The English Electric Lightning was a twin-engine, single-seat, supersonic fighter with swept wings. The development of this aircraft was considered a major leap forward in terms of performance and technology. Supersonic Aircraft The English Electric Lighting was developed to bring the RAF into the supersonic age. It was a plane that even during its prototype […] More
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter aircraft and was the only jet aircraft the Allies used in engaging combat operations during WWII. Entering Service The Meteor first entered service in WWII, and while it was used in actual combat, it never fought against its German counterpart Me-262. The service that took it […] More
During the time when the majority of the Royal Air Force four-engine bombers were twin-engine designs, the Short Stirling was designed as a four-engine heavy bomber. It soon became, the foundation of British heavy bomber groups from January 1941. Packing a Powerful Punch The Short Stirling was developed due to an RAF requirement in the […] More
On March 5, 1944, in the Pacific, US fighter aces are jockeying for position, trying to beat a victory count of a record held since World War I. Eddy Rickenbacker’s 26 victories have never been beaten. Stiff Competition Neel Kearby has 21 victories and he got his eye on Rickenbacker’s record. He is on his […] More
During the summer of 1944, the fight in the battle of Europe is approaching a crucial moment. This moment would end up being June 6, 1944, D-Day. As the soldiers on the ground prepare to storm the beaches, they would need cover from the air, from the brave men of the Eight Air Force, men […] More
Yakovlev VVP-6 With six giant rotors, this giant Russian helicopter would have been the biggest helicopter on the planet. It was devised to lift SAM missiles to remote parts of the forest to shoot down American spy planes while fully capable of vertical take-offs and landings. Its box-like design could have measured 49m long, with […] More
The F-15 Eagle is a truly great aircraft that was developed over the lessons of air combat learned in Vietnam. In the 1970s, McDonnell Douglas proposed a navalized version of the F-15, the F-15N Sea Eagle. Most Capable Air Superiority Aircraft The Sea Engle was built to be the most capable air superiority aircraft possible […] More
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed “Huey”) is the first proper utility helicopter and the last chopper out of Saigon. In this post, we take a look at this iconic chopper. New Breed In the Korean War, the idea of having a flying ambulance became a reality. It was the first battlefield use of helicopters, offering […] More
Committing mistakes at your job can be stressful. However, it’s definitely not as stressful as Taffy Holden’s mistake on July 22, 1966. Scheduled Ground Testing That day, Walter “Taffy” Holden, a 39-year-old engineer of the RAF’s No.33 Maintenance Unit, was working on the two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets fitted on the Mach 2.0-capable English Electric Lightning. […] More
Loud, unreliable, killed more pilots than most of the other bombers in the US fleet, yet more than seven decades after its first flight, it’s still in operational service. In this post, we’ll walk you through how the B-52 became what it is today, and why on earth hasn’t been replaced. Shiny New Bomber After […] More
On August 24, 1944, 1st Lt. William R. Preddy of the 503rd Fighter Squadron was on his P-51 Mustang nicknamed “Rusty.” “Rusty” Lt. William’s Mustang was nicknamed Rusty for a particular reason- it’s made of multiple scrapped Mustangs, and his old engine always had problems. On that day, he received a new engine, a new […] More
The F-104 Starfighter was an innovative aircraft that high-altitude flight during the Cold War. The plane was developed to be an interceptor and tactical fighter for the USAF as well as its NATO allies. The Starfighter MiG-15s were small, fast, and agile in combat. Some American fighters thought they were outmaneuvered by the enemy. Kelly […] More
