Fighter-bomber

Some planes do two jobs.

They are fast fighters. They can also carry bombs. This makes them fighter-bombers.

Long ago, engines were small. This made it hard to carry bombs. Then, engines grew much stronger.

Strong engines helped planes carry more weight.

Some planes fly high to drop bombs. Others dive down fast.

They use the speed to hit targets.

One plane was called a Hurribomber. It carried guns and bombs. It could fight well after dropping its bombs.

These planes changed how wars were fought. They are very useful tools in the sky.

A fighter-bomber is a special kind of plane. It starts as a fast fighter. Then, it is changed to carry bombs.

This makes it a light bomber too. This is different from a real bomber. Real bombers are made only for dropping bombs.

In the past, engines were not very strong. It was hard to carry heavy bombs. But during World War II, engines grew much faster. Some engine power even doubled! This extra power helped planes carry more weight.

One plane was the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. It was a very good fighter-bomber. It used a strong engine to carry guns and bombs.

Pilots use different ways to drop bombs. Some fly high up in the sky. Others fly low to stay hidden. Some even dive down very steeply.

The British also used the Hawker Hurricane. They called it the "Hurribomber." It could carry bombs and then fight well. Today, we often call these planes strike fighters.

A fighter-bomber is a special type of aircraft. It starts its life as a fast fighter plane. Later, it is changed or used to carry bombs.

This makes it a light bomber or an attack aircraft. It is different from a real bomber. Real bombers are built only for dropping bombs.

Modern planes that do this job are called strike fighters. This is because rockets and missiles changed how air battles work.

How does a fighter become a bomber? It all comes down to engine power. In the early days of World War II, engines grew very strong. Between 1939 and 1943, engine power almost doubled.

A strong engine helps a plane lift heavy weights. This extra power lets a fighter carry a payload of bombs. Some pilots fly high to drop them. Others fly low to stay hidden. Some even dive steeply toward the ground to hit a target.

People have been trying this since the First World War. The Sopwith Camel was a famous plane from that time. By 1918, pilots began dropping Cooper bombs on enemy troops.

Later, the British made the Sopwith Salamander. This was a special "Trench Fighter." It had thick armor to protect the pilot from shots from the ground. It was meant to spray bullets into trenches. Instead, it was fitted with four bombs.

Many different planes filled this role during World War II. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was a very successful German fighter-bomber. Its designer, Kurt Tank, wanted a "warhorse" instead of a fragile plane.

In the United Kingdom, the Hawker Hurricane was modified too. Pilots called it the "Hurribomber." It could carry two bombs and still fight well. The American Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was another huge, powerful plane. It used a massive engine that weighed almost one ton.

These planes helped in many different ways. Some were used for naval strikes on ships. The Blackburn Skua was a two-seater used by the Navy. It helped sink the German cruiser Königsberg in 1940.

Other planes, like the Bristol Blenheim, were used as night fighters. They carried early radar to find enemies in the dark. Whether they were small and fast or huge and heavy, these planes changed how wars were fought.

A fighter-bomber is a versatile military aircraft designed for dual roles. It begins its life as a fighter, which is a plane built for air-to-air combat. However, it is modified or used primarily as a light bomber or attack aircraft. This distinguishes it from dedicated bombers or attack aircraft. Those other planes are developed specifically for bombing roles from the very beginning. While the term was very common in the past, it has lost some significance recently. This change happened because rockets and guided missiles were introduced into aerial warfare. Today, modern aircraft that perform these similar duties are typically called strike fighters.

The transition from a pure fighter to a fighter-bomber depends heavily on engine power. Before World War II, aeronautical technology and engine limits required every plane to have one specific role. This changed as engine power grew dramatically during the early war years. Between 1939 and 1943, engine power roughly doubled. This massive increase in strength allowed fighters to lift heavy payloads of bombs. For example, the Vought F4U Corsair used a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine. This 18-cylinder engine weighed almost a ton. That is twice as much as the 9-cylinder Bristol Mercury engine. This extra power allowed the Corsair to carry either four rockets or 1,000 pounds of bombs.

Pilots use various tactics to deliver their payloads depending on the aircraft's design. Some planes are intended for high-level bombing from great heights. Others are used for low-level semi-horizontal bombing. Some designs, like the Blackburn Skua or the North American A-36 Apache, are built for low-level steep dive bombing. During the First World War, the concept was much simpler. The Sopwith Camel, a very successful Allied aircraft, was used to drop Cooper bombs. By 1918, these four fragmentation bombs could cause serious injuries to exposed troops. The Royal Flying Corps even created the Sopwith Salamander, a "Trench Fighter." It featured armor plating to protect the pilot from ground fire. Though originally intended to spray bullets into trenches, it was instead fitted with four Cooper bombs.

In Germany, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 became a highly effective fighter-bomber. Its designer, Kurt Tank, wanted to build a "warhorse" rather than a fragile plane. He used a BMW 801 radial engine to make it more robust. These aircraft were known as "Jabos," which is short for Jagdbomber, meaning hunter-bomber. They were successful because they could fly at sea level to stay under enemy radar. In October 1940, 60 Fw 190s bombed Canterbury in a large raid. This attack killed 32 civilians and injured 116 people. The Fw 190s were also used to bomb Russian positions in Stalingrad. By July 1943, they were even replacing the more vulnerable Stuka dive bombers during the Battle of Kursk.

Other nations also modified their fighters to meet the needs of modern war. In the United Kingdom, the Hawker Hurricane was modified to carry four 20mm cannons and two bombs. Once the pilot dropped the bombs, the aircraft could still fight effectively. Pilots gave this modified version the nickname "Hurribomber." The British also used the Bristol Blenheim for different roles. While it was a light bomber, it was also pushed into service as a fighter during the Battle of Britain. Because it was not fast enough for combat, it was eventually used as a night fighter. It carried early Airborne Interception radar sets to find enemies in the dark.

Naval warfare also required specialized aircraft that could combine different roles. In 1934, the British Air Ministry asked for a carrier aircraft that could act as both a dive bomber and a fighter. This was to save space on small aircraft carriers. The resulting Blackburn Skua was a two-seater designed to sink ships and intercept bombers. In April 1940, Skuas from HMS Ark Royal helped sink the German cruiser Königsberg in Bergen harbour. The aircraft scored five hits or near misses on the ship. Larger twin-engined aircraft were also used for naval strikes when a longer range was required. Examples of these larger aircraft include the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the de Havilland Mosquito.

The history of these aircraft shows how quickly technology changes the nature of combat. A major moment occurred during Operation Bodenplatte on New Year's Day, 1945. The Luftwaffe launched a massive last-ditch attempt to destroy Allied planes on the ground. Over 1,000 aircraft participated, including more than 600 Fw 190s. They targeted seventeen airfields to support the Battle of the Bulge. At the Canadian base in Eindhoven, 26 Typhoons and 6 Spitfires were destroyed. In total, the operation resulted in 305 aircraft being destroyed and 190 being damaged. The Luftwaffe lost 143 pilots during this single day. This was the worst one-day loss in its history, and the force never recovered.