Aircraft | War History

The McDonnell F3H Demon Was Doomed Before It Ever Entered Service

McDonnell F3H-2N Demon in flight

The US Navy has operated an array of aircraft throughout its history, but few had as short a service life as the McDonnell F3H Demon.…

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly: The Forgotten Legend of Vietnam

Cessna A-37A Dragonfly in flight

The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly is an American light attack aircraft. Developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer, which earned it the nickname, “Super Tweet,” it…

The Vought F-8 Crusader was Nicknamed the ‘Last of the Gunfighters’

Vought F8U-2 Crusader in flight

The Vought F-8 Crusader was an American jet-powered fighter that served with the US Navy from 1957-76. During its tenure, the aircraft participated in the…

The Republic F-84 Thunderjet Was the ‘Champ of the Fighter-Bombers’

Four Republic F-84B Thunderjets in flight

The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American jet-powered fighter-bomber. Primarily flown by the US Air Force from 1947-64, it suffered many issues during its development…

A B-2 Spirit Was the Victim of the Most Expensive Crash in US Air Force History – $1.4 Billion!

Charred remains of the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit 'Spirit of Kansas'

Undoubtedly, the United States has put a large amount of money into its Air Force between improving aerial technology, funding production and, of course, dealing…

Despite Being Prone to Crashing, the Loach Helicopter Was Favored By Pilots In Vietnam

Hughes OH-6 Cayuse parked in a field

The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. Adopted after the company behind its design deceived the US Army, the…

The Incredible Discovery of Cold War-Era Avro Arrows At the Bottom of Lake Ontario

Two Avro Arrows at the bottom of a picturesque lake

Avro Canada’s CF-105 Arrow was a sophisticated aircraft that put the Canadian air industry on the map. The Cold War-era jet interceptor was designed to…

How Did An A-10 Warthog Wind Up With A Cow Kill Marking?

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II parked on a runway + Portrait of a cow

Among the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs operated by the US Air Force, there’s one that stands out from the rest. The reason? Among its…

The Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech Was So Loud It Made Ground Crews Sick

Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech taking off

The US Air Force has developed a number of experimental aircraft over the decades, but none was as interesting as the Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech. A…

Pave Low: Converting Search and Rescue Helicopters for Use In Special Ops

Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low in flight

Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Lows had the ability to perform both search and rescue and special operations missions. “Pave” stands for “Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment,” the…

F16 vs F18: Comparing the F-16 & F-18 Top Speed, Firepower & Designs

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet in flight

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon vs McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet – which one would win in an aerial battle? These two aircraft are among the…

The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness

Aerial view of Sequoia National Forest + Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

In July 1986, a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk crashed in Sequoia National Forest – not that the US Air Force wanted anyone to know. As the…