Reported Missing Flight Sergeant Dennis Copping, a 24-year-old British pilot, was part of the 260 Squadron of the RAF Volunteer Reserves flying the P-40 Kittyhawks. In June 1942, Copping was tasked to fly one of the P-40s (serial code ET574) on a ferry flight to a neighboring British airbase to have the undercarriage repaired. The […] More
Unlike the Americans who basically designed the A-10 aircraft around a big gun, their Soviet counterparts were actually doing the opposite. What they did is that they already took an existing fighter aircraft, and created an enormously powerful gun for it. Flying Balcony When compared to the MiG-23, the MiG 27’s design was slightly simplified […] More
Finding A Replacement America’s leading ground-attack aircraft in the early days of the Vietnam War was the A-1 Skyraider. The Skyraider carried a large payload, but its propeller design was already outdated by the 1960s. In September of 1966, US Air Force Chief of Staff General John McConnell ordered the development of a rugged and […] More
The Petlyakov Pe-8 was a Soviet heavy bomber developed during WWII. It was designed by Vladimir Petlyakov in 1939 and was one of the largest aircraft built in the Soviet Union at that time. Despite its size and capabilities, the Pe-8 was plagued by problems, forcing the Soviets to retire the bomber earlier than expected. […] More
On January 16, 1991, after months of training in a mission they were not fully informed about, the United States Air Force’s 596th Bomb Squadron’s mysterious mission suddenly become a reality. Because of Iraq’s Invasion of Kuwait, over 57 airmen hopped aboard seven B-52 Stratofortresses carrying a highly secretive new American weapon, and do the […] More
The year was 1944. During a high-risk bombing mission against the Imperial Japanese forces, an American plane takes a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire. Incredibly, this one plane, this one mission, and this one round from a Japanese gun would play a key role in shaping the fate of the Western world for the next […] More
Flying a fighter plane through the Eiffel Tower only happens in the movies, right? Well, apparently not. This is the story of William Overstreet – the American pilot who flew his P-51B through the Eiffel Tower to chase a German Bf-109G. A Daredevil At Heart William “Bill” Overstreet Jr. enlisted in the US Army when […] More
A top-secret Soviet project from the late ‘50s could have been the fastest military aircraft ever built. It was expected to fly at supersonic (or even at hypersonic speeds) and was designed to “bring destruction” to any western city using its stealth and nuclear capability. However, as you might have known by now, the USSR […] More
When you think about WWII planes, you think of the Mustangs, Lightnings, and Spitfires. However, one aircraft seems to have evaded everyone’s radar – the P-80 Shooting Star. Lockheed’s creation enabled the US to have its own jet fighter by the 1940s. Here are 5 facts about the lesser-known Shooting Star of WWII: The first […] More
Over 376 B-17 Flying Fortresses were tasked to pierce the industrial heart of Germany and take down the Luftwaffe’s manufacturing capabilities. Squadrons of P-47 Thunderbolts were asked to escort the bombers, but German Messerschmitt Bf 109s swarmed them. By then, the Thunderbolts have also reached their fuel limit, and they were forced to abandon the […] More
In service since 1976, the Warthogs have a stellar career that spans up to 50 years. Thanks to its long line of upgrades, it’s not retiring anytime soon. Lethal in an Ever-Evolving Battlefield To remain lethal, the A-10 was upgraded to the brute metal-raining attack aircraft of the 2000s that shouldn’t be messed with. It […] More
The F-35B is arguably one of the most advanced planes ever made. It’s considered a jack of all trades, a stealth fighter plane that combined and improved the capabilities of the F-16, AV-8B Harrier, and the B-2. Advanced Sensors and Computer Systems The plane is fitted with advanced sensors and computer systems, sharing information instantly […] More
