Aircraft | War History

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…

F-16 vs F-18: Key Differences Between the US Military’s Most Iconic Fighters

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…

Blohm & Voss BV 141: The Asymmetrical German Aircraft That Shouldn’t Have Been Able to Fly – But Did

Ground crews standing around a Blohm & Voss BV 141 parked on a runway

The Blohm & Voss BV 141 was designed as a tactical reconnaissance aircraft. While passed over by the German Air Ministry for the Focke-Wulf Fw…

Photos That Showcase the Durability of American Aircraft During World War II

Pilot looking at a hole in his aircraft + Airman standing on an aircraft, looking at a hole in its tail

Given the numerous theaters American aircraft flew in throughout World War II, it’s no wonder the majority suffered extensive damage at the hands of the…

The V-280 Valor Will Replace the US Army’s Fleet of Black Hawk and Apache Helicopters

Bell V-280 Valor hovering over a grounded aircraft

The US Army has awarded Bell and Lockheed Martin a contract to replace its aging fleet of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks and Boeing AH-64 Apaches.…

US Air Force, Pentagon Unveil New B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber

Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider parked on a stage

On December 2, 2022, the US Air Force unveiled the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, its new dual-capable penetrating strike bomber. Developed to combat China’s growing…

These Helicopters First Took Flight During WW2

Focke-Wulf Fw 61 in flight + Sikorsky R-4 "Hoverfly" parked in the grass

Whenever someone uses helicopters and war in the same sentence, images of aircraft hovering over dense Vietnamese jungles immediately come to mind. However, while these…