Arado Ar 68

• Role: Biplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: Germany
• Introduced: 1936
• Crew: 1
• Maximum speed: 335 km/h (215 mph)
• Range: 500 km (270 mi)
• Armaments: Machine guns & Light bombs

The Arado Ar 68 was a single-seat biplane fighter developed in the mid-1930s. It was among the first fighters produced when Germany abandoned the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles and began rearming. The Ar 68 entered service with the Luftwaffe in 1936 and one of the first units was stationed in East Prussia. Soon, the fighter was sent to fight in the Spanish Civil War, where it was outclassed by the stumpy Soviet Polikarpov I-16.

Fiat CR.42

• Role: Biplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: Italy
• Introduced: 1939
• Crew: 1
• Maximum speed: 441 km/h (274 mph)
• Range: 780 km (485 mi)
• Armaments: Machine guns & Light bombs

In spite of the biplane configuration, the CR.42 was a modern design based around strong steel and alloy frame and fixed main landing gear. The aircraft proved exceptionally agile thanks to its very low wing loading, although at the same time, the CR.42 lacked amour and radio equipment. The Fiat CR.42 entered service in May 1939 fighting the British Gloster Gladiator over Malta, and later against the Hawker Hurricane, sometimes with unexpected success.

Gloster Gladiator

• Role: Biplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: United Kingdom
• Introduced: 1937
• Crew: 1
• Maximum speed: 414 km/h (257 mph)
• Range: 710 km (444 mi)
• Armaments: Machine guns

The Gloster Gladiator was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was being introduced. Though often pitted against more formidable foes during the early days of the Second World War, it acquitted itself reasonably well in combat.

Kawasaki Ki-10

• Role: Biplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: Japan
• Introduced: 1935
• Crew: 1
• Maximum speed: 400 km/h (249 mph)
• Range: 1100 km (684 mi)
• Armaments: Machine guns

The Ki-10 was selected by the Japanese Army over the Nakajima's Ki-11 low-wing monoplane, preferring the Ki-10 biplane's maneuverability to its opponent's slightly superior speed. The Ki-10 had excellent dogfighting qualities and proved itself during the second Chinese incident. It took part in the fighting against Russian forces at Nomonhan, although by then (1939) it was largely outclassed. The Ki-10 was coded Perry by the Allies.

Caudron C.59

• Role: Biplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: France
• Introduced: 1921
• Crew: 2
• Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)
• Armaments: Machine guns

The Caudron C.59 was a flexible aircraft used for many purposes. Its two-bay configuration with dual controls made it useful for training as well as combat. Some were fitted with floats for water landings. The C.59 displayed robust construction, good flying qualities and reliable powerplant. It remained in French service for 15 years and was exported to many nations including Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Finland, Manchuria, Portugal, Romania, Turkey and Venezuela, and saw action in the Spanish Civil War.

Boeing P-12

• Role: Biplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: United States
• Introduced: 1929
• Crew: 1
• Maximum speed: 301 km/h (187 mph)
• Range: 1335 km (830 mi)
• Armaments: Machine guns and bombs

One of the most famous of Boeing's biplane fighters of the inter-war years, the P-12 (also designated F4B) originated as a private venture to develop a replacement for the US and many were fitted with spreader-bar axle landing gear and an arrester hook. It was used extensively and its total production of 586 for the Army and Navy established a production record for a basic military design which remained unequalled until the attainment of long production runs during World War II.

Polikarpov I-15

• Role: Biplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: USSR
• Introduced: 1933
• Crew: 1
• Maximum speed: 370 km/h (230 mph)
• Range: 600 km (373 mi)
• Armaments: Machine guns

The Polikarpov I-15 was of mixed construction and embodied such refinements as I-type interplane struts, the upper wing "gulled" into the fuselage and cantilever mainwheel legs, and was known for exceptional handling and maneuverability. Popularly known as the Chaika (Gull), an epithet resulting from its "gulled" upper wing, the Soviets exported the I-15 to the Republicans in Spain, where it saw action during the Civil War.

PWS-10

• Role: Parasol Monoplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: Poland
• Introduced: 1930
• Crew: 1
• Maximum speed: 258 km/h (160 mph)
• Range: 300 km (186 mi)
• Armaments: Machine guns

The P.W.S.10 single-seat parasol monoplane fighter first flew in 1930. Powered by engines from the Skoda Arms Works, the P.W.S.10 was of mixed construction with a wooden wing and steel tube fuselage. Rather difficult to fly and never popular with its pilots, the P.W.S.10 was progressively withdrawn from 1933, but 20 reconditioned examples were sold to the Spanish Nationalist forces in 1936. Because of their inadequate performance they were restricted to the training role.

Avia B-534

• Role: Biplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: Czechoslovakia
• Introduced: 1933
• Crew: 1
• Maximum speed: 394 km/h (295 mph)
• Range: 580 km (360 mi)
• Armaments: Machine guns and Bombs

Probably the finest fighter biplane ever built, and one of the last mass-produced biplane fighters, the Avia B.534 had an open cockpit, but a sliding hood was introduced on later aircraft. In 1937 a B.534 took part in the International Air Meeting at Zurich and outperformed everything except the Messerschmitt Bf 109 - even then it was only 11km/h slower than the German fighter. The B.534 was adopted by the Czech Army Air Force as its standard fighter type, and also served in Bulgaria and with the Luftwaffe, which used it as an advanced trainer. In 1939, after the German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia, large numbers of B.534s were acquired by the Slovak Air Force, which later used them against the Russians.

Fokker D XIII

• Role: Biplane Fighter
• Manufacturing Nation: Netherlands
• Introduced: 1924
• Crew: 3
• Maximum speed: 270 km/h (168 mph)
• Range: 600 km (373 mi)
• Armaments: Machine guns

The D XIII was essentially a more powerful variant of the D XI developed at the behest of the German Reichswehr and featured a 12-cylinder water-cooled engine. When first flown in September 1924 it was claimed to be the fastest fighter in the world. On 16 July 1925, the production model was used to establish a series of world records for speed and load. The D XIIIs continued in use at the clandestine Reichswehr air training centre at Lipetsk until 1933, when the centre was closed and the remaining planes were handed to the Soviet government.