Phönix D.I / D.II The Phönix D.I biplane was intended as a replacement for the Hansa-Brandenburg D. I. It was produced in smaller numbers (120 D. I, 45 D. II, and 48 D. IIa fighters) than the Hansa-Brandenburg. The Phönix D.I began production in August 1917 and the D.II replaced the D.I in production in March 1918 . The Phönix D-series fighters are generally considered the best fighters designed and produced in Austria-Hungary. Previously, the Phönix Flugzeug-Werke firm had been contracted to produce the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I fighter under license. It became apparent by 1917 that the infamous Star-strutter could not be developed further, and the company embarked on a new aircraft. The design eventually incorporated a fuselage similar to the D.I and also sported wings of unequal span that ended in rounded wingtips. It was also considerably more powerful, with a Hiero 200- horsepower engine. It located the machine guns within the engine cowling which enhanced streamlining but placed the guns beyond the pilot’s reach if they jammed. The resulting craft was faster in level flight but somewhat unstable and slow-climbing. In December 1917 it entered service as the Phönix D.I and was deployed with army and navy units. The new machine was far from perfect, but it represented a dramatic improvement over the earlier Star-strutter, proving to be a match for Allied fighters. The Phönix D.II fighter was designed to improve performance and maneuverability. The wing dihedral was eliminated, new high aspect ailerons, a new tail plane design with balanced elevators quickened aircraft response. The D.IIa was identical but used an up rated Hiero 230 hp engine. The D.II entered service in May 1918. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The model, textures. panel and air files are by Captain Kurt. The pilot figures were developed from Wolfi's freeware Japanese pilot .fsc source file. The prop spinning texture is by Kelticheart. Gauges are by Martin Klein with texture change outs by Captain Kurt, .

Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (Phönix built) Pilot: Several including Godwin Brumowski Unit: Flik 41J, Sežana, Slovenia, 1917 The first purely Austro-Hungarian fighter to enter production was the Hansa-Brandenburg D. I biplane, which was designed by one of the German firm’s top engineers, Ernst Heinkel. The wings featured an unusual "Star-Strutter" arrangement of interplane struts, where four Vee struts joined in the centre of the wing bay to result in a "star" arrangement. The interplane struts themselves were steel tubes. The design had a deep fuselage, which gave a poor forward view for the pilot and blanketed the small rudder, giving poor lateral stability and making recovery from spins extremely difficult. Later production introduced a larger rudder and tail fin which helped somewhat. Early production aircraft were then retrofitted with the improved tail / rudder combination. Armament was a single Schwarzlose machine gun, which owing to difficulties in synchronizing the Schwarzlose, was fitted in a fairing on the upper wing, firing over the propeller. Even though aware of its deficiencies, Austro-Hungary was desperate for any type of fighter and at the time, this was the only option. So, its production was ordered. The D.I entered service in Autumn, 1916. Its unusual arrangement of interplane bracing gave rise to the nickname "Spider", while its poor handling gave rise to the less complementary nickname "the Coffin". The D.I was the standard fighter aircraft of the Luftfahrtruppen until mid 1917, being used by several Austro-Hungarian air aces such as Godwin Brumowski and Frank Linke-Crawford. The model, textures. panel and air files are by Captain Kurt. The pilot figures were developed from Wolfi's freeware Japanese pilot .fsc source file. The prop spinning texture is by Kelticheart. Gauges are by Martin Klein with texture change outs by Captain Kurt, .

Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (Phönix built) Pilot: Several including Frank Linke-Crawford Unit: Flik 41J, Sežana, Slovenia, 1917 The first purely Austro-Hungarian fighter to enter production was the Hansa-Brandenburg D. I biplane, which was designed by one of the German firm’s top engineers, Ernst Heinkel. The wings featured an unusual "Star-Strutter" arrangement of interplane struts, where four Vee struts joined in the centre of the wing bay to result in a "star" arrangement. The interplane struts themselves were steel tubes. The design had a deep fuselage, which gave a poor forward view for the pilot and blanketed the small rudder, giving poor lateral stability and making recovery from spins extremely difficult. Later production introduced a larger rudder and tail fin which helped somewhat. Early production aircraft were then retrofitted with the improved tail / rudder combination. Armament was a single Schwarzlose machine gun, which owing to difficulties in synchronizing the Schwarzlose, was fitted in a fairing on the upper wing, firing over the propeller. Even though aware of its deficiencies, Austro-Hungary was desperate for any type of fighter and at the time, this was the only option. So, its production was ordered. The D.I entered service in Autumn, 1916. Its unusual arrangement of interplane bracing gave rise to the nickname "Spider", while its poor handling gave rise to the less complementary nickname "the Coffin". The D.I was the standard fighter aircraft of the Luftfahrtruppen until mid 1917, being used by several Austro-Hungarian air aces such as Godwin Brumowski and Frank Linke-Crawford. The model, textures. panel and air files are by Captain Kurt. The pilot figures were developed from Wolfi's freeware Japanese pilot .fsc source file. The prop spinning texture is by Kelticheart. Gauges are by Martin Klein with texture change outs by Captain Kurt, .

