The best Spy Planes of the Second World War

Close

News

10 mins read

2 November 2025

The gathering of aerial intelligence by a snooping aircraft during wartime is a perilous mission.

The 'spy’ (or, more correctly, reconnaissance) aircraft must survive enemy fighters and anti-aircraft weapons, often relying on little more than speed, altitude or guile. Here are ten spy planes of World War II of either exceptional ability or colossal significance…

10: Martin Maryland

The Martin Maryland was a twin-engined American attack and reconnaissance bomber that first flew in 1939. It was designed to compete for the USAAC contract won by Douglas with what would become the A-20 Havoc. Despite losing this domestic contract, it was not hard to sell military aeroplanes in 1939, and France was desperate for them. In French service, the Maryland proved highly survivable.

Britain benefited from an order intended for France before it was invaded in 1940, receiving Marylands which would later be joined by directly ordered aircraft with two-stage superchargers. The Royal Air Force dispatched the Marylands to Egypt, Cyrenaica and Malta for photo-reconnaissance missions in North and East Africa.

10: Martin Maryland

Marylands photographed the Italian fleet before and after the dramatic Battle of Taranto in 1940, when Royal Navy torpedo bombers successfully attacked the powerful Italian fleet at anchor. Importantly, photos from the Marylands had alerted the planners to the location of barrage balloons. The Maryland was used by ‘Six medal Warburton’, the most highly decorated British reconnaissance pilot. He also scored five aerial victories in it, which takes some doing…

The Maryland was faster than the 280mph (450 km/h) Bristol Blenheim, capable of a decent 316mph (508km/h) and pleasant to fly (if a little cramped). In 1942, South African Maryland’s performed long-range missions over Vichy-held Madagascar, a mission of huge significance. Remarkably, one SAAF Maryland was downed but used its defensive guns to capture Vichy soldiers as prisoners on the ground.

9: Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu

Kurt Tank was arguably the greatest German aircraft designer; his designs included the Fw 190 fighter, the Ta 152 and the Fw 200 Condor airliner. He was also responsible for the unusual Fw 189, a German reconnaissance aircraft developed to replace the Henschel Hs 126.

Twin-boom aircraft have the rear fuselage divided into two separate sections, and this configuration was chosen for the Fw 189 as it could include a central crew gondola with a relatively unobstructed view out. The twin-boom configuration is popular in reconnaissance aircraft (to this day), the first example being the German AGO C.I of 1915.

Back to top

9: Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu

The name Uhu is German for ‘eagle owl’. Despite the Uhu’s slenderness, it was an extremely tough machine, able to withstand significant battle damage; it also relied on its manoeuvrability for survival. The sight of the ‘Rama’ (ра́ма or ‘frame’), as it was known to Soviet forces, was much dreaded as it signalled an area of interest to the German army.

The Fw 189 was powered by two Argus As 410 engines of 459 hp (342 kW) with a top speed of 214mph (344km/h). A total of 864 Fw 189s were made from 1940 to 1944. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Soviet Sukhoi Su-12 of 1947 was an artillery-spotting aircraft sharing much in configuration with the Fw 189.

8: Junkers Ju 86

When the twin-engine Junkers Ju 86 first flew in 1934, it was a very advanced design. Originally planned as an airliner and a bomber, it abandoned Junkers’ famous corrugated skin in favour of a smooth, streamlined fuselage, which was combined with a retractable undercarriage. Like its sibling, the Ju 88, it would perform reconnaissance.

As would later be taken to extremes by the US U-2 and SR-71, flying far higher than fighter aircraft is a survival technique employed by many reconnaissance aircraft types. By 1939, the Germans were working on high-altitude reconnaissance variants of the Ju 86. These would have turbochargers, a pressurised crew cabin and larger wings to operate in the sparse air of higher altitudes.

8: Junkers Ju 86

The P series of high-altitude capable bomber-reconnaissance aircraft took part in intelligence gathering of Soviet assets before Germany turned on its ally in 1941. The fear of these ‘high-fliers’ set Allied nations into developing specialised high-altitude interceptors, notably the Westland Welkin.

The even more specialised Ju 86 R series had a massively long wingspan. Countering Ju 86s resulted in the highest air combat of the war. Spitfires succeeded in shooting down at least two Ju 86 at extreme altitudes. In one example, a significantly lightened Spitfire Mk V shot down a Ju 86P at 41,994 feet (12,800 metres) near Cairo.

