1. World’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft Me 262s were one of the most advanced combat aircraft introduced in WWII. The aircraft was effective in dogfighting, but was also used for scouting, light bombing, and even dabbled in night fighting. German pilots who flew the Schwalbe claimed that they shot down at least 542 Allied […] More
While ships were the preferred method of deployment overseas for centuries, the introduction of jets gave rise to a bigger and faster form of travel in the 1960s. One great example is the Boeing 747, which flew for the first time in 1969. Then, enter Lockheed. CL-1201 Proposal Lockheed took inspiration from the 747 and […] More
This F-15 had perhaps the most diverse range of duties of any F-15 ever built. It rolled out the shop in 1973 as the first two-seat variant of the Eagle and the sixth-ever F-15 built by McDonnell Douglas. The aircraft would later serve as a trainer, a test bed for the F-15E Strike Eagle, and […] More
Just last year, South Korea announced the maiden flight of their newest fighter jet – the KF-21 Boramae. With still three more years before its planned introduction to service, here are five things we know about the KF-21. 1. Single-seater that is larger than most fighters According to Korea Aerospace Industries, the KF-21 has a […] More
The X-15 was a North American-made hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft developed in the 1950s by the United States Air Force and NASA. Here are ten facts about the X-15: 1. First manned aircraft to reach hypersonic speeds It was the first manned aircraft to reach hypersonic speeds, with a top speed of up to Mach 6.7. […] More
The Apache has been THE preeminent attack helicopter for more than three decades. With so many years under its belt, one might ask if the Apache’s still got it. Advanced Attack Helicopter Program The US Army was determined to have its own advanced attack helicopter after the cancellation of the AH-56 Cheyenne. In August 1972, […] More
A Tutorial You Didn’t Need Have you ever wondered how WWII pilots started their Spitfires? If you did, then you’re in luck. John Romain takes us inside the Spitfire’s cockpit and teaches us how they used to start this beast up. First, they check if the undercarriage is selected to the down position. Elevator trims […] More
Though it might look “plain and simple”, this aircraft is considered to be one of the most important aircraft in the history of aeronautics. Of course, we are talking about the Bell X-1. Here are ten things you should know about this “boring” plane: 1. First aircraft to cross the sound barrier The X-1 was […] More
AmazingViz has compiled a list of the most feared fighter jets by generation. Here are the top 20 most noteworthy jets that caught our attention: 2nd Generation (Swept Wings, Range-Only Radar, Infrared Missiles) F-100 Super Sabre – The Sabre is the first of the Century Series of USAF jet fighters and was the first fighter […] More
Built by McDonnell Douglas in the early 1970s, the F-15 Eagle can reach Mach 2.5 while flying over 65,000 feet and is still considered one of the most powerful fighter jets in the world today. Here’s how the Eagle’s story started: History Its story starts in the 60s, following the F-4’s poor combat performance during […] More
X-51 Waverider The Waverider is Boeing’s unmanned experimental scramjet aircraft designed to reach hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 at 70,000 feet. It measured 25 feet in length and was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne SJY61 scramjet engine and an MHM-140 ATACMS rocket booster. The aircraft performed its first successful flight test on May […] More
The Purple Heart Corner On December 20, 1943, Lt. Charles Brown of the USAF was in command of the B-17 bomber ‘Ye Olde Pub” when he and his 10-man crew were assigned to a 500-plane bombing mission to attack an airplane factory in Bremen, Germany. They were informed that they might encounter hundreds of German […] More
