List of World War II military aircraft of Germany
This list covers aircraft of the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945. Numerical designations are largely within the RLM designation system.
The Luftwaffe of the Third Reich officially existed from 1933–1945 but training had started in the 1920s, before the Nazi takeover, and many aircraft made in the inter-war years were used during World War II. The main list highlights the most significant aircraft that participated and includes minor types. Pre-war aircraft not used after 1938 are excluded, as are projects and aircraft that did not fly. Listed roles are those for which the aircraft were being used during the war - many obsolete pre-war combat aircraft remained in use as trainers rather than in their original more familiar roles. Captured aircraft are listed separately as many were used only for evaluation while those available in large enough numbers were commonly used as trainers, while a small number were used for special operations. A full list of aircraft from 1933–1945 can be found in the Reich Aviation Ministry's list of aircraft at list of RLM aircraft designations and a full explanation is at RLM aircraft designation system. A small number of surviving pre-1933 aircraft were overlooked by the RLM system and just used the company names or designations.
Luftwaffe aircraft
The primary types operated by the Luftwaffe are shown highlighted, with the most numerous in bold.
RLM # | Aircraft | Role | Production Status | # built/used | 1st Flight | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
192 | AGO Ao 192 Kurier | transport | production | 6 | 1935 | used by senior officials |
68 | Arado Ar 68 | trainer/night-fighter | production | 511 | 1934 | biplane, obsolete by 1939 |
76 | Arado Ar 76 | trainer | production | 189 | 1934 | biplane |
80 | Arado Ar 80 | experimental | prototype | 3 | 1935 | used to test Fowler flaps |
95 | Arado Ar 95 | training | production | 27 | 1936 | seaplane, built for export |
96 | Arado Ar 96 | trainer | production | 2891 | 1938 | |
196 | Arado Ar 196 | reconnaissance | production | 541 | 1937 | ship-borne seaplane |
197 | Arado Ar 197 | fighter | prototype | 3 | 1937 | carrier aircraft derived from Ar 68 |
198 | Arado Ar 198 | reconnaissance | prototype | 1 | 1938 | |
199 | Arado Ar 199 | trainer | prototype | 2 | 1939 | seaplane |
213 | Arado Ar 231 | reconnaissance | prototype | 6 | 1940 | folds to fit on U-boat |
232 | Arado Ar 232 Tausendfüßler | transport | production | 20 | 1941 | |
234 | Arado Ar 234 Blitz | reconnaissance/bomber | production | 210 | 1943 | jet |
240 | Arado Ar 240 | fighter | prototype | 14 | 1940 | |
440 | Arado Ar 440 | fighter | prototype | 4 | 1942 | 1 converted from Ar 240 |
349 | Bachem Ba 349 Natter | interceptor | production | 36 | 1945 | rocket, only 1 manned flight attempted |
40 | Blohm & Voss BV 40 Ersatzjäger | interceptor | prototype | 7 | 1944 | glider |
138 | Blohm & Voss BV 138 Seedrache | maritime patrol | production | 297 | 1937 | flying-boat |
139 | Blohm & Voss Ha 139 | transport | prototype | 3 | 1936 | long-range seaplane |
140 | Blohm & Voss Ha 140 | maritime patrol | prototype | 3 | 1937 | flying-boat |
141 | Blohm & Voss BV 141 | reconnaissance | prototype | 28 | 1938 | asymmetrical |
142 | Blohm & Voss BV 142 | maritime patrol/transport | prototype | 4 | 1938 | |
144 | Blohm & Voss BV 144 | transport | prototype | 1 | 1944 | |
155 | Blohm & Voss BV 155 | interceptor | prototype | 3 | 1944 | built to counter B-29 |
222 | Blohm & Voss BV 222 Wiking | transport | production | 13 | 1940 | flying-boat |
238 | Blohm & Voss BV 238 | maritime patrol | prototype | 1 | 1944 | flying-boat, largest Axis aircraft flown |
131 | Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann | trainer | production | 5000 ca. | 1934 | biplane, also used for night harassment |
133 | Bücker Bü 133 Jungmeister | trainer | production | 250 ca. | 1935 | aerobatic biplane |
180 | Bücker Bü 180 Student | trainer | production | 50 | 1937 | |
181 | Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann | trainer | production | 3400 | 1939 | |
