World War II American Aircraft

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Which US fighter had its engine located in the middle of the fuselage, creating instability and a tendency for the plane to spin into the ground? Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Curtis P-40 Tomahawk Bell P-39 Airacobra Lockheed P-38 Lightning

2. Which aerodynamically unstable little fighter was first fighter plane to be used in almost exclusively during the early part of 1942 by US Army Aircorps, Navy, and Marine pilots in the Pacific Theater? The Grumman F4F Wildcat The Curtis P-40 Tomahawk The Brewster F2A-2 Buffalo The Bell P-39 Airacobra

3. What fighter was the choice of Gen. Claire Chennault's AVG in China before the US and Japan went to war? The Chance-Vought F4U Corsair The Curtis P-40 Warhawk The Grumman F4F Wildcat The Brewster F2A-2 Buffalo

4. What was the first American fighter plane to fly from British bases in the European Theater of operations against the Germans? The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Lockheed P-38 Lightning The North American P-51 Mustang The Curtis P-40 Tomahawk

5. Initially, the P-51 suffered from being under-powered at high altitudes. What brand of engine was originally installed in the P-51? Curtis-Allison Straight 12 Republic V-12 Rolls-Royce Merlin Rolls-Royce Victor

6. What was the P-51's "Achilles heel" in combat? The P-51 did not have self-sealing gas tanks. The pilot's seat was unamored. Its radiator was located in the belly. The plane had only four 50-caliber machine guns.

7. Which plane, flown initially by Marine pilots, was the first plane that could match the Japanese Zero in ALMOST every regard, but was more heavily armed and armored? The Grumman F4F Wildcat The Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Grumman F6F Hellcat The Chance-Vought F4U Corsair

8. Which was the heaviest US bomber to fly in the European Theater? The Martin B-26 Marauder The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortess The Consolidated B-24 Liberator The North American B-25 Mitchell

9. What was the first pressurized US heavy bomber used in WWII? The Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Consolodated B-24-F Liberator The Boeing B-17 -G Flying Fortress The North American B-25 Mitchell

10. The P-61 Black Widow was built by what American aircraft manufacturer? Lockheed Northrup North American Republic

11. What popular US fighter was called "The Jug" by those fighter jocks who flew and knew her best? The P-51 Mustang The P-47 Thunderbolt The P-35 Buffalo The P-38 Lightning

12. Why was the Mustang the escort fighter of choice in the ETO? It had two wing-mounted droptanks. It was the fighter with the best dog-fighting specs. It was faster than any other fighter in the air until the Me-262 came on-line. None of these reasons.

13. Which US Navy fighter was the first to match, or exceed, the Japanese Zero-sen in every performance category? The Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Chance-Vought F4U Corsair The Grumman F6F Hellcat The Grumman F4F Wildcat

14. What German fighter was the only airplane that could keep pace with the Mustang in most facets of performance? The Me-262 (Jet) The Me-109 The FW190 The Me-110

15. In what campaign did Marine Corsairs first use napalm canisters against entrenched Japanese troops? Tarawa Saipan Peleliu Iwo Jima

16. What was the name of the B-17 that was the subject of intense press coverage as her 25th mission approached? "Big Beautiful Gal" "San Antonio Rose" "Ready Betty" "Memphis Belle"

17. What prevented the high flying B-29s from hitting their industrial targets in Japanese cities? Bad bombsights Heavy Flak and Fighter Opposition The Jet Stream Constant cloud cover

18. Who was the Commanding General of the bombing squadrons that operated out of Saipan and Tinian? Gen. Arthur "Bomber" Harris Gen. Carl "Tooey" Spatz Gen. Curtis LeMay Gen "Hap" Arnold

19. What tactical change did US bomber command make in the Pacific in the spring of 1945? Switched to low-level carpet bombing, using incendiaries. Had the formations fly lower and slower to improve accuracy. Stripped the guns from the B-29s so that they could carry more bombs. None of these.

20. What type of US fighter was responsible for shooting down Admiral Yamamoto's plane in 1943? The Grumman F4F Wildcat The Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Chance-Vought F4U Corsair The Grumman F6F Hellcat