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

Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter series of aircraft was designed to replace the post-World War Two Gloster Meteors, also of jet design. The Hunter exceeded the Meteors in a variety of ways including being able to break the sound barrier (al...

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...

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (Fresco) / Chengdu J-5
As impressive as the later versions of the MiG-15 fighter were (detailed elsewhere on this site), the MiG-17 "Fresco" was a vastly improved development based on lessons learned in the formers design. With the MiG-15 represent...

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (Farmer)
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 "Farmer" was an entirely new aircraft design though it shared many external similarities with the existing MiG-15 and MiG-17 models. Building upon lessons learned on those former designs, the MiG-1...

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Fishbed)
In many ways, the MiG-21 stands as the pinnacle of the Mikoyan-Gurevich's development in terms of a frontline turbojet fighter. The system became a bridge that connected the post-World War Two jet designs with that of the hig...

Sud-Ouest SO 4050 Vautour
These limited-production aircraft served with little distinction in French hands but were better served as night fighters and attack aircraft by the Israeli Air Force in later years. The aircraft is oft-noted for its design s...

Sukhoi Su-7 (Fitter)
Though not in service with the Russian Air Force in any capacity these days, the Sukhoi Su-7 (NATO designation of "Fitter") can still be found in a few inventories around the world - mostly in former Soviet-supported states a...

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...