Aircraft | War History

The Most Impactful Military Vehicles of World War II

Still from 'Battle of Britain'

In the shadowy chapters of history, battles are often viewed through the prism of generals and troops – their tactics, their bravery and their sacrifices.…

The Most Beautiful Military Aircraft to Ever Roll Off the Production Line

North American F-86 Sabre taking off + Supermarine Spitfire in flight

In the world of aviation, the marriage of beauty and function has birthed stunning creations, with aesthetics and power being held in equal regard. From…

The Hughes H-4 Hercules Was An Absolute Mammoth Of An Aircraft

Aerial view of a Hughes H-4 Hercules

Several experimental aircraft have been designed over the years, but few (if any) were as large and eye-catching as the Hughes H-4 Hercules. A flying…

The WWII-Era Disappearance of a Grumman J2F Duck Over Greenland

Grumman J2F Duck in flight

The Grumman J2F Duck was an amphibious aircraft that served the US military in various capacities during the Second World War. It could operate from…

Albert Hickman: The F3H Demon Pilot Who Refused to Eject and Saved the Lives of 700 Americans

McDonnell F3H Demon in flight

Disaster doesn’t just strike in the heat of battle; there are times when things go wrong during training, which put servicemen’s lives in danger. That’s…

Naval Aviators Graffiti Jet Fighter After Pilot Lands On the Wrong Aircraft Carrier

McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee with Fighter Squadron 62 (VF-62) parked on the flight deck of the USS Wasp (CV-18)

If you look at photographs captured during the mid-20th century, odds are you’ll come across some that feature US Navy aircraft covered in graffiti. The…

Dassault Rafale: The French ‘Burst of Fire’ That’s Seen Service Across the Middle East

Dassault Rafale C in flight

The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine multi-role fighter. Developed in the 1980s and ’90s, the fighter was the product of disagreements with allied nations…

A Gloster Meteor Once Deflected A V-1 Flying Bomb With Its Wing

Gloster Meteor in flight + V-1 flying bomb in flight

The V-1 flying bomb was an early cruise missile developed by Germany as part of its V-weapons (Vergeltungswaffen) program. Starting on June 13, 1944, V-1s…

Walter Holden Accidentally Took Off In a Fighter Jet – Despite Not Knowing How to Fly It

English Electric Lightning T5 taking off

Not everyone who serves with the Royal Air Force (RAF) is a pilot, as it’s equally important for crewmen to maintain the aircraft. This, however,…

Ryan FR-1 Fireball: The US Navy’s First Jet-Engine Fighter Was Also the Worst Aircraft of World War II

Ryan FR-1 Fireball in flight

The Ryan FR-1 Fireball was an American fighter designed by Ryan Aeronautical for the US Navy during the Second World War. It was a mixed-power…

Bell X-1: America’s Experimental Rocket-Powered Aircraft That First Broke the Sound Barrier

Bell X-1 in flight

The Bell X-1 was a rocket-powered aircraft designed by Bell for a supersonic joint research project between the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and…

Henschel Hs 129 :The Luftwaffe’s Soaring Tank Buster Armed With a 75 mm Cannon

Sky at sunrise + Drawing of a Henschel Hs 129

As tank warfare evolved and became a key strategy during the interwar period, the German Wehrmacht envisioned a new kind of blitzkrieg – one that…