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MilitaryFactory > Aircraft > Dedicated Reconnaissance Aircraft
 

Dedicated Reconnaissance Aircraft
Keeping all eyes on the enemy.

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...
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2001

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...
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1916

3

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...
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1923

4

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...
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1915

5

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...
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1914

6

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...
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1915

7

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...
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1915

8

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...
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1916

9

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...
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1917

10

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...
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1940

11

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...
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1928

12

Antonov An-2 (Annushka)
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1947

13

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...
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1939

14

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...
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1944

15

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...
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1914

16

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...
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1915

17

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...
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1913

18

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...
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1936

19

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...
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1951

20

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 ...
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1959

21

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...
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1968

22

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...
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1961

23

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...
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1935

24

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...
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1918

25

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...
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1909

26

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...
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1940

27

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...
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1941

28

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...
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1947

29

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...
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2004

30

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...
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1917

31

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...
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1917

32

Britten-Norman Defender
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1989

33

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...
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1936

34

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...
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1918

35

Cessna O-1 Bird Dog (L-19)
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1950

36

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...
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1941

37

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...
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1940

38

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...
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1943

39

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...
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1936

40

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...
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1933

41

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...
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1943

42

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 ...
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1958

43

Dassault Falcon 50
...
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1979

44

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 ...
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1916

45

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...
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1938

46

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...
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1939

47

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...
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1938

48

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...
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1981

49

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...
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1937

50

Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior
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1956

51

English Electric Canberra / Martin B-57
The British-produced Canberra was originally conceived of as a high-altitude, high-level nuclear-capable medium bomber. The fuselage features would be dominated by a large rounded-wing structure housing two turbojet engines. ...
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1951

52

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog)
The uniquely-designed A-10 Thunderbolt II (its namesake derived from the World War II piston-engine fighter/bomber - the P-47 Thunderbolt) was specifically developed as a close-support anti-tank killing machine. The A-10 woul...
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1976

53

Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was one of the unsung heroes of the Second World War. With Britain seemingly fighting the world war all on its own, much pressure fell upon its air force and navy branches to produce results. The Swordfis...
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1936

54

Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Stork)
The seemingly fragile Fieseler Fi 156 Storch(or "Stork") does not seem to have a home in a global conflict as World War 2 was yet the little machine became a spectacular multi-purpose airframe to which the Third Reich put to ...
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1937

55

FMA IA-58 Pucara (Fortress)
The impressive-looking, two-seat IA-58 Pucara (meaning "Fortress") was produced by the Fabrica Militar de Aviones of Argentina. The aircraft was classified as a counter-insurgency ground-attack system capable of rough-field o...
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1975

56

Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu (Owl)
The Focke-Wulf brand Fw 189 Uhu (translated to "Owl") was of the most peculiar aircraft design for the German Luftwaffe in the Second World War, but by no means made less lethal by it's appearance. The system accounted for a ...
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1940

57

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 (Condor)
The German Fw 200 Condor was initially a trans-Atlantic passenger and cargo (mail) aircraft developed by Focke-Wulf and legendary designer Kurt Tank in 1936. Early prototypes were fitted with the Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial...
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1938

58

General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
The MQ-9 "Reaper" ("M" = multirole; "Q" = Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; "9" = series designation) offers the United States Air Force a high-level remotely-piloted weapons platform capable of instant action and precise engagement. ...
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2004

59

General Atomics RS-1 / MQ-1 Predator
At a cost of about $40 million dollars per system, the RQ-1/MQ-1 Predator is a pricey yet integral part of US Air Force operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Operating by remote control, the Predator can cover a section of terr...
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1996

60

Grumman OV-1 Mohawk
Development of the OV-1 Mohawk platform stemmed from a joint requirement fielded by both the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps for a "battlefield surveillance aircraft" displaying rugged and versatile qual...
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1961

61

Gulfstream II / III / C-20 / SRA-1
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1983

62

Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Type D/FD)
Ernst Heinkel - whose German firm Heinkel would gain some level of notoriety in World War 2 - designed a series of reconnaissance aircraft for the Hansa-Brandenburg firm during World War 1. The B.I was one such aircraft, an u...
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1914