182 | Bücker Bü 182 Kornett | trainer | prototype | 4 | 1938 | |
313 | Caproni Ca.313G | trainer | production | 164 | 1939 | purchased from Italy. |
38 | DFS SG 38 Schulgleiter | trainer | production | 10000 ca. | 1938 | glider, widely copied |
228 | DFS 228 | reconnaissance | prototype | 2 | 1944 | rocket-powered, unpowered flights only |
230 | DFS 230 | transport | production | 1600 ca. | 1937 | glider |
331 | DFS 331 | transport | prototype | 1 | 1942 | glider |
12 | Dornier Do 12 Libelle | trainer | prototype | 1 | 1932 | impressed seaplane |
16 | Dornier Do 16 Wal | training | production | 46 | 1922 | flying-boat, most retired by 1939 |
17 | Dornier Do 17 Fliegender Bleistift | bomber/night-fighter | production | 2139 | 1934 | |
18 | Dornier Do 18 | maritime patrol | production | 170 | 1935 | flying-boat |
19 | Dornier Do 19 | transport | prototype | 3 | 1936 | only 1 flown, built as heavy bomber |
22 | Dornier Do 22 | maritime patrol | production | 4 | 1938 | built for export |
23 | Dornier Do 23 | bomber | production | 282 | 1934 | withdrawn after invasion of Poland |
24 | Dornier Do 24 | maritime patrol | production | 218 | 1937 | flying boat, was for export |
26 | Dornier Do 26 | reconnaissance | production | 6 | 1938 | long-range seaplane |
215 | Dornier Do 215 Fliegender Bleistift | bomber/night-fighter | production | 105 | 1938 | |
217 | Dornier Do 217 Fliegender Bleistift | bomber/night-fighter | production | 1925 | 1938 | |
317 | Dornier Do 317 | bomber | prototype | 6 | 1943 | Bomber B |
335 | Dornier Do 335 Pfeil | fighter/bomber | production | 37 | 1943 | push-pull engines |
5 | Fieseler Fi 5 | trainer | production | 29 ca. | 1933 | acrobatic sportsplane |
103 | Fieseler Fi 103R Reichenberg | manned bomb | production | 175 | 1944 | manned variant of V-1 missile |
156 | Fieseler Fi 156 Storch | reconnaissance | production | 2867 | 1936 | |
167 | Fieseler Fi 167 | bomber | production | 14 | 1938 | ship-borne biplane |
256 | Fieseler Fi 256 | transport | prototype | 6 - 9 | 1941 | |
184 | Flettner Fl 184 | reconnaissance | prototype | 1 | 1936 | helicopter |
282 | Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri | reconnaissance | production | 24 | 1941 | helicopter |
223 | Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache | transport | production | 20 | 1940 | helicopter |
330 | Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 | reconnaissance | production | 200 | 1942 | autogyro kite, rarely used |
152 | Focke-Wulf Ta 152 | fighter | production | 49 | 1944 | improved Fw 190, production curtailed |
154 | Focke-Wulf Ta 154 Moskito | night-fighter | production | 30 ca. | 1943 | development curtailed |
44 | Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz | trainer | production | 1700 ca. | 1932 | biplane, widely exported |
56 | Focke-Wulf Fw 56 Stösser | trainer | production | 1000 ca. | 1933 | parasol monoplane |
58 | Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe | trainer | production | 1350 | 1935 | |
61 | Focke-Wulf Fw 61 | experimental | prototype | 2 | 1936 | twin rotor helicopter |
62 | Focke-Wulf Fw 62 | reconnaissance | prototype | 4 | 1937 | ship-borne biplane seaplane |
186 | Focke-Wulf Fw 186 | reconnaissance | prototype | 1 | 1937 | autogyro |
187 | Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke | fighter | prototype | 9 | 1937 | |
189 | Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu | reconnaissance | production | 864 | 1938 | |
190 | Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger | fighter | production | 20000 ca. | 1939 | many exported to client states |
191 | Focke-Wulf Fw 191 | bomber | prototype | 3 | 1942 | Bomber B |
200 | Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor | maritime patrol/transport | production | 276 | 1937 | originally airliner, some exported |
145 | Gotha Go 145 | trainer | production | 1182 | 1934 | |
146 | Gotha Go 146 | transport | prototype | 4 | 1936 | |
147 | Gotha Go 147 | experimental | prototype | 1 | 1936 | tailless |
242 | Gotha Go 242 | transport | production | 1528 | 1941 | glider |
244 | Gotha Go 244 | transport | production | 176 | 1941 | powered Go 242, 133 converted |
