Beginning in the 1980s, four manufacturers offered models of the F-19 Stealth Fighter: Revell, Monogram, Italeri, and Testors The first operational aircraft in the world built to take advantage of…
Test Pilot Norvin C. “Bud” Evans, in 1956, examined the effect of atmospheric nuclear testing on the most durable aircraft in the USAF inventory by piloting his specially modified F-84…
The USAF’s 8th Air Force Commander and former SR-71 Blackbird pilot, Lt.-Gen. Thomas J. Keck, became the first NATO serviceman to fly a Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire long-range bomber on August…
Before Saigon fell, on April 29, 1975, C-130A Hercules with tail number 56-0518 completed the final mission out of Vietnam C-130A Hercules, tail number 56-0518, completed the final mission out…
Code-named “Nice Girl,” the recon fly-off between the A-12 and the SR-71 took place between October 20 and November 3, 1967 Unofficially referred to as the “Blackbird,” the SR-71 is…
The F-15 Streak Eagle was extensively modified, with as much weight reduction as possible, to carry out his mission. When McDonnell Aircraft was chosen to compete in the second phase…
‘Of course, for safety reasons, there wasn’t any aircraft flying inverted one above the other, and that iconic scene was obtained thanks to one of the few special effects in…
When the YF-16 lifted off the runway while test pilot Phil Oestricher was conducting high-speed taxi tests, he decided to go around and make a standard landing instead of running…
The Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighter had been previously flown by LT Edward ‘Butch’ O’Hare, LCDR John Smith ‘Jimmy’ Thach, LT Noel A. Gayler, and LT Albert ‘Scoop’ Vorse, all Aces…
Lt Graham Squires reduced power to avoid overshooting the flying boat, but as he was about to cross over the H8K, its pilot pulled his aircraft up sharply in an…