Aircraft PicturesDiscuss Turkish Air Force in the World War II - Aviation forums; The airplane production at Pfalz Flugzeurwerke goes back to 1913. In those days the Bavarian Goverment was financing this firm ...
The airplane production at Pfalz Flugzeurwerke goes back to 1913. In those days the Bavarian Goverment was financing this firm in order to acquire planes that can be used in her flying units. The first design was a plane with a pusher type propeller. This was followed by obtaining the licences for the L type Parasol and H type planes with shoulder mounted wings from the French firm Morane-Saulnier. A 80HP rotary Oberursel engine was mounted on model A.1. This was followed by A.2 which was powered by an 100HP engine. During the early years of the War, model L was copied with some modifications and the E.1 was thus created. These planes were not used extensively in the Western Front. In 1916 E.1 models were despatched to equip the German units, especially FA.300 and the older A.2 were given to the Turkish units. The total number of A.2s shipped are 10.
The Letov S-16 was a Light Bomber/Long Range Reconnaissance aircraft, built to fulfil the Czech Airforce's requirements for such a plane. The prototype flew in 1926 and production of the machine continued until 1935. With the aircraft in front line service well into 1938. In this time the aircraft took many distance and endurance records in the hands of Czech and Turkish pilots. A total of 115 Airframes were delivered to the Czech Airforce with a further 19 delivered to Latvia and Turkey.
The Gotha WD.2 (for Wasser Doppeldecker - "Water Biplane") and its derivatives were a family of military reconnaissance aircraft produced in Germany just before and during the early part of World War I. It was a development of the Avro 503 that had been built under licence by Gotha as the WD.1, and like it, was a conventional three-bay biplane with tandem, open cockpits. The landing gear comprised twin pontoons and dispensed with the small pontoon carried under the tail of the WD.1. Machines built for the German Navy were unarmed, but those supplied to the Ottoman Air Force carried a 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine gun in a ring mount on the upper wing, accessible to the observer, whose seat was located directly below it.
In an attempt to increase performance, one WD.2 was built with a reduced wingspan and its Benz Bz.III engine replaced with the more powerful Mercedes D.III. Designated the WD.5, no further examples were built in this configuration, but it served as the pattern for the WD.9, built in a small series. This differed from the WD.5 prototype in having a trainable 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine gun located in the rear cockpit, to which the observer had been relocated. One such aircraft was supplied to the German Navy, with the rest of the batch going to Turkey, albeit with the less powerful engine of the WD.2.
The last member of the family to be built in any quantity was the D.III-powered WD.12, an unarmed version which featured greater attention to streamlining the aircraft, most especially around the engine area, which was now provided with a close-fitting cowl and a spinner for the propeller. Again, this type was supplied to both Germany and the Ottoman Empire. It was followed in production by a small number of WD.13s, essentially similar but for the use again of the less powerful Bz.III. Finally, two WD.15s were built after a considerable redesign of the aircraft. These had plywood-covered fuselages, as opposed to the fabric covering used on all earlier members of the family, and were fitted with Mercedes D.IVa engines.
Designed by Andre Herbemont and of generally similar configuration to the Type 41, the Bleriot SPAD 51 had fabric-covered metal wings and a wooden monocoque fuselage, power being provided by a 420hp Gnome- Rhone Jupiter nine-cylinder radial. The first prototype, the Type 51-1, was flown on 16 June 1924, a second modified prototype, the Type 51-2, following on 18 March 1925. Powered by a Jupiter IV and carrying an armament of two 7.7mm MAC (Vickers) guns in the upper wing, the Bleriot SPAD 51-2 was ordered for the Polish air arm, the Lotnictwo Wojskowe, 50 being delivered during 1925-26. A further prototype, the Type 51-3, with an improved propeller, flew on 7 September 1926, this offering a 12km/h speed superiority and improved ceiling over the 51-2. On 30 August 1928, the final derivative of the basic model flew, this being the Type 51-4 with a special 600hp version of the Jupiter. Ten production Type 51-4s were completed, one being sold to Turkey and another to the Soviet Union, these having provision for two fuselage-mounted Vickers and two wing-mounted Darne machine-guns, and a 420hp Jupiter 9Ab.
In 1926 TuAF organized a competition for the procurement of new fighter planes. The firms from France and two firms from Germany participated. They were namely as follows:
Rofix and A35 were found insufficient and they were eliminated. The French planes which were composed of 2 of Nieupport Delage 42C, 3 of SPAD 61 and 2 of Dewoitine D21C-1 were bought for further evaluation at the operational units. In 1927 further 10 Dewoitines were purchased. The planes were deployed at the 10th Hunter Co., 41st Hunter Co., and 42nd Hunter Co.. They remained in active duty until 1936 then they were replaced by PZL P-24s.
