The F-14 would spend 30 years in active service with the US Navy and Air Forces. In terms of all-time great American fighter planes, there are pretty much only two guaranteed to have pinned up on any aspiring petrolhead’s bedroom wall. One is the P-51 Mustang, but if you prefer planes of a more modern and jet-powered…

The B-52 is a symbol of Americanism as profound as baseball, apple pie, and Chevrolet, but is it cut out for the battlefield of the future? There are few things in this world quite as satisfying as a good old-fashioned American success story, the story of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress definitely fits that description. After almost…

The Mosquito performed daylight bombing raids over German-occupied Europe. Apart from the Spitfire and the Hurricane, if there were ever an aircraft that epitomized the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War Two, it would have to be the de Havilland Mosquito. As the Nazi Party in Germany continued to build up its military, the British Air Ministry was looking for…

In Washington, the U.S. Navy’s need for improved air superiority capabilities is often neglected. Here’s What to Remember: The report notes that both the Super Hornet and the F-35C are severely challenged by new enemy fifth-generation fighter aircraft such as the Russian-built Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA, and Chengdu J-20. The service has not had a dedicated air-to-air…

World War II: It was decided by Allied commanders that a full time strategic bombing campaign would cripple the enemy over time and allow ground troops the advantage they needed to first stop the advancing German Army and then push them back into Germany. This included the practice of daylight bombing raids on German targets.…

High-tech stealth fighter jets like the F-22 Raptor have taken over the news cycle in recent weeks and are being used as the primary weapons to deal with potential threats in American and Canadian airspace. The Raptor and jets like it showcase the best the United States and its military has to offer when dealing…

There are many legends, myths, and tales about the iconic and still-mysterious B-2 stealth bomber. The following one is actually true. On April 8, 1999, Major Tom Bussiere looked out at the ink-black night sky from his mission commander’s seat of the B-2 stealth bomber. While contemplating his future (at what altitude remains classified), Bussiere…

We’ve all seen the memes. The A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as the Warthog, has become the Internet’s favorite warplane thanks in large part to its signature ‘BRRRT’ sound that it makes when it fires its massive 30mm gun. It’s highly doubtful that the engineers at Fairchild Republic that designed the A-10 could have anticipated…

Much of the F-20’s development was carried out under a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) project called “FX.” The F-20 Tigershark (initially F-5G) was a privately financed light fighter, designed and built by Northrop. Its development began in 1975. The aircraft which was a further evolution of Northrop’s F-5E Tiger II, was powered by a new…

The F-14 is one of the most impressive and iconic American military aircraft of all time! On a single day in December 1941, a surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy changed the face of naval warfare forever, marking both the end of the Battleship and the rise of a new era in naval air power. Today’s…