On the 6th of June 1943, three squadrons of P-47C Thunderbolts are flying across enemy-occupied France, and at the rear of the formation is 2nd Lieutenant Robert S. Johnson. However, the next thing he knew, he was badly hit. Danger Ahead When Johnson looks up, he saw coming down from above them are 16 Focke-Wulf […] More
Once considered an innovative aircraft quickly turned into an obsolete plane in just half a decade. The A-12 Shrike peaked way too early and was already considered a liability before the start of the Second World War. Structurally Innovative – (X)A-8 Model 59, as it was called, was the first Curtiss with an all-metal low-wing […] More
Prior to the Cold War, most submarines had a somewhat pointed bow. That’s because most submarines were more like boats as they spent more time on the surface. Older submarines needed fresh air intake for their diesel engines to work. Turning Point Launched in 1954, USS Nautilus became the first nuclear-powered submarine in the world. […] More
Obviously, the B-24 is a highly regarded aircraft and was a tremendous help to the Allies in WWII. However, having a distinguished war record doesn’t mean you don’t have flaws. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adrian V. (@the.cutaway.archive) Davis Wing The attribute that gave the Liberator its strength is also its […] More
Sam Eckholm gets a chance to talk to the people who made the Darkstar from Top Gun: Maverick. Here are the five most interesting questions asked in the video: 1. Can the Darkstar actually fly? Skunk Works Engineer and DarkStar Project Leader, Brian Hershberger, confirmed that the aircraft couldn’t fly unless you use Hollywood magic. […] More
Nothing comes close to providing as much battlefield capability as the E-3 Sentry, commonly known as the AWACS. Here are ten facts about the Air Force’s eye in the sky. Acts like a flying control tower As an Airborne Warning and Control System, the E-3 helps identify enemies and friendlies on a battlefield. Instead of […] More
The Mirage 2000 is a small but impressively powerful French aircraft. It was one of the few planes tasked to deter a full-fledged nuclear war. Peculiar Aircraft The Mirage 2000 is a peculiar aircraft- it looked as if someone took an F-16 Fighting Falcon and squeezed it into a smaller and shorter warplane. However, its […] More
In the last months of World War II, Imperial Japan launched last-ditch, desperate missions to save themselves. One of them is Operation Ichi-Go which would turn out to be one of the biggest warfare operations in the history of the Japanese Army. The Fractured Dragon China had been at war more than any Allied nation […] More
The F-16 became famous for being an outstanding all-weather multirole aircraft. It was so good that over twenty nations adopted it after receiving several upgrades. But what if it got better? Extra Large The F-16XL was known as the F-16 SCAMP or Supersonic Cruise and Maneuver Prototype in 1977. Harry Hillaker, the father of the […] More
The Altmark incident was a naval incident in World War II between the German tanker Altmark and several British destroyers. The incident happened in February 1940 in neutral Norwegian waters. Aboard the Altmark were about 300 Allied prisoners of war. However, when the Brits attempted to board the ship, the Norwegians suddenly aimed their torpedo […] More
Designed fifty years ago by Robert Bartini, it was to be the most versatile flying machine ever built. It could take off vertically, hover mid-air, land on any surface, cruise at high altitudes, and harness the ground effect. But why isn’t it as popular as other aircraft today? The Origin of the Bartini Beriev VVA-14 […] More
After scouring over hundreds of historical media reports, declassified documents, eyewitness accounts, and forum posts, Alex Hollings thinks it is extremely unlikely that the US had an operational fleet of top-secret hypersonic aircraft – such as the Aurora. But that doesn’t mean it never existed. Aurora was probably born out of a strategic need for […] More
