Ababil (Swallow) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were once considered primarily the domains of Israel and the United States Military. Throughout the 1990's, however, every major military power has seen fit to fund their own UAV developments f...
1995
2
AEG C.IV The C.IV was a twin-seat biplane aircraft produced by the German firm of Allgemeine Elektrizitats-Gesellschaft (or simply "AEG"). The type was primarily fielded as reconnaissance platform from 1916 onwards though it also serv...
1916
3
AEG G.IV The AEG G.IV was another successful product of the Allgemeine Elektritzitats Gesellschaft aircraft corporation and was an amalgam of what made the G.I, G.II and G.III successful aircraft in their own right. The system was pro...
1916
4
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 need for short runway take-off and landings from rough airstrips and to provide the I...
1978
5
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...
1962
6
Aermacchi MB.339 The Aermacchi MB.339 was the successor to the 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.91T trainer...
1978
7
Aero A.11 The Aero A.11 was a highly successful multi-faceted performer for the Czech Army Air Force in the interwar years between World War One and World War Two. Equally respected for its adaptability and capability, the A.11 was des...
1923
8
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...
1963
9
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...
1972
10
Aeromarine 39 The Aeromarine 39 was a two-seat plane for land-based or seaplane training ordered by the US Navy in 1917. The versatile aircraft was built by the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company of Keyport, New Jersey. The design was a s...
1916
11
Aeromarine 40 The Aeromarine Model 40 (or simply "Aeromarine 40") was a two-seat floatplane trainer aircraft serving the United States Navy. The aircraft was produced by the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company of Keyport, New Jersey, and ha...
1918
12
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 passenger transport ever designed and flown on a regular basis. The system offered upp...
1969
13
Aerowerke Gustav Otto AGO C.II The C.II was the product of the Aerowerke Gustav Otto aircraft firm, abbreviated as AGO in the designation, and is often regarded as one of the best reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War. Serving just a short span, t...
Aichi B7A Ryusei (Grace) The Aichi-produced B7A Ryusei (translated to "Shooting Star" and nicknamed "Grace" by the Allies) was a limited-production torpedo bomber in service with the Empire of Japan during the latter years of World War Two. Unfortuna...
1944
16
Aichi D3A (Val) The D3A series of aircraft (dubbed "Val" by the Allies) were thought to be all but extinct when the war in the Pacific began. The rude awakening came in the form of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii - home to the ...
1940
17
Aichi E13A (Jake) Based on number alone, the Aichi production E13A series of floatplanes (dubbed "Jake" by the Allies) was the most important such aircraft type for the Japanese Navy during the Second World War. The system was fielded in quant...
1941
18
Aichi E16A Zuiun (Paul) The E16A Zuiun (translated into "Auspicious Cloud" and codenamed "Paul" by the Allies) was a dedicated reconnaissance floatplane and part-time dive-bomber for the Empire of Japan in World War Two. The system was an excellent ...
1944
19
Aichi M6A Seiran This oft-forgotten Aichi design was classified as an attack floatplane that was designed to be carried aboard the Japanese Navy I-400 class submarines. The aircraft was held in water-tight containers until implemented into fl...
1945
20
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...
1984
21
AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo The F-CK-1 "Ching-Kuo" was an ambitious and indigenous multirole fighter design in the vein of the F-16 Fighting Falcon as undertaken by the island-nation of Taiwan in the early 1980's. A US-imposed embargo forced the Taiwane...
1994
22
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...
1972
23
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...
1983
24
Airbus A340 The Airbus A340 series was already in design and development alongside the similar A330 series. In that respect, the two systems share a commonality in design and internal components. The major visual difference between the t...
Airco / de Havilland DH.4 With production numbering over 6,000 total units, the Airco / de Havilland DH.4 was another one of Geoffrey de Havilland's successful aircraft designs of the First World War (his legacy would later be solidified with the deve...
1918
27
Airco DH.2 Though not much to look at by today's fighter aircraft standards - let alone World War One-era aircraft standards, the Airco-produced DH.2 would prove to be a rugged and reliable platform. The DH.2 was the product of one Geof...
1916
28
Airco DH.5 With the view afforded the pilots of the DH.2, famed aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland set out to create a similar, yet more than capable in terms of performance, off-shoot in the form of the DH.5. The end result would ...
1917
29
Airco DH.9 The AirCo / de Havilland DH.9 was a further revision of the DH.4 bomber. Design was accomplished by the de Havilland company with production handled by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company ("AirCo" or "Airco"). The series was f...
