Night fighter

A night fighter is a fighter aircraft that has been equipped with special equipment in order to be able to spot and fight enemy aircraft specifically at night.

history

Antennas - called "deer antlers" - on a German night fighter Bf 110

The development of the night fighter aircraft began at the beginning of the Second World War , when the loss rates of the bomber squadrons in day bomb attacks led them to attack at night. To prevent these attacks, existing aircraft types were converted accordingly.

The machines were usually given a dark camouflage finish and special flame suppressors on the exhaust . Radar devices and early infrared vision devices as well as residual light amplifiers were used to locate enemy aircraft . German night fighters also used passive radar detectors such as the Naxos , which could locate and track the English H2S radar . Due to the range and the level of development, active radar devices in particular were installed.

The eye-catching antennas of the early devices, which greatly increased air resistance, were attached to the nose of the German night fighters; they were nicknamed deer antlers because of their appearance . Later smaller antennas could be placed on the wings or in special radar covers ( radome ). Radar stations on the ground such as the Würzburg radar or the Würzburg giant helped to find the destination.

Since the on-board equipment was relatively heavy and also had to be operated by a separate crew member, two-engine, multi-seat aircraft were mostly used. In the further course of the war, special designs were created for night hunting, such as the German Heinkel He 219 ("Uhu"; used from June 1943; around 280 pieces produced) and the American Northrop P-61 "Black Widow".

The He 219 had a great advantage for the pilots over the conventional night fighters: In all other aircraft they were blinded by the muzzle flash of their own weapons. By arranging the on-board weapons more than two meters behind and below the pilot's position, glare was avoided.

In the course of the 1950s and the improvement of radar technology, all-weather fighter planes were developed that could also be used at night. Today all modern fighters are also suitable for night hunting and all-weather hunting.