Why the most capable fighter of WWII was actually ‘The Little Fighter That Could’
The service life of the F4U Corsair was a little more than 10 years, but in that time, it had an incredible effect on both American naval airpower and on…
How an airman shot down a Japanese fighter from the cockpit over the Himalayas
One of the most dangerous missions for an Army Air Forces pilot during World War II was a trip flying over “The Hump” – a flight between India and China…
Did you know ‘Honest Abe’ was actually a formidable fighter?
Abraham Lincoln, America’s 16th President, led the United States and prospered in conserving the Union during the American Civil War, strengthening the federal government, eliminating slavery and effectively revolutionizing the…
How a prop-driven biplane took down a jet fighter in the Korean War
Military history is full of battles fought against unbelievable odds. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. The story of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae is likely the most famous outnumbered…
The Navy’s insane vertical take-off fighters of the 1950s
Nearly two decades before the Harrier jump jet would prove the efficacy of vertical take-off and landing platforms, the U.S. Navy considered taking another approach to fielding fighters without a…
That time the USAF intercepted a pilotless Soviet fighter
On the morning of July 4, 1989, alarm bells blared at Soesterberg Air Base in the Netherlands, home of the US Air Force’s 32d Tactical Fighter Squadron.
Within minutes, a pair of armed F-15 Eagles, manned by Capts. J.D. Martin and Bill …
The 18 greatest fighter aircraft of all time
Results are what make a weapons system great, not just technology.
In the case of fighter aircraft, it’s all about the kills, and with that as the main selection criteria, here’s WATM’s list of the 18 greatest fighters of all time:
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is frequently touted as the most advanced fighter ever to take to the skies, and soon it will be certified to carry nuclear bombs. Like all fifth generation fighters, the F-35 is a stealth platform… The U.S. Navy began taking delivery on the first Block III F/A-18 Super Hornets for testing last year, and while the jet may look strikingly similar to its predecessor on the outside,… The arguments have raged in the back bars of officers clubs for years about which fighter is the greatest. (And many times a pilot’s vote is for the airplane he or she happens to be flying at that time.) But in terms of staying power and mission ag…This is what an F-35 looks like when it drops a nuclear bomb
What’s actually different about the Block III Super Hornet?
These 7 photos prove the F-4 is the greatest multirole fighter of all time