B-52 modified for low-level flight America’s first heavy bomber with swept wings and a long-range was the B-52 Stratofortress. It started as a high-altitude, intercontinental nuclear bomber, and its operating…
Naval Aviator explains why the US Navy should have 13.5 to 15 aircraft carriers instead 11
The centerpiece of America’s Naval forces Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America’s Naval forces – the most adaptable and survivable airfields in the world. On any given day, Sailors…
How to light the Blackbird’s afterburners when TEB (Triethylborane) wasn’t available
The SR-71 Blackbird The US Air Force (USAF) created the SR-71 Blackbird in the 1960s; it was a plane that could move at a speed that was more than three…
F-35B Lightning II Performs First Night shipborne rolling vertical landing Aboard HMS Prince of Wales
F-35B first night shipborne rolling vertical landing aboard HMS Prince of Wales An F-35 Lightning II test pilot performed the first night shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) aboard HMS Prince…
There was only one SR-71C produced, and it was known as “The Bastard”
SR-71C The Bastard The amazing video included in this post was recorded in June 2016 at Hill Air Force Base (AFB) and shows “The Bastard,” SR-71C S/N 61-7981, the last…
US Navy Nuclear Submariner explains what Ohio-class SSBN crews are supposed to do afterwards if they really did finish launching their ICBMs
Ohio-class SSBN The Ohio-class SSBN was conceived in the early 1970s and at 560 feet, they became the largest submarines ever built by the US Navy. USS Ohio (SSGN 726,…
The pilot and bombardier of the B-47 remembers carrying the biggest nuclear bomb ever manufactured toward Spain
The B-47 that flew the largest Nuclear Bomb ever built to Spain The first XB-47 prototype, built to fulfill a 1944 need, flew in December 1947 and outperformed its competitors.…
‘The F-22 Raptor is the only jet that manufacturers teams watch fly at air shows,’ Lockheed Martin Flightline Quality Assurance Manager says
The F-22 Raptor at air shows The F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team performs precision aerial maneuvers at air shows across the world to demonstrate the unique capabilities of the world’s premier…
Avro Vulcan pilot recalls being ‘zapped’ with kiwis on his bomber’s roundels during New Zealand Ranger
RAF Akrotiri RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, began on Jul. 1, 1955, when the first 30 personnel posted to the ‘Unit’ established themselves in the flat, dry, rocky scrubland on the windswept…
Richard Bong, America’s Top Ace, used his P-38 to shoot a crocodile to protect his comrades
America’s Top Ace Richard Bong Richard “Dick” Bong enlisted as a flying cadet near Wausau, Wisconsin, on May 29, 1941, following his schooling in his hometown. He completed his aviation…