Back to top

7: Consolidated PBY Catalina

At first light on 3 June 1942, 22 US Navy PBY-5A Catalinas took off from Midway Island. Their mission was to search for an anticipated incoming Japanese fleet. A Catalina spotted Admiral Tanaka’s occupation force, leading to the Battle of Midway which was a decisive victory for the Americans. This alone cements Catalina’s patrol aircraft as among the most crucial reconnaissance aircraft in history.

But this is not all; RAF Catalinas had earlier played an essential role in finding the German Bismarck battleship in the Atlantic on 26 May 1941. At 1030 Bismarck’s trailing oil slick (from the ship's damaged fuel tank) was detected by a Catalina from 209 Squadron. This led to the ship’s destruction, one of Germany’s largest and most formidable warships.

7: Consolidated PBY Catalina

Reliable, with an enormous range and the ability to take off and land on both land and water, the Catalina proved itself again and again. Though often overlooked as a significant wartime aircraft, it was certainly one of the most significant military aircraft of all time.

A total of 3308 Catalinas were built and proved themselves in submarine warfare (in terms of anti-submarine activity, the Catalina sank 40 submarines, 14 more than the Sunderland and equal second overall with the Avenger) and maritime patrol. They also saved countless lives in the air-sea rescue mission.

6: Lockheed P-38 Lightning

This American twin-boom fighter was fast and full of a host of innovations including fowler flaps (also carried by the Westland Whirlwind), General Electric turbochargers recessed into the tailbooms, and a (then novel) tricycle landing gear. It was first flown in 1939, and blew minds with its performance.

On February 11, 1939, the prototype Lockheed XP-38 Lightning flew from California to New York in seven hours and two minutes, setting a speed record (it took two refuelling stops). The flight was part of a record-breaking transcontinental flight to publicise the aircraft.

Back to top

6: Lockheed P-38 Lightning

The P-38 was designed as a fighter, but was clearly ideal material for a reconnaissance aircraft. The US, like most nations, had rather neglected the reconnaissance mission in the inter-war period, but studying British developments, it was clear by 1941 that it had to raise its game. Following recce A-20s, the P-38s were selected for serious modification for the role.

Overcoming many early technical issues, the reconnaissance P-38s became among the best in their class (though, at least initially, some in the United States Army Air Force preferred the proven and somewhat more reliable Mosquito). The P-38 was a massive contributor to the Allied intelligence effort.

5: Nakajima C6N ‘Myrt’

The fastest Japanese carrier aircraft of the war and the only carrier aircraft on our list, the Myrt (as it was known to Allies) was an awe-inspiring aircraft that proved a headache to intercept. However, by the time it was in service, in September 1944, there were few Japanese carriers from which to operate, and C6N operations were primarily land-based.

The only purpose-designed carrier reconnaissance aircraft of the war, the C6N was beautifully streamlined with every effort made to reduce drag. It featured a laminar flow wing, and the use of what was for a Japanese aircraft a thick skin reduced the number of rivets required from 220,024 of a Mitsubishi Zero’ to fewer than 100,000.

5: Nakajima C6N ‘Myrt’

The rather troublesome Homare radial engine was well cowled with ejector exhausts contributing thrust. After a successful mission, a telegram was sent reporting, "No Grummans can catch us." (Grumman was the manufacturer of the US Navy Hellcat and Avenger carrier fighters).

A Nakajima C6N1-S Saiun (MYRT) was the last aircraft shot down in World War 2. It was shot down by Lieutenant Commander Thomas Reidy of the US Navy, flying a Corsair fighter, on August 15, 1945, a day after Emperor Hirohito’s surrender announcement. The war ended five minutes later.

Back to top

4: Mitsubishi Ki-46

Reconnaissance aircraft seldom get the attention they deserve, performing totally essential work, usually alone and often unarmed. In the Ki-46 the Japanese possessed the world’s finest example of this type of aircraft. As a reconnaissance platform, it was unmatched by any other machine until the appearance of the Mosquito and proved maddeningly difficult to intercept throughout the conflict.

As late as September 1944, a Spitfire Mk VIII (itself no slouch) required the removal of armour and a pair of machine guns, to achieve the performance necessary to make an interception. According to an oft-repeated claim, the Germans were impressed enough that they attempted to obtain a manufacturing licence (without success), though a reliable original source for this tale remains elusive.

4: Mitsubishi Ki-46

The improved Ki-46-III was faster still due to a weight reduction programme, the adoption of more powerful Ha-102 engines with direct fuel injection, and a revised fuselage design resulting in near perfect streamlining. In this form it could achieve a maximum speed a shade over 400mph.