1917
30
Airspeed Oxford The Airspeed Oxford was an important British and Commonwealth aerial trainer that served through World War Two. The system appeared in two notable forms as the Oxford I and the Oxford II with a few subvariants sprinkled in be...
1937
31
Albatros B.II The Albatros B.II was a reconnaissance biplane used in the early years of the First World War, particularly on the German side. The product of design of one Ernst Heinkel, a name that would appear on a variety of aircraft typ...
1914
32
Albatros C.I The Albatros C.I series of aircraft was the next evolution in the brand's reconnaissance aircraft line. Stemming from the development of the production Albatros B.II, the C.I shared many of the common characteristics in the i...
1915
33
Albatros C.III Continuing in the long line of short-term reconnaissance biplane designs, the German Air Force fielded the Albatros C.III in an effort to improve upon the successes of the C.I design. Appearing outwardly nearly identical to t...
1915
34
Albatros C.V The Albatros C.V can, in some ways, be approached as a step backwards in the progression of the C-series as a whole. Though the intent to produce a top-notch reconnaissance biplane aircraft, the system fell short of expectati...
1916
35
Albatros C.X The Albatros production of the C.X model continued the firm's commitment to producing capable reconnaissance biplane aircraft. Supplanting the earlier C-series types before it, the C.X model looked to improved upon an already...
1917
36
Albatros D.I The Albatros series of aircraft is a good study in how aircraft design evolved throughout World War One. The "D" series saw no fewer than five in the D.I, D.II, D.III, D.V and ultimately the D.Va. Such was the newfound weapon...
1916
37
Albatros D.II The Albatros D.II became a further development of the successful Albatros D.I series. The D.I was instrumental in winning back air superiority to the side of the Germans, with their powerful engines and dual-synchronized mach...
1916
38
Albatros D.III Having already found successes in the Albatros D.I and D.II models, designer Robert Thelen sought for more in the way of maneuverability when tackling the new Albatros D.III. This was accomplished by a new unstaggered wing la...
1917
39
Albatros D.V The Albatros D.V series is often regarded as the best of th bunch in regards to the preceding D.I, D.II and the D.III models. By the latter years of 1917, the improved D.III was already showing signs that it had become outcla...
1917
40
Albatros D.Va The Albatros D.Va was a further development in the “D” series and a continuation of the successful D.V series. As with all of the preceding Albatros D models, the D.Va featured only minor improvements in the hopes that the ai...
1917
41
Amiot 143 The Amiot 143 of the French Air Force represented an evolution in the Amiot piston-engine bomber series that replaced the Amiot 140 of 1931. First flying in 1935, the Amiot 143 system was an unspectacular design whose time ha...
1935
42
Amiot 354 The Amiot 354 bomber and reconnaissance platform was a quite capable aircraft when war broke out over France. The system had its origins based on the unarmed fast transport mail carrier to which some further development would...
1940
43
AMX International AMX (Ghibli) The AMX International AMX is the result of cooperation between two Italian (Aeritalia - now Alenia - and Aermacchi) and one Brazilian (Embraer) aircraft firms. Development of the system began with just the two Italian compani...
1990
44
ANF Les Mureaux 4 The ANF les Mureaux series of light observation aircraft first appeared in the inter-war years, specifically in the late 1920's and developed further into the 1930's. The Mureaux served as an important arm to the French milit...
1928
45
Ansaldo A 1 Balilla (Hunter) The Ansaldo A 1 Balilla ("Hunter") was the first aircraft fighter design of Italian origins. Italian forces consistently used French-designed aircraft in the early years of the war, leading the Ansaldo Italian firm to create ...
1918
46
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...
1957
47
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 ...
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...
1965
50
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...
1989
51
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...
1962
52
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...
1977
53
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...
1986
54
Arado Ar 195 The Arado Ar 195 was prototype design intended for operations from Germany's first aircraft carrier known as the Graf Zeppelin. The aircraft was developed to a requirement for a carrier-based torpedo bomber, to which some thr...
1937
55
Arado Ar 196 The Arado Ar 196 was the principle floatplane of the German Luftwaffe throughout World War 2. The aircraft was showcased in quantity on nearly every front that Germany was threatened - or was threatening - and fared well agai...
1939
56
Arado Ar 232 Tausendfussler (Millipede) The Arado aircraft firm produced one of the more identifiable transport aircraft of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War in the form of the Ar 232. Known unofficially as the "millipede" (or "Tausendfussler") thanks to th...
1941
57
Arado Ar 234 Blitz (Lightning) The Arado Ar 234 "Blitz" (or "Lightning") was part of the German success with turbojet development in the latter years of World War Two. The system was the world's first purpose-built jet bomber to ever enter service, and did...
