Cold War Aircraft (1947-1991) - Covering Fighters, Bombers and All Aircraft In-Between

The Cold War proved itself a very real war with lives lost, evolving technologies and counter / counter-punch strokes before the collapse of the Soviet Empire in 1991.

There are a total of 672 Cold War Aircraft (1947-1991) - Covering Fighters, Bombers and All Aircraft In-Between in the Military Factory. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order (1-to-Z). Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily the primary operator.

Thumbnail picture of the AERFER Ariete

AERFER Ariete
The AERFER Ariete swept-wing jet fighter was given additional boost power through a second, lower-thrust turbojet buried in its fuselage.

Thumbnail picture of the AERFER Sagittario 2 (Archer 2)

AERFER Sagittario 2 (Archer 2)
The AERFER Sagittario 2 was a further evolution of the earlier Sagittario jet aircraft - both serving Italian jet aircraft development well.

Thumbnail picture of the Aero L-29 Delfin / Maya

Aero L-29 Delfin / Maya
The Aero L-29 was an important trainer for the Soviet Union and its sattlelite states

Thumbnail picture of the Aero L-39 Albatros

Aero L-39 Albatros
The Aero L-39 Albatros was designed to succeed the Aero L-29 Advanced Trainer and Light Strike Aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Aero L-59 Super Albatros
No longer available from Czech aviation company Aero, the L-59 Super Albatros was eventually upgraded to become the L-159 ALCA series.

Thumbnail picture of the Aerospatiale / BAC Concorde

Aerospatiale / BAC Concorde
The world's first supersonic passenger transport was pulled from service in October of 2003.

Thumbnail picture of the Aerospatiale Alouette II

Aerospatiale Alouette II
The Aerospatiale Alouette II has proven itself to be a commercial success, seeing operation service with dozens of countries worldwide.

Thumbnail picture of the Aerospatiale Alouette III

Aerospatiale Alouette III
Despite its Cold War-era roots, the Aerospatiale Alouette III remains a multi-purpose light helicopter design.

Thumbnail picture of the Aerospatiale Gazelle

Aerospatiale Gazelle
The lightweight, multi-purpose French Aerospatiale Gazelle helicopter eventually found homes in both the domestic and export markets.

Thumbnail picture of the Aerospatiale SA 315B Lama

Aerospatiale SA 315B Lama
Combining the performance and capabilities of the Aerospatiale Alouette III with the framework of the Aluoette II gave rise to the SA 315B Lama Hot-and-High light helicopter.

Thumbnail picture of the Aerospatiale Super Frelon (Super Hornet)

Aerospatiale Super Frelon (Super Hornet)
The AS 321 Super Frelon became the largest helicopter to be produced in Europe in any large number.

Thumbnail picture of the AIDC AT-3 Tz-Chiang

AIDC AT-3 Tz-Chiang
The AIDC AT-3 the prop-powered, North American T-28 Trojan-derived T-CH-1 Chung Tsing trainer line.

Thumbnail picture of the AIDC T-CH-1 (Chung-Tsing)

AIDC T-CH-1 (Chung-Tsing)
AIDC supplied Taiwan the T-CH-1 Chung Tsing two-seat, prop-driven trainer line in 52 total examples.

Thumbnail picture of the Airbus A300

Airbus A300
The A300-series wide-body passenger airliner represented the French Airbus plunge into the commercial aircraft market.

Thumbnail picture of the Airbus A310

Airbus A310
The Airbus A310-series shares many similarities with the A300-600, but features a shorter fuselage.

Thumbnail picture of the Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter / MBB) Bo 105

Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter / MBB) Bo 105
The Airbus Helicopters Bo 105 light utility helicopter has seen military and civilian service across the world with production totals reaching over 1,500 units.

Thumbnail picture of the Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter) AS365 Dauphin

Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter) AS365 Dauphin
In operational service in 1978, the Airbus Helicopters AS365 Dauphin still maintains an aerial footprint today with many operators to its name.

Thumbnail picture of the Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter) Panther

Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter) Panther
The Eurocopter AS565 Panther series is a militarized do-everything platform of the base Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin.

Thumbnail picture of the Airbus Helicopters AS350 Ecureuil / Astar

Airbus Helicopters AS350 Ecureuil / Astar
The AS350 system is a widely-used utilitarian type helicopter covering military, commercial and security needs.

Thumbnail picture of the Airbus Helicopters Super Puma / AS532 Cougar

Airbus Helicopters Super Puma / AS532 Cougar
The AS332 Super Puma was based on the successful SA 330 Puma design and is a larger aircraft with newer engines.

Thumbnail picture of the Airbus Military / CASA C-212 Aviocar

Airbus Military / CASA C-212 Aviocar
Over 500 examples of the Spanish CASA C-212 Aviocar have been produced since manufacture began in 1971.

Thumbnail picture of the Airbus Military / CASA CN-235

Airbus Military / CASA CN-235
The successful CASA CN-235 transport - formed from a Spanish and Indonesian partnership - has become the basis for the longer EADS CASA C-295.

Thumbnail picture of the Alekseyev I-211

Alekseyev I-211
Despite an impressive design, the Alekseyev I-211 was limited by its under-performing turbojet engines and ultimately abandoned.

Thumbnail picture of the Alenia Aermacchi S-211

Alenia Aermacchi S-211
The Alenia Aermacchi S-211 advanced trainer was initially conceived of through a private venture endeavor by SIAI-Marchetti of Italy.

