Not too expensive and very reliable, the Saab 35 has made its mark. Here is how the warplane’s unusual design makes it so unique. Here’s What You Need to Remember: The Saab 35 Draken was in use in some capacity until the mid-2000s—a run of about fifty years. Not too bad for an initially experimental aircraft.…

The Harrier story is one of the most remarkable in post-war British aviation history, reflecting technological advance, innovation and both political and service indecision. Dr Kevin Wright looks back at five decades of development and operation of the UK’s Harriers and Sea Harriers. From the very first tethered flight to the mountains of Afghanistan via…

A former U.S. Air Force officer explains why the Me 262 is so important to aviation history: The Germans have long been innovators in the area of weapons technologies. This was especially true during WWII in general and the year 1944 in particular. As noted by respected aviation author Don Hollway, “1944 was the year of the Wunderwaffen, German…

A former Topgun instructor describes a typical combat training mission during his time at the Navy Fighter Weapons School. In September 1982 I was one of eight students being briefed in a classroom at the Navy Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar for a series of flights over southern Arizona, part of the…

Ukrainian fighter pilots are now training to operate F-16s provided by a growing list of Western partners. Ukrainian fighter pilots are now training to operate F-16s provided by a growing list of Western partners. The F-16 jet promises to offer the embattled nation a significant increase in combat capability. Perhaps the biggest benefit the F-16 can offer Ukraine (beyond…

As a derivative of the Su-27, the Su-30 has functioned for years as a workhorse fighter jet “bomb truck” which served in combat in Syria in 2015. The Su-30 Is No Joke: The Russian Sukoi Su-35 fighter jet emerged in the mid-1990s and has since expanded into a massive global platform operating with more than 12 countries to…

While the F-22 may have been allowed to fall behind the F-35 in a few aspects during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the military’s refocus on a peer or near-peer engagement has thrust the F-22 back into the spotlight again, with upgrades to match. Here’s What You Need to Remember: The USAF, until now, has been…

Eighty years ago, the Supermarine Spitfire saved Britain and changed the course of history. After two long months of grueling air combat between invading Luftwaffe fighters and bombers and the notably smaller British Royal Air Force, England’s pilots were exhausted. Some British pilots, many of whom had only nine full hours of flight training before…

Highly agile and heavily armed, the combat-proven Apache helicopter is the backbone of the US Army’s all-weather ground-support capability. With its unmatched performance, advanced sensors, and connectivity, the AH-64E Apache is the world’s most advanced multi-role combat helicopter. It serves as the backbone of the United States Army’s attack helicopter fleet and a growing number of…

With a sleek needle nose and a swept double-delta wing with two prominent nacelles, the supersonic SR-71 Blackbird spy plane is the stuff aviation legend. Although the SR-71 first flew in late December of 1964 and hasn’t been in service for almost 25 years, it’s still the fastest plane that’s ever seen action. Powered by…