Military Aircraft The comprehensive listing of hundreds of military and civilian aircraft types.
1
AAI Corporation RQ-7 Shadow 200 Tactical The AAI Corporation RQ-7 Shadow is an unarmed tactical reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle currently in active service with the United States Army and Marine Corps. The system serves as a day-night, target acquisition, sur...
2001
2
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
3
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
4
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
5
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
6
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
7
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
8
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
9
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
10
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
11
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
12
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
13
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
14
Aerospatiale / Eurocopter AS 332 Super Puma / AS 532 Cougar The Super Puma was developed by French-based Aerospatiale (formerly Sud Aviation) form the successful AS 330 Puma series of medium-lift utility helicopters. The newer Super Puma design was essentially a base Puma with an impr...
1982
15
Aerospatiale / Eurocopter AS350 / AS355 / Astar The AS350 was originally designed to replace the aging Sud Aviation / Aerospatiale Alouette II light utility helicopter series. The AS350 appeared first under the Aerospatiale brand label but is now known under the Eurocopter...
1975
16
Aerospatiale / Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin The HH-65 Dolphin replaced the Sikorsky HH-52A Sea Guards then in service with the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The HH-65 is based on the French-made Eurocopter Dauphin (AS 365N) and carries the same - albeit translated ...
Aerospatiale SA 316 / SA 319 Alouette III The Aérospatiale Alouette III, is French for Skylark having a single-engine and to be used as a light utility helicopter and was developed by Sud Aviation and manufactured by Aérospatiale of France. The first version of the A...
1960
19
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 ...
1964
20
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 ...
1971
21
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...
1915
22
AgustaWestland A 129 Mangusta (Mongoose) The A 129 Mangusta ("Mongoose") was developed as a variant of the A 109 series of helicopters. The newly design aircraft proved to be larger and so different than its predecessor that the system was designated as the A 129 an...
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
27
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
28
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
29
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
30
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
31
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
32
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
33
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
34
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
35
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
38
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
39
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
40
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
41
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
42
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
43
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
44
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
45
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
46
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
47
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
48
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
49
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
50
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
51
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
52
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
53
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
54
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
55
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
56
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
57
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
58
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
61
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
62
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
63
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
64
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
65
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
66
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
67
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
68
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
69
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
70
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
71
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
72
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
73
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
74
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
75
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
76
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
77
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
78
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
79
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
80
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
81
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 ...
82
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
83
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
87
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
90
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
91
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
92
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
93
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
94
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
95
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
96
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
97
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
98
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
99
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
100
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
101
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
102
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
103
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
104
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
105
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
106
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
107
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
108
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
109
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
112
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
117
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...
1967
118
Bell AH-1 HueyCobra / Cobra (Bell 209) 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...
1967
119
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...
Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey The tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey helicopter was designed form the Bell-produced XV-15 demonstrator, a design looking to produce the next generation in helicopter design. The system is unique in the use of the tilt-rotor assemblies,...
2007
122
Bell OH-58 Kiowa 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...
1969
123
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
124
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
125
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
126
Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) The UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" became an important part of American military actions beginning in 1960 and expanding throughout the latter part of the Cold War years. The ubiquitous system became synonymous with the American effort...
1959
127
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
128
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
129
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
130
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
131
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
132
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
133
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
134
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
135
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
136
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
137
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
138
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
139
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
140
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
141
Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Hughes AH-64 Apache / Apache Longbow 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...
1984
142
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
143
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
144
Boeing / Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche The RAH-66 Comanche helicopter was to be the next generation answer for the United States Army in replacing its aging series of UH-1, AH-1 Cobra, OH-6 and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters in full. The RAH-66 was designed as the world'...
2004
145
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
146
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
153
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
154
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
155
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
156
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
157
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
158
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...
1944
159
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...
1964
160
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...
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
165
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
166
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
167
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...
1964
168
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
169
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
170
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...
1924
171
Boeing ScanEagle The ScanEagle is a joint production UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) by The Boeing Company and The Insitu Group. As a whole, the program is based highly on the Insitu SeaScan UAV aircraft but coupled with Boeing's expertise in t...
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
174
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
175
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
176
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
177
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
178
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
179
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
180
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
181
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
182
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
183
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
184
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
187
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
188
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...
CAIC WZ-10 The CAIC WZ-10 (Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation / Wuzhuang Zhisheng) is a new addition to the global family of attack helicopters, with this particular model being produced for use by the People’s Republic of China. T...
2008
192
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
193
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
194
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
195
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
196
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
197
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
203
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
204
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
205
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
206
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...