Thumbnail picture of the Alenia-Aeritalia G.222

Alenia-Aeritalia G.222
The capable Alenia G.222 medium-lift transport proved a modest success.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-12 (Cub)

Antonov An-12 (Cub)
Despite its troubled service life, the Antonov An-12 Cub has found many global customers since its inception during the late-1950s.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-124 Ruslan (Condor)

Antonov An-124 Ruslan (Condor)
The An-124 Ruslan was first unveiled to Western eyes in 1983 and was formally introduced into service in 1986.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-2 (Colt)

Antonov An-2 (Colt)
The Antonov An-2 Colt biplane was developed to replace the Polikarpov Po-2 in the utility and agricultural roles.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-22 Antei

Antonov An-22 Antei
The title of largest turboprop-powered aircraft falls to the mammoth Antonov An-22 Antei developed during the Cold War-era by the Soviets.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-225 Mriya (Cossack)

Antonov An-225 Mriya (Cossack)
The mammoth Antonov An-225 Mriya is one of the largest aircraft ever built.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-24 (Coke)

Antonov An-24 (Coke)
The An-24 Coke was yet another in the long line of Antonov transport aricraft utilized by the Soviet Air Force.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-26 (Curl)

Antonov An-26 (Curl)
The Soviet-era Antonov An-26 Curl transport made a name for itself during the Cold War, produced in some 1,400 examples overall.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-30 (Clank)

Antonov An-30 (Clank)
Just over 100 Antonov An-30 aircraft were completed by the company for service with the Soviet Empire during the Cold War period.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-32 (Cline)

Antonov An-32 (Cline)
The Antonov An-32 Cline was an improvement over the existing An-26 Curl twin-engine transport aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Antonov An-72 / An-74 (Coaler)

Antonov An-72 / An-74 (Coaler)
The Antonov An-72 Coaler proved to be a successful design despite its unconventional arrangement - resulting in good maneuverability at low altitudes as well as inherent STOL capabilities.

Thumbnail picture of the Armstrong Whitworth AW52

Armstrong Whitworth AW52
The British joined the Americans and Germans in the pursuit of flying wing aircraft - its primary contribution becoming the Armstrong Whitworth AW.52 prototype.

Thumbnail picture of the Arsenal VB-10

Arsenal VB-10
The Arsenal VB-10 became another promising French fighter design of World War 2 that was derailed by the German invasion of May 1940.

Thumbnail picture of the Arsenal VG-70

Arsenal VG-70
The Arsenal VG-70 jet-powered, swept-wing aircraft was utilized as a technology demonstrator over its short flying career for France.

Thumbnail picture of the ATR 72 (Avions de Transport Regional Model 72)

ATR 72 (Avions de Transport Regional Model 72)
Operators aplenty as the joint Italian-French ATR 72 has proven a commercial success as a regional airliner for a multitude of operators worldwide.

Thumbnail picture of the Avia S-199 (Bf 109G)

Avia S-199 (Bf 109G)
The German wartime Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter became the S-199 in post-war Czech Air Force and Israeli Air Force service.

Thumbnail picture of the Avia S-92 Turbina (Me 262A)

Avia S-92 Turbina (Me 262A)
Avia of Czechoslovakia continued to build the German wartime Messerschmitt Me 262 - this as the S-92 Turbina.

Thumbnail picture of the Avioane IAR 93 Vultur (Vulture)

Avioane IAR 93 Vultur (Vulture)
The IAR 93 Vulture served with the Romanian Air Force for nearly two decades before seeing retirement in 1998.

Thumbnail picture of the Avioane IAR 95

Avioane IAR 95
The Avioane IAR 95 Spey was a short-lived Romanian attempt at a lightweight, all-modern multirole fighter.

Thumbnail picture of the Avioane IAR 99 Soim (Hawk)

Avioane IAR 99 Soim (Hawk)
The Avioane IAR 99 Soim was a wholly Romanian indigenous advanced trainer/light strike design.

Thumbnail picture of the Avro 707

Avro 707
The delta wing Avro Model 707 testbed flyer preceded the famous Avro Vulcan V-Bomber line for the British Royal Air Force.

Thumbnail picture of the Avro Anson

Avro Anson
The Avro Anson served a multitude of roles during its time aloft including coastal reconnaissance, crew trainer and communications platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck

Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck
The oft-overlooked Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck played an important role in the Cold War defense of North America.

Thumbnail picture of the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow

Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow
Rising development costs and politics ultimately doomed the very promising Canadian Avro CF-105 Arrow supersonic interceptor.

Thumbnail picture of the Avro Lancaster

Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster was the definitive heavy bomber of the British cause during World War 2 - considered by many to be the best of the entire conflict.

Thumbnail picture of the Avro Lincoln

Avro Lincoln
The Avro Lincoln series of British four-engined heavy bombers arrived too late to see action in World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Avro Shackleton

Avro Shackleton
The Avro Shackleton became the first British bomber to feature contra-rotating propeller blades.

Thumbnail picture of the Avro Vulcan

Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan was an impressive design feat as 1950s bombers went - though the aircraft itself saw only limited combat action for its time aloft.

Thumbnail picture of the Avro York (Type 685)

Avro York (Type 685)
The Avro York transport of World War 2 held roots in the classic Avro Lancaster heavy bomber of the same conflict.

