Bomber aircraft/Catalogs

Second World War

Germany

• Ju-87 Stuka [r]: German WWII dive bomber that gave excellent close air support in the early blitzkriegs, but was too slow to survive in the Battle of Britain and against later fighters ^[e]
• Ju-88 [r]: A German medium bomber of the Second World War, of quite high performance and survivability ^[e]

United States

• B-17 Flying Fortress [r]: Add brief definition or description
• B-24 Liberator [r]: A U.S. designed heavy bomber, of the Second World War, with moderate payload and defenses but extremely long range; valued as an anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol aircraft ^[e]
• B-25 Mitchell [r]: A U.S. Army Air Force medium bomber of the Second World War, especially noted for its unprecedented one-way mission in the Doolittle Raid, and, with major modifications, as a low-level attack aircraft against Japanese ships ^[e]
• B-26 Marauder [r]: A U.S. Army Air Force medium bomber of the Second World War, used primarily at 10-15,000 feet in the European Theater of Operations ^[e]
• B-29 Superfortress [r]: The heaviest bomber aircraft of the Second World War, used by the United States to attack the Japanese home islands, at very long range; delivered nuclear weapons to Hiroshima and Nagasaki ^[e]

Cold War

While the Soviet Tu-95 and U.S. B-52 were introduced in the Cold War, variants continue in service today.

Soviet Union

• Tu-4 [r]: Soviet copy of the U.S. B-29 bomber, reverse-engineered from U.S. aircraft interned in Siberia ^[e]
• Mya-4 [r]: Code-named BISON by NATO, a generally unsatisfactory Soviet all-jet heavy bomber, intended for intercontinental operations but whose fuel consumption precluded them ^[e]
• Il-28 [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Tu-16 [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Tu-95 [r]: With the NATO code name BEAR, a swept-wing turboprop strategic bomber, with many cruise missile carrier, reconnaisance, and tanker variants still in service, including the Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft ^[e]

United Kingdom

• Valiant (bomber) [r]: First British all-jet strategic "V-bomber", served 1955-1965, converted to tanker, low level attack and photo-reconnaissance after the newer bombers entered the fleet ^[e]
• Victor (bomber) [r]: British jet strategic bomber that served from 1958 from 1993, later converted to tanker and reconnaissance aircraft; carried heavier payload a shorter distance than the Vulcan ^[e]
• Vulcan (bomber) [r]: Last British heavy jet bomber, intended for nuclear missions but last used conventionally in the Falklands War ^[e]

United States

• B-36 [r]: Among the largest aircraft ever built, a WWII-designed intercontinental bomber, vulnerable to fighters but an interim Cold War aircraft until jet bombers were available; some continuing reconnaissance use ^[e]
• B-45 [r]: First all-jet U.S. medium bomber, briefly operational in bombing and reconnaissance roles ^[e]
• B-47 [r]: Add brief definition or description
• B-50 [r]: Add brief definition or description
• B-58 [r]: Add brief definition or description
• B-70 [r]: Add brief definition or description

Modern

Multirole fighters play a major role in current bombing operations, but the emphasis here is on purpose-built bombers.

• B-52 [r]: Add brief definition or description
• B-1 [r]: Add brief definition or description
• B-2 [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Tu-95 [r]: With the NATO code name BEAR, a swept-wing turboprop strategic bomber, with many cruise missile carrier, reconnaisance, and tanker variants still in service, including the Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft ^[e]
• Tu-160 BLACKJACK [r]: Add brief definition or description