63

Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (Type LDD)
The Hansa-Brandenburg C.I was a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft seeing action with the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War 1. The C.I was another aircraft design by German engineer Ernst Heinkel who had also produced the pr...
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1916

64

Heinkel He 51
The He 51 was a product of the German Heinkel firm and a design of the Gunter twins, Walter and Siegfried. The Gunters became part of the Heinkel firm in 1931 and made the He 49 their first product with the company. The He 49...
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1935

65

Heinkel He 59
...
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1931

66

Hughes XR-11 / XF-11
Though only achieving prototype form, the XF-11 was one of the darling designs of famed American aviator Howard Hughes. Looking very much like an oversized Lockheed P-38, the twin-boom XF-11 was designed to fulfill a United S...
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1946

67

IAI / TRW RQ-5 Hunter
The Hunter is a large Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and was first introduced in 1996 in limited numbers with the United States Army. The system performed admirably well in support of Operation Allied Force over Kosovo where i...
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1996

68

IAI RQ-2 Pioneer
The RQ-2 Pioneer series of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) was one of the first operational entries into the United States Military family of UAVs. In its early form, the system served battleship vessels with artillery spottin...
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1986

69

Ilyushin IL-28 (Beagle)
The Ilyushin IL-28 (codenamed "Beagle" by NATO) holds many distinctions in the annals of aviation history - some combat related and others more political. The IL-28 became the first jet-powered bomber in service with the Sovi...
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1949

70

Junkers Ju 188 Racher (Avenger)
When the new Junkers Ju 288 - a design meant to replace the Junkers Ju 88 series of bombers - ran into developmental issues with its engines, Junkers set about producing an in-between utilizing the Ju 88's airframe. The Ju 88...
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1943

71

Kawanishi H6K (Mavis)
Though looking very much the part of a German-produced Dornier series flying boat, the Kawanishi brand H6K series (codenamed "Mavis" by the Allies) had more in common with Western flying boat designs if anything. Interestingl...
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1938

72

Kawanishi H8K (Emily)
The Empire of Japan seemed to be producing its best aircraft designs of the war towards the end of the conflict. The Kawanishi H8K (codenamed "Emily" by the Allies) was such an example. Bred to take the reigns of the similar ...
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1942

73

Lloyd C.II
The Lloyd C.II was a reconnaissance biplane fielded by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War 1, with service of the type beginning in 1915. The C.II had a direct origin from the pre-war Lloyd C.I, an competition-winning, t...
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1915

74

Lockheed / Vought S-3 Viking
The S-3 Viking series of carrier-borne aircraft was a joint production effort from the Lockheed and Vought aircraft firms. Selected from no fewer than five proposals from various other companies an including the two aforement...
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1974

75

Lockheed F-35 Lightning II
The Lockheed F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter development of the United States that incorporates new and learned stealth technology and practices with advanced computer processing and systems through a "budget-...
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2012

76

Lockheed HC-130 Hercules
...
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1965

77

Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion
The P-3 Orion aircraft is a product of Lockheed Martin, designed and accepted at a time when Lockheed could do little wrong in the way of earning government contracts. The P-3 was a direct requirement for a United States Navy...
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1962

78

Lockheed Martin U-2 Dragon Lady
The U-2 spyplane was a pivotal player during the peak years of the Cold War between the United States of America and the Soviet Union, charged with photographing key installations for the safety of the American homeland and i...
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1955

79

Lockheed MQM-105 Aquila TADAR
The MGM-105 Aquila (Eagle) TADAR (Target Acquisition, Designation and Aerial Reconnaissance) was the first United States Army attempt at securing a reusable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of conducting a range of missi...
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1982

80

Lockheed P2V Neptune
The P2V Neptune series of aircraft was one of the more successful post-war designs for America, with service that spanned decades for a handful of American-friendly countries. The system was designed by Lockheed Corporation f...
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1947

81

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
The sleek SR-71 Blackbird spyplane reached an all new plateau in supersonic high-level flight for the Lockheed Corporation. Developed from the YF-121-A interceptor program which spawned the A-12 program which in turn generate...
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1966

