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Went and saw "The Goose" a couple of months ago.
Here's a shot with a P-40 in front so you can get an idea of the size:

As birds go, the Tall Boy and Grand Slam bombs didn't fly too well. However, you didn't want to be where they landed!

http://www.tecsoc.org/pubs/history/2002/mar14.htm

Eric Maietta

Wasn't the Spruce Goose designed to carry upwards of a company of troops?

Here is a rather futuristic short-range interceptor developed by Japan in August, 1945:

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/IJ ... uj7w1.html

Eric Maietta

There has been many futuristic pictures of planes, but the Swordfish was far from the only biplane of the war. The most "old-fashioned" plane of the war was perhaps the Bristol Bulldog, who saw service in the Finnish Airforce during the Winter war of 39/40.

http://www.dalnet.se/~surfcity/bulldog_finland.htm

And the swastika on the fuselage has nothing to do with the Nazis. It was the personal symbol of the Swedish Count Erich von Rosen who presented the White Army its first airplane, a Thulin (Morane-Saulnier L) Parasol fighter aircraft, to be used against the Reds in the Finnish Civil War.

http://hkkk.fi/~yrjola/war/faf/thulin.html

Don't forget italian CR-32 and CR-42

For a list of all WWII biplanes, check this page
http://www.dalnet.se/~surfcity/biplanes.htm

Russian I-153? The last and the most manouverable biplane in the entire military aviation history. Looked like a hybrid between a SW Camel and an early-war American airplane (a flying barrel).

As for the strangest design, I would go for Go 229, the flying wing.

Strangely enough, quite a many of these planes worked fine (Do 335 was actually rated perhaps the most manouverable and dangerous plane in Luftwaffe, though it never reached the planned production quantities, since Jumo jet engines and Panthers were given full priority since ?January? 1945.)

Actually, today is precisely 63 years from the maiden flight of He-163 Salamander. Think of it.

Here is the Grumman G-34 Skyrocket, first flown in 1938:

Here is the Kugisho Okha 22 'Cherry Blossom':

http://www.nasm.edu/nasm/aero/aircraft/kugisho_okha.htm

Eric Maietta

I think that these "spots" are the most strangest birds of WW2:D...

...and these too:D

The v-1 'buzzbomb' was strange enough, but how about a piloted v-1? (This wasn't a suicide weapon. It was designed to be carried to its target aboard a Luftwaffe bomber. Then it would be dropped and flown at its target, when the pilot would parachute out of the craft before impact. At least that's what was supposed to happen.)

http://home.cinci.rr.com/estople/weirdair/fi103riv.jpg

Eric Maietta

Here is the Northrop XB-35 flying wing bomber:

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research ... /b3-66.htm

Eric Maietta

The Luftwaffe didn't quite have the corner on flying wing experiments durng WW II.

If pre-war prototypes are allowed..how about Moskalev Sam-7 Sigma..from 1936. Pic: http://hep2.physics.arizona.edu/~savin/ ... p105-1.gif
canceled because it was too unconventional...

Originally posted by Taglia
Don't forget italian CR-32 and CR-42

For a list of all WWII biplanes, check this page
http://www.dalnet.se/~surfcity/biplanes.htm

I don't think we can let a biplane related thread go by without mentioning the Gloster Gladiator. A contemporary of (and looking very similar to) the CR-42, this four MG armed bi-plane gained fame over Malta. Three, named 'Faith', 'Hope' and 'Charity' gained the Empire's admiration as they battled the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica.

The first ace on the Gladiator was Capt. John Shui Shen of the AVG over China.

Originally posted by Taglia
Don't forget italian CR-32 and CR-42

For a list of all WWII biplanes, check this page
http://www.dalnet.se/~surfcity/biplanes.htm

I don't think we can let a biplane related thread go by without mentioning the Gloster Gladiator. A contemporary of (and looking very similar to) the CR-42, this four MG armed bi-plane gained fame over Malta. Three, named 'Faith', 'Hope' and 'Charity' gained the Empire's admiration as they battled the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica.

The first ace on the Gladiator was Capt. John Shui Shen of the AVG over China. Most kills i think were made by the Finns in 1939-40.

Why haven´t I found the good old HS 123 on the biplane site?
This planes destroyed whole russian tankbrigades with the noise they made!

Because that web-page's title is Biplane *Fighters*

Hmmm, well, seems absolute possible to me!

Does the V-1 rocket count as a 'Bird' of WW2?

Anyways, its a pretty wierd looking rocket if you think about it, looks like it has a spoiler of a car hehehe