Military Aviation History (Page 3)

Updated on Sep 20, 2021

Air

New Light Shed On The Once Top Secret Tacit Blue Aircraft By Veteran Program Manager New Light Shed On The Once Top Secret Tacit Blue Aircraft By Veteran Program Manager

By LCDR Joe “Smokin” Ruzicka

Posted on Aug 10, 2021

Air

Final F-14 Demo Crewman Remembers Legendary Tomcat Demo Pilot Dale “Snort” Snodgrass Final F-14 Demo Crewman Remembers Legendary Tomcat Demo Pilot Dale “Snort” Snodgrass

Updated on Jul 26, 2021

Sea

This Spherical Manned Airship Was Tested By The Navy As An Eye In The Sky This Spherical Manned Airship Was Tested By The Navy As An Eye In The Sky

By Brett Tingley

Posted on Jul 20, 2021

Air

The Mach-3 XF-108 Rapier Would Have Packed Its Big Missiles On A Revolver-Like Launcher The Mach-3 XF-108 Rapier Would Have Packed Its Big Missiles On A Revolver-Like Launcher

Posted on Jul 14, 2021

Sea

Marines Had An “Aircraft Carrier On Land” With Catapults And Arresting Gear In Vietnam Marines Had An “Aircraft Carrier On Land” With Catapults And Arresting Gear In Vietnam

Updated on Jul 9, 2021

Air

The B-17 Bomber’s Combat Debut 80 Years Ago Today Was A Fiasco The B-17 Bomber’s Combat Debut 80 Years Ago Today Was A Fiasco

Updated on Jul 9, 2021

Air

Air Force Finds New Need For Low-Cost Engine Tech Used On Nazi Buzz Bombs Air Force Finds New Need For Low-Cost Engine Tech Used On Nazi Buzz Bombs

Posted on Jun 24, 2021

Sea

The Most Replayed Carrier Crash In History Happened 70 Years Ago Today The Most Replayed Carrier Crash In History Happened 70 Years Ago Today

By Thomas Newdick and Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 23, 2021

Air

Why The F-117 Made Its First Flight In Pastel Camouflage 40 Years Ago Today Why The F-117 Made Its First Flight In Pastel Camouflage 40 Years Ago Today

Updated on Jun 19, 2021

By Joseph Trevithick and Tyler Rogoway

That Mysterious Black Target From Kirtland AFB Was Related To A Program Called TDU-X That Mysterious Black Target From Kirtland AFB Was Related To A Program Called TDU-X

Updated on May 28, 2021

Air

The Story Behind The Thunderbirds’ Black-Tailed F-4 Phantom And “Captain Carbon” The Story Behind The Thunderbirds’ Black-Tailed F-4 Phantom And “Captain Carbon”

Updated on May 28, 2021

Air

With No Ejection Seats, Skyknight Fighter Crews Slid Down A Tunnel To Salvation With No Ejection Seats, Skyknight Fighter Crews Slid Down A Tunnel To Salvation

Updated on May 5, 2021

Remembering The Time Grumman Helped Craft A Modern Fighter For China Remembering The Time Grumman Helped Craft A Modern Fighter For China

Updated on Apr 30, 2021

Articulated Gun Pods Allowed Soviet Aircraft To Fire Backwards, Downwards, And Even Sideways Articulated Gun Pods Allowed Soviet Aircraft To Fire Backwards, Downwards, And Even Sideways

By Brett Tingley and Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 12, 2021

Air

The Boscombe Down Incident Remains One Of Military Aviation’s Most Intriguing Mysteries The Boscombe Down Incident Remains One Of Military Aviation’s Most Intriguing Mysteries

By Brett Tingley

Updated on Apr 8, 2021

Air

The Cheyenne Attack Helicopter Had A Crazy Rotating Gunner’s Seat Right Out Of Star Wars The Cheyenne Attack Helicopter Had A Crazy Rotating Gunner’s Seat Right Out Of Star Wars

Updated on Apr 2, 2021

Sea

This Is The Early Warning Radar Helicopter The Royal Navy Could Have Had This Is The Early Warning Radar Helicopter The Royal Navy Could Have Had

Posted on Apr 1, 2021

Air

Special Operations Command’s New A-29 Super Tucano Pays Tribute To World War II Air Commandos Special Operations Command’s New A-29 Super Tucano Pays Tribute To World War II Air Commandos