82

Lohner B.VII
The Lohner B.VII was a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft produced by and for the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War 1. While a pre-war military design at its core, the B.VII became the definitive combat-worthy form of th...
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1915

83

Lohner C.I
The Lohner C.I was nothing more than the armed version of the two-seat Lohner B.VII reconnaissance aircraft fielded by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War 1. The B.VII itself was a derivative (and improved form) of the p...
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1916

84

LVG C.II
...
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1915

85

LVG C.V
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1917

86

LVG C.VI
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1918

87

Martin Maryland (A-22)
The Martin-produced Maryland series was classified as a light bomber and saw action as a photographic reconnaissance plane throughout the Second World War. Originally drawn up as a response to a United States Army Air Corps (...
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1940

88

Martin MB-1 / Glenn Martin Bomber
The Martin MB-1 (also known as the "Glenn Martin Bomber") became the first American-designed heavy bomber type to be purchased in quantity in the First World War, becoming the mainstay of the United States Army Air Service (U...
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1918

89

Martin PBM-3 / PBM-5 Mariner
The Martin PBM-3 / PBM-5 Mariner was a World War 2-era flying boat used in the maritime reconnaissance role. Martin designed and marketed the type in direct competition with Consolidated, which had already made a "splash" wit...
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1941

90

McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was affectionately called the "One-oh-Wonder" and known moreso early on for its many record-setting achievements in the early years of use. The twin-engine fighter-bomber was a design that nearly w...
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1957

91

Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika (America)
The Messerschmitt Me 264 was intended as a long-range aircraft and reconnaissance platform that was to supply the German Luftwaffe with a bomber capable of hitting targets within America as well as support Kriegsmarine U-boat...
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1942

92

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Fishbed)
The MiG-21 was undoubtedly the most successful Cold War fighter in terms of reach, operating in over 50 air forces around the globe and seeing production well past the 10,000 example mark. The aircraft was developed with less...
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1959

93

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (Foxbat)
The MiG-25 Foxbat was designed as a high-speed pure interceptor to combat the developing XB-70 Valkyrie American bomber capable of Mach 3. Though the Valkyrie never materialized for US war planners, the MiG-25 was kept in pro...
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1972

94

Nieuport Nie.11 (Bebe)
The Nieuport 11 "Bebe" (or "Baby" - officially as the Nieuport 11 C1) was in some regards the first "true" Allied fighter of the First World War. Developed from the Bebe racer competition monoplane aircraft, the militarized v...
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1915

95

North American A-5 Vigilante
The A-5 Vigilante bomber actually began as a private venture by the North American Aviation Company as early as 1953. This development centered around the design of an all-weather, high-level, long range bomber capable of car...
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1961

96

North American F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was developed as the successor to the F-86 Sabre, another North American product. The F-86 Sabre proved a war winner for the Americans in the Korean War, tangling with the likes of the new...
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1954

97

North American P-51 / F-51 Mustang
The North American P-51 Mustang proved an invaluable addition to the Allied cause in the latter half of World War 2. The system was designed and flown in a matter of months and made such an impact that it could clearly be con...
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1940

98

North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco
The Bronco was developed through the United States Marine Corps Light Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (LARA) program to provide the service branch with a multi-faceted performer that could handle armed reconnaissance and light ...
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1966

99

Northrop Grumman / Ryan Aeronautical RQ-4 Global Hawk
The Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle utilized by the United States Air Force and Navy for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance of enemy movements and positions. Despite being one of the larger in the American UA...
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2001

100

Northrop P-61 / F-61 Black Widow
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow became the United States' first aircraft specifically designed from the outset as a platform dedicated to the fine art of night-fighting. Enabled by its complex through highly-effective nose-moun...
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1943

101

Novi Avion
The Novi Avion ("New Aircraft") was a Yugoslavian effort to produce a home-grown supersonic multi-role aircraft on par with the global 4th Generation fighters of the time. It shared many similarities with the French-based Das...
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1992

