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]: A U.S. designed heavy bomber, with relatively light payload and moderate range, but excellent defenses and rugged construction, that was the primary U.S. daytime strategic bomber in the European Theater of the Second World War ^[e]
• 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]: U.S. medium strategic bomber, primarily assigned to nuclear missions from bases along the periphery of the Soviet Union ^[e]
• B-50 [r]: An upgrade of a B-29 bomber, intended as an interim nuclear delivery vehicle pending the availability of the B-36 and B-47, and also in reconnaissance and tanker versions ^[e]
• 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