Thumbnail picture of the BAC Strikemaster

BAC Strikemaster
The Strikemaster was developed into two distinct versions and both saw service with foreign operators.

Thumbnail picture of the BAC TSR-2

BAC TSR-2
The BAC TSR-2 became a Cold War-era case study of a promising aircraft derailed by ballooning program costs and political meddling.

Thumbnail picture of the BAe / Hawker Siddeley Nimrod

BAe / Hawker Siddeley Nimrod
The Nimrod design was based highly on the pre-existing Comet 4 aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the BAe 146

BAe 146
387 production examples of the BAe 146 mark it as the most successful British-designed, jet-powered, civilian market airliner.

Thumbnail picture of the BAe Hawk

BAe Hawk
The advanced trainer / light strike BAe Systems Hawk has proven a success on the global stage.

Thumbnail picture of the BAe Sea Harrier

BAe Sea Harrier
The British BAe Sea Harrier became a navalized form of the revolutionary land-based Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 VTOL strike platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Beechcraft Bonanza

Beechcraft Bonanza
The Beechcraft Bonanza is a popular civilian aircraft introduced in 1947 and has since seen production totals surpass 17,000 examples.

Thumbnail picture of the Beechcraft C-12 Huron

Beechcraft C-12 Huron
The Beechcraft C-12 Huron is based on the Super King and 1900 series platforms and serves with the United States military as a utility transport.

Thumbnail picture of the Beechcraft King Air

Beechcraft King Air
The Beechcraft King Air series began operations in 1964 and is still actively marketed today.

Thumbnail picture of the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor

Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor was developed from the Beechcraft Bonanza and produced in some 2,300 examples from 1953 through 1959.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell AH-1 HueyCobra / Cobra

Bell AH-1 HueyCobra / Cobra
The storied Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter rose to prominence during the Vietnam War years and became an entrenched Cold War player.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell AH-1 SuperCobra

Bell AH-1 SuperCobra
The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra attack helicopter represents an evolved, twin-engine variant of the original Vietnam War-era AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter line.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell AH-1J SeaCobra

Bell AH-1J SeaCobra
The Bell AH-1 SeaCobra became a USMC derivative of the original U.S. Army AH-1 HueyCobra attack helicopter with changes implemented to suit the service.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell D-188 (XF3L / XF-109)

Bell D-188 (XF3L / XF-109)
Interest in the Bell D-188 on the part of the USN and USAF ultimately waned by 1961, leaving just a mockup completed.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell D-36

Bell D-36
The proposed mixed-powerplant Bell D-36 all-weather fighter had a poor showing against rivals when presented to USAAF authorities.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell H-13 Sioux

Bell H-13 Sioux
The Bell H-13 Sioux became the militarized evolution of the famous Bell Model 47 line.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell Model 204 / 205

Bell Model 204 / 205
The Bell Model 204 and related 205 series were commercial developments of the popular UH-1 Iroquois transport helicopters.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell Model 206 (JetRanger / LongRanger)

Bell Model 206 (JetRanger / LongRanger)
The Bell Model 206 Light Utility Helicopter went on to become a commercial success for Bell with over 7,000 examples being built since 1962.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell Model 212

Bell Model 212
Produced from 1968 until 1998, the Bell Model 212 helicopter found homes in many inventories spanning several global operators.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell Model 214

Bell Model 214
The Bell Model 214 was yet-another in the long line of offshoots derived from the stellar Bell UH-1 Huey helicopter series.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell Model 412

Bell Model 412
Bell has produced hundreds of its Model 412 twin-engine utility helicopters for various air services of the world.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell Model 47

Bell Model 47
The Bell Model 47 appeared in 1946 and became the classic light utility helicopter design of the early Cold War years serving military and civilian markets alike.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell OH-58 Kiowa

Bell OH-58 Kiowa
The Bell OH-58 Kiowa light helicopter series has seen a successful operational tenure beginning in the late 1960s.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell P-59 Airacomet

Bell P-59 Airacomet
The Bell P-59 Airacomet jet-powered fighter was not an outright success but it helped to lay the foundation for future American jet projects that followed.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey)

Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey)
The UH-1 Huey became the symbol of American involvement in the Vietnam War.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell UH-1B/C Huey Cobra / Frog

Bell UH-1B/C Huey Cobra / Frog
The Bell UH-1 as a helicopter gunship excelled in its given over-battlefield role when pressed into service over Vietnam.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell X-1

Bell X-1
The Bell X-1 rocket-powered research platform was quite possibly the most important American aircraft of the 20th Century.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell X-14 (Type 68)

Bell X-14 (Type 68)
The Bell X-14 VTOL test platform had an amazingly long life spanning from the late 1950s into the early 1980s.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell X-2 (Starbuster)

Bell X-2 (Starbuster)
Like other American 1950s research aircraft, the Bell X-2 proved critical in furthering the frontiers of powered, manned high-speed flight.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell X-5

Bell X-5
Bell engineers studied the captured German Messerschmitt Me P.1011 fighter after World War 2 to achieve the impressive X-5 design.

Thumbnail picture of the Bell XP-83

Bell XP-83
The ultimately-cancelled Bell XP-83 Escort Fighter was developed from the disappointing Bell P-59 Airacomet series during the immediate post-World War 2 years.

