Bombers evolved at the same time as the fighter aircraft at the start of World War I.
The Germans used Zeppelins as bombers since they had the range and capacity to carry a useful bomb load from Germany to England. With advances in aircraft design and equipment, they were joined by larger multi-engined biplane aircraft on both sides for long range strategic bombing especially by night. The majority of bombing was still done by one-engined biplanes with one or two crew-members flying short distances to attack the enemy lines and immediate hinterland.
The world's first four-engined bomber was the Russian Il'ya Muromets created in 1914 and successfully used in World War I.
During World War II bombers often looked dramatically different from other aircraft. Because of the lack of power in aircraft engines at the time, bombers needed to have multiple engines in order to carry a reasonable load, in turn leading to much larger aircraft.
With engine power as a major limitation, combined with the desire for accuracy and other operational factors, bomber designs tended to be tailored to one particular role. By the start of the war this included
- dive bomber
- light bomber, medium bomber and heavy bomber
- torpedo bomber
- specialized ground attack designs
Bombers are not intended to actively engage in combat with other aircraft. The majority have been relatively large and unmaneuverable – although some smaller designs have been used as the basis for specialist fighters, such as night fighters.
List of Aircraft Bomber in World War I and World War II:
| Bomber | Picture | Specifications | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arado Ar E.560 |  Germany | 1945 | ||
| Consolidated B-32 Dominator |  US | 1945 | ||
| Henschel Hs 132 | Germany | 1945 | ||
| Horten Ho IX / Horten Ho 229 | Germany | 1945 | ||
| Kyushu Q1W Tokai (Eastern Sea) / (Lorna) |  Japan | 1945 | ||
| Nakajima G8N Renzan (Rita) | Japan | 1945 | ||
| Aichi B7A Ryusei (Grace) | Japan | 1944 | ||
| Aichi E16A Zuiun (Paul) | Japan | 1944 | ||
| Arado Ar 234 Blitz (Lightning) | Germany | 1944 | ||
| Douglas A-26 / B-26 Invader | US | 1944 | ||
| Heinkel He 343 (Strahlbomber / Strabo 16) | Germany | 1944 | ||
| Junkers Ju 287 | Germany | 1944 | ||
| Messerschmitt Me 328 | Germany | 1944 | ||
| Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu (Peggy) | Japan | 1944 | ||
| Arado Ar E.555 | Germany | 1943 | ||
| Arado Ar TEW 16/43-19 | Germany | 1943 | ||
| Boeing B-29 Superfortress | US | 1943 | ||
| Curtiss SB2C Helldiver | US | 1943 | ||
| Junkers Ju 188 Rache (Avenger) | Germany | 1943 | ||
| Junkers Ju 390 (New York Bomber) | Germany | 1943 | ||
| Luftwaffe Mistel (Mistletoe) | Germany | 1943 | ||
| de Havilland D.H.98 Mosquito |  UK | 1942 | ||
| Dornier Do 217 | Germany | 1942 | ||
| Grumman TBF Avenger | US | 1942 | ||
| Heinkel He 177 Greif (Griffin) | Germany | 1942 | ||
| Kawanishi H8K (Emily) | Japan | 1942 | ||
| Kyushu K11W Shiragiku (White Chrysanthemum) | Japan | 1942 | ||
| Lockheed PV-1 Ventura / PV-2 Harpoon | US | 1942 | ||
| Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika (America) | Germany | 1942 | ||
| Nakajima B6N Tenzan (Jill) | Japan | 1942 | ||
| North American A-36 Apache (Invader) | Japan | 1942 | ||
| Piaggio P.108 |  Italy | 1942 | ||
| Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (Judy) | Japan | 1942 | ||
| Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle | UK | 1941 | ||
| Avro Lancaster | UK | 1941 | ||
| CAC Woomera |  Australia | 1941 | ||
| Consolidated B-24 Liberator | US | 1941 | ||
| Douglas A-20 Havoc / Boston | US | 1941 | ||
| Douglas A-24 Banshee | US | 1941 | ||
| Martin B-26 Marauder | US | 1941 | ||
| Martin Baltimore (A-30) | US | 1941 | ||
| Mitsubishi G4M (Betty) | Japan | 1941 | ||
| Nakajima B5N (Kate) | Japan | 1941 | ||
| Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Helen) | Japan | 1941 | ||
| Sukhoi Su-2 |  Soviet Union | 1941 | ||
