The Blackbird The Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft served as the basis for developing the SR-71, also referred to as the “Blackbird” a long-range, advanced strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The 4200th…
The deaths of seven crew members in the crash of an EA-3B during a night recovery onboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68) in the Mediterranean rapidly solidified the effort to get the…
The B-70 proposal aimed to carry 19 general-purpose missiles attached to various parts of the aircraft
The XB-70A Valkyrie The 1950s saw the conception of the futuristic XB-70A Valkyrie, a high-altitude, nuclear strike bomber capable of flying at Mach 3, or three times the speed of…
AH-64 helicopters never flew a combat mission during Operation Allied Force against Serbia
Operation Allied Force On Mar. 24, 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) launched Operation Allied Force against Serbia. Lasting 78 days, this was an unusual conflict fought at several…
Why the F-4G Wild Weasel was at least 30 years ahead of its time in capability
The F-4G Wild Weasel The F-4E, the most advanced Phantom II version with an internal gun and a wide range of ground assault capabilities, served as the basis for the…
Which aircraft’s ejection seat is the most comfortable? An ejection seat is a mechanism installed in an aircraft that is intended to save the pilot or other crew members in…
SR-71 Blackbird surprises F-4 crew with a vertical takeoff demonstration
The SR-71 One of the most advanced Blackbirds, the SR-71 (along with the A-12 and YF-12), was designed by a team of Lockheed personnel under the direction of Clarence “Kelly”…
When Grumman flew F-14A No. 3 with the starboard wing locked fully forward and the port wing swept fully aft
The F-14 Tomcat When it came to Cold War fighters from the Free World, none could match the Grumman F-14 Tomcat of the US Navy. Six long-range AIM-54A Phoenix missiles…
A Petty Officer did unauthorized at-sea maintenance to replace a bearing of the number two engine of a Seasprite
SH-2 Seasprite The SH-2 Seasprite, which made its first flight in July 1959 and was provided to fleet squadrons starting in 1962, gave the Navy an all-weather helicopter that could…
SR-71 pilot recalls when his RSO flipped off a French Air Force Mirage III pilot
The SR-71 Blackbird The most advanced Blackbird developed by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s clandestine “Skunk Works” division, the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft was also the fastest jet-propelled aircraft in the world. Everything…