I’ve done plenty of Tales about the triumphant aircraft of World War 2 that fought in the skies over Europe, Africa Russia and the Far East. Quite naturally, I guess, not so much is known about the horrible failures. Not all of the aircraft we will look at were quite that bad… many were just misguided ideas, old designs or put into the wrong role!

Vultee P-66 Vanguard. 

The Vanguard with its original cowling design which gave insufficient cooling to the big radial engine.

The Vanguards at Karachi during their ill fated transit to China.

The Bell P39Q Airacobra.

The Airacobra with the big supercharger cooling vents that created so much drag.

The rather unusual, for a fighter that is, Airacobra cockpit door.

Guns blazing, the Airacobra was indeed quite well armed.

The RAF 601 Sqn with their renamed Caribou (Airacobra)… not much admired, the soon requipped with Spitfires.

Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to SADSM, USAF, Bill Larkins, WMFerguson, National Museum of the Air Force and the RAF.