1944
58
Arado Ar 240 The Arado Ar 240 was designed to an RLM 1938 response to replace the twin engine, two seat Messerschmitt BF 110 Zerstorer heavy fighter, being made obsolete by the changing face of war. The Arado firm and the Messerschmitt fi...
1940
59
Arado Ar 68 The Arado-production of the Ar 68 signaled a stepping stone for fighter design in the German Luftwaffe. With the air force branch still held in secret from the rest of the world, the Luftwaffe quietly set about building up th...
1934
60
Arado Ar E.340 The Arado-produced Ar E.340 was designed to a German requirement for a twin-engined bomber to replace the aging Junkers Ju 88 and Dornier Do 217's currently in service. The design offered up the potential for multirole capabi...
1943
61
Arado Ar E.381 The Ar E.381-series of prototypes was submitted in 1944 for review by the German Air Ministry. Whilst a plethora of companies (including Messerschmitt and Sombold) were competing to fulfill the role of what was to be dubbed "...
1944
62
Arado Ar E.500 The E.500 was a proposed heavy fighter design put forth by Arado Flugzeugwerke of Germany. The system was designed as early as 1936 and featured a crew of four consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, dorsal turret gunner and ventral...
1936
63
Arado Ar E.530 The idea of twin fuselage aircraft was always in the minds of military aircraft engineers throughout the Second World War. Conceivably, these systems would offer up double the performance and capabilities of their single fuse...
1940
64
Arado Ar E.555 Arado proposed this E.555 flying wing concept towards the end of 1943 as a high-speed long-range bomber. The flying wing concept had eluded aircraft engineers for decades but it was seen as a potentionally stable design allow...
1943
65
Arado Ar E.560 The Arado E.560 series of developmental high-speed jet bombers saw a large evolution on paper. Design of the platform centered around the closing days of the Second World War and showed the extent to which the Germans were pl...
1945
66
Arado Ar E.561 The Arado Ar E.561 was on the drawing boards as early as 1937. Classified as a heavy fighter, the type would have lived and died via its combination of firepower and performance. World War 2 brought about the need for purpose...
1937
67
Arado Ar E.580 Once the Volksjager competition came around in 1944, Arado Flugzeugwerke went back to a 1943 design it had had and touched it up some, producing the E.580 design model. This aircraft was to be a single-seat, single-engine jet...
1944
68
Arado Ar E.581.4 The Arado Ar E.581.4 was conceived of as a single-seat jet fighter utilizing a delta-wing shape. The system was not a "true" flying wing design in that it made use of twin vertical tail surfaces at the trailing edges. The sys...
1944
69
Arado Ar E.654 (Kampfzerstorer / Skorpion) The Arado Ar E.654 was proposed as a heavy fighter / destroyer platform designed from another Arado product - the Ar 240. Though the Ar 240 model eventually saw operational service with the Luftwaffe (albeit in limited numbe...
1943
70
Arado Ar Projekt I The Arado "Projekt I" was intended to be a two-man jet-powered night fighter. The aircraft featured a slender yet short fuselage with a delta-wing design extending from the cockpit down to the base of the empennage. The crew ...
71
Arado Ar Projekt II The Arado Ar Projekt II was a proposed jet-powered fighter of considerable size. It carried a basic classification of nightfighter / all-weather fighter and appeared in paper form towards the end of the European Campaign. The...
1945
72
Arado Ar TEW 16/43-13 The Arado Ar TEW 16/43-13 was a design concept envisioned as a rocket-propelled interceptor for the German Luftwaffe. The design was put forth by Wilhelm van Nes as one of three possible developments that also included a twin...
Arado Ar TEW 16/43-23 The single-seat, jet-powered Arado Ar TEW 16/43-23 design was penciled sometime in 1943. Categorized as a fighter, the type might have been an impressive addition to the ranks of the Luftwaffe where jet-powered aircraft were ...
1943
76
Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle The Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle became one of those aircraft designs that evolved into a role not initially envisioned. The system came from an earlier Bristol-designed reconnaissance aircraft that went to nowhere and was d...
Armstrong Whitworth AW.27 Ensign The impressive Armstrong Whitworth Ensign AW.27 series was made originally designed to a 1934 British government requirement for an air mail service transport to spearhead an improved method of correspondence to all points of...
1936
79
Armstrong Whitworth FK.8 The Armstrong Whitworth FK.8 model series was an aircraft conceived of by aircraft designer Frederick Koolhoven of Dutch origins. The system turned out to be a most versatile platform used throughout the First World War and p...
