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Cold War Airplanes

There are 238 Cold War-era Airplanes in the Military Factory.
This listing covers airplanes from 1946 through 1989.

Aeritalia G.222
The G.222 was a medium transport produced by the Aeritalia corporation that saw some modest successes. The aircraft was designed to fit the needs of short runway takeoffs from rough airstrips and provide the Italian military ...

Italy
1978

Aermacchi MB.326
The Aermacchi MB.326 series of aircraft has become one of the most successful blends of operational trainer and light attack capabilities. Developed during the Cold War in 1957, the Aermacchi-produced two-seat trainer was alr...

Italy
1962

Aermacchi MB.339
The Aermacchi MB.339 was the successor to the successful Aermacchi MB.326 in the advanced trainer and light strike duty roles. This twin-seat trainer proved equally adept at either role and went on to also replace the Fiat G....

Italy
1978

Aero L-29 Delfin (Dolphin) / Maya
The Czech designed and produced Aero L-29 Delfin (translating to “Dolphin”; NATO designation of “Maya”) series was a highly utilized Cold War jet trainer aircraft for the Soviet Union and its satellite states. The twin-seat a...

Czechoslovakia
1963

Aero L-39 Albatros (Albatross)
The L-39 series of advanced jet trainer and light strike aircraft followed along the same lines as its predecessor - the L-29 Delphin (detailed elsewhere on this site) - in terms of development. Designed actually just three y...

Czechoslovakia
1972

Aerospatiale / British Aerospace Concorde
One of the great aviation stories to come out of a post-Cold War world, the British and French-made Concorde stands as the only supersonic transport ever designed and flown on a regular basis. The system offered upper-crust p...

France
1969

Aerospatiale / Eurocopter SA 330 Puma
The SA 330 Puma series of helicopter became a highly used general utility transport through the years 1969 and 1970 with French and English forces. A joint venture put forth by Aerospatiale in France and Westland in the Unite...

France
1969

Aerospatiale / Eurocopter SA 332 Super Puma / AS 532 Cougar
The Aerospatiale Super Puma series was derived from the successful Eurocopter/Aerospatiale Puma series but featured an extended cabin and new powerplants. The Super Puma, coming under the Eurocopter label as of 1992, went on ...

France
1982

Aerospatiale SA 316 Alouette III
The Alouette III-series of light utility helicopters was designed by the French firm of Aerospatiale. In its most basic of forms, the Alouette III can take on most light battlefield and maritime duties, while modifications ca...

France
1960

Aerospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon (Super Hornet)
The SA 321 Super Frelon is a French-produced multirole helicopter falling under the Aerospatiale brand. The mammoth design became the largest production helicopter designed and built in Europe in any number when it went into ...

France
1964

Aerospatiale SA 341 / SA 342 Gazelle
A popular light reconnaissance and attack helicopter for export order, the Aerospatiale Gazelle systems are a common site all over the world. Operating in the multirole mode, the system has the capabilities to undergo duties ...

France
1971

Aerospatiale SA 350 AStar
The Aerospatiale AS350 AStar is a successful commercial and military helitopter design....

France
1977

AIDC AT-3 Tzu-Chiang
The AIDC AT-3 series of advanced weapons trainer aircraft was the second design produced by the Aero Industry Development Center of Taiwan (in conjunction with the American firm of Northrop), succeeding the Chung Tsing T-28 T...

Taiwan
1984

Airbus A300
The A300-600 and A310 share a high percentage of commonality in terms of airframe design and construction (decreasing maintenance and repair costs somewhat), with the A300 maintaining the wider cross section - a full 222 inch...

France
1972

Airbus A310
The Airbus A310-300 was produced as a budgeted alternative to the based A300-series (detailed elsewhere on this web site) at a time when Airbus was still awaiting official order placement from potential customers. This interi...

France
1983

Antonov An-12 (Cub)
The Antonov An-12 "Cub" was a product of requirement by the Soviet Union during the Cold War years. With more land area to defend than any other superpower of the time, the Soviet military was faced with the daunting prospect...

