The Soviet Union was facing the threat of an all-out war during the early 1950s. To protect itself, it needed a powerful fighter in its arsenal. This led to the development of a supersonic aircraft that became the largest and heaviest fighter ever built. A Tough Choice Amid the Cold War, the Soviets needed to […] More
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the US Air Force’s primary all-weather interceptor jet for almost 20 years. Here are five interesting facts about this ultimate supersonic interceptor: 1. It was incredibly fast The plane could reach speeds over 1,500 miles per hour to intercept the long-range bombers of the Soviet Union. 2. It was […] More
The F-104 was a revolutionary plane that redefined the possibilities of high-altitude flight during the Cold War era. Developed by Lockheed, the aircraft was tailored to serve as an interceptor and tactical fighter aircraft for the US Air Force and its NATO allies. Evening the Odds One year after the outbreak of the war between […] More
When we think about the Battle of Britain, images of Hurricanes and Spitfires often come to mind. What we don’t normally think about are biplanes, flying machines that are more likely associated with WWI, rather than WWII. However, backing up the Hurricanes and Spitfires are a handful of biplane fighters that are nimble and well-armed […] More
On October 5, 1959, the Russian embassy in France sent out communication that the West had a new fighter jet and it was the world’s fastest fighter plane. But it wasn’t the Americans that developed this plane, but the French. Radical Design In the early 1950s, with the ever-present threat of Russian supersonic bombs, the […] More
While you might know the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, you might not know its ugly duckling cousin that once almost became the future of the US Air Force – the Boeing F-32. History The JSF or Joint Strike Fighter Program was developed to complement the ATF program, leading to the development of the F-22 Air […] More
The Boeing XB-15 is considered to be the first of the so-called “Super Bombers” developed in the United States in the lead-up to and during WWII. It can even be considered as the cousin to the Douglas XB-19. However, although these two planes were both incredibly big, Boeing is often been overshadowed, even outright ignored, […] More
In this video, Museum of Flight’s Senior Curator, Matthew Burchette, walks us on a 2-for-1 special of their museum’s Corsair and their ultra-rare Super Corsair. Premier WWII Fighter Vought’s F4U Corsair is considered the premier Navy and Marine Corps fighter of WWII. Its prototype, XF4U-1, made its first flight on May 29, 1940, becoming the […] More
During the late 1940s, the USAF desperately needed a jet interceptor that can penetrate all kinds of weather, and enough firepower to take down heavy bombers. Thus, the F-94 Starfire was born, a fighter that was technically considered a strategic success, but a tactical failure. It was overlooked and forgotten since it was deemed an […] More
Although there were better bombers in the US service during WWII, for some reason, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress captured millions of Americans. But there’s one such Air Force use of the Flying Fortress, whose story we’ll delve further- how Israel managed to smuggle a group of B-17 outside the US to their country, using […] More
One of the least known patrol aircraft of WWII, and yet simultaneously one of the most successful, the PBM Mariner was a massive aircraft in both scale, at 80 feet long, and performance. However, it lived in the shadow of its smaller and older counterpart, the PBY Catalina. 1. It was designed to complement the […] More
Developed to provide air support for ground troops, the A-10 Warthog has become synonymous with destruction. Here are five facts that you need to know about this iconic jet: 1. It was originally thought of as too ugly to fly It first entered service in 1976 and quickly became one of the most reliable, versatile, […] More
