Reference
From Battleground Europe Wiki
FOR HISTORICAL REFERNCE ONLY!
Players often mention the following aircraft types as desirable additions to the game. They are not under development by CRS, nor has CRS committed to model any of these.
(Aircraft compiled by Frantish)
British
Handley-Page HampdenNicknamed the "Flying Suitcase" because of its narrow but tall fuselage, this fast, maneuverable bomber proved vulnerable to fighters, even its own due to being mistaken for the Do-17.
Vickers WellingtonAffectionately known as the Wimpey for its portly shape, carrying a good bomb load at decent speeds, it was the RAF's main bomber in the early days of WW2.
Short Stirling4 engine RAF bomber that proved a disappointment because of a silly design requirement that keep the wings to 100 feet so it could fit in existing hangers! Still, it contributed greatly to the war effort.
Avro Manchester heavy bomber planned to use 2 very powerful engines; however, the engines proved unreliable and so it was decided to use 4 Merlin's instead, and thus the Avro Lancaster was born!
Handley-Page Halifax A superb 4 engine contemporary of the Lancaster.
Hawker Typhoon/(Tempest)Superb CAS aircraft and its next generation, built on the lessons from the legendary Hawker Hurricane.
Blackburn Skua The only true dive bomber in the British forces at the time, but attached to the Royal Navy. Still, they did participated in attacks on land targets.
Fairey Battle While this was capable of steep diving attacks, it was not a true dive bomber. This bomber proved to be extremely vulnerable to enemy aircraft, in particular 109's.
German
Do-17Z-2 Once the fastest bomber in the world, by WW2 it was showing its age, yet it still proved very capable, reliable, and rugged, with the Finns using them well past the end of WW2. It gained a new life in Luftwaffe's Night Fighter squads, pioneering all the tools and techniques used later in the war.
Ju-88A-4 Teething troubles with the early Ju-88A-1 models made it more dangerous to the crew then from the enemy. After a major redesign the hugely improved A-4 variant entered service in late 1940 and set new standards for warplanes and became a legend, and was feared even after the war ended (survivors where ordered destroyed, except 2 which became museum items).
Do-217 A totally new airplane designed like, and to replace, the venerable Do-17 entered service at the end of 1940. Unlike the Do-17, it proved more a beast to fly, but it could deliver on its mission, up to 4000kg of load with speed and range to envy.
He-177 Nicknamed the Reichsfeuerzeug (Cigarette Lighter of the Reich) due to the engines' tendency to catch fire, it was non-the-less a very fast heavy bomber. Bureaucratic bumbling caused delayed service entry of this potent bomber, which could have been doing missions in 1941. For a short while it was unstoppable in bombing missions to Russia, but again the leadership wasted its potential.
French
Farman F. 222 An old design but notable for carrying about 4000kg of bombs.
LeO 451 Entering service just before the war started, was a fast, modern bomber.
Breguet 693 French ground attack aircraft.
Loire-Nieuport LN.401French dive bomber, late into production, only a few in service when WW2 started, little is known of its history. Had an inverted gull wing like the Stuka, but retractable gear and 1 crew, unlike the Stuka.
American as Lend-Lease units to France and other countries.
B-17 Not used by French units (was used by British).
B-24 Actually ordered by France, but not used.
B-25 Used by one Free French squadron in 1945.
P-47 Used by five French fighter squadrons in 1944-45.
P-51 Used by one French reconnaissance squadron in 1945.
B-26 Marauder Used by six French bomber squadrons in 1944-45.
SBD Dauntless Navy and Army dive bomber, possibly more successful then the feared Ju-87 Stuka, used by the French