102

Panavia Tornado GR.1
The Panavia Tornado GR.1 (or GR.Mk 1) is a slightly differing variant of the Tornado IDS base model. The Tornado is produced by an international consortium of European countries that include Germany and Italy all of which ope...
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1979

103

Panavia Tornado IDS / ECR
The Panavia Tornado was produced from a consortium of companies in the UK, Germany and Italy. The weapon system was designed from the beginning to operate from extremely short or battle-damaged runways, with the assumption be...
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1979

104

Phonix C.I
The Phonix C.I was a rather simplistic two-seat armed reconnaissance fighter utilized by the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War 1. The system was produced by the Phonix Flugzeug-Werke firm. Phonix Flugzeug-Werke had alr...
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1917

105

Phonix D (Series)
The Phonix D.I was a single-seat fighter platform developed and produced by the Phonix Flugzeug-Werke firm in Germany. The aircraft was produced in over 200 (sources vary on the total) examples covering the D.I , D.II and the...
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1917

106

Piper L-4 Grasshopper
The Piper L-4 Grasshopper evolved from the successful Piper Cub series that took to the air as early as 1930. By 1941, the US Army was in the market for such a light observation and liaison aircraft with rugged reliability, p...
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1941

107

PZL.23 Karas
The PZL.23 "Karas" (meaning "the crucian carp") series of aircraft was a conventional - yet outdated - monoplane light bomber / reconnaissance platform of Polish design in World War 2. The system was wholly inadequate in spee...
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1936

108

Republic F-105 Thunderchief
The F-105 Thunderchief was a Cold War product of the Republic Aviation Corporation and became the company's last production aircraft before its merger with Fairchild. The platform was developed as a successor to the F-84 seri...
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1958

109

Republic F-84 Thunderjet / Thunderstreak / Thunderflash
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet appeared as an American post-war design and played a pivotal role in the early years that was the Cold War. The nimble little system provided many an Allied nation with a nuclear-capable deterrent...
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1947

110

Republic XF-12 Rainbow
The Republic XF-12 "Rainbow" was envisioned as the USAAF's new dedicated strategic reconnaissance platform in the latter years of World War 2, going head-to-head with Howard Hughe's XF-11 creation. Unfortunately for both, the...
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1946

111

Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2
The F.E.2 series of aircraft were produced by the Royal Aircraft Factory and had their origins in the F.E.1, a 1910 design by the Farman Brothers of France. Geoffrey de Havilland joined the Royal Aircraft Factory and brought ...
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1915

112

Saab J 35 Draken (Dragon / Kite)
The Saab J 35 Draken (translated in English to "Dragon" but carrying the meaning of "Kite" based on the aircraft's angular resemblance to a kite) was one of the more excellent aircraft designs to emerge from the Cold War. The...
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1960

113

Saro A27 London
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1936

114

Saro A36 Lerwick
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1939

115

SEPECAT Jaguar
The Jaguar became the first ever international aircraft joint development product when Britain and France expressed interest in a similar multi-role supersonic performer. The British were in the market for an advanced jet tra...
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1972

116

Short Sturgeon SB.3
The Short Sturgeon SB.3 was a set of prototypes ordered as anti-submarine warfare systems. The SB.3 was based highly on the well-performing World War 2-era Sturgeon S.A.1 torpedo bomber, with the SB.3 appearing to help the sy...
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1949

117

Short Sunderland
The Short Sunderland was the premiere flying boat of World War Two for the British. Often regarded as the best flying boat of the war, the Sunderland played up to some great strengths including potent self-defense armament an...
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1937

118

Sikorsky Ilya Mourometz (Series)
The Sikorsky Ilya Mourometz series of aircraft were the world's first four-engine bombers in operational service. Igor Sikorsky, his name synonymous in the modern world for the company's line of American helicopters, was alre...
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1915

119

Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter
The Sopwith 1-1/2 (one and one half) Strutter was a successful aircraft design fielded in the First World War. The aircraft was principally produced by the British (1,439) but more so by the French to the tune of some 4,200 t...
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1916