345 | Gotha Go 345 | transport | prototype | 1 | 1944 | glider |
430 | Gotha Ka 430 | transport | prototype | 12 | 1943 | glider |
46 | Heinkel He 46 | trainer | production | 512 | 1931 | obsolete reconnaissance biplane |
50 | Heinkel He 50 | reconnaissance/bomber | production | 78 | 1931 | biplane |
51 | Heinkel He 51 | trainer | production | 700 | 1933 | obsolete fighter, few remained by 1939 |
59 | Heinkel He 59 | reconnaissance | production | 144 | 1931 | biplane seaplane |
60 | Heinkel He 60 | reconnaissance | production | 205 | 1933 | ship-borne biplane seaplane |
70 | Heinkel He 70 Blitz | transport | production | 15 | 1932 | |
72 | Heinkel He 72 Kadett | trainer | production | 2000 ca. | 1933 | |
100 | Heinkel He 100 | fighter | production | 25 | 1938 | also used He 113 designation |
111 | Heinkel He 111 | bomber/transport | production | 5656 | 1935 | many exported |
112 | Heinkel He 112 | fighter | production | 104 | 1935 | |
114 | Heinkel He 114 | reconnaissance | production | 29 ca. | 1936 | seaplane |
115 | Heinkel He 115 | bomber | production | 138 | 1937 | seaplane, some exported. |
116 | Heinkel He 116 | reconnaissance | prototype | 14 | 1937 | |
119 | Heinkel He 119 | bomber | prototype | 8 | 1937 | |
162 | Heinkel He 162 Spatz | fighter | production | 320 | 1944 | jet, Volksjäger winner |
172 | Heinkel He 172 | trainer | prototype | 1 | 1934 | He 72 with NACA cowling |
177 | Heinkel He 177 Greif | bomber | production | 1169 | 1939 | engine problems until major redesign |
219 | Heinkel He 219 Uhu | night-fighter | production | 300 ca. | 1942 | |
280 | Heinkel He 280 | fighter | prototype | 9 | 1940 | jet |
123 | Henschel Hs 123 | ground attack | production | 250 | 1935 | |
125 | Henschel Hs 125 | trainer | prototype | 2 | 1934 | |
126 | Henschel Hs 126 | reconnaissance | production | 600 ca. | 1936 | |
127 | Henschel Hs 127 | bomber | prototype | 2 | 1937 | |
128 | Henschel Hs 128 | experimental | prototype | 2 | 1939 | high-altitude test aircraft |
129 | Henschel Hs 129 | ground attack | production | 865 | 1939 | |
130 | Henschel Hs 130 | bomber | prototype | 13 | 1939 | high-altitude |
229 | Horten Ho 229 | fighter | prototype | 3 | 1944 | jet flying wing, not flown under power |
n/a | Junkers W34 | trainer | production | 2024 | 1926 | 1920s transport. |
52 | Junkers Ju 52 Tante Ju | transport | production | 4845 | 1931 | Spanish Civil War bomber, widely exported |
86 | Junkers Ju 86 | bomber/reconnaissance | production | unk. | 1934 | |
87 | Junkers Ju 87 Stuka | bomber | production | 6500 | 1935 | many exported to client states |
88 | Junkers Ju 88 | bomber/night-fighter | production | 15183 | 1936 | |
89 | Junkers Ju 89 | transport | prototype | 2 | 1937 | originally Ural bomber |
90 | Junkers Ju 90 | bomber | production | 18 | 1937 | |
188 | Junkers Ju 188 Rächer | bomber | production | 1234 | 1940 | |
252 | Junkers Ju 252 | transport | production | 15 | 1942 | |
287 | Junkers Ju 287 | bomber | prototype | 2 | 1944 | jet |
288 | Junkers Ju 288 | bomber | prototype | 22 | 1940 | Bomber B |
290 | Junkers Ju 290 | maritime patrol/transport | production | 65 | 1942 | |
322 | Junkers Ju 322 Mammut | transport | prototype | 2 | 1941 | glider |
352 | Junkers Ju 352 Herkules | transport | production | 50 | 1943 | |
388 | Junkers Ju 388 | reconnaissance/bomber | production | 101 ca. | 1943 | fighter variants also planned |
390 | Junkers Ju 390 | bomber | prototype | 2 | 1943 | Amerika Bomber |
31 | Klemm Kl 31 | trainer | production | unk. | 1931 | |
35 | Klemm Kl 35 | trainer | production | 2000 ca. | 1935 | sportplane, many exported |
36 | Klemm Kl 36 | transport | production | 12 ca. | 1934 | |
108 | Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun | trainer | production | 885 | 1934 | many exported |
109 | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | fighter | production | 33984 | 1935 | many exported to client states |
110 | Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer | fighter | production | 6170 | 1936 | |
162 | Messerschmitt Bf 162 Jaguar | bomber | prototype | 3 | 1937 | |
163 | Messerschmitt Bf 163 | reconnaissance | prototype | 1 | 1938 | designation reused for interceptor |
