Douglas A-4M Skyhawk restored to its former glory Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, artisans at the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently had the exceptional chance…
SR-71, KC-135Q and JP-7 If not for air refueling, the SR-71 Blackbird’s range would be relatively limited to about 2,000 NM. The aircraft’s range was increased by several air refuelings,…
Legendary German Ace Adolf Galland Lieutenant General Adolf Galland, arguably the most well-known of Germany’s fighter pilots and air leaders during World War II, is a multifaceted personality. He is…
The B-58 Hustler On November 11, 1956, the US Air Force’s B-58, the nation’s first operational supersonic bomber, took off. The Hustler was distinguished by its delta wing design, in…
Cold War
After a mission on the day of the Chernobyl Disaster, an SR-71 Blackbird was checked with a Geiger counter before being allowed to taxi into the hangar
The Blackbird Developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft, the SR-71, sometimes known unofficially as the “Blackbird,” is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The 4200th (later 9th) Strategic…
Cold War
US Navy F-14 pilot recalls when he and his RIO fired 6 AIM-54 Phoenix missiles against 6 different targets
The AIM-54 Phoenix The controversial F-111B, which was being developed for the Navy’s carrier fighter inventory, was replaced by the F-14 Tomcat in 1968. The F-14 Tomcat was built with…
The Blackbird The Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft were the basis for the long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft known as the SR-71, or “Blackbird,” as it was informally called.…
B-58 Navigator The first operational supersonic bomber of the US Air Force, the B-58, took flight on November 11, 1956. Apart from its delta wing design, the Hustler was distinguished by its advanced inertial guidance navigation and bombing system, its slender “wasp-waist” fuselage, and its extensive use…
Cold War
When an SR-71 pilot and his RSO pushed their Blackbird to Mach 3.5 and outran Gaddafi’s SAMs during a BDA flight in Libya
Operation El Dorado Canyon Operation El Dorado Canyon began on April 14, 1986, with a strike group consisting of eighteen US Air Force (USAF) F-111 fighter bombers, supported by a…
The Scaled Composites ARES Agile Responsive Effective Support (ARES) is a full-scale proof-of-concept demonstrator that was developed as a concept in support of a US Army request for a Low-Cost…