120

Sukhoi Su-17 / Su-20 / Su-22 (Fitter)
The Mach 2-capable Sukhoi Su-17 "Fitter" was a further development of the successful Su-7 "Fitter-A" fighter/fighter-bomber family line detailed elsewhere on this site. The aircraft incorporated a partial variable geometry wi...
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1970

121

Sukhoi Su-2
The Sukhoi Su-2 was the first aircraft design of Pavel Sukhoi and became a two-seat light bomber fielded by the Soviet Air Force in World War 2. Though a relatively modern design at the time of its inception, the Su-2 was qui...
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1941

122

Sukhoi Su-20 (Fitter-C)
The Su-20 was nothing more than the export version of the Su-17M / S-32M "Fitter-C" series of swing-wing aircraft which, itself, was a derivative of the fixed-wing Su-7 "Fitter-A" fighter. The Su-20 is fielded with ranging ra...
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1973

123

Sukhoi Su-24 (Fencer)
The Su-24 (NATO series name of "Fencer") was a successful Sukhoi product requested by the Soviet government to replace their aging IL-28 and Yak-28 medium-class bombers. Though initial research resulted in a delta-wing design...
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1974

124

Supermarine Scimitar
The Supermarine Scimitar was an oft-forgotten carrier-based, jet-powered, single-seat fighter for the British Fleet Air Arm. The aircraft held a few "firsts" in its service run with the British Royal Navy - it became the fir...
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1957

125

Supermarine Stranraer
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1936

126

Supermarine Swift
The Supermarine Swift series of aircraft was initially designed to supplant the aging and outclassed post-World War Two Gloster Meteor turbojet fighters and was a further development of the Supermarine Attacker. The system wo...
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1954

127

Tupolev Tu-142 (Bear)
The Tupolev Tu-142 "Bear" aircraft was a further development of the massive and successful Tu-95 Bear design popularized by its many appearances along the airspace border between the Soviet union and NATO allies during the Co...
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1957

128

Tupolev Tu-16 (Badger)
The Tupolev Tu-16 (codenamed "Badger" by NATO) owed its success story to the Cold War and its own versatility. Throughout its production life, the Tu-16 would go on to become arguably the best medium-type bomber platform in s...
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1954

129

Tupolev Tu-22 (Backfire / Blinder)
The Tupolev Tu-22 "Backfire" series is a variable-geometry swing-wing aircraft classified as a medium bomber - of the only true remaining modern "medium bomber" designated aircraft currently flying. The system was originally ...
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1975

130

Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear)
The Tupolev Tu-95 "Bear" was the Soviet symbol of Cold War prowess, consistently breaking across into American and Canadian airspace to test defensive response times and gather intelligence. The many forms of the Tu-95 produc...
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1957

131

Ufag C.I
The Ufag C.I was a two-seat, single-engine biplane fighter serving the Austro-Hungarian Empire air services. The aircraft made its first appearance in April of 1918 and proved an excellent mount that it quickly warranted a qu...
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1918

132

Vickers FB.5
The FB.5 (also known as the "Gunbus") was of a biplane type design for the scouting role. What set the system apart from earlier examples was that this aircraft was the first scout type to be armed. In that way alone, one cou...
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1915

133

Vickers Valiant
The Valiant was the beginning design in the series of 'V' strategic bombers for the RAF. The Valiant originated as a response for a high-level strategic bomber that could carry nuclear ordinance as well as conventional weapon...
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1955

134

Vought OS2U Kingfisher
The OS2U Kingfisher was a product of the Vought aircraft firm, appearing initially as the VS.310 design to which the United States Navy accepted as a prototype in the XOS2U-1. The prototype would be airborne for trials by 193...
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1940

135

Yakovlev Yak-28 (Brewer / Firebar / Maestro)
Nearly an exact copy of the Yak-25 (and the Yak-26 and Yak-27 for that matter), the Yakovlev Yak-28 was initially thought of as a multi-role fighter-bomber but eventually fulfilled the role of interceptor, reconnaissance and ...
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1965

 
  Totals:
135 There are a total of 135 Dedicated Reconnaissance aircraft in the Military Factory.


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  • Nightfighters - In a Class All Themselves
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