine guns, and that was another point for improvement.
Every year on the first Sunday in June, Canada celebrates Armed Forces Day. At the start of the First World War, the Canadian Armed forces had just 3,500 men, but by the end of the war with conscription announced, they expanded to 400,000. 24,000 of these took part in battles in Europe. The conscription for the Second World War was even larger, with more than a million Canadians serving and of these, 42,000 died in combat. Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces have just over 90,000 personnel.
The Lockheed brothers, early aviation engineers, developed an interest in flight shortly before the First World War. Allan Lockheed believed that airplanes would soon become the fastest and safest mode of transportation in the world. But within a few decades, the world was already bracing for another global conflict — World War II. Automakers shifted gears to making tanks and armored vehicles, while aviation pioneers began competing to build the most capable military aircraft, the new driving force of 20th-century warfare. Among those caught up in this rapid arms race was Lockheed, though by that time the company was no longer run by its founders. The challenging times compelled the company to enter the defense industry.
Many tank designers have spent a long time trying to combine the best traits of heavy and medium tanks in a single machine. During the Second World War, this idea became extra valuable in the Soviet Union. Vehicles based on the heavy KV showed dubious results, so the Kharkiv design bureau made the decision to try and rework the medium T-34 one more time.
In the uniform line of the Israeli Magach tanks, there’s one model that clearly sticks out. Its design features blocks of unguided rockets welded on top of its turret, resembling pretty silly ears or horns. However, while it does look a bit silly, it’s much more exciting to play. Please welcome: the Magach Hydra!
Not long ago, War Thunder introduced tanks from the First World War. These strange and towering machines don’t resemble anything from the modern era — or even their own descendants. Sure, they might lack the firepower or familiar features like turrets, but make no mistake: they’re still powerful combat vehicles that can hold their own in battle. Today, we’ll show you how.
The Soviet Su-27 fighter became one of the best combat aircraft made by the Sukhoi design bureau. It had an impressive range, a high top speed, a good payload, and modern avionics, all of which allowed it to compete with many other aircraft and even outperform some.
The Spirit of the Tempest event is in full swing right now, and players will soon receive its unique prize: the HF-24 Marut! This jet fighter was developed in the 1960s under the guidance of Kurt Tank, a famous German aviation engineer. It became India’s first domestically produced combat aircraft.