1917
80
Armstrong Whitworth Siskin The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin (a siskin being a smallish yellow-tinged finch) was the primary air mount of many-a-Royal Air Force pilot in her heyday. She represented one of the earliest aircraft designs for the British in t...
1924
81
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Continuing in the tradition of ugly yet robust and reliable heavy bombers, the British Armstrong Whitworth Whitley was the heavy bomber of choice during the early war years and up through 1942. The massive unappealing design ...
1937
82
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...
1987
83
Avia B.534 The Czechoslovakian Avia B.534 series of biplane was a highly regarded though often forgotten product of the European nation. Some reports make it the best aircraft of its category during its early run through the 1930s. Such...
1934
84
Aviatik B.I The Aviatik B.I series handled reconnaissance duties for Germany in the early years of the war, serving up to about early 1916 before being replaced by more improved contemporaries. The system was sufficient in the role and w...
1914
85
Aviatik C.I Aviatik (Automobil und Aviatikwerke) of Germany was already involved in aircraft designs from the outset of the war, graduating from the copying of French designs to producing their own new design in the Aviatik B.I. Followin...
1915
86
Aviatik D.I (Berg D.I) The Aviatik D.I served the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a fighter and reconnaissance escort through the final years of World War 1. The system eventually proved a capable combat aircraft with good speed, climbing ability and se...
1917
87
Avions Fairey Fox Avions Fairey was set up in Belgium as an offshoot of the Fairey Aviation Company of Britain. The production facility was initially created for the local production of the Fairey Firefly, to which the facilities were later us...
1933
88
Avro 504 Without knowing it from the outset, the Avro Type 504 series of aircraft would become one of the most produced and influential biplane designs for the United Kingdom, being fielded from 1913 all the way through the early 1930...
1913
89
Avro 621 Tutor The Avro 621 Tutor was a primary component of RAF and RN pilot training in the interwar years. Developed from the World War 1 era Avro 504 series, the 621 type proved to be a follow-up success. Built to some 852 examples, the...
1933
90
Avro Anson The Avro Anson was a militarized version of the commercial passenger transport Avro 652. The Anson itself was produced to fulfill Specification 18/35 brought about by the British Air Ministry and originally intended for use a...
1936
91
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...
1952
92
Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow The Avro CF-105 "Arrow" appeared at a time when the Soviet Union was consistently developing higher-flying and longer range bombers capable of nuclear strikes virtually anywhere within reach. As a result, the Arrow was develo...
1958
93
Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is regarded by many as the best bomber of either side in the Second World War. The system proved quite capable from the outset and was put into production the same year that the prototype had flown. From th...
1941
94
Avro Manchester The Avro Manchester was a semi-successful attempt by the Avro firm to fulfill Air Ministry Specification P.13/36. The specification called for a twin engine heavy bomber that could sport a multi-purpose payload of bombs or to...
1940
95
Avro Shackleton The Avro Shackleton was derived from the Avro Lincoln bomber (the Lincoln itself designed from the Avro Lancaster), a four-engine aircraft appearing too late to see action in World War 2. The Shackleton featured a similar (th...
1951
96
Avro Vulcan The Avro Vulcan formed the second point on the triangle in the British "V-Bombers" collection - a series of three high-altitude, long range, nuclear-capable systems developed during the Cold War from a post-World War 2 Britis...
1956
97
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 ...
1959
98
Bachem Ba 349 Natter (Viper) The Bachem Ba 349 Natter (or "Viper") was another of the ingenious - if desperate - German designs in the ultimate defense of Germany against Allied bombers. The Natter design put to use the ever-developing study of rocketry ...
BAe / Hawker Siddeley 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...
1968
101
BAe Sea Harrier The arrival of the land-based Hawker Siddeley Harrier revolutionized the British military approach upon its inception into RAF service in 1969. The system allowed for vertical take-offs and landings by providing the hovering ...
Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly / Destroyer (Model 28) The XA-38 was a developmental twin-engine heavy fighter produced by the Beech Aircraft firm. By all accounts, she was a stable and fast aircraft comparable to even the single engine speedsters of her day. As promising as her ...
1944
106
Bell P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is yet another in the long line of aircraft studies stemming from World War 2 in the "what-might-have been" category. The system had all the looks of a top performer, armament that could go head to hea...
1938
107
Bell P-59 Airacomet The Bell-produced P-59 Airacomet series is one of those aircraft that becomes more of a study in American jet pioneering than anything else. The aircraft itself was a very average to below average performer, even when compare...