Soviet Union
1957

Antonov An-124 Ruslan (Condor)
The Antonov-produced AN-124 was the world's largest aircraft before the Russian AN-225 made it's debut, but it remained the largest to go into production nonetheless. The AN-124 was developed foremost as a military transport ...

Soviet Union
1986

Antonov An-22 Antei (Cock)
The Antonov An-22 Antei (or "Cock") was another in the long line of Antonov transports designed and produced throughout the Cold War, with each design seemingly becoming progressively larger in scope. The An-22 was no excepti...

Soviet Union
1965

Antonov An-225 Mriya (Cossack)
As of this writing, the Antonov An-225 "Mriya" maintains the title of "largest aircraft ever built". The system eclipsed the previous Antonov design attempt in the form of the An-124 Ruslan "Condor" (detailed elsewhere on thi...

Ukraine
1989

Antonov An-24 (Coke)
The An-24 "Coke" was yet another in the long line of military transport aircraft produced during the Cold War by the Antonov bureau. The An-24 differed from earlier Antonov products in that it was designed and built to strict...

Soviet Union
1959

Antonov An-32 (Cline)
The An-32 "Cline" was offered up by the Antonov bureau as an improved An-26 model. In essence, the system was quite similar to the preceding An-26 with newer and more powerful engines but offered up better performance in trop...

Soviet Union
1977

Antonov An-72 (Coaler)
The An-72 "Coaler" was another Antonov Design Bureau creation designed to assist the Soviet military in logistical sorties as a tactical transport. The design was of a unique and very identifiable nature, placing the powerful...

Soviet Union
1986

Atlas (Denel) Cheetah
The Denel (formally Atlas) Cheetah came about through a need by the South African Air Force to update / replace its series of aging fighters while its bordering neighbors were receiving updated Soviet Bloc aircraft. Unfortuna...

South Africa
1987

Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck
The Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck is an often overlooked indigenous Canadian aircraft design that performed admirably well throughout a bulk of the Cold War years. The system, partnered with America in the NORAD program, was char...

Canada
1952

Avro Shackleton
The existence of the Avro Shackleton is based directly on the evolution of the Avro Lancaster bomber. In an effort to increase the Lancaster's long-range performance at high altitudes, the Avro set to work on the Mk IV model ...

United Kingdom
1950

Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan was a high-level low-range heavy bomber of the United Kingdom developed during the Cold War. The delta-shape aircraft became a respected design over the years and would eventually see combat action in the Falk...

United Kingdom
1953

BAC / English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning was a unique design in almost every facet of its engineering. The system featured a twin-engine design, though the engines sat one on top of the other, increasing the aircrafts overall height an...

United Kingdom
1960

BAC TSR-2
Much in the vain of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie system for the United States, the TSR-2 was to be England’s super Cold War bomber. The system was to provide the United Kingdom with a supersonic low-level bomber capable ...

United Kingdom
1959

BAe / MDC AV-8S Harrier
The AV-8 Harrier series was developed from the impressive Hawker P.1127 demonstrator design that utilized the equally impressive Bristol directional turbofan assembly. The result was the world's first (practical) and operatio...

United Kingdom
1968

BAe Nimrod
The Nimrod aircraft came about as a replacement for the aging and World War Two-era piston-engine Avro Shackleton. Charged with maritime patrol of coastal waters and reconnaissance, the Nimrod had its beginnings on the civili...

United Kingdom
1968

BAe Sea Harrier FRS.1
The Sea Harrier FRS.1 holds a unique distinction stemming from successes in the Falklands War with Argentina where it maintained a kill-to-loss ratio of 28-0. This phenomenal total was thanks in part to the superb training an...

United Kingdom
1976

Beechcraft C-12 Huron
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United States
1984

Bell 204 / UH-1B/C Iroquois (Huey)
The UH-1 Iroquois was designed to fit a need developed by the United States Army for a utility helicopter capable of MedEvac duty. The UH-1 series would go on to have a prolonged life in both military and civil functions and ...

United States
1962

Bell 205 / UH-1D/H Iroquois (Huey)
Based on the successful UH-1B Huey model, the UH-1D was an improved and more powerful version that included increased cabin space for up to 14 passengers. As the YUH-1D (taken from the base Bell 205 airframe), the system firs...