It was improved further as the turbo-supercharged Ki 46-IV. Although it never entered production, its performance was incredible: in February 1945 two of the prototypes flew from Peking to Yokota in 3 hours 15 minutes, covering 1430 miles at an average of 435 mph. Loved by its crews and respected by its enemies, the Ki-46, a masterpiece from designer Tumio Kubo, was in a class of its own for most of the war.

3: PR Spitfires

Aerial reconnaissance is vital for victory in warfare, to determine the state of the enemy’s forces and infrastructure. Due to the size of 1930s cameras and the need for a dedicated camera operator, long-range reconnaissance needed to be carried out by twin-engined aircraft. At the start of the war, the RAF used the Bristol Blenheim for the role, a converted light bomber.

But the Blenheim was extremely vulnerable to smaller, faster and more manoeuvrable enemy fighters, notably the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Australian Sidney Cotton, commander of 1 RAF Photographic Development Unit proposed a radical new solution to strategic reconnaissance: unarmed single-seat fighters relying on high speed and altitude for survival.

Back to top

3: PR Spitfires

Fitted with cameras in the wings, the Spitfires were tweaked and polished for maximum speed, and they proved 30mph faster than the standard Mk 1. On 18 November 1939, a reconnaissance Spitfire took off from Seclin in France to photograph Aachen in Germany, becoming the first Spitfire to fly over enemy territory. Though this first mission was thwarted by bad weather, later flights proved the concept.

The Photo Reconnaissance (PR) Spitfires were a massive success. Developed across the war with great scientific rigour by some of the greatest minds in their field, they provided vital reconnaissance that proved pivotal to many Allied actions, did much to define and refine the mission, and even continued into the Cold War.

2: Arado 234 Blitz

The world’s first true jet bomber and reconnaissance aircraft was two steps forward in air warfare when it first flew on 15 June 1943. By this time, propeller-powered aircraft designs were beginning to reach their maximum speed; efficient flight beyond 460mph required the then new technology of jet propulsion. This was the dawn of the jet age of warfare.

Overflying Britain had become very difficult by 1943, such was the excellence of British air defence. But this changed with the introduction of the jet-powered Arado 234, which proved virtually immune to interception. Early jet engines were far from fuel efficient, and to reach the required range, almost every available space in the Ar 234 was devoted to housing fuel.

2: Arado 234 Blitz

In August 1944, in a state of desperation, a force of Ar 234 prototypes was tasked with reconnaissance missions. The seventh prototype performed the first reconnaissance mission over the United Kingdom by a jet aircraft. These sorties were intended to gather intelligence about Allied strength and the plausibility of a naval invasion of the Netherlands.

The Arado 234 was capable of such high and fast flight that Allied fighters failed to intercept them. Later, the Allied anti-jet tactic of attacking an aircraft at landing or take-off proved effective, and this approach was also used against the even faster Messerschmitt 262. Though the highest performance recce aircraft of the war, it arrived too late to achieve a great deal. According to records, an Arado 234 was the last German plane to fly over the UK during the war - this occurred over Scotland on 11 April 1945.

Back to top

1: De Havilland Mosquito

The Mosquito, popularly known as the ‘Wooden Wonder’ for its wooden construction and ability to do almost anything asked of it with aplomb, was a spectacularly fast twin-engined British aircraft. It was designed as a bomber that would rely on speed for survival.

The aircraft was initially controversial as much faith and effort had been put into the heavy bomber concept. In the reconnaissance role, as in several other roles, the Mosquito would prove fantastically capable, and among the most survivable intruder aircraft used in the war.

1: De Havilland Mosquito

Fast, survivable and long-ranged, it made for a superb reconnaissance aircraft. The Mosquito’s blistering speed made it a nightmare for defending fighters or anti-aircraft units to locate and destroy. On the first operational reconnaissance mission, by a Mosquito PR Mk.I, on 17 September 1941, the RAF aircraft evaded three Luftwaffe Bf 109 fighters. Despite being unarmed, the Mosquito got home.

The Mosquito contributed to many campaigns, among them the liberation of Europe. Alongside photo-reconnaissance Spitfires, Mustangs and other aircraft, Mosquitoes played a vital role in providing the detailed images upon which the planning and decision-making for D-Day were dependent. Throughout the build-up and the Normandy campaign, PR aircraft took an unprecedented 85,000 photos daily. The Mosquito was a master of aerial reconnaissance.

Follow Joe Coles on Substack and X

If you enjoyed this story, please click the Follow button above to see more like it from Autocar

Photo Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en