Posted on Mar 29, 2021

Canada’s CF-105 Arrow Interceptor Is The Cold War Legend That Refuses To Die Canada’s CF-105 Arrow Interceptor Is The Cold War Legend That Refuses To Die

By Stephen Walker

Posted on Mar 25, 2021

Sea

Yes, The U.S. Navy Also Took The Spitfire Into Battle During World War II Yes, The U.S. Navy Also Took The Spitfire Into Battle During World War II

Posted on Mar 5, 2021

Air

How The World’s First Privately Owned Fleet Of F-16 Aggressor Jets Became A Reality How The World’s First Privately Owned Fleet Of F-16 Aggressor Jets Became A Reality

By James Deboer

Updated on Feb 24, 2021

Air

Air Force Fighters Almost Got An Air-Launched Ballistic Missile 40 Years Ago, Now They’re A Hot Item Air Force Fighters Almost Got An Air-Launched Ballistic Missile 40 Years Ago, Now They’re A Hot Item

Updated on Jan 26, 2021

Air

The “Lady Bird Special” Was The Lowliest Of Air Force One Aircraft The “Lady Bird Special” Was The Lowliest Of Air Force One Aircraft

Posted on Jan 26, 2021

Air

Royal Air Force Turned A Torpedo Bomber Into A Flying Flamethrower During World War II Royal Air Force Turned A Torpedo Bomber Into A Flying Flamethrower During World War II

Updated on Jan 20, 2021

The Story Of The Jet That Would Have Delivered South Africa’s Nuclear Bomb The Story Of The Jet That Would Have Delivered South Africa’s Nuclear Bomb

Updated on Jan 18, 2021

Air

This Stretched Super FB-111 Was A Low-Cost Challenger To The B-1 Bomber This Stretched Super FB-111 Was A Low-Cost Challenger To The B-1 Bomber

Updated on Jan 9, 2021

Air

Behold The SR-71 Blackbird’s Nest At Dawn Behold The SR-71 Blackbird’s Nest At Dawn

Updated on Jan 2, 2021

Britain’s Shackleton Radar Plane Was Born As An Already Antiquated Cold War Dinosaur Britain’s Shackleton Radar Plane Was Born As An Already Antiquated Cold War Dinosaur

Posted on Dec 24, 2020

Air

Chasing Soviet Missiles In The Cobra Ball From A Desolate Rock In The Aleutian Islands Chasing Soviet Missiles In The Cobra Ball From A Desolate Rock In The Aleutian Islands

By Robert Hopkins

Updated on Dec 16, 2020

Chuck Yeager’s Amazing Life Told Through The Airplanes He Flew Chuck Yeager’s Amazing Life Told Through The Airplanes He Flew

Updated on Dec 9, 2020

The Untold Story Of How Indonesian And Australian Jets Nearly Came To Blows Over East Timor The Untold Story Of How Indonesian And Australian Jets Nearly Came To Blows Over East Timor

Posted on Dec 2, 2020

Yes, Serbian Air Defenses Did Hit Another F-117 During Operation Allied Force In 1999 Yes, Serbian Air Defenses Did Hit Another F-117 During Operation Allied Force In 1999

Updated on Dec 2, 2020

Air

Test Pilot Explains The YF-23 Black Widow’s Awesomely Innovative Flight Control System Test Pilot Explains The YF-23 Black Widow’s Awesomely Innovative Flight Control System

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

How A Canadian Pilot Became The First Westerner To Fly The Feared MiG-29 Fulcrum How A Canadian Pilot Became The First Westerner To Fly The Feared MiG-29 Fulcrum

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

Air

The Forgotten Fireball Made The First Jet-Powered Carrier Landing By Accident The Forgotten Fireball Made The First Jet-Powered Carrier Landing By Accident

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

Air

You Can Buy The World’s Only Flyable P-82 Twin Mustang For $12,000,000 You Can Buy The World’s Only Flyable P-82 Twin Mustang For $12,000,000

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

Air

The Day The Royal Air Force Lost Six Jet Fighters In Just 45 Minutes The Day The Royal Air Force Lost Six Jet Fighters In Just 45 Minutes

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

Air

A Dozen Of The Most Unusual Variants Of The Ubiquitous KC-135 Family Of Aircraft A Dozen Of The Most Unusual Variants Of The Ubiquitous KC-135 Family Of Aircraft

By Robert Hopkins

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

Air

The AH-1W Super Cobra Has Been Retired From The Marine Corps After 34 Years Of Service The AH-1W Super Cobra Has Been Retired From The Marine Corps After 34 Years Of Service