United States
1963

Bell 206 JetRanger
The Bell 206 was derived from the unsuccessful OH-4 bid by the Bell company to fulfill a US Army need for a light-weight, turbine-powered, four-seat observation helicopter in 1960. It would not be until 1967 when delays in th...

United States
1967

Bell 212 / UH-1N/Y Iroquois / AB 212
Continuing in the long line of successful Bell-produced transport/assault helicopters, the Bell 212 airframe - spawning the UH-1N, AB 212 and UH-1Y models - was a further development. The Bell 212 was a joint-production effor...

United States
1970

Bell AH-1 HueyCobra
Based on the private venture Bell 209 helicopter, the AH-1 Cobra series of helicopters is many a military's primary light attack helicopter. As early as the 1950's Bell corporation was experimenting with armed versions in the...

United States
1967

Bell AH-1 SuperCobra
The AH-1W and AH-1J SuperCobra series of helicopters are an updated and slightly modified version of the AH-1 HueyCobra (or simply "Cobra") detailed elsewhere on this website. Much like the base Cobra, the SuperCobra is a...

United States
1986

Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior / 406CS Combat Scout
The Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior was a further development of the successful Bell OH-58 Kiowa. Intended to be fielded alongside the Apache Longbow and provide scouting and observation capabilities in an offensive support capacit...

United States
1985

Bell X-1
The Bell X-1 was an advanced technology demonstrator that became the first aircraft in the history of aviation to break the speed of sound. Specifically designed to be airdropped from a B-29 Superfortress, the X-1 would then ...

United States
1947

Beriev Be-12 (Mail)
The Beriev Be-12 "Mail" was a successful floatplane aircraft for the Soviet Union during the Cold War, fulfilling the role of maritime patrol and reconnaissance. The twin-engine system was designed to replace the other Beriev...

Soviet Union
1961

Blackburn Buccaneer
The Blackburn Buccaneer was a highly-respected low-level carrier-borne strike aircraft utilized by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. The Buccaneer featured a crew of two (seated between the engine intakes in tandem)...

United Kingdom
1962

Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Hughes AH-64 Apache
Originally a Hughes-based design, the YAH-64 faced off against a Bell YAH-63 system in the United States Army's search for an advanced attack helicopter. The system was to field the latest in technology, maneuverability and b...

United States
1984

Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Northrop F/A-18 Hornet
The F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine carrier-based attack fighter currently in frontline service with a variety of forces worldwide. Derived from the failed YF-17 Cobra attempt at a new USAF lightweight fighter (the F-17 lost o...

United States
1983

Boeing 707
The 707 model series for The Boeing Company proved to be the catalyst for their commercial market successes to come. The 707 introduced a model design that was initially conceived of as a private venture, targeting both milit...

United States
1955

Boeing 727-200
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United States
1963

Boeing 737-300
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United States
1967

Boeing 747-400
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United States
1969

Boeing 757-200
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United States
1978

Boeing 767-300
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United States
1981

Boeing AV-8B / BAe GR.7 Harrier II
The AV-8B Harrier II was a follow up design undertaken by the McDonnell Douglas corporation with the junior partner being the British Aerospace Corporation (BAe). The system built upon the successes encountered during use of ...

United States
1985

Boeing B-47 Stratojet
The swept-wing B-47 produced by Boeing was a milestone in bomber design in many ways. The system pioneered the traditional bomber layout found on many of todays systems and offered up capabilities unheard of before then. As a...

United States
1947

Boeing B-50 Superfortress
Though looking every bit the identical twin of the World War Two-era B-29 Superfortress (also produced by Boeing), the B-50 incorporated enough new elements to deem it an all new aircraft - retaining just 25 percent of the B-...

United States
1947

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The mammoth B-52 series of long-range, high-altitude strategic bombers was originally conceived of as an eight-engine turboprop system and successor to the B-50 heavy bomber. The initial B-52 plans were later redrawn to make ...

United States
1955

Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight
The CH-46 Sea Knight is similar in design and role to the CH-47 Chinook series of transport helicopters. Both offer up unobstructed access to the aircraft by keeping engine components mounted above the design. Both also utili...

