The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress To overcome enemy defenses, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was designed with a focus on high-altitude flight, speed, and powerful defensive armament. Its advanced turbosupercharged…
Joe “Hoser” Satrapa Without a brace of Joe “Hoser” Satrapa stories, no dissertation on present-day section tactics—or naval aviation in general—could be considered complete. Hoser was a legendary figure in…
The F-86D Sabre Dog To counter the growing Soviet threat, the US government and USAF started a massive effort in the late 1940s to establish an effective defense of US…
KC-135 Stratotanker crew providing support of trans-pacific ferry missions In February 1977, while on deployment to Andersen AFB, Guam, and the Pacific Tanker Task Force, the crew of a KC-135…
The MiG-25 Foxbat The USSR revealed the existence of the MiG-25 (NATO reporting name “Foxbat”), which looked to be the most lethal fighter aircraft in the world in the late…
The F-4 Phantom II Constructed initially as a high-altitude interceptor, the F-4 Phantom II soon proved to be a unique aircraft, setting more than a dozen world records for speed,…
The F-102 Delta Dagger The F-102 Delta Dagger was designed primarily to intercept and kill hostile aircraft. It was the first operational delta-wing aircraft in the USAF’s history as well…
The F4F Wildcat First flown in February 1939, the rugged and heavily armed F4F Wildcat became the Navy/Marine Corps premier fighter until late 1942. By the end of that year,…
The RAF Lightning The Lightning was the first fully supersonic aircraft in the Royal Air Force, and Fighter Command’s maximum speeds were instantly doubled with its introduction. Throughout its twenty-eight…
The SR-71 Blackbird The SR-71, the most sophisticated spy plane in the Blackbird family, which also included the A-12 and YF-12, was created by a team of Lockheed personnel under…