Thumbnail picture of the Beriev A-50 (Mainstay)

Beriev A-50 (Mainstay)
The Beriev A-50 Mainstay is a Cold War relic of the Soviet Union, currently serving the Russian military in an upgraded form.

Thumbnail picture of the Beriev Be-10 (Mallow)

Beriev Be-10 (Mallow)
The Beriev Be-10 line of Soviet flying boats proved a record-setting platform and were produced in some 28 examples for the Soviet Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (Mail)

Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (Mail)
The Be-12 was a very capable floatplane for its time, achieving several world records for an aircraft of this type.

Thumbnail picture of the Beriev Be-42 Albatros (Mermaid) (A-40)

Beriev Be-42 Albatros (Mermaid) (A-40)
The Beriev A-40 is a unique jet-powered amphibious aircraft, capable of take-off and landing from water or land.

Thumbnail picture of the Beriev-Bartini VVA-14 (Vertikal no-Vzletayuschaya Amphibia)

Beriev-Bartini VVA-14 (Vertikal no-Vzletayuschaya Amphibia)
The Beriev-Bartini VVA-14 amphibious attack aircraft was developed in response to the American Polaris submarine-launched missile threat - two prototypes were realized.

Thumbnail picture of the Blackburn B.48 / YA.1 (Firecrest)

Blackburn B.48 / YA.1 (Firecrest)
Just three of the proposed Blackburn Firecrest strike fighters were completed for Britain in the late-1940s, the project ultimately cancelled when little could be had from the design.

Thumbnail picture of the Blackburn Beverly

Blackburn Beverly
Nearly fifty of the oversized Blackburn Beverly aircraft were produced for the Royal Air Force from the period spanning 1950 to 1958.

Thumbnail picture of the Blackburn Buccaneer

Blackburn Buccaneer
South Africa joined the British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as the only operators of the excellent Blackburn Buccaneer strike bomber.

Thumbnail picture of the Blackburn Firebrand

Blackburn Firebrand
The high-performance Blackburn Firebrand navy fighter arrived too late to see action in World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Bloch MB.220

Bloch MB.220
The Bloch MB.220 began life for the French as a passenger-hauler before being requisitioned into military service for the French Air Force during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing (BAe Systems / McDonnell Douglas) AV-8B Harrier II

Boeing (BAe Systems / McDonnell Douglas) AV-8B Harrier II
The AV-8B Harrier II became a vastly improved and highly developed form of the original Harrier family line.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing (Hughes) AH-6 / MH-6 Little Bird

Boeing (Hughes) AH-6 / MH-6 Little Bird
The AH/MH-6 Little Bird has proven something of a versatile God-send to US Army Special Forces troops on more than one occasion.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing (Hughes) AH-64 Apache

Boeing (Hughes) AH-64 Apache
Despite a first flight in 1975, the Boeing AH-64 Apache is still a highly-advanced attack helicopter over the modern battlefield.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) F/A-18 Hornet

Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) F/A-18 Hornet
The versatile McDonnell Douglas FA-18 Hornet was used by the USN and USMC to succeed a variety of aged carrier-based fighting aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) F-15 Eagle

Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) F-15 Eagle
With service entry in the mid-1970s, the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle went on to become a classic American fighter aircraft sporting an excellent combat record.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) F-15E Strike Eagle

Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) F-15E Strike Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is a more potent multi-role form of the F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) KC-10 Extender

Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) KC-10 Extender
In the early stages of Operation Desert Shield, in-flight refueling was key to the rapid airlift of coalition forces to the Persian Gulf region.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing 307 Stratoliner (C-75)

Boeing 307 Stratoliner (C-75)
Just ten of the Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner were built, some seeing service during World War 2 as part of the USAAF.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing 314 Clipper (C-98)

Boeing 314 Clipper (C-98)
The Boeing Model 314 Clipper flying boat saw only 12 such examples produced in two variations.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing 707

Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 airliner was a bold company move, designed from the outset as a private venture with military and civilian applications in mind.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing 727

Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 was, for a time, the most-produced jet-powered commercial aircraft on the globe.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing 737 (Series)

Boeing 737 (Series)
The Boeing 737 series is still used in large numbers all over the world.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing 747 (Jumbo Jet)

Boeing 747 (Jumbo Jet)
The classic Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet is still well-represented across varied forms throughout the airports of the world.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing 757

Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 aircraft appeared in 1983 and could carry over 270 passengers nearly 4,000 nautical miles.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing 767

Boeing 767
Introduced in 1982, the Boeing Model 767 continues in active operational service today.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress marked the pinnacle of American bomber design by the end of World War 2 - it proved critical in ending the war with Japan.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing B-47 Stratojet

Boeing B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing B-47 scored many firsts in the realm of high-altitude jet-powered bomber aircraft - including a tricycle-style undercarriage configuration.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing B-50 Superfortress

Boeing B-50 Superfortress
The Boeing B-50 series was a direct development of the B-29 Superfortress of World War 2 fame - though seventy-five percent a new aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
Despite its early Cold War-era upbringing, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress continues as the USAF heavy bomber-of-choice.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing B-54 (Ultrafortress)

Boeing B-54 (Ultrafortress)
Born from the YB-50C bomber prototype, the Boeing B-54 program saw only one incomplete prototype and a completed mockup before cancellation.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter

Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter
The C-97 Stratofreighter was a critical product for both Boeing and the US military throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing CH-47 Chinook