United States
1964

Boeing CH-47 Chinook
The Chinook series of medium-lift helicopters has been a mainstay utility service system for the US Army (among others) for decades since its design and inception. The series featured the highly identifiable twin-tandem rotor...

United States
1962

Boeing CT-43 / T-43A
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United States
1973

Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS
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United States
1977

Boeing E-4 Airborne Command Post
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United States
1975

Boeing KC-10 Extender
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United States
1981

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
The KC-135 Stratotanker proved to be a monumental product for the Boeing corporation in more ways than one, firstly solidifying its position as the premiere airliner manufacturer throughout the world and secondly offering the...

United States
1956

Boeing L-15
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United States
1947

Boeing OH-6 / MD 500 / MH-6 (Little Bird)
The OH-6 series of helicopters is a successful light observation and light attack system fielded with the US Army and special forces since the mid-1960's. The aircraft proved nimble enough to operate in close-support of groun...

United States
1964

Breguet Br.1050 Alize (Tradewind)
The Breguet Br.1050 "Alize" (meaning "tradewind") was a French production aircraft suitable for carrier-based anti-submarine warfare (ASW) tactics. The system was fielded in limited quantity throughout the Cold War and proved...

France
1956

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly was born out of a need for close-support aircraft to assist in the Vietnam War. As such, the T-37 jet trainer was converted for the role and became the A-37 series of aircraft. The system would go on...

United States
1967

Cessna T-37 Tweet
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United States
1957

Cessna T-41 Mescalero
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United States
1964

Chance Vought F7U Cutlass
The Chance Vought F7U Cutlass was an interesting aircraft in many ways. For one, the aircraft was the direct result of American research into the jet designs and technologies of the Arado company - the German aircraft firm th...

United States
1949

Convair B-36 Peacemaker
If developed a few years sooner and the B-36 could have very well taken part in the Second World War. The initial designed was put forth from a United States Army Air Corps requirement for a large intercontinental bomber capa...

United States
1947

Convair B-58 Hustler
The delta-wing Convair B-58 Hustler was the first United States Air Force supersonic operational bomber. The system was designed to be capable of high-altitude flight, which was a popular design concept during the early years...

United States
1960

Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
The F-102 Delta Dagger was a very typical Americana aircraft design in the years following the Korean War, particularly doing away with the smooth lines and straight wing features commonplace in the years following World War ...

United States
1958

Convair F-106 Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart began its production life as a direct successor to the interim F-102 Delta Dagger (detailed elsewhere on this site). Like the F-102 before it, the F-106 was designed to meet and "greet" high-flyin...

United States
1959

Curtiss-Wright XP-87 / XF-87 Nighthawk
The XF-87 was a failed proposal attempted by the Curtiss-Wright aircraft design bureau to meet an Air Force requirement for the world's first dedicated radar interceptor aircraft crewed by two personnel and operating under je...

United States
1948

Dassault Etendard
The base Dassault-produced Etendard (meaning "Standard") was a private venture that was initially greeted without much fervor. When the French Navy came looking for a lightweight carrier-capable platform, the Etendard series ...

France
1958

Dassault Falcon 50
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France
1979

Dassault Mirage F1
The Dassault Mirage F1 series was designed to replace the successful Dassault Mirage III series. With a host of new features added to the new airframe, the Mirage F1 would be a substantial upgrade to the whole Mirage family o...

France
1967

Dassault Mirage III
Though now outclassed by the latest in Next Generation aircraft, the Mirage III - for a time - was the best European fighter ever developed. The delta-wing system, proving so true in early pioneering developments, offered up ...

France
1956

Dassault Mirage IIIV
The Mirage IIIV was designed to a NATO requirement for a supersonic VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) fighter aircraft. The Mirage IIIV was a further development of the successful Mirage III fighter series but featured a s...

France
1965

Dassault Mirage IV
The Dassault Mirage IV series was designed to a French requirement for a supersonic aircraft platform capable of delivering an atomic weapon. The resulting Mirage IV became just that, offering up Mach 2 capabilities and a cei...