1942
108
Bell P-63 Kingcobra At its core, the Bell P-63 Kingcobra proved a modest improvement over the relative failure that was the P-39 Airacobra. Though the P-39 developed into a useable platform, she never lived up to the original specifications than...
1943
109
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 ...
1947
110
Bell X-5 The X-5 was a developmental prototype model aircraft produced by the Bell Aircraft company of the United States of America. X-5 development was initiated through the capture of a German Messerschmitt fighter design (powered b...
1951
111
Bell XFL Airabonita The XFL "Airabonita" was a Bell Aircraft Company product developed in parallel with the P-39 Airacobra, a land-based USAAF design that eventually achieved operational status. In essence, the Airabonita was a "navalized" versi...
1940
112
Bell XFM-1 Airacuda In the same way that the XFM-1 Airacuda was a "different" sort of aircraft, the Bell company itself was "different sort" of aircraft maker. Know more for its unique elements in the P-39 Airacobra piston-engine fighter of Worl...
1940
113
Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (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...
1961
114
Beriev Be-2 / MBR-2 The Beriev Be-2 was one of the few floatplanes of note fighting for the Soviet Union throughout World War Two as very little in the way fo attention to the type was given. The floatplane was utilitarian by nature with pedestr...
1935
115
Beriev Be-42 / A-40 Albatross (Mermaid) The Be-42 / A-40 Albatross (designated by NATO as "Mermaid") was asuprise discovery for Western intelligence sources when it was first spotted in 1988. It was, and still continues to be, the largest amphibious aircraft ever ...
1990
116
Blackburn / Hawker Siddeley 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 in tandem, an internal weapons bay to comp...
1962
117
Blackburn Firebrand The Blackburn Firebrand was a carried-based strike fighter aircraft developed by Blackburn Aircraft of the United Kingdom. She was a design of G.E. Petty and went on to live a troubled development before reaching operation st...
1945
118
Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo The Kangaroo was the product of the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Company, Limited. The design began as a venture in 1916 to which two complete prototypes were produced. These prototype aircraft, known collectively as the Bla...
1918
119
Bleriot XI The Bleriot XI was one of the first notable monoplanes to achieve any level of fame. Primitive by today's standards, the system became a standard all its own in the early 1900s. The type served in a limited capacity during th...
1909
120
Blohm & Voss Bv 138 The Blohm and Voss Bv 138 was a German floatplane that saw quantitative production in the Second World War. Initially conceived of as early as 1936, the system would enter service by 1940 and play the most pivotal role of mar...
1940
121
Blohm & Voss Bv 222 Wiking (Viking) The Blohm & Voss Bv 222 Wiking (translated to "Viking") was a large German floatplane design of the Second World War. The system was fielded in limited numbers and served the primary role of transport aircraft with some recon...
1941
122
Blohm & Voss Bv 238 The mammoth Blohm & Voss Bv 238 was the next evolution in the Blohm & Voss flying boat series for Germany during World War Two. The system was built as the largest aircraft ever produced by any of the Axis powers and was to p...
1944
123
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...
1983
124
Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Northrop F/A-18 Super Hornet The Super Hornet is the latest, and most likely the ultimate, evolution in the F/A-18 Hornet series of precision strike aircraft covering carrierborne operations. Produced by a consortium of contractors that includes Boeing a...
2002
125
Boeing 314 Clipper (C-98) The Boeing Model 314 "Clipper" was a floatplane primarily developed by the Boeing Aircraft Company to fulfill a Pan American requirement for a long-range passenger floatplane. The system saw only 12 examples produced in two v...
1939
126
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...
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Though the Consolidated B-24 Liberator was built in greater numbers, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is often regarded as the more important heavy bomber for the American Allies in the Second World War, accounting for over 29...
1937
133
Boeing B-29 Superfortress B-29 Superfortress status is often relegated to the aircraft that dropped the atomic bombs (“Fat Man” and “Little Boy”) on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war in the Pacific for the Allies. The fact that there were in fact ...
1943
134
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...
1947
135
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-...
1948
136
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The B-52 has been the preeminent American heavy bomber of the last 54 years. The massive aircraft served throughout the heightened periods of the Cold War as a nuclear deterrent, as a dedicated bomber and reconnaissance platf...
1955
137
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III The Boeing-produced C-17 Globemaster III represents one of the latest additions to the United States Air Force mobile airlift fleet. On the modern battlefield, mobility is key to any advancing effort and systems like the C-17...