163 | Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet | interceptor | production | 370 | 1944 | rocket |
209 | Messerschmitt Me 209 | racer | prototype | 4 | 1938 | |
209 | Messerschmitt Me 209-II | fighter | prototype | 4 | 1943 | unrelated to previous Me 209 |
210 | Messerschmitt Me 210 | fighter | production | 108 | 1939 | |
261 | Messerschmitt Me 261 Adolfine | reconnaissance | prototype | 3 | 1940 | |
262 | Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe | fighter | production | 1400 ca. | 1941 | jet |
263 | Messerschmitt Me 263 | interceptor | prototype | 1 | 1944 | rocket, did not fly under power |
264 | Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika | bomber | prototype | 3 | 1942 | |
309 | Messerschmitt Me 309 | fighter | prototype | 4 | 1942 | |
321 | Messerschmitt Me 321 Gigant | transport | production | 200 | 1941 | glider |
323 | Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant | transport | production | 198 | 1942 | powered variant of Me 321 |
328 | Messerschmitt Me 328 | fighter | prototype | 9 | 1944 | pulse jet |
410 | Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse | fighter/reconnaissance | production | 1189 | 1942 | improved Me 210 |
104 | Siebel Fh 104 Hallore | transport | production | 46 | 1937 | |
201 | Siebel Si 201 | reconnaissance | prototype | 2 | 1938 | |
202 | Siebel Si 202 Hummel | trainer | production | 66 | 1938 | sportplane |
204 | Siebel Si 204 | trainer | production | 1216 | 1940 | also used as transport |
Captured aircraft
Name | Source | Luftwaffe Role | # (if known) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Avia B-534 | Czechoslovakia | trainer | Three modified for carrier trials. Some sold. | |
Avia B-71 | Czechoslovakia | bomber | ||
Bloch M.B.175 | France | bomber | ||
Bloch M.B.151 | France | fighter/trainer | Vichy MB.152 also transferred to Luftwaffe In 1942. | |
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | US | special operations | Used by special units such as KG 200. | |
Caudron C.445 Goéland | France | transport | ||
Curtiss H-75 Hawk | France & Norway | fighter | Used pending delivery of Bf 109's. Some sold to Finland. | |
Dewoitine D.520 | France | trainer | 182 | Some sold. |
Douglas 8A-3N | Netherlands | trainer | 3 ca. | |
Douglas DC-2 | Netherlands | transport | 3 | ex-KLM aircraft |
Fokker C.V | Various | trainer | unk. | |
Fokker C.X | Netherlands | trainer | unk. | |
Fokker D.XXI | Netherlands | trainer | ||
Fokker T.VIII | Netherlands | maritime patrol | floatplane | |
Fokker G.I | Netherlands | trainer | some used in 1941 for Bf 110 crews. | |
Gloster Gladiator | Latvia via USSR | trainer | 1 | captured from Soviets, glider/target tug. |
Hawker Hurricane | France, Jugoslavia & N. Africa | familiarization | Not used for combat. | |
Ilyushin Il-2 | USSR | n/a | never used | |
Macchi MC.202 | Italy | trainer | 47 | used from 1943. Some transferred to Croatia |
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 | USSR | n/a | Tried to sell 22 to Finland | |
Morane-Saulnier M.S.230 | France | trainer | ||
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 | France | trainer | 46+ | 25 sold to Finland in 1941 |
North American NAA 57 | France | trainer | ||
North American NAA 64 | France | trainer | Most still in crates | |
PZL.37 Łoś | Poland | n/a | tested but not used | |
Rogožarski IK-3 | Yugoslavia | fighter | ||
Reggiane Re.2002 | Italy | fighter | 25 | from 1943, Reggiane ordered to built more |
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 | Italy | transport | used from 1943. | |
Zlín Z-XII & 212 | Czechoslovakia | trainer |
Related content
- German aircraft production during World War II
- List of RLM aircraft designations
- List of Luftwaffe aircraft prototype projects during World War II
- List of Luftwaffe aircraft by manufacturer, World War II
- List of military aircraft of Germany
- List of military aircraft of Germany by manufacturer
See also
External links
- Virtual Aviation Museum
- German Military Aircraft Designations (1933–1945)
- Pictures of most World War II airplanes
- Jet and rocket aircraft of World War II