France
1963

Dassault Mirage V (5) / Mirage 50
The Dassault Mirage V / Mirage 50 series of French-built multi-role aircraft stands as the last further development of the successful Mirage III airframe. The Mirage V appeared in 1967 and was intended solely for export, find...

France
1967

Dassault Mystere / Super Mystere
The Dassault-produced Mystere series of turbojet aircraft appeared just when the French nation was in the rebuilding stages following World War Two. The owner of Dassault, himself a captive of one of the many German concentra...

France
1955

Dassault Super Etendard (Standard)
The Dassault Super Etendard ("Standard") was a further development of the base Etendard platform that performed well in service with the French Navy. The system saw deliveries start from the late 1970's onward and by the end ...

France
1978

Dassault-Breguet Mirage 2000
The Mirage 2000 was developed as a replacement for previous versions of the Mirage airframe platform. This new version incorporated many design, engineering and production elements learned from the post-war years of aircraft ...

France
1979

Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet
The Alpha Jet series of aircraft was a joint Franco-German initiative to produce a highly-advanced tactical trainer with close-support capabilities. The French firm of Dassault-Breguet generated the initial evaluation model u...

France
1978

de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou
The Caribou series proved to be such an effective battlefield transport aircraft that more than a few were pressed into service as captured C-7's in the hands of the North Vietnamese. The type continues to serve in limited nu...

Canada
1959

de Havilland D.H.100 Vampire
The de Havilland-produced jet fighter holds two key distinctions in the history of aviation. Firstly, the system was the first jet-powered aircraft to successfully land on a movie aircraft carrier (the Sea Vampire) and second...

United Kingdom
1946

de Havilland D.H.103 Hornet / Sea Hornet
From the outset, the de Havilland D.H.103 "Hornet" was designed to a British requirement of a twin-engine, long-range fighter-bomber capable of operations in the Far East. With the specification having been drawn up by 1943, ...

United Kingdom
1946

de Havilland D.H.110 Sea Vixen
In the 1950's, the de Havilland production of the Sea Vixen became the Royal Navy's first swept wing fighter design and Britain's first all-missile aircraft. The Sea Vixen was selected to replace the Sea Venom and became a fo...

United Kingdom
1958

Dornier Do 228
The Dornier Do 228 appeared in the early 1980's and served as a utility transport and maritime patrol aircraft for several global military branches. The high-wing monoplane was a versatile and steady performer, powered by two...

Germany
1981

Douglas A-1 Skyraider
The mammoth Skyraider series would have been a major player in the Second World War if it were designed and produced a few years earlier than it had. Regardless, the system would prove itself quite a capable close-support air...

United States
1946

Douglas B-26K Counter Invader / A-26A Nimrod
The B-26K Counter Invader was based on a highly modified World War Two-era A-26 Invader aircraft. What set the Counter Invader apart from it's predecessor was that the Counter Invader was featured without any turret systems, ...

United States
1948

Douglas B-66 Destroyer
The Douglas-produced B-66 Destroyer was a light bomber designed by Ed Heinemann to replace the aging A-26 Invader in service with the United States Strategic Air Command (SAC). Based highly on the existing United States Navy ...

United States
1956

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
With the close of World War 2 and the accompanying Berlin Airlift, the United States military saw a need to replace its aged C-74 "Globemaster I" systems with a newer and more capable platform. The C-124 was put forth as a pr...

United States
1950

Douglas DC-8
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United States
1959

Douglas F3D / F-10 Skyknight
The Douglas F3D series of aircraft holds several distinctions in the world of aviation history and in the circle of United States military aviation. To start off, the F3D became the world's first jet-powered carrier-based nig...

United States
1950

E-6A Mercury TACAMO
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United States
1989

English Electric / Martin B-57 Canberra
The British-produced Canberra was originally conceived of as a high-altitude, high-level nuclear-capable medium bomber. The fuselage features would be dominated by a large rounded-wing structure housing two turbojet engines. ...

United Kingdom
1949

Eurocopter BO 105
The Bo 105 is a light utility helicopter system recognized around the globe for its versatility, performance and safety record. The system has served (and continues to do so) in a military and civilian capacity in nations thr...