1993
138
Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter A post-war design, Boeing developed the C-97 as the Model 367 - a military transport based on the success of the design of the B-29 Superfortress.
The Model 777 Stratocruiser was the civilian transport version of the Model...
Boeing F4B The Boeing-produced F4B series of aircraft was produced in large quantities for the United States Army and the United States Navy (as the P-12). The aircraft was of simple biplane design with open cockpit, a static undercarri...
1929
143
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...
1956
144
Boeing L-15 Scout The L-15 Scout was a light and small observation liaison aircraft produced in limited numbers by the Boeing Aircraft Company following World War 2 - only twelve of the type were produced with the United States Army becoming i...
1947
145
Boeing P-26 Peashooter The P-26 became the first all-metal fighter design for the United States. Appearing similar to the later "Gee Bee" series of racers, the P-26 replaced the P-12 to which the newer P-26 outclassed in nearly every way.
The P-...
1932
146
Boeing P-8 Poseidon The Boeing P-8 Poseidon Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) is currently in development and on order for the United States Navy and represents a replacement for the Lockheed P-3 Orion series of aircraft. The P-8 is expected ...
2012
147
Boeing PW-9 The Boeing PW-9 series was based on the Model 15 aircraft. When evaluated by the US Army, the system was found to be quite the aircraft and ordered into a developmental stage with the XPW-9 series (a total of three were produ...
Boeing VC-25 (Air Force One) The VC-25 is used to usher the President of the United States and his staff on various journeys around the globe. The VC-25 is essentially a highly-modified Boeing 747-200B series model featuring state-of-the-art communicatio...
1990
150
Boeing X-32 The X-32 STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) technology demonstrator was the Boeing Company's response to the Department of Defense's "Joint Strike Fighter Program" beginning in 1994....
1996
151
Boeing-Stearman PT-17 Kaydet When The Boeing Company acquired the Stearman company in 1939, it also acquired the design and production rights to the promising Model 75 series, which itself was flow as the X-70 as early as 1933. The two-seat biplane would...
1941
152
Boulton Paul Defiant The inter-war years saw a vast shift to more modern and potent aircraft platforms. The Boulton Paul Defiant followed as only the RAF's third such monoplane aircraft and, amazingly enough, the Defiant also became the RAF's fir...
1937
153
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...
1956
154
Breguet Br.M5 The Breguet Br.M5 series of biplane bomber was developed from the Breguet Br.M4. The Br.M5 was operated by a crew of two with the pilot seated in the middle of the aircraft and the gunner/observer to the front. Defensive arma...
1915
155
Breguet Bre.14 French aviation design triumphed with the arrival of the Breguet Bre.14 series (sometimes written as Breguet Br.XIV). The aircraft proved to be of the utmost reliability and lethality upon entering the war front in 1916 and w...
1917
156
Breguet Bre.19 The French-designed and produced Breguet Bre.19 was designed to replace the Bre.14 but was actually developed and produced at the same time as the Bre.14 (and limited to use near the populated French cities).
The Bre.19 sh...
1923
157
Brewster F2A Buffalo The stubby F2A Buffalo series became the United States Navy's first operational aircraft of monoplane design. Despite this honor, the system as a whole failed to live up to expectations set forth by technology and combat tact...
1937
158
Bristol Beaufighter Serving until the 1960s with the Royal Air Force, the Bristol Beaufighter (or simply "Beau") became a national hero through her service in the Battle of Britain, World War Two and beyond. The Beaufighter became the world's fi...
1939
159
Bristol Beaufort The Bristol Beaufort enjoyed a strong run between the war years of 1940-1943 as the primary British torpedo bomber in service. Designed as the successor to the aged biplane Vildebeest design by Vickers, the Beaufort saw succe...
1940
160
Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim billed as a bomber though when it was officially installed into operational active service, the aircraft was quite capable of outrunning some fighters. The twin-engine, 3-person aircraft would equip the f...
Bristol Bulldog In 1926, the British Air Ministry put forth a specification for a radial-piston engine fighter design that could operate in daytime and nighttime with armed with twin Vickers-type machine guns and capable of engaging the top ...
1929
163
Bristol F.2 The Bristol F.2 fighter series operated throughout the British Empire for decades, serving through World War 1 and through the interwar years. The system proved a viable fighter platform despite its origination as a reconnais...
1917
164
Bristol Scout The Bristol Scout is a good World War One aircraft study in the "what might have been" category. Born from the pedigree of a racing plane, the Bristol Scout was used in the beginning of the war as an unarmed flying scout, uti...
CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (Gull) The CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (meaning "Gull") was a floatplane aircraft developed in Italy and shared a resemblance to the successful American Consolidated PBY Catalina series. By the time of the Second World War, the design shoul...
1936
168
Caproni Ca.36 The Caproni Ca.36 represented the definitive model in the C-bomber series debuted in 1914 as the C.31. The Ca.36 was a tremendous asset to allied operations against Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire and were put into ac...
1917
169
Caproni-Campini N1 (CC.2) With the introduction of the N1 (may also be known as the CC.2), Italy became only the second nation in the world to achieve jet-powered flight (Germany being the first), though the development of this particular aircraft did...
1940
170
Caudron G.4 The Caudron G.4 series was a twin-engine bomber platform introduced in the early years of World War 1 by the French. The system served initially with the French air force but was put to good use in the hands of British, Itali...
1915
171
Caudron R.11 The Caudron R.11 was initially intended as a reconnaissance platform for the French Air Force but went on to serve the role of fighter escort instead. The system was fielded with a crew of three, was of a large two engine des...
1918
172
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...
Chengdu J-10 (Vigorous Dragon) / F-10 Vanguard The Chengdu Jian-J10 (also "J-10" and "Annihilator" but known to the West as "Vigorous Dragon") was originally designed as an air-superiority fighter for China but was later revised to become an all-weather, day/night multiro...
2005
178
Coanda 1910 This invention by Romanian inventor Henri Coanda amazingly appeared in 1910 as the world's first jet-propelled aircraft - just seven years after the Wright Brothers historic first flight and four years before the great air ba...
1910
179
Commonwealth (CAC) Boomerang The Commonwealth Boomerang (also known as the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation - or "CAC" - Boomerang) was of completely Australian indigenous design. Based on the CAC Wirraway, which in turn was spawned from the American NA...
1942
180
Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator became a major player for Allied forces during World War 2. Its exploits ranged the world over - as did her users- and she saw action in a variety of roles in all major theaters. Designed to ov...
1941
181
Consolidated B-32 Dominator The Consolidated B-32 Dominator was a limited production four-engine heavy bomber requested by the United States Air Force as a fail-safe design to the complicated, technology-laden Boeing B-29 Superfortress in development. T...
1945
182
Consolidated PB2Y Coronado By the middle of the 1930's America was no longer blind to the real possibility that the war would sooner or later be waged along it's shores. As such, the United States Navy took action in the requirement for a new generatio...
1940
183
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer was a further development of the United States Navy's PB4Y-1 anti-submarine warfare aircraft which, itself, was a further variant based on the successful Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber ai...
1943
184
Consolidated PBY Catalina Maritime aircraft play an understated role, especially in that of war time. Fly boats came to pass, first in peace-time development as early as 1901, and ultimately in the First World War. Their development, with experience g...
1936
185
Consolidated PT-1 Trusty The "Trusty" was a product of the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation (though designed under the brand of the Dayton-Wright Company, itself a company under parent General Motors) and accepted for service as a primary trainer of...
1924
186
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...
1947
187
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...
1960
188
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger The F-102 Delta Dagger was a prototypical American 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 T...
1958
189
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...
1959
190
Curtiss A-12 (Shrike) The A-12 was an inter-war product of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company first appearing in 1933. The type became the first quantitative monoplane aircraft in service with the United States Army Air Corps upon its incepti...
1933
191
Curtiss F6C HAWK The Curtiss F6C Hawk series of aircraft was in fact the US Navy/Marine model of the US Army's P-1 Hawk series. The US Navy found the P-1 attractive enough to begin fielding it as a carrier-based aircraft whilst the US Marines...
1924
192
Curtiss P-36 Hawk / Mohawk The P-36 Hawk aircraft produced by Curtiss was a widely accepted and operated weapon system. From its initial appearance once can see the influence that the P-36 had in the design of the P-40 Warhawk of "Flying Tigers" fame. ...
1935
193
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk / Kittyhawk / Tomahawk The P-40 Warhawk / Kittyhawk / Tomahawk series of aircraft was the further development of the P-36 Hawk platform (detailed elsewhere on this site). The Warhawk would become synonymous with the American Volunteer Group fightin...
1941
194
Curtiss P-6 Hawk Originally based on the existing P-1B series of aircraft, the P-6 Hawk series was a first-line pursuit aircraft for the United States in the early 1930s. The Hawk became the last of the fighter biplanes built in quantity for...
1929
195
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a rather unassuming dive bomber / reconnaissance aircraft serving throughout World War 2 beginning in 1943. Originally designed in a competition to replace the aging SBC biplane series, the SB2C...
