A severe lateral oscillation developed during the initial high-speed taxi test as a direct result of pilot-commanded oscillations as the YF-16 approached rotation speed. Phil Oestricher, a test pilot, thankfully…
The Lockheed-built Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle 2, also known as Avalon informally, had a maximum depth rating of 5,000 feet and was designed to rescue submarine operators trapped in the…
The F-20 was far faster than the F-5E, added beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air capability, and had a full complement of air-to-ground firing modes that could fire the majority of American weaponry…
“I looked in the direction of the launch indication on the scope and saw a sight I’d never hoped to see. SA-2 missiles were headed towards us!” Jim Schreiner, former…
The Lockheed Lancer may have outclassed the majority of aircraft used by air forces throughout the world. The F-104 Starfighter, a supersonic air superiority fighter, was a technological marvel when…
We have a thing that we do call locking the toggles: when you lock the toggles on a receiver you can actually tow him. So we did that and kept…
The first anti-satellite missile launch from an F-15 occurred over the Pacific Ocean on January 21, 1984. No actual target was involved; the ASAT missile was launched toward a predetermined…
Like every operation to demonstrate a new aircraft, the YF-16 test program had its share of thrilling events The U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program sought an air…
The two Mirage kills achieved by RSAF F-15s were very certainly motivated by a political direction meant to highlight an Arab country. Existing sources indicate that the F1s were shot…
The F-117 lighted the bunker’s entrance and directed two Paveway II LGBs, each weighing 2,000 pounds, toward the intended target. The first one destroyed the door, and the second one…