Phönix D.I Kriegsmarine The Phönix D.I biplane was intended as a replacement for the Hansa-Brandenburg D. I. It was produced in smaller numbers (120 D. I, 45 D. II, and 48 D. IIa fighters) than the Hansa-Brandenburg. The Phönix D.I began production in August 1917 and the D.II replaced the D.I in production in March 1918 . The Phönix D-series fighters are generally considered the best fighters designed and produced in Austria-Hungary. Previously, the Phönix Flugzeug-Werke firm had been contracted to produce the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I fighter under license. It became apparent by 1917 that the infamous Star-strutter could not be developed further, and the company embarked on a new aircraft. The design eventually incorporated a fuselage similar to the D.I and also sported wings of unequal span that ended in rounded wingtips. It was also considerably more powerful, with a Hiero 200- horsepower engine. It located the machine guns within the engine cowling which enhanced streamlining but placed the guns beyond the pilot’s reach if they jammed. The resulting craft was faster in level flight but somewhat unstable and slow-climbing. In December 1917 it entered service as the Phönix D.I and was deployed with army and navy units. The new machine was far from perfect, but it represented a dramatic improvement over the earlier Star-strutter, proving to be a match for Allied fighters. Austro-Hungarian Kriegsmarine pilots flew the Phönix D.I and D.IIa fighters to defend the naval bases at Pola and Cattaro against Italian bomber attacks. Navy Phönix fighters numbered J.1 to J.8 were taken from Army production between October 1917 and November 1917. Another twelve D.I fighters numbered J.9 to J.20 were ordered directly from Phönix and delivered between December 1917 and March 1918. The model, textures. panel and air files are by Captain Kurt. The pilot figures were developed from Wolfi's freeware Japanese pilot .fsc source file. The prop spinning texture is by Kelticheart. Gauges are by Martin Klein with texture change outs by Captain Kurt, .

Phönix D.I / D.II The Phönix D.I biplane was intended as a replacement for the Hansa-Brandenburg D. I. It was produced in smaller numbers (120 D. I, 45 D. II, and 48 D. IIa fighters) than the Hansa-Brandenburg. The Phönix D.I began production in August 1917 and the D.II replaced the D.I in production in March 1918 . The Phönix D-series fighters are generally considered the best fighters designed and produced in Austria-Hungary. Previously, the Phönix Flugzeug-Werke firm had been contracted to produce the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I fighter under license. It became apparent by 1917 that the infamous Star-strutter could not be developed further, and the company embarked on a new aircraft. The design eventually incorporated a fuselage similar to the D.I and also sported wings of unequal span that ended in rounded wingtips. It was also considerably more powerful, with a Hiero 200- horsepower engine. It located the machine guns within the engine cowling which enhanced streamlining but placed the guns beyond the pilot’s reach if they jammed. The resulting craft was faster in level flight but somewhat unstable and slow-climbing. In December 1917 it entered service as the Phönix D.I and was deployed with army and navy units. The new machine was far from perfect, but it represented a dramatic improvement over the earlier Star-strutter, proving to be a match for Allied fighters.The model, textures. panel and air files are by Captain Kurt. The pilot figures were developed from Wolfi's freeware Japanese pilot .fsc source file. The prop spinning texture is by Kelticheart. Gauges are by Martin Klein with texture change outs by Captain Kurt

Unit: Yokosuka Kokutai, Yokosuka Airfield, Japan April 1945 Pilot: unknown The N1K2-Ja Shiden Kai (Japanese for "Violet Lightning") was the best fighter used in significant numbers by the Japanese Navy during World War II. Known by the Allies as the "George," this maneuverable, heavily-armed fighter was a formidable opponent in the closing months of the war. The Shiden Kai was considerably better than the Japanese Navy's most common fighter, the A6M Zero. With a top speed of 369 mph, the N1K2a was about 20 mph faster than the A6M Zero. It had CO2 fire suppression systems in the fuel tanks so it did not burn easily like other Japanese fighters did. The N1K2-Ja was a further development of the N1K2-J, which incorporated 4 bomb shackles in the wing and a reduced horizontal tail span. The heavier Shiden Kai also possessed surprisingly good maneuverability due to a mercury switch that automatically extended the flaps during turns. These "combat" flaps created more lift, thereby allowing tighter turns. Moreover, its four 20 mm automatic cannon provided greatly increased firepower than earlier Japanese designs. Unlike the A6M Zero, the Shiden Kai could compete against the best late-war U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Air Forces fighters. It first entered combat early in 1945, and over 400 were produced before the war ended (200 of the N1K2-J and 200 of the N1K2-Ja). Credits Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, drop tank, and .dp Wolfi: Crew figure Gauges by: ACWai, Wolfi and Microsoft Prop spinning disc texture by:Kelticheart Bombs by: Allen Flight files: Microsoft stock with modifications. Sound: Microsoft stock

Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden Kai (George) Unit: 343 Kokutai, 407th Hikoutai. Matsuyama Air Base Japan. March 1945 Pilot: P/O Kouji Ohnara The N1K2-J Shiden Kai (Japanese for "Violet Lightning") was the best fighter used in significant numbers by the Japanese Navy during World War II. Known by the Allies as the "George," this maneuverable, heavily-armed fighter was a formidable opponent in the closing months of the war. The Shiden Kai was considerably better than the Japanese Navy's most common fighter, the A6M Zero. With a top speed of 369 mph, the N1K2 was about 20 mph faster than the A6M Zero. It had CO2 fire suppression systems in the fuel tanks so it did not burn easily as other Japanese fighters did. The heavier Shiden Kai also possessed surprisingly good maneuverability due to a mercury switch that automatically extended the flaps during turns. These "combat" flaps created more lift, thereby allowing tighter turns. Moreover, its four 20 mm automatic cannon provided greatly increased firepower than earlier Japanese designs. Unlike the A6M Zero, the Shiden Kai could compete against the best late-war U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Air Forces fighters. It first entered combat early in 1945, and over 400 were produced before the war ended (200 of the N1K2-J and 200 of the slightly improved N1K2-Ja) Credits Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, drop tank, and .dp Wolfi: Crew figure Gauges by: ACWai, Wolfi and Microsoft Prop spinning disc texture by:Kelticheart Flight files: Microsoft stock with modifications. Sound: Microsoft stock

Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II The Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II was an Italian fighter aircraft, serving in the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) during World War II. A contemporary of the renowned Macchi C.202, the production of this type was to be limited to only 252, but it was a flexible design that proved to be able to undertake a number of roles. Thanks to its maneuverability it could dogfight with more powerful opponents like the Supermarine Spitfire. It was a development of the Re.2000 Falco I which had been rejected by the Regia Aeronautica primarily because of its unprotected fuel tanks in the wing, which were merely sealed voids between the spars, but primarily its engine - an under powered 986 hp (735 kW) Piaggio P.XI radial. This was the main problem Reggiane set out to fix, mating a 1,175 hp (876 kW) Alfa Romeo inline engine (a license-built German DB 601) to the airframe. Incorporating much of the Re.2000's fuselage structure, even retaining the entire tail unit, the Re.2001's wings were of semi-elliptical design with three spars in each wing. The armament consisted of Breda-SAFAT machine guns, with two nose-mounted 12.7 mm (0.50 in) (up to 800 rounds) and two 7.7 mm (0.303 in) guns in the wings, (1200 rounds total). The new Falco II was equal to the Macchi MC.202, but the Macchi fighter, having first call on production for the Alfa Romeo R.A.1000RC.41-1a meant slow deliveries to Reggiane. The Re.2001 was further delayed because the Regia Aeronautica insisted on the fuel tanks being placed inside the wings, which required a substantial redesign of the wing structure. The first order, amounting to 300 machines, was cut back with only 252 produced. This number included 100 Re.2001 Serie I, Serie II and Serie III with armament variations, the Reggiane Serie IV fighter-bomber and 150 Re.2001 CN Caccia Notturna, night fighter. Credits Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, aircraft flight files, and .dp Kelticheart: Prop blurred texture Gauges, as far as I know, credit goes to kelticheart, mvg3d, Chalachew, Beepee, and Gius for their WWII Italian gauges. The Db601 sound is from the Team Daedalus Bf 109E-1

Macchi C.200 Saetta series VII Unit: 372 Squadriglia, 153 Gruppo, Greece invasion campaign Autumn 1941 When Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940 there were 144 Macchi C.200 available for operations. Until late 1941 the Saetta was the frontline fighter of the Regia Aeronautica. It operated on all fronts, with the exception of the short Italian intervention in the Battle of Britain in late 1940. It originally had an enclosed sliding canopy, but pilots did not like it. A half canopy open at the top and opening outwards was manufactured thereafter and the original canopies were replaced in the field. After a short appearance in the skies of France, the M.C. 200 saw action over Malta escorting bombing missions. It also saw service on the Greek-Albanian front performing similar duties.

Macchi C.200 Saetta series XXI Unit: 83a Squadriglia, 18 Gruppo at Abu Haggag, October 1942 When Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940 there were 144 Macchi C.200 available for operations. Until late 1941 the Saetta was the frontline fighter of the Regia Aeronautica. It operated on all fronts, with the exception of the short Italian intervention in the Battle of Britain in late 1940. It originally had an enclosed sliding canopy, but pilots did not like it. A half canopy open at the top and opening outwards was manufactured thereafter and the original canopies were replaced in the field. Later series reduced the canopy further with two glass deflector wings at the windscreen with a small shoulder height door that was often discarded as too confining -- as represented by this model. After a short appearance in the skies of France, the M.C. 200 saw action over Malta escorting bombing missions. It also saw service on the Greek-Albanian front performing similar duties. In April 1941 the first Macchi C.200 arrived in North Africa. They fought in a number of air campaigns during Rommel s first advance into Cyrenaica. In this period the Saetta clashed with the Hawker Hurricanes of the Western Desert Air Force. The Saetta proved to be an equal opponent for the legendary British fighter.