Curtiss XP-42 The Curtiss XP-42 was a further development of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk model though it would share some initial outward similarities to Curtiss' most well known aircraft - the P-40 Warhawk. Later in its development, the XP-42 w...
1939
198
Curtiss XP-46 The smallish XP-46 was to be the answer for the deficiencies encountered in the P-40 Warhawk platform. Unfortunately for Curtiss, the XP-46 would be doomed by underperformance and sluggish capabilities - essentially dooming t...
1941
199
Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando The United States Air Force utilized the C-46 Commando series as their primary transport workhorse in the Pacific Theater of War during the Second World War. The system was initiated to replace the Douglas series of DC-3 tran...
1942
200
Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender The XP-55 Ascender was an unorthodox attempt by the Curtiss-Wright company that produced just three prototype models. Answering a United States Army Air Corps call for unconventional aircraft designs, the XP-55 fit the bill w...
1943
201
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...
1948
202
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 ...
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 this new aircraft, the Mirage F1 would be a substantial upgrade to the whole Mirage family ...
1973
205
Dassault Mirage III Though now outclassed by the latest in Next Generation aircraft, the Mirage III - for a time - was the best European fighter in operation. The delta-wing system, a design proving quite capable early pioneering developments, o...
1956
206
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...
1965
207
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...
1963
208
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...
1967
209
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...
1955
210
Dassault Rafale The Dassault Rafale, when released into operational service in the late 1990's, was the pinnacle of French aircraft engineering. The system incorporated the latest in fly-by-wire technology, composite materials and aerodynami...
1998
211
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 ...
1978
212
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 ...
1979
213
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...
1978
214
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...
1959
215
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, ...
1946
216
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...
1958
217
de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth The Tiger Moth series produced by the UK firm of de Havilland went on to become one of the more beloved trainers of all time, sending many a British and Commonwealth nation pilot in the inter-war years and through World War T...
1931
218
de Havilland D.H.98 Mosquito Few can find much fault in the de Havilland design of its Mosquito series of nightfighters featured so prominently in the Battle of Britain and throughout the entire World War Two campaigns across Europe. The twin-engine nigh...
1942
219
de Havilland DH.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...
1946
220
Dewoitine D.500 The D.500 series, as a whole, was merely a stop-gap design for France - bridging a gap between two eras of aviation resulting from post-World War One design and preceeding World War, commonly known as the interwar years. The ...
1936
221
Dewoitine D.520 The Dewoitine D.520 was a single seat piston-engine fighter designed and built for the French Air Force. Developed from lessons learned in their ill-fated D.513 design, Dewoitine produced a fighter of sleek design and accepta...
1939
222
DFW C.V The DFW C.V series of biplane aircraft was of German design in World War 1. The system was particularly noted for its good handling characteristics, power derived from its Benz engine and strong dogfighting capabilities even ...
1916
223
Dornier Do 17 The Dornier Do 17 (sometimes referred to as "the Pencil" due to its fundamental shape) was a respect medium bomber class utilized by the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain and throughout the Second World War.
Initia...
1934
224
Dornier Do 18 Though a serviceable flying boat with a successful pedigree, the Dornier Do 18 was highly outclassed and outdated at the start of World War 2 and was subsequently used in limited numbers, relegated mostly to air and sea rescu...
1938
225
Dornier Do 215 The Dornier Do 215 was originally intended for export, beginning life as a redesignated version of the Dornier Do 17 light/medium bomber. Three prototypes were initially produced from the Do 17K - the V1, V2 and V3 - each wit...
1939
226
Dornier Do 217 The Dornier Do 217 was a multi-faceted performer for the German Luftwaffe that ended up fulfilling various roles from bomber to reconnaissance aircraft, aerial test bed to torpedo bomber. The twin-engine 4-man aircraft appear...
1938
227
Dornier Do 22 The Dornier Do 22 was a German-designed and produced three-man floatplane. It was produced in Germany and Switzerland for the export market despite the fact that the aircraft proved a winning design for the Germans. The Do 22...
1938
228
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...
1981
229
Dornier Do 24 The Dornier Do 24 was a capable flying both serving in limited numbers both Allied and Axis powers in World War 2. The system was classified as a flying boat, capable of operations on both land and sea, and was the product of...
Dornier Do 335 Pfeil (Arrow) The Dornier Do 335 Pfeil (or "Arrow") was one of the more unique prop-driven designs of the Second World War. Designed and patented by Doctor Claudius Dornier as early as 1937, the Do 335 utilized a concept in which one engin...