Boeing CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook tandem-rotor helicopter became a widely-used and widely-exported medium-lift platform for its time - amazingly it remains in service today.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing E-3 Sentry (AWACS)

Boeing E-3 Sentry (AWACS)
A critical player for the United States, NATO and a few Western allies, the Boeing E-3 Sentry continues service in the vital AWACs role.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post

Boeing E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post
The Boeing E-4, covering four converted Boeing 747 aircraft, serves as an airborne government platform in the event of a national emergency.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing E-6 Mercury

Boeing E-6 Mercury
The Boeing E-6 Mercury was developed to a US Navy requirement and has been serving actively since August of 1989.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
Systems such as the KC-135 have evolved air combat throughout the decades.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter

Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter
Produced in over 800 examples from 1951 to 1956, the Boeing KC-97 served the air branches of the United States, Israel and Spain for a time.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing L-15 Scout

Boeing L-15 Scout
The L-15 was a Boeing attempt at a light observation aircraft that was extremely portable, though the design did not lead up to any contracts for the firm.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing RC-135

Boeing RC-135
The Boeing RC-135 serves as the basis for a family of reconnaissance aircraft used by the United States Air Force.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing Skyfox

Boeing Skyfox
The Boeing Skyfox was a promising - though failed - initiative designed to update the 1950s-era Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star jet trainers to a more modern standard.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing T-43 (Gator)

Boeing T-43 (Gator)
The Boeing T-43 series of navigational trainers went on to serve the US military for 37 years prior to its retirement in 2010.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing VC-137 / C-137 Stratoliner

Boeing VC-137 / C-137 Stratoliner
Despite their 1950s heritage, boeing VC-137 Stratoliners remain in acitve service with the United States Air Force into 2014.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight

Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight
The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is to the United States Marine Corps what the CH-47 Chinook is to the United States Army.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing XB-55

Boeing XB-55
The proposed Boeing XB-55 strategic bomber was being developed to succeed the in-development Boeing B-47 Stratojet - it was commissioned before the B-47 had even flown.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing XB-59

Boeing XB-59
No prototypes of the proposed Boeing XB-59 supersonic strategic bomber were ordered - the role fulfilled by the Convair B-58 Hustler.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing YC-14 (Model 953)

Boeing YC-14 (Model 953)
The Boeing YC-14 tactical airlifter prototype met USAF expectations but the service moved in another direction - leaving just two examples completed.

Thumbnail picture of the Boeing-Stearman Kaydet

Boeing-Stearman Kaydet
The Boeing-Stearman Kaydet trainer is now a much-loved collectors item for private aircraft owners.

Thumbnail picture of the Bombardier Dash 8 (DHC-8 / Q-Series)

Bombardier Dash 8 (DHC-8 / Q-Series)
The high-wing, twin-engine Bombardier Dash 8 was introduced in 1984 and is still flying strong today through the Q400 series.

Thumbnail picture of the Breguet Br.1050 Alize (Tradewind)

Breguet Br.1050 Alize (Tradewind)
Though retired in 2000, the Breguet Alize became an important anti-submarine warfare platform aboard French aircraft carriers during the Cold War.

Thumbnail picture of the Bristol Beaufighter

Bristol Beaufighter
Amazingly, the first production-quality Bristol Beaufighter aircraft flew a mere twelve months after the prototype went airborne.

Thumbnail picture of the Bristol Beaufort

Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol-brand Beaufort served as the RAFs principle torpedo bomber from 1940-1943, then replaced by the more capable Beaufighter.

Thumbnail picture of the Bristol Blenheim

Bristol Blenheim
The British Bristol Blenheim lost more aircrews than any other RAF aircraft during World War 2 - yet it fulfilled roles clearly needed during the early war years.

Thumbnail picture of the Bristol Brabazon

Bristol Brabazon
Despite its size, the Bristol Brabazon proved too expensive to be a feasable commercial airliner in the post-World War 2 period.

Thumbnail picture of the Bristol Brigand

Bristol Brigand
The Bristol Brigand replaced the wartime Beaufighter of the Royal Air Force and saw combat service in the Malayan Emergency.

Thumbnail picture of the Britten-Norman Defender

Britten-Norman Defender
The Britten-Norman Defender was developed from the similar Britten-Norman Islander transport aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Britten-Norman Islander

Britten-Norman Islander
Nearly 1,300 Britten-Norman Islander aircraft have been produced since manufacture began in 1965.

Thumbnail picture of the Bucker Bu 133 (Jungmeister)

Bucker Bu 133 (Jungmeister)
The Bucker Bu 133 was instrumental in the training of future Luftwaffe fighter pilots in the period leading up to - and during - World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the CAC CA-15 (Kangaroo)

CAC CA-15 (Kangaroo)
The CAC CA-15 Kangaroo was the most advanced fighter design to come out of Australia during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the CAC CA-27 Avon-Sabre (F-86F)

CAC CA-27 Avon-Sabre (F-86F)
CAC of Australia produced the RAAF version of the North American F-86F Sabre jet fighter as the CA-27 Avon-Sabre with changes enacted to suit local requirements.

Thumbnail picture of the CAC Wackett

CAC Wackett
The CAC Wackett trainer became the first aircraft design of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation of Australia.

