The 10 most popular fighter planes in service around the world
Fighter planes are cool. The success of media, like movies and video games depicting them reflect the public’s love of the aircraft type. But which fighter plane is best? More…
Why the KF-21 fighter jet could be a game changer in Asia
There’s a new fighter jet on the horizon that looks to change the balance of military power in Asia and the military aviation business in general. South Korea debuted its…
Today in military history: USAF pilot scores first jet-to-jet combat victory
On Nov. 8, 1950, 1st Lieutenant Russell J. Brown became the first pilot to score a jet-to-jet combat victory when he shot down two MiG-15s. During the Korean War, Lieutenant…
That time an engineer accidentally took off in a supersonic fighter jet
Visitors to air shows may fantasize about hopping in one of the aircraft on display and taking it for a joy ride. However, lengthy startup procedures and a lack of…
How the Soviet MiG-29 became a NATO fighter jet
During the Cold War, NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries were constantly trying to outdo each other. This arms race can be seen in their respective developments of a fighter…
Russia wanted to take on the F-22 with this unique-looking fighter
In the mid 1990s, Russia had a problem. It was a pretty important one, too, for both pilots and the grunts on the ground. It was a problem they needed to solve very quickly.
Earlier that decade, a United States
This Air Force pilot scored the first and only air-to-space kill
Confirmed kills distinguish accomplished military pilots from the rest of the pack. They are recorded on an aircraft with the enemy’s flag or the outline of the vehicle destroyed. However,…
This aerial dogfight was like a life-sized version of a bee swarm
Israeli Col. Giora Epstein, one of the world’s greatest fighter aces of the jet era, was leading a flight of four planes during the Yom Kippur War when his team spotted two Egyptian MiG-21s. Epstein pursued the pair and quickly shot down the trail…
6 differences between the Air Force F-16 and the Navy’s F-18
The F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F/A-18 Hornet are both “lightweight” fighters. Each was intended to complement a larger, heavier fighter (the F-15 for the F-16, the F-14 for the F/A-18). But they also have some big differences. Let’s look over s…
Switzerland just bought the F-35 fifth generation fighter
Switzerland is famous for its chocolate, knives, watches and, of course, neutrality. Although Switzerland stays out of foreign conflicts, it does field a world-class military to protect its borders. This…