F-16XL: The F-16 with hardpoints for 27 weapons
For more than forty years, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has served as the backbone of the U.S. Air Force’s fighter fleet, but one year before the first F-16 entered service,…
Memphis Belle: The legendary B-17 flying fortress
The “Memphis Belle” a B-17F Flying Fortress of the Eighth Air Force would become the most famous of the 12,750 B-17s produced by Boeing during World War II. The plane…
Here’s how you bailed out from a World War II fighter
These days, when things go south while in a fighter, pilots are trained to reach for the loops that trigger their ejection seats. You just give it a yank and t…
Air Force General: Field this next-gen fighter in time to beat China
The Air Force must field its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter soon if it wants to compete with China, the general in charge of the service’s fighter fleet said…
Tempest: Everything we know about the UK’s 6th-gen fighter
Last week, the Royal Air Force Capabilities Office and the branch’s Team Tempest held a virtual briefing to provide updates regarding their forthcoming 6th generation fighter dubbed “Tempest.” Along with…
Ask A Fighter Pilot: Hornet vs Super Hornet!
“Something I’d like to see in the future is an article talking about the performance of the Hornet versus the Super Hornet. I often times see people comment that the…
MiG-28: ‘Top Gun’s’ fictional Cold War killer
With the long-awaited “Top Gun” sequel now delayed until the world is finished contending with the coronavirus, we’re left with no alternative but to revisit the 1986 classic for the…
Taking the blame: Why fighter pilots have to own their mistakes
Even the best fighter pilots make mistakes.
One of the things that often shocks new pilots is how brutally honest our debriefs can be. After nearly a full day of
Russia says fighter intercepted U.S. surveillance planes over Black Sea
Russia says a fighter jet intercepted two U.S. military surveillance planes in the Black Sea — the latest in a series of midair encounters between U.S., NATO, and Russian forces.
Military officials told the state TASS news agency on August 5 …
Do expert fighters and military personnel really have to register their hands as deadly weapons?
Anyone who’s ever watched pretty much any movie in the history of ever or otherwise watched professional pugilists spar words with one another in a media session knows that those trained in the art of kicking ass are required to register their hand…