| Vultee A-35 Vengeance | US | 1941 | ||
| Aichi D3A (Val) | Japan | 1940 | ||
| Amiot 354 |  France | 1940 | ||
| Arado Ar 240 | Germany | 1940 | ||
| Arado Ar E.530 | Germany | 1940 | ||
| Avro Manchester | UK | 1940 | ||
| Bristol Beaufort | UK | 1940 | ||
| Consolidated PB2Y Coronado | US | 1940 | ||
| Handley Page Halifax | UK | 1940 | ||
| Martin Maryland (A-22) | US | 1940 | ||
| North American B-25 Mitchell | US | 1940 | ||
| Petlyakov Pe-2 | Soviet Union | 1940 | ||
| Short Stirling | UK | 1940 | ||
| CAC Wirraway | Australia | 1939 | ||
| Dornier Do 215 | Germany | 1939 | ||
| Heinkel He 115 | Germany | 1939 | ||
| Junkers Ju 88 | Germany | 1939 | ||
| Loire-Nieuport LN.401/LN.411 (LN.40) | France | 1939 | ||
| Mitsubishi Ki-21 (Sally) | Japan | 1939 | ||
| CANT Z.1007 Alcione (Kingfisher) | Italy | 1938 | ||
| Caproni Ca.310 (Libeccio) | Italy | 1938 | ||
| Curtiss SBC Helldiver | US | 1938 | ||
| Dornier Do 22 | Germany | 1938 | ||
| Douglas SBD Dauntless | US | 1938 | ||
| Focke-Wulf Fw 200 (Condor) | Germany | 1938 | ||
| Vickers Wellington | UK | 1938 | ||
| Aero A.304 |  Czechoslovakia | 1937 | ||
| Arado Ar 195 | Germany | 1937 | ||
| Armstrong Whitworth Whitley | UK | 1937 | ||
| Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | US | 1937 | ||
| Breda Ba.64 | Italy | 1937 | ||
| Dornier Do 17 (Flying Pencil) | Germany | 1937 | ||
| Douglas TBD Devastator | US | 1937 | ||
| Fairey Battle | UK | 1937 | ||
| Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Stork) | Germany | 1937 | ||
| Ilyushin IL-4 | Soviet Union | 1937 | ||
| Junkers Ju 87 (Stuka) | Germany | 1937 | ||
| Vought SB2U Vindicator | US | 1937 | ||
| Caproni AP.1 | Italy | 1936 | ||
| Douglas B-18 Bolo | US | 1936 | ||
| Fairey Swordfish | UK | 1936 | ||
| Fiat BR.20 Cicogna (Stork) | Italy | 1936 | ||
| Heinkel He 111 | Germany | 1936 | ||
| Henschel Hs 123 | Germany | 1936 | ||
| Junkers Ju 86 | Germany | 1936 | ||
| Mitsubishi G3M Rikko (Nell) | Japan | 1936 | ||
| PZL.23 Karas |  Poland | 1936 | ||
| Tupolev SB-2 | Soviet Union | 1936 | ||
| Amiot 143 | France | 1935 | ||
| Bristol Blenheim | UK | 1935 | ||
| Heinkel He 51 | Germany | 1935 | ||
| Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Pipistrello (Bat) | Italy | 1935 | ||
| Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero (Sparrowhawk) | Italy | 1934 | ||
| Curtiss A-12 (Shrike) | US | 1933 | ||
| Heinkel He 70 (Blitz) | Germany | 1933 | ||
| Blackburn Baffin | UK | 1932 | ||
| Martin B-10 | US | 1932 | ||
| Boeing B-9 (Death Angel) | US | 1931 | ||
| Liore et Olivier LeO 25 | France | 1928 | ||
| Blackburn Ripon | UK | 1926 | ||
| Breguet Bre.19 | France | 1923 | ||
| Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1 (Barling Bomber) | US | 1923 | ||
| Aero A.12 | Czechoslovakia | 1921 | ||
| Martin MB-2 / NBS-1 | US | 1920 | ||
| Vickers Vimy | UK | 1919 | ||
| Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo | UK | 1918 | ||
| Caudron R.11 | France | 1918 | ||
| Handley Page H.P. O/400 | UK | 1918 | ||
| Martin MB-1 / Glenn Martin Bomber | US | 1918 | ||
| Airco DH.4 | UK | 1917 | ||
| Airco DH.9 | UK | 1917 | ||
| Avro 529 | UK | 1917 | ||
| Caproni Ca.3 | Italy | 1917 | ||
| Friedrichshafen G.III | Germany | 1917 | ||
| Gotha G.V | Germany | 1917 | ||
| Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI | Germany | 1917 | ||
| AEG G.IV | Germany | 1916 | ||
| Avro 523 Pike | UK | 1916 | ||
| Gotha G.IV | Germany | 1916 | ||
| Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter | UK | 1916 | ||
| Breguet Br.M5 | France | 1915 | ||
| Caproni Ca.1 | Italy | 1915 | ||
| Caudron G.4 | France | 1915 | ||
| Lohner B.VII |  Hungary | 1915 | ||
| LVG C.II | Germany | 1915 | ||
| Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 | UK | 1915 | ||
| Sikorsky Ilya Mourometz (Series) | Soviet Union | 1915 | ||
| Voisin Type 5 | France | 1915 | ||
| Farman MF.11 Shorthorn | France | 1914 |