Thumbnail picture of the CAC Winjeel

CAC Winjeel
The Winjeel served RAAF personnel throughout most of the Cold War, eventually being retired by 1995.

Thumbnail picture of the CAC Wirraway

CAC Wirraway
The CAC Wirraway was an indigenous Australian development of the North American NA-16 trainer platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Canadair CF-104 Starfighter

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter
Following the introduction of the American Lockheed F-104 Starfighter came the Canadian equivalent as the CF-104.

Thumbnail picture of the Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter (CF-116)

Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter (CF-116)
As proved common for the RCAF in the Cold War, an American fighter design was adopted for local production - the Canadair CF-5 being one of them.

Thumbnail picture of the Canadair CL-13 Sabre

Canadair CL-13 Sabre
The Canadiar Sabre line of swept-wing, jet-powered fighters were Canadian variants of the storied North American F-86 Sabre series.

Thumbnail picture of the Canadair CP-107 Argus

Canadair CP-107 Argus
Thirty-three Canadair CP-107 Argus aircraft were built by local Canadian aero-industry - serving primarily in the maritime patrol role.

Thumbnail picture of the Canadair CT-114 Tutor

Canadair CT-114 Tutor
The Canadair CT-114 Tutor series was adopted for training purposes in the 1960s and held a career spanning into 2000 before seeing retirement.

Thumbnail picture of the Canadair CT-133 Silver Star

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star trainer was produced under license in Canada as the Canadair CT-133 Silver Star.

Thumbnail picture of the CANT Z.506 Airone (Heron)

CANT Z.506 Airone (Heron)
The Italian CANT Z.506 series of floatplane aircraft was one of the few mounts to manage a useful existence before and after World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Caproni Ca.310 (Libeccio)

Caproni Ca.310 (Libeccio)
The Caproni Ca.310 never proved itself an adequate military aircraft and its limited service history and production totals reflected this.

Thumbnail picture of the CASA C-101 Aviojet

CASA C-101 Aviojet
The CASA C-101 was developed to replace the aged Hispano HA.200 series of trainers for Spain and has found a home with a few air forces around the world.

Thumbnail picture of the Caudron C.440 (Goeland)

Caudron C.440 (Goeland)
Over 1,700 Caudron C.440 Goelands were produced during a service life that covered the inter-war period, World War 2 and the early Cold War years.

Thumbnail picture of the Cessna 172

Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 has proven a critical commercial success for the Cessna Aircraft Company to the tune of 43,000 units built since 1956.

Thumbnail picture of the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly (Super Tweet)

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly (Super Tweet)
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly proved to be a successful close-support aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog (L-19)

Cessna O-1 Bird Dog (L-19)
Due to its inherent multi-role capabilities, the lightweight Cessna Bird Dog saw extensive action in the skies over Korea and Vietnam.

Thumbnail picture of the Cessna O-2 Skymaster

Cessna O-2 Skymaster
The Cessna O-2 Skymaster superceded the Cessna L-1 Bird Dog in United States Air Force service.

Thumbnail picture of the Cessna T-37 Tweet

Cessna T-37 Tweet
The Cessna T-37 Tweet became a popular jet-powered trainer for many world air forces - over 1,200 were produced.

Thumbnail picture of the Cessna T-41 Mescalero

Cessna T-41 Mescalero
The Cessna T-41 Mescalero was nothing more than a military adoption of the popular and commercially successful Cessna Model 172 product.

Thumbnail picture of the CHDB A-90 Orlyonok (Eaglet) (Ekranoplan)

CHDB A-90 Orlyonok (Eaglet) (Ekranoplan)
The A-90 Orlyonok was another of the ekranoplan ground effect vehicles in service with the Soviet Navy during the Cold War years.

Thumbnail picture of the Chengdu (AVIC) J-7 / F-7

Chengdu (AVIC) J-7 / F-7
The widely-exported Chengdu J-7 was nothing more than a Chinese license-production copy of the Soviet-era Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed.

Thumbnail picture of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber was produced in greater numbers than any other American aircraft during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Consolidated Vultee Downey

Consolidated Vultee Downey
The Consolidated Vultee Downey Penetration Fighter was to utilized a unique tri-engine layout for its turbojet powerplants.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR B-36 Peacemaker

CONVAIR B-36 Peacemaker
The CONVAIR B-36 Peacemaker turned into a prominent nuclear-capable bomber for the United States Air Force during its time aloft.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR B-58 Hustler

CONVAIR B-58 Hustler
Eventually the need for high-altitude bombers was all but gone, leaving CONVAIR B-58 Hustler production at just 116 total units.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR C-131 / R4Y Samaritan

CONVAIR C-131 / R4Y Samaritan
The CONVAIR twin-engine C-131 aircraft was utilized by both the United States Air Force and United States Navy after its arrival in 1950.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR F-102 Delta Dagger

CONVAIR F-102 Delta Dagger
The CONVAIR F-102 Delta Dagger was an interim delta-wing interceptor design fielded by the USAF until the arrival of the more capable CONVAIR F-106 Delta Dart series.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR F-106 Delta Dart

CONVAIR F-106 Delta Dart
The CONVAIR F-106 Delta Dart jet-powered interceptor began life as the CONVAIR F-102 Delta Dagger.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR F2Y Sea Dart

CONVAIR F2Y Sea Dart
Only five of the CONVAIR F2Y Sea Dart prototypes were ever completed - no serial production followed.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR Skate

CONVAIR Skate
The CONVAIR Skate was a radical American ocean-borne fighter proposal of the Cold War featuring a boat-like hull with fighter-type airborne qualities.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR XA-44 (XB-53)

CONVAIR XA-44 (XB-53)
The CONVAIR XA-44 emerged from World War 2 as a potential attack platform for the USAAF but ended its days a cancelled project as the XB-53 Medium Bomber.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR XB-46

CONVAIR XB-46
The CONVAIR XB-46 Medium Bomber was an American response to the arrival - and success - of the German wartime Arado Ar 234 Blitz jet-powered bomber.

