List of Bomber Aircraft - Bomber Types

Bomber Types

• Amerika Bomber - very long range German World War 2 bomber intended to attack cities in North America from Europe and return.
• Army cooperation aircraft or Scout bomber - also carries out tactical reconnaissance in addition to bombing, are also known as reconnaissance bomber or close support aircraft. Overlaps with observation category.
• Bomber-transport - aircraft that combine the functions of a transport and a bomber. Primarily used from 1920s into the early 1940s.
• Counter-insurgency aircraft - light attack bombers used against guerrillas. Many were converted trainers.
• Dive bomber - bomber specially strengthened to allow attacks from dive - used only from mid 1930s until late 1940s.
• Fighter-bomber - fighter that have a limited ability to attack ground targets. May be obsolete as fighters.
• General purpose aircraft - British 1920s and 1930s term for a multi-role aircraft used for light bombing, observation, training and sometimes as a fighter.
• Ground attack - also known as attack bombers, shturmovik and schlachtflugzeug - light and medium bombers used in a tactical role. Often armoured against ground fire.
• Heavy bomber - subjective term describing size compared to contemporary types - definition varies by country and era, and some types may be reclassified as larger aircraft enter service. The German World War I designations grossflugzeuge (large aircraft) and reisenflugzeuge (giant aircraft) are analogous.
• Interdictor - bombers designed to attack targets behind the enemy front lines, with the intention of preventing forces and material reaching the battlefront.
• Level bomber - opposite of a dive bomber, aircraft flies at a constant altitude while dropping bombs. Term only current during late 1930s and early 1940s
• Light bomber - subjective term describing size compared to contemporary types - definition varies by country and era, and in general used from 1920s to 1950s. Often single or two seat single engine propeller powered aircraft.
• Master Bomber - aircraft (usually a conventional bomber) used to mark targets with smoke and flares during World War 2 for other bombers to aim for. Sometimes referred to as a Pathfinder.
• Medium bomber - subjective term describing size compared to contemporary types - definition varies by country and era.
• Minelayer - aircraft used to deploy minefields - can be nearly any type of bomber.
• Night Bomber - bomber designed for making attacks at night when intercepting fighters are at a disadvantage.
• Maritime reconnaissance/Maritime patrol/Patrol bomber - used to control sealanes - usually has ability to attack ships and in later examples, submarines. Most modern examples are converted transports.
• Schnellbomber - high speed bomber, used speed to avoid interception, however increases in speed of intercepting fighter usually makes these obsolete quickly.
• Stealth bomber - bomber designed and equipped to make detection by radar and infra-red devices difficult.
• Strategic bomber - bomber used to destroy targets having a long term strategic impact - such as industrial production or transportation.
• Strike fighter - similar to ground attack or fighter-bomber and may have minimal air to air combat capabilities.
• Tactical bomber - bomber used to destroy targets in direct support of ground operations.
• Torpedo bomber - bomber whose primary weapon is a torpedo. First examples appeared during World War I, term rare since 1960s when other weapons became available. Related types include torpedo-fighter (similar to fighter bomber) and torpedo-dive bomber.
• Ural bomber - early 1930s German long range bomber program.
• V bomber - series of 3 heavy strategic jet bombers produced by the British in the 1950s.