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

Air

The Amazing Story Of How This Nazi Recon Plane Ended Up Being Tested In The U.S. During WWII The Amazing Story Of How This Nazi Recon Plane Ended Up Being Tested In The U.S. During WWII

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

Air

The Amazing Tale Of Bravo November, The British Chinook Helicopter That Refused To Die The Amazing Tale Of Bravo November, The British Chinook Helicopter That Refused To Die

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

Air

This Soviet Twin-Rotor Helicopter Design Was A High-Speed Rival To The Mi-24 Hind This Soviet Twin-Rotor Helicopter Design Was A High-Speed Rival To The Mi-24 Hind

Updated on Nov 25, 2020

The Nanchang J-12 Is The Lightweight Chinese Fighter You’ve Probably Never Heard Of The Nanchang J-12 Is The Lightweight Chinese Fighter You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Updated on Nov 5, 2020

Veteran Flight Tester On How The YA-7F Strikefighter Was Really A Jet Recycling Program Veteran Flight Tester On How The YA-7F Strikefighter Was Really A Jet Recycling Program

Updated on Jul 11, 2020

Skyhawks Over Cuba: VC-10 “Challengers” And Their TA-4J’s Unique Cold War Mission Skyhawks Over Cuba: VC-10 “Challengers” And Their TA-4J’s Unique Cold War Mission

Updated on Jul 5, 2020

Air

Early On, The A-10 Warthog’s Legendary Gun Was Both a Blessing and a Curse Early On, The A-10 Warthog’s Legendary Gun Was Both a Blessing and a Curse

Updated on Jul 5, 2020

The Crazy Aircraft Carrier Hangar Catapults Of World War II The Crazy Aircraft Carrier Hangar Catapults Of World War II

Updated on Jul 5, 2020

Air

The AGM-122 “Sidearm” Came To Be From A Novel Missile Recycling Scheme The AGM-122 “Sidearm” Came To Be From A Novel Missile Recycling Scheme

Updated on Jul 5, 2020

Air

Remember The Fallen With This Chilling “Grumman Cats” Missing Man Formation Remember The Fallen With This Chilling “Grumman Cats” Missing Man Formation

Updated on Jul 5, 2020

Air

The U.S. Air Force’s Last Tail Gunner Has Retired The U.S. Air Force’s Last Tail Gunner Has Retired

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

The Time A F-4G Wild Weasel’s Anti-Radiation Missile Blew Apart A B-52’s Tail The Time A F-4G Wild Weasel’s Anti-Radiation Missile Blew Apart A B-52’s Tail

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

Ryan Aeronautical Had Big Plans for the Vertifan Jump Jet Ryan Aeronautical Had Big Plans for the Vertifan Jump Jet

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

France Turned the B-26 Invader Into a Colonial Night Fighter France Turned the B-26 Invader Into a Colonial Night Fighter

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

By Paul Nickell And Tyler Rogoway

Taking The F-14A Tomcat On Cruise For My First Time Taking The F-14A Tomcat On Cruise For My First Time

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

Air

Lockheed Once Pitched the Massive C-5 as a Flying Command Center Lockheed Once Pitched the Massive C-5 as a Flying Command Center

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

The Pentagon Thought it Could Retire the U-2 in 1969 The Pentagon Thought it Could Retire the U-2 in 1969

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

Watch These Old World War II Bombers Launch Target Drones Watch These Old World War II Bombers Launch Target Drones

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

Sea

Aircraft Carrier “Bow Prongs” and Why They Are Disappearing Aircraft Carrier “Bow Prongs” and Why They Are Disappearing

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

John Glenn’s Combat Nickname Was “Old Magnet Ass” For All The Right Reasons John Glenn’s Combat Nickname Was “Old Magnet Ass” For All The Right Reasons

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

Behold the Pioneering A-6C Intruder With its Massive Ventral Sensor Pod Behold the Pioneering A-6C Intruder With its Massive Ventral Sensor Pod

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

SAAB’s Viggen Could Stick a Landing and Takeoff Again Like No Other Fighter SAAB’s Viggen Could Stick a Landing and Takeoff Again Like No Other Fighter

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

The “Toxic Death” Paint Scheme Was The F-117 Nighthawk’s Most Outrageous The “Toxic Death” Paint Scheme Was The F-117 Nighthawk’s Most Outrageous

Updated on Jul 2, 2020