In November 1915, exactly 100 years ago, Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the most famous fighter pilot in the history of aviation, began his training in combat aircraft. This quiz is about fighter aircraft and the men who piloted them.

Warbirds 1On April 1, 1915, a French pilot shot down an enemy aircraft for the first time through a tractor propeller. He achieved three more wins before being shot down in 1918. Who was he?

2Most stories about the legendary Battle of Britain centre around the Supermarine Spitfire, one of the most beautiful and effective fighters ever built. But which other British fighter aircraft accounted for over 60 per cent of German casualties during the battle?

3The B-26 Marauder, a World War II bomber, and the ’60s American fighter F-104 Starfighter both have an unfortunate two-word epithet associated with them. What is that?

4What does the West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding have in common with the Chance Vought F4U Corsair, one of the most successful fighters of World War II, and the British twin-engine fighter Bristol Beaufighter?

5The most successful ace in the history of military aviation was a German pilot who was known either as the Blonde Knight or the Black Devil by the Soviet pilots. Name this pilot who had 352 kills in WW II?

6Group Captain Douglas Bader is credited with 20 aerial victories and was one of the few British pilots to win the Order of the British Empire and the Distinguished Flying Cross. What made his achievements unique?

7Count Francesco Baracca was Italy’s top ace of the World War I with 34 credited victories. What is his claim to fame in corporate history?

8The Messerschmitt 163 Komet came into World War II late; though 300 of them were made, it proved ineffective against allied aircraft. What was unique about this fighter plane?

9 Top Gun was one of the first films that made heroes out of fighter pilots. In the film, Tom Cruise and his squadron squared off against Soviet MiG 28 aircraft. What was the crucial mistake in the military action?

10In the ’50s, Teddy Petter designed a lightweight British fighter that never saw mainstream service. But, in the ’60s, it became a mainstay of the Indian Air Force. Which plane did Petter design?

Answers

1. Roland Garros. Also an enthusiastic tennis player, the stadium for the French Open is named after him

2. The Hawker Hurricane. More than 14,000 were built during World War II

3. Both were referred to as ‘Widow Makers’ by their pilots because of their high accident rates

4. All three were nicknamed ‘Whispering Death.’ Holding for his smooth and quiet approach to the wicket, and the Corsair and Beaufighter for their phenomenal strike rates

5. Erich Hartmann, one of the few German aces to survive the war

6. He lost both legs to a flying accident in 1931, and made all his kills as a double amputee

7. The prancing horse logo adopted by Ferrari was his personal logo

8. It was the first rocket-powered combat aircraft. Though capable of amazing speeds, it had a combat radius of less than 100 km, giving very little air time

9. MiG fighter planes were always denoted by odd numbers 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 27, 29 and 31

10. The Folland Gnat, which chalked many impressive victories against the Sabre in the 1965 Indo-Pak war

Joy Bhattacharjyais a quizmaster and Project Director, FIFA U-17 World Cup

Follow Joy on Twitter @joybhattacharj

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