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Why the A-10 Warthog Is Such a Badass Plane
How a slow, simple airplane became an icon. General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, chief of the Air Force’s Air Combat Command, said in November 2016 that he would deploy A-10s to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, where these bruisers would join the fight against Islamic State that was raging at the time. Able to fly for long periods…
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The Fascinating History of the Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a legendary aircraft, and its story is one of the most fascinating in aviation history. The Bf 109 was key to the German war effort in World War II, and its pilots were some of the most celebrated heroes of the conflict. So, let’s check out the intriguing history of…
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25 Supermarine Spitfire Facts
One of the most famous aircraft ever built and an icon of the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire had a long and varied history during its operational service with the Royal Air Force, which it still flies with today as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Find out 25 Spitfire facts about the…
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Back in 1985, a U.S. Air Force F-15 Fighter ‘Killed’ A Satellite with a Missile
On September 13, 1985, during a mission dubbed the “Celestial Eagle Flight,” Major Wilbert “Doug” Pearson pushed the “pickle button” in the cockpit of his F-15A and launched an ASM-135A at a real target while in a steep vertical climb flying at 38,100 feet while flying just under Mach 1 over the Pacific Ocean. Decades…
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Former A-7 Corsair II pilot explains what made the iconic SLUF a great attack aircraft
What did the A-7 Corsair II have that gave it such a great combat record and a devoted pilot community, aka the “A-7 mafia”? It is not easy to replace a legend, but in May 1963, the Navy called upon aircraft manufacturers to submit design proposals to succeed the A-4 Skyhawk in the light attack role. ‘With…
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Why Was The Supermarine Spitfire So Good?
“All the ascendancy of the Hurricanes and Spitfires would have been fruitless but for this system…and all was now fused together into a most elaborate instrument of war, the like of which existed nowherein the world.” The Supermarine Spitfire was a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many…
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Can The F-35 Really Dogfight Like In Top Gun?
Maybe we are asking the wrong question: F-35 may not “need” to dogfight as it will see and destroy enemy aircraft before dogfighting becomes a necessity. The F-35 is well known for its advanced computing, sensor fusion, long-range targeting accuracy, threat data library, and drone-like surveillance capacity. But can it dogfight? The F-35 Controversy That Won’t End This…
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Why the A-10 Warthog Is Such a Badass Plane
How a slow, simple airplane became an icon. General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, chief of the Air Force’s Air Combat Command, said in November 2016 that he would deploy A-10s to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, where these bruisers would join the fight against Islamic State that was raging at the time. Able to fly for long periods…
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Everything You Need To Know About The F-15 Eagle
The F-15 Eagle is a great aircraft that has thrived even after the F-22 Raptor was introduced. The F-15 Eagle is one of the world’s most-produced air superiority fighter jets. But why? It isn’t the most advanced in the US Air Force, that’s the F-22 Raptor which is a fifth-generation fighter while the Eagle is…
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F-14 Tomcat: Did The Navy Make A Bad Call Retiring This Fighter?
Despite some arguments to the contrary, it seems the Navy may have been well-advised to retire the F-14 and clear the way more fully to where things are now with F-22s and F-35s controlling drones and 6th-generation aircraft already in the air. Maverick and Goose made the F-14 Tomcat famous as a cultural emblem of US military air power, yet…