Tag: military aircraft

• B17

  The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most famous and recognizable aircraft from World War II today. One B-17 airplane was even the subject of two popular films, both of which are entitled Memphis Belle. On July 28, 1935, the B-17 made its first flight. Though not many B-17s had yet been manufactured when […]

• F35 Lightning

  The reputation of the F-35 Lightning as a stealthy and versatile strike fighter is due in part to its ability to operate at supersonic speeds in all weather conditions. Because of its sophisticated design and technology, the F-35 Lightning II represents the future of military aircraft for manufacturers in the United States and other countries […]

• T6 Texan

  The T-6 aircraft is considered to be one of the foremost military trainers in history. It was used extensively as a trainer during World War II, not only by the United States Army Air Force and Navy, but also by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Known as the “SNJ” by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. […]

• B-1B Lancer

  The B-1B Lancer is a bomber aircraft that took its inaugural flight on October 18, 1984. This was a major achievement for both Rockwell International and North American Aircraft (now a part of Boeing) manufacturing companies. The Lancer was part of a major push by the Reagan administration to strengthen the American military. Two years […]

• F4F Wildcat

  The F4F Wildcat was originally designed as a biplane in 1935, but was soon modified as a single-wing fighter with a supercharged Pratt & Whitney radial engine. The Wildcat was the only U.S. Navy fighter to serve for the entire duration of World War II. The F4F’s primary opponent was the Japanese Zero, a superior […]

• Tiger

  Unlike most other U.S. Navy aircraft, the supersonic F-5E (one seat) and F-5F Tiger II (two seats) jets cannot be operated from an aircraft carrier. Northrop Grumman originally designed the F-5E/F as a small jet aircraft carrier for the Air Force. In 1970, the U.S. Air Force held a competition for Military Assistance Program (MAP) […]

• B-24 Liberator

  The B-24 Liberator, as successful as it was in its missions, has always remained in the shadow of the older B-17 Flying Fortress. Ironically, the B-24 had an overall greater military capability than the B-17 and the B-24 was produced in far greater numbers. When Consolidated Aircraft won the contract to produce the B-24 for […]

• F4U Corsair

  Though the F4U Corsair may be best known as the airplane flown by Maj. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, the F4U enjoyed many other roles as well and in many areas of the world. In 1938, the U.S. Navy sought the development of a single-seat aircraft carrier based fighter […]

• U2 Lockheed

  Though the U-2 remains in service after 50 years, it will probably always be most associated with the “Garry Powers incident” or “U-2 Crisis.” Since the 1950’s, the U-2 has only been used as a high-altitude surveillance aircraft for the United States Air Force. The U-2 airplane was born out of necessity: The need by […]

• B29 Superfortress

  In 1939, prior to the United States entering the Second World War, Boeing submitted the B-29 prototype to the U.S. Army for consideration as a long-range heavy bomber. Boeing hoped that the airplane’s advanced new features, such as its remote controlled guns and pressurized cabin, would appeal to the military. Other attractive features included an […]

• FA-18 Hornet

  The FA-18 Hornet is an all-weather fighter jet that can be deployed on land or on an aircraft carrier. The airplane completed its first flight on September 13, 1978 and it remains in production today, although the current model is vastly different from the original FA-18. In addition to serving in the United States Navy […]

• X47A

  Unlike most of the military aircraft that Northrop Grumman designs and manufactures, the X-47A Pegasus was not built because of demand from the U.S. military. Instead, Northrop constructed the X-47A Pegasus at their own cost. Northrop wanted to prove that building prototypes of unmanned vehicles could be done cheaply and quickly without sacrificing quality. Northrop […]