Thumbnail picture of the CONVAIR XFY Pogo

CONVAIR XFY Pogo
The CONVAIR XFY Pogo was a study in the viability of a VTOL fighter aircraft - only three were built and only one ever flown.

Thumbnail picture of the Curtiss Proposal II

Curtiss Proposal II
The proposed Curtiss Proposal II arrowhead research plane for the USN was not given the greenlight for additional work.

Thumbnail picture of the Curtiss SC Seahawk

Curtiss SC Seahawk
Despite its floatplane pedigree, the impressive Curtiss SC Seahawk reconnaissance-minded floatplane displayed fighter-like performance.

Thumbnail picture of the Curtiss XF15C

Curtiss XF15C
The Curtiss XF15C was born during the fighting of World War 2 but suffered cancellation in the immediate post-war period.

Thumbnail picture of the Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando

Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando
The often overshadowed Curtiss C-46 Commando superseded the Douglas DC-3 transports.

Thumbnail picture of the Curtiss-Wright XP-87 / XF-87 Blackhawk

Curtiss-Wright XP-87 / XF-87 Blackhawk
The death of the XP-87 Blackhawk project signaled the end for the Curtiss-Wright aircraft firm.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Balzac V

Dassault Balzac V
The French Dassault Balzac V was used to test the validity of VTOL flight and heavily influenced the subsequent Mirage IIIV program.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Etendard IV

Dassault Etendard IV
The Dassault Etendard IV provided faithful service to the French Navy from 1962 to its retirement in 1991.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Falcon 20

Dassault Falcon 20
While no longer actively produced, the Dassault Falcon 20 series still provides a presence in the business world.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault HU-25 Guardian

Dassault HU-25 Guardian
The French-originated Dassault HU-25 Guardian - based on its successful Falcon line - is operated by the United States Coast Guard.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault MD.450 Ouragan (Hurricane)

Dassault MD.450 Ouragan (Hurricane)
The Dassault MD.450 Ouragan jet-powered fighter helped to re-establish the once-powerful aviation industry of France in post-World War 2 Europe.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Mirage 2000

Dassault Mirage 2000
The French Dassault Mirage 2000 multirole fighter was developed to replace the aging Mirage III and 5 series aircraft and brought back the familiar Dassault delta-wing planform.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Mirage 4000

Dassault Mirage 4000
Built upon the successful Mirage 2000 framework, the Dassault Mirage 4000 failed to find any takers during the 1980s and was therefore limited to a single, flyable prototype.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Mirage F1

Dassault Mirage F1
The French Dassault Mirage F.1 became one of the most successful fighter designs of the Cold War period.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Mirage G

Dassault Mirage G
The Dassault Mirage G was unique in its design compared to previous Dassault aircraft for its use of variable-sweep wings.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Mirage III

Dassault Mirage III
The Dassault Mirage III interceptor-strike fighter series proved a commercial success for the French company with combat advertising courtesy of Israel during the 1967 Six Day War.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Mirage IIIV

Dassault Mirage IIIV
The Dassault Mirage IIIV was a proposed VTOL development of the successful Mirage III fighter line.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Mirage IV

Dassault Mirage IV
The Dassault IV was a French-designed, nuclear-capable strategic bomber of the Cold War.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Mystere / Super Mystere

Dassault Mystere / Super Mystere
The Dassault Mystere was the first true successful military development story of post-World War 2 France

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault Super Etendard

Dassault Super Etendard
The French Dassault Super Etendard naval strike fighter was a further development of the original Dassault Etendard IV strike platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault-Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic / Atlantique 2

Dassault-Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic / Atlantique 2
Despite her 1960s Cold War origins, the Dassault-Breguet Atlantique has been used as recently as 2013 during the French intervention in Mali.

Thumbnail picture of the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet

Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet
The Alpha Jet series of fast, agile training aircraft is the premiere advanced flight trainer for a variety of European air services.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver

de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
Over 1,600 examples of the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver were produced over a two-decade span.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter

de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter
Despite its 1950s origins, the DHC-3 series floatplane is still in active service today.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou

de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou
The United States military was the primary user of the Canadian Caribou aircraft - which went on to serve with distinction in the Vietnam War.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo

de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo
de Havilland Canada built just over 120 DHC-5 Buffalo utility platforms from 1965 to 1974.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
Despite its introduction in 1966, the de Havilland Canada Twin Otter series continues in service with many air forces today.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7

de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland DH.100 Vampire

de Havilland DH.100 Vampire
The Vampire series of aircraft was the second jet-powered aircraft produced by Britain after World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland DH.103 Hornet / Sea Hornet

de Havilland DH.103 Hornet / Sea Hornet
The de Havilland D.H.103 Hornet series was an exceptional aircraft for its time, arriving just too late to see any worthy action in World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland DH.106 Comet