This aircraft was the outstanding French day bomber/reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. The Bre 14 A2 reconnaissance version and the Bre 14 B2 bomber equipped at least 71 French escadrilles on the Western Front by November 1918 and were also used by units in Serbia, Greece, Macedonia and Morocco. The prototype flew for the first time on 21 November 1916. Production was spread over seven manufacturers, in addition to the Louis Breguet factory at Velizy, near Paris, and some 8,000 of the type were built up to 1926. A robust two-bay unequal-span biplane of mixed construction, it was remarkable for its time in the amount of duralumin used in the fuselage and wing structure. Covering was of fabric. The metal cowling over the 238.5kW Renault 12Fe engine was extensively louvred and a distinctive frontal radiator was fitted. The Bre 14 A2 was armed with a single fixed 7.7mm Vickers machine-gun on the left side of the fuselage and twin Lewis guns in the observer's cockpit. The B2 version could be fitted with an additional Lewis gun that fired downwards through the rear fuselage floor and had a maximum bomb load of 256kg, carried on underwing racks.
The reconnaissance version was followed into production by the bomber in the summer of 1917, the latter differing in having Breguet-designed automatic trailing-edge flaps on the lower wings and transparent panels in the sides of the observer's cockpit. Late production examples of both versions had horn-balanced ailerons, the B2 aircraft thus equipped doing away with the trailing-edge flaps. A single-seat long-range version, known as the Bre 14 B1, was also built in limited numbers during 1918, and was intended to bomb Berlin. In fact it was little used and never mounted an attack on the German capital. Breguet 14 also equipped American and Belgian units during World War I, some powered by Italian Fiat A-12 and A-12bis engines. Breguet 14 remained in service in the colonial/TOE version throughout the 1920s, equipping many overseas units. A number of foreign countries also flew the type. Many ex-French aircraft were handed over to Poland in 1919 and these took part in the fighting with Russia in 1920. The type formed part of the initial equipment of the Czech air arm, and others were operated in Brazil, China (70 with 298kW Lorraine-Dietrich engines), Denmark, Finland, Greece, Japan, Portugal and Spain. The Spanish equipped four squadrons in Morocco in 1922, using them on missions against Riff tribesmen. A further 40 were obtained in 1923. A small number of float variants were also built, mostly with a central main float and small wingtip stabilising floats.
18 examples of Breguet 14 A2s have served the Turkish Armed Forces. The first one was a Greek plane captured on Sept. 21 1921. This plane was named Sakarya. The second one was also a Greek plane which was forced to land by fire on Aug.22 1922 . This plane was named Garipçe. After the foundation of the Republic 16 more Breguet 14 A2s were purchased to France. They were brought in SKD (semi knocked down) form and they were assembled at Gaziemir in December 1914. These planes remained in service until 1926. Concerning the Breget 14 B2, a total of 14 examples were deployed within the Turkish Air Force; 10 of them were bought from the French after the signing of the Ankara Treaty together with their canvas hangars. They were immediately despatched to Konya where old sytle machine guns were mounted on the rear cockpits. These planes were deployed at the 2nd Airplane Company and they were sent to the front at Akşehir. Two of the planes were named Erzurumlu Nafiz and 174.Alay due to their contribution for the procurement of two of the planes. The remaining 4 planes were captured at the Seydiköy airfield after the Greek retreat due to Turkish Great Offensive and the Liberation of Izmir.
The Curtiss F11C Goshawk was a 1930s United States naval biplane fighter aircraft that saw limited success but was part of a long line of Curtiss Hawk airplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the American military. The only US Navy units to operate the F11C-2 were the Navy's famous "High Hat Squadron", VF-1B, aboard the USS Saratoga (CV-3), and VB-6 briefly assigned to USS Enterprise (CV-6). In March 1934 when the aircraft were redesignated BFC-2 the "High Hat Squadron" squadron was renumbered VB-2B, and then VB-3B, and retained its BFC-2s until February 1938. VB-6 never actually embarked on the Enterprise with the BFC bombers.
The F11C-2 Goshawk was produced in two export versions as the Hawk I and Hawk II fighters. Essentially a modified XF11C-2, the Hawk II was fitted with a Wright R-1820F-3 Cyclone rated at 710 hp at 1,676 m and 356 litres of fuel while the Hawk I had 189 litres of internal fuel. Both versions carried the same armament as the production F11C-2. Only the Hawk II was exported in quantity with Turkey, the first customer taking delivery of 19 on 30 August 1932.
