Aircraft | War History

Lockheed AC-130: The Gunship That Provided Much-Needed Support in Vietnam

Lockheed AC-130 in flight

The Lockheed AC-130 is a special operations gunship that can trace its history back to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Over its nearly 60 years of…

A-12 Spy Plane: Why Lockheed’s CIA Spy Plane Only Flew 29 Missions

Lockheed A-12 in flight

The Lockheed A-12 spy plane was developed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for service during Project Oxcart. While it had the potential for a…

Grumman F-14 Tomcat: The Versatile Fighter Made For Top Gun Pilots

Grumman F-14 Tomcat taking off

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is one of the most iconic aircraft to ever be operated by the US Navy, with it serving as the primary…

Wild Weasels Undertake the US Air Force’s Most Dangerous Missions

General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon in flight + Wild Weasel patch

There is nothing we love more than a good motto! The unofficial slogan for the US Air Force’s Wild Weasel crew is “YGBSM” – an…

Little-Known Facts About the F-35 Lightning II Helmet – It Costs More Than a Ferrari!

Anthony Farnsworth wearing a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II helmet + Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II in flight

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II experienced its first flight in December 2006, and it has since become an integral part of the US military.…

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 ‘Sturmböcke’ Was Designed to Take On the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 parked in grass

In the early stages of World War II, aerial combat over Europe was dominated by two particular aircraft: the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Supermarine Spitfire.…

Weird Military Aircraft: de Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle

Selmer Sundby aboard a de Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle

Many unusual military vehicles have been developed throughout history, yet there are few as strange as the de Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle. Designed to be piloted…

MD-160: The Aircraft-Ship Hybrid Known as the ‘Caspian Sea Monster’

MD-160 sitting on the beach

There have been some really unusual military vehicles built over the course of history, but none have amazed us more than the Lun-class MD-160. A…

Bell P-39 Airacobra: World War II’s Most Controversial Low-Altitude Fighter

Two Bell P-39 Airacobras in flight

A substantial portion of combat during World War II occurred in the skies as countries developed their aerospace technology. That included the United States, which…

Avro Arrow: The Groundbreaking Jet Interceptor Canada Will Never Forget

Illustration of two Avro Arrows in flight

The Avro Arrow is the subject of a frustrating and tragic story about a world-class aircraft that was simply too ambitious for the nation that…

These Large Military Aircraft Make Us Wonder How They Ever Got Off the Ground

MD-160 on a beach + Convair B-36 Peacemaker in flight

As with every list about extreme machinery, equipment designed for the military typically ranks high in comparison to its civilian counterparts, which often have far…

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt: The Most Produced American Fighter of World War II

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in flight

The “Juggernaut,” the “Jug” – whatever you want to call it, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was an absolute beast in the skies over Europe and…