This plane is unique in the sense that its wings are round. More specifically, the wings form a circle all the way around the fuselage- a closed wing or more accurately, a ring wing around the plane. Why did this ring-wing plane didn’t fly, why we never built it, and what happened to the concept? […] More
The PZL.24. is a fairly underrepresented Polish aircraft during the Second World War. It would be the last of a long, rich lineage of Polish-designed fighter aircraft. Design Modifications Further modifications to the design were explored by PZL as late as 1939, with a planned K variant carrying four 20 mm cannons, and an L […] More
At the height of the war, the Japanese sought to develop one last aircraft that could bring the war in their favor against the Allies. Enter the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate. Considered the finest Japanese fighters ever built, it completely took the USAF by surprise. The Gale A single-seat fighter, the Hayate (Japanese for Gale,) was […] More
The United States military has been known to push its helicopters to the very brink of their usability. For instance, the Black Hawk has significantly surpassed its operating lifetime. But the issues with China caused US authorities to evaluate what they have, and they set on an ambitious project set to replace the current fleets […] More
On June 3, 1942, in the deserts of Libya, 9 P40-B Tomahawk Fighters from the South African Air Force 5th Squadron are rushing to the aid of the French defenders that are being bombed in a fort. It’s a star-studded flight with flying aces in its midst- Cecil Golding, Robin Pare, and Louis Botha. Out […] More
The Mil V-12 is a heavy transport helicopter built in the USSR during the late 1960s. It was the biggest helicopter in the world and was created to carry Russian missiles to remote forest locations, away from the US’ eyes. Primary Purpose While the V-12 may look like an experimental aircraft, it has a primary […] More
Saburō Sakai is one of Imperial Japan’s legendary pilots, with over 60 successful hits under his name. But at this point, for Sakai, it didn’t mean anything- with two atomic bombs dropped in mainland Japan and losing an eye, he felt all his efforts were in vain. Two days after the ceasefire, a group of […] More
Admiral Kuznetsov was an aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of the Russian Navy. Her development was hindered when the Soviet Union was dissolved, even forced to sail for thousands of miles even before it finished. The Soviets, at this point, didn’t have the means to keep her in optimal conditions. When the USSR […] More
This is a story about a famed German ace who was lost after a legendary dogfight with no trace of his whereabouts. Then, 24 years later, an incredible story of how he could eventually be found still in the cockpit of his fighter. Deadly Pilot Heinrich Bathurst was one of the many deadly pilots that […] More
Today, we’ll be talking about an aircraft that probably inspired Lockheed and American engineers when they were designing the vertical F-35 and its significant impact on Russian aviation- the Yak 141. In Need of a Real Fighter In the 1980s, Russian aviation was so far behind the US that their Navy was easily decimated in […] More
There’s no denying that the introduction of drones in modern combat has significantly altered the landscape of war. However, you’ll be surprised that no drone is as feared as the DI Mavic- this tiny commercial drone has managed to outshine even the most advanced drones in the world. It was also crucial to the mission […] More
You probably know the famous British planes from World War II. Still, less is known about the British technology that helped them win the war. Here are some of the underappreciated technology from WWII: Water Injections Initially figured out in Britain by Sir Harry Ricardo, the biggest contributions from water injection were seen in US […] More