TUAF purchased LGL-32 fighter planes from the French Firm Goudrou-Leuseurre in 1932. But since the French firm could not fill the obligations the contract was shifted to the US firm Curtiss. The new agreement covered the assembly of 24 Hawk-IIs, 7 Fledglings and 12 Fleets in Kayseri Aircraft Factory KTF. The first batch of 24 Hawk-IIs arrived with USAAC serials and they were assembled at the KTF. But later on 6 more Hawk-IIs were ordered but this time it was an under-licence production. In the meantime Hawk-IIIs were observed and they were very much appreciated by the authorities and a follow-on order of 40 Hawk-IIIs to be produced at the KAF was placed. The Hawks remained in service until 1945. The Hawk-II/IIIs were deployed at the 53th Fighter Co., 54th Figther Co. and at the Hava Okulu (aerial School).
The Nieuport 27's design closely followed the early form of the 24, including its semi-rounded rear fuselage and rounded wingtips and ailerons. The structural problems with the redesigned, rounded tail surfaces of the 24, which had resulted in the use of a Nieuport 17 type tail in the 24bis., were by now overcome, so that the new version was able to standardise on the new tail. By now most Nieuport fighters were actually used as advanced trainers, and the 130 hp Le Rhône Rotary engine of the 24bis. was often replaced by a 110 or 120 hp version. The handful of operational Nieuport 27s were armed either with a synchronized, fuselage-mounted Vickers machine gun (in French service) or a Lewis Gun mounted on a Foster mounting on the top wing (in British service). Two guns were occasionally fitted, but this had a severe effect on performance, which was at best little better than that of earlier models. No Nieuport 24 nor Nieuport 27 took active duty in the War of Independence with the TAF. The only two examples were captured from the retreating Greek Forces after the Great Offensive in Izmir-Gaziemir airfield in September 1922. They were named Ganimet-4 and Ganimet-5.
One of the most famous military aircraft of the inter-war period, the Potez 25 was developed from the Potez 24 A.2-category prototype, which had been designed by Louis Coroller and flown in 1924. The refined Potez 25 prototype was built at the new Potez factory at Meaulte and flew for the first time in early 1925. An unequal-span biplane, the Potez 25 had an engine mounting capable of taking a wide variety of powerplants in the 298kW to 447kW range. The carefully contoured fuselage accommodated pilot and observer/gunner close together in tandem cockpits beneath a cut-out in the trailing edge of the upper wing centre section. The new cross-axle landing gear had specially designed Potez shock absorbers.
In all, 87 variants of the type were developed for military and civil use, and over 3,500 examples were built in France, most at the Potez factory, but others under licence by A.N.F. Les Mureaux and Hanriot. Abroad, 300 Potez 25s were licence-built in Poland, 200 in Yugoslavia, 70 in Romania and 27 in Portugal. Other countries which used French-built aircraft included China, where the type was used against the Japanese; Paraguay, where it operated against the Bolivian air arm; Uruguay; Greece; Ethiopia, which flew a small number against the invading Italian troops in 1935; Switzerland, which retained the type in service until 1940; and Estonia. In addition test examples were sold to the Soviet Union and some dozen other countries. Many of the exported and licence-built Potez 25s were of the B.2 two-seat light bomber version.
In 1928 TuAF planned to purchase 20 Potez 25-A2s. Before the procurement serial numbers 651 to 670 were allocated for this model. But it was decided later on to buy one for evaluation and comparison with Breguet XIX. Since the evaluation tests were not found sucessfull the purchase never realised. The only plane was deployed at the Operational Training Company where it remained in active service since mid-1935.
Rohrbach Metall-Flugzeugbau was an airplane factory located in Berlin, Germany, and founded in 1922 by Dr.-Rohrbach was a pioneer in building airplanes based on the metal stressed skin principle. At the time of the early aircraft production the Versailles Treaty forbade the construction of large aircraft in Germany, and their export, so Rohrbach set up a Danish company, the 'Rohrbach-Metall-Aeroplan Co. A/S', to build the early Rohrbach aircraft. The strict regulation of the aircraft industry was relaxed in 1926 allowing the Rohrbach series to be built at the Rohrbach Metall-Flugzeugbau GmbH factory in Berlin. The company enjoyed only limited commercial success, with the Roland airliner as its only model built in any quantity. By 1934 the company was taken over by Weser Flugzeugbau, where Adolf Rohrbach became technical director.
