British Flight Sergeant James “Ginger” Lacey stared in horror from his Hawker Hurricane. A German Heinkel He 111 had just bombed Buckingham Palace—smoke still coiling into the sky. Continue reading
Category Archives: Video
P 61 Black Widow – Unlike Anything America Had Ever Built
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow is a twin-engine United States Army Air Forces fighter aircraft of World War II. It was the first operational U.S. warplane designed specifically as a night fighter. Continue reading
Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech – So Loud it Made Ground Crews Sick
The Thunderscreech was an experimental American turboprop plane created to as an experimental variant of the the F-84 Thunderstreak fighter jet. Development began after the Navy issued a requirement seeking a carrier fighter that could take off without a catapult – a problem still facing jet powered aircraft at the time. Even though the Navy would cancel its order, the US Air Force would absorb the project for testing. Continue reading
Republic F-84 Thunderjet – Four Distinct Developments, All Designated F-84
Republic began with the F-84 as a straight-wing monoplane on tricycle undercarriage with a jet engine in response to a General Operational Requirement in the final year of WW2. While a straight-wing model was eventually produced for frontline service in the Korean War, it was outclassed by the MiG-15’s it faced. What seemed like a simple idea, change to a swept-wing design, that development proved more extensive than expected. Continue reading
Why the UK Never Made Another Harrier Jet
Dive into the fascinating history of the Harrier Jump Jet—a revolutionary VTOL aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, reshaping aerial combat in ways the world had never seen. From its roots in WWII VTOL research to the Harrier’s iconic role in conflicts like the Falklands War, we explore how British and American engineering pushed aviation boundaries. Discover why, despite its unmatched versatility, the Harrier never received a successor. Continue reading
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark – America’s Ultimate War Machine
On a US Air Force base, something unimaginable is happening: the Americans are giving a group of Soviet military officials a tour of some of their most dangerous frontline aircraft. With the Cold War as good as over, the Americans proudly show off the technology that helped them win. Continue reading
Kawanishi N1K – the Plane that was Supposed to Win WW2
Pilot Kaneyoshi Muto was surrounded by a dozen American F6F Hellcats. The Americans closed in, confident of an easy victory. But as their guns opened, the wings on Muto’s aircraft appeared to transform. Suddenly, the aircraft snapped into a blinding, high-G turn. Continue reading
Northrop F-20 Tigershark – the Beast the US Navy Built but Never Used
They heard it would be the aircraft that would finally bring frontline American technology within their reach. It’s 1983, and a group of South Korean defense procurement officials excitedly enters a meeting room to get a glimpse of the Northrop F-20 Tigershark, the United States’ latest jet fighter. Their eyes widen. On the screen, the soaring aluminum hero comes bursting through the clouds at Mach 2. Continue reading