Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (USAF Photo) Lockheed F-80C-10-LO Shooting Star (Serial No. 49-853) armed with napalm bombs takes off on 1 February 1951 from a Korean airfield. The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star is the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during the Second World War. Designed and built by … Read more
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (USAF Photo) Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (modified). The Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird” is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation.[N 1] The SR-71 has several nicknames, including “Blackbird” and “Habu”. The SR-71 was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance … Read more
Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady (Steve Lynes Photo) Lockheed U-2S landing at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, UK, 19 March 2014. The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed “Dragon Lady”, is an American single-engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated from the 1950s by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides day and night, high-altitude … Read more
Grumman HU-16 Albatross (USN Photo) A U.S. Navy Grumman UF-1 Albatross (BuNo 141270, after 1962 HU-16C) in flight. This aircraft was retired to the MASDC as 1U0035 on 30 December 1969 and later transferred to the Mexican Navy. The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large, twin–radial engined amphibious flying boat that was used by the United … Read more
Grumman J2F Duck (Bill Larkins Photo) Grumman J2F Duck (BuNo. 36937), NAS (NART) Oakland reserve plane in March 1947. The Grumman J2F Duck (company designation G-15) is an American single-engine amphibious biplane. It was used by each major branch of the U.S. armed forces from the mid-1930s until just after the Second World War, primarily … Read more
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark (USAF Photo) 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 48th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111F aircraft releasing its load of Mark 82 high-drag bombs over the Bardenas Reales range. The 494th TFS has been deployed to Zaragoza Air Base for training. (USAF Photo) The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production … Read more
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon (USAF Photo, SMSgt Thomas Meneguin) F-16C of the South Carolina Air National Guard in-flight over North Carolina equipped with air-to-air missiles, bomb rack, targeting pods, and electronic countermeasures pods. This F-16 pilot from the 169th Fighter Wing, is flying on a training mission in the KIWI MOA airspace over the coast … Read more
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Master Sgt. David Kujawa, Air National Guard Photo) Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II departs after completing air-to-air refueling from a KC-135 Stratotanker while over Michigan, 2013. The A-10 is assigned to the 107th Fighter Squadron and the KC-135 to the 171st Air Refueling Squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. … Read more
Douglas A-1 Skyraider (NMNA Photo) Douglas AD-4NA Skyraider (BuNos. 126986 and 127002) of Attack Squadron VA-822, U.S. Naval Air Reserve Unit Louisiana. They were flying near Pecan Island in the Gulf of Mexico to drop fuel and cannon fire on a blowout gas well in an attempt to set it afire as a hazard to … Read more
Douglas AD-5 Slyraider (USN Photo) A U.S. Marine Corps Douglas AD-5 Skyraider (BuNo. 133885) of Marine Attack Squadron 331 (VMA-331) “Bumblebees” in flight. VMA-331 was operating from the aircraft carrier USS Leyte (CVS-32), circa in the mid-1950s. 133885 was transferred to the U.S. Air Force and was shot down by ground fire near Ban Senphan, Laos, … Read more