With the donations of the citizens of Istanbul and Izmir collected in between 1924-1925 an order for two Ro.III were placed to the German firm located in Danemark in 1926. The planes which arrived within the same year were given the serials 1201 and 1202 and the names Istanbul and Izmir. The planes served at the 1st and 3rd Dz. Ty Bl (Seaplane Co.) and in 1928 they were transferred tothe 31st Dz.Ty.Bl. They were written off in 1934.
Morane-Saulnier MoS-50 (also MS.50) was a French trainer aircraft of parasol type from 1924. The twin-seat monoplane aircraft was of wooden construction. It was one of the last aircraft to have a rotary engine - a 130 hp Clerget 9B. In 1925, six MS.50Cs were sold to Finland, where they were used as trainers until 1932. It was very popular in service. Five aircraft of the modified type MS.53 were sold to Turkey. They were bought by the donations made by the Turkish people. The planes which came in between Dec.1926 and Jan.1927 were presented to the TuAF as a gift of the Turkish people. They were deployed at the School of Aeronautics to train the fighter pilots. They remained in active service until 1933.
The Junkers F13 was based on the experiences of the Junkers J12 airliner. The side views of both aircraft are very similar, but the F13 or J13 as it was called during its developement, got a larger fuselage and a complete new wing design. Instead of the three passengers of the J12 design, the J13 was able to accomodate up to 4 passengers plus two pilots. Between January 1919 and June 1919 about 9000 developement hours were spent into the project. On June, 25th 1919 the first F13 was flown by the Junkers pilot Emil Monz. This first F13 was c/n 533 and it was named "Annelise" after Hugo Junkers daughter Annelise Junkers. A second aircraft (c/n 531) became available three weeks later and was used for type certification in July 1919. The F13 design of Reuter was fully satisfying the demands. It became the world's first all-metal airliner and it seems to be the first aircraft, which was fully designed as a passenger aircraft.
Three month after its first flight the prototype c/n 533 Annelise achieved the World Height Record. On September 13th 1919 again Emil Monz flew the aircraft, which was now equipped with a BMWIIIa engine. On board the aircraft were eight people including Monz bringing the payload to 515 kg. The aircraft reached an altitude of 6750 meters 86 minutes after take off. That were 630 additional meters compared to the current world record of 6120 meters set up by Legagneux on a Nieuport in December 1913.
Although the F13 was not allowed to be operated in Germany after WW I due to the Allied restrictions, this aircraft became a very successfull Junkers product. It was built for more than ten years until 1929 and was very well adapted during this period according to the market demands. A total of 322 aircraft were built during these years and more than 60 different subtypes became available. The first F13 was sold to John Larsen and it was shipped to the USA in December 1919. In 1920 a sales company for the American market was founded under the name Junkers-Larsen Corporation. A total of further 25 aircraft were sold to Junkers-Larsen Corporation until 1921. Most of these aircraft were used under the designator JL6 by the U.S. Postal Departement and some were sold to Canadian Oil Companies. The sale of further JL6 aircraft in the U.S. failed due to a crash series of JL6 aircraft, which was caused by some modifications on the aircraft for the American market. A single JL6 was modified by Larsen later on into a military combat aircraft. This aircraft was equipped with a Liberty engine and 12 machine guns, which should be used for ground attacks. Larsen offered this aircraft to the U.S. Army, but they showed little interest in the socalled JL12. Nevertheless, the Junkers-Larsen Corporation helped Hugo Junkers and the F13 to survive the initial years of its existence, when Junkers was unable to use and sell his new aircraft in Germany.
After the foundation of TOMTAŞ together with Junkers it was planned to produce 20 F13s together with the Junkers A20s. Turkish serials from 750 to 770 were allocated beforehand for these planes. But since the business did not develop as expected and the company came to the stage of liquidation this production was never realised. According to the foreign sources only three came to Turkey, 2 in 1925 and the 3rd in 1926. The planes were deployed at the 6th Airplane Company. In 1933 they were transferred to Yeşilköy Liaison Detachment. In 1933 two of them were transferred to Turkish Aerial Post and nr.882 was deployed at the Aerial Survey Detachment. The last of the F13s were withdrawn from active service in 1938.
The Morane-Saulnier MS.147 and its derivatives, the MS.148 and MS.149 were a family of trainer aircraft produced in France in the late 1920s for civil and military use. They were derived from other machines in Morane-Saulnier's successful line of monoplane trainers, combining the wire-braced parasol wing of the MS.138 with the fuselage and undercarriage of the MS.130. The various subtypes saw service with the Aéronavale, Aéropostale, and a number of foreign air arms. They were largely withdrawn from French military service by 1935.
