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. Davis Wing The attribute that gave the Liberator its strength is also its weakness. Its wings allowed for a high cruise speed, heavy bomb load, […] 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 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
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
Boeing once worked on a project that would turn their 747 into a mothership capable of launching tiny fighter jets in the 1970s. After all, a flying aircraft carrier would’ve been able to respond quickly to crises while its speed would make it more harder to destroy. And did we forget to mention that it […] More
Nikita Khrushchev once bragged about the Soviet Union’s ships that could jump over bridges. Though it may look like something out of a science fiction book, there was some truth to it. Utilizing The Ground Effect Hydrofoils were regular boats with wings attached to their hull. At high speeds, its underwater wings would lift the […] More
The US Navy was wary of the F-4’s capabilities when it started development in 1955. Its success wasn’t guaranteed – after all, poorly performing jet engines were quite common in a number of Navy fighters. Because of this, the Navy thought it would be wise to have a backup. Surely enough, Vought provided a solution […] More
The Japanese Empire had already planned to occupy Tulagi in Solomon Islands in 1942. To stretch their defensive perimeter even more, they had decided to turn their attention to Australia. Conflicting Ideas Some Japanese officials voiced their disagreement towards the planned invasion in Australia. They argued that the New Guinea stronghold at Port Moresby would […] More