When it was observed that the Caudron C-27s became insufficient 10 MS-147s were purchased in 1929. These planes were deployed at the Flying School. In 1929 a second party of 10 planes were ordered. In the years 1933-34 they were replaced by the US built Consolidated Fleets. The remaining few were given to THK (Turkish Air League) and they were utilized as glider tugs until mid 1942.
It was designed by Marcel Vuillerme the chief designer of Breguet Co as a replacement for the successfull breguet.14. The A.2 version was the reconnaissance and the B.2 version was the two seated day bomber models. The first prototype was exhibited at the Paris Airshow in November 1921. İts first flight took place in March 1922 and the plane was put into series production starting in 1923. Until 1927 2000 Breguet.19s of equal quantities from each model were supplied to the French Air Force. Breguet 19s were among the French planes which gained great admiration and which were exported in great numbers. Yugoslavia ranks the first among the foreign customers. In between 1925-1932 about 400 Bre.19s were delivered to this country. 185 of them were completely finished in France, 40 were assembled in Yugoslavia and 175 were produced under licence in the new aircraft factory at Kraljevo.
In the meantime 5 of the Breguet.19s acquired by Yugoslavia were sent back to the Breguet plant in France for upgrading. Semi elliptical wing tips were assembled on the wings and the wingspan thus increased to 14.99 meters and the length to 9.6 meters. Also 4 struts were added in between the wings and the fuselage. The new version equipped with 600HP Hispano-Suiza engines were started to be produced at the Kraljevo plant. 5 examples were sold to Romania and 40 to Turkey in 2 equal parties.
The Turkish pilots were very fond of the Breguet.14s acquired during the years of the War of Independence. As a result an order of 20 Breguet 19.A2s were placed in 1925. The planes which were handed over to the Turkish authorities were deployed at the 2nd and 9th Tayyare Bölük stationed at Eskişehir. The planes equipped with 450 HP Lorraine-Dietrich 12Ed 12 cylinder in-line engines remained in service until 1938. In 1928 45 Breguet 19.B2s were purchased. The planes received in 1929 were used to arm the 1st, 2nd, 21st, 24th, 27th, 28th Tayyare Bölüks and the tatbikat Taburu at the Air School. All of these plane were also equipped with Lorraine-Dietrich 12Ed engines(*) . In the beginnings of the 1930s as a result of the competition for an army support aircraft Breguet 19.7.A2s were selected mainly because of financial basis. 20 Breguet 19.7.A2s which were equipped with 600 HP Hispano-Suiza 12Eb in-line engines were ordered to Yugoslavia. They were deployed in 1932 and a new order covering 20 Breguet 19.7.B2s equipped with 650 HP Hispano-Suiza 12Lb were placed. Both of these Yuoglav made versions started to be replaced by the Vultees in 1938. They were assigned to reconnaissance-light bomber duties and with the arrival of Westland Lysanders the remaining were retired in 1940.
The thing that is very special to these planes is that all of them were provured by the donations of the Turkish people made to THK ( Turkish Air League). The name of the town with the donations from which the planes were bought bear the name of the town on the fuselage or on the rudder. At the beginning it was written in old Turkish script. Since 1928, after the Alphabet Revolution they were written with new Turkish letters. In the meantime Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic was very much impressed with the donations of the Turkish people which enabled the procurement of about 300 military planes, ordered that tours of military planes should be made wihtin Turkey to show their gratitude to the Turkish people. Groups of Breguet 19s toured the whole Turkey. A group of five Breguet.19s also flew to Moscow via Sevastopol and Harkov as a payback to the visit made by the Soviet delegation on the 10th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. The Turkish planes were welcomed with great joy. They participated the ceremonies on May 1st, 1934 and they flew as the leaders of the whole flight group. Then they flew to Bucharest via Harkov and Zaporojnie to take part at the ceremonies on 15th of May The Heroes Day. Afterwards they flew to Eskişehir flying over but not stopping at Istanbul.
A fighter aircraft competition was organized by the TuAF to replace the aging SPAD-XIIIs. 8 different models which are listed below from 5 European aviation firms participated.
The two Rohrbach Rofix crashed during test flights in Danemark and they were dropped from the competition. TuAF bought 2 pcs Ni.D-42C, 3 pcs Bleriot SPAD-51C.1 and 2 pcs Dewoitine C.21C for further evaluations. Dewoitine was the winner of the competition.
"Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts"
Sir Winston Churchill
"To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today"
Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London
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