de Havilland DH.106 Comet
Since retired, the de Havilland DH.106 Comet managed 114 completed examples and was introduced with BOAC in May of 1952.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland DH.108 (Swallow)

de Havilland DH.108 (Swallow)
All three completed and flown DH.108 Swallow test aircraft claimed the lives of three pilots - such was its stained career in the air.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen

de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen
The swept-wing, twin-boom de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen replaced the outgoing de Havilland Sea Venoms in service with the British Royal Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland DH.112 Sea Venom

de Havilland DH.112 Sea Venom
The de Havilland Sea Venom was the naval version of the base Venom line and used by the forces of Australia, France and the United Kingdom.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland DH.112 Venom

de Havilland DH.112 Venom
The de Havilland DH.112 Venom served across dozens of RAF squadrons as well as in several foreign air powers.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth

de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth
For its time, there was no more a trusted basic trainer than the storied de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth biplane.

Thumbnail picture of the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito

de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito
The classic British de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito night fighter found few challengers during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Denel (Atlas) Cheetah

Denel (Atlas) Cheetah
When introduced in 1986, the South African Atlas-Denel Cheetah represented the most comprehensive upgrade of the earlier French Mirage III series fighters.

Thumbnail picture of the Denel (Atlas) Oryx

Denel (Atlas) Oryx
The South African Atlas-Denel Oryx multirole helicopter became a local development of the original French Aerospatiale Puma series.

Thumbnail picture of the Denel Dynamics Seeker

Denel Dynamics Seeker
The Denel Dynamics Seeker - no longer in use by South Africa - still claims a few operators worldwide today.

Thumbnail picture of the Dornier Do 228

Dornier Do 228
The Dornier Do 228 proved to be a versatile performer in the years covering its production run - restarted in 2009.

Thumbnail picture of the Dornier Do 28 (Skyservant)

Dornier Do 28 (Skyservant)
The West German Dornier Do 28 STOL series preceded the equally-successful Do 228 line of small, lightweight utility aircraft for military and civilian service.

Thumbnail picture of the Dornier SeaStar

Dornier SeaStar
The Dornier SeaStar amphibian recorded a first-flight in 1984 and has yet to reach serial production and operational status.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider (AD-1)

Douglas A-1 Skyraider (AD-1)
The multirole Douglas A-1 Douglas Skyraider proved its worth during a storied career over the skies of Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas A2D Skyshark

Douglas A2D Skyshark
The Douglas A2D Skyshark initiative was doomed by its troublesome Allison engine fit which led to just twelve total aircraft completed and several crashes during testing.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior

Douglas A-3 Skywarrior
The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior series soldiered on through most of the Cold War while in service with the United States Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk naval jet fighter saw decades of service worldwide with nearly 3,000 aircraft produced.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas AC-47 Spooky

Douglas AC-47 Spooky
The Douglas AC-47 Spooky began the long-running line of fixed-wing transport-to-gunship conversions for the United States military.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas B-26K/A-26B Counter Invader

Douglas B-26K/A-26B Counter Invader
The B-26K Counter Invader was a highly modified A-26 Invader aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas B-66 / RB-66 Destroyer

Douglas B-66 / RB-66 Destroyer
The Douglas B-66 / RB-66 Destroyer series was used in a variety of ways during its service tenure by the United States Air Force.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
The Globemaster II was a direct post-war design development of the World War 2-era C-74 Globemaster I.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster

Douglas C-133 Cargomaster
Before the arrival of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, no transport aircraft could match the hauling capabilities of the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas C-47 (Skytrain / Dakota)

Douglas C-47 (Skytrain / Dakota)
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain was perhaps the most famous of the many transport aircraft employed during World War 2 - seeing combat service into the Vietnam War years.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4)

Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4)
The C-54 Skymaster was a pivotal American aircraft serving actively throughout the Berlin Airlift.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas C-74 Globemaster

Douglas C-74 Globemaster
The Douglas C-74 began the line of long-running line of Globemaster military transports embodied in the modern Globemaster III series today.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak (Phase 1)

Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak (Phase 1)
Test aircraft such as the Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak paved the way for American aviation research in the post-World War 2 years.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket (Phase 2)

Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket (Phase 2)
The high-speed Douglas Skyrocket was built in three examples encompassing some 313 total test flights.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas DC-3

Douglas DC-3
Over 16,000 examples of the successful Douglas DC-3 aircraft were ultimately produced.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas DC-8

Douglas DC-8
Douglas Aircraft Company produced the four-engined DC-8 from 1958 into 1972.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas F3D / F-10 Skyknight

Douglas F3D / F-10 Skyknight
The Douglas F3D Skyknight became the world's first jet-powered, carrier-based dedicated night-fighter in service.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas F4D / F-6 Skyray

Douglas F4D / F-6 Skyray
The Douglas F4D Skyray was the quintessential jet fighter of the 1950's, appearing in limited service though possessing an impressive rate-of-climb.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas F5D Skylancer

Douglas F5D Skylancer
Originally developed as a jet fighter offshoot of the Douglas F4D Skyray, the F5D Skylancer grew into its own program for the United States Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas F6D Missileer

Douglas F6D Missileer
The Douglas F6D Missileer became a far-reaching program for the USN that came to naught - but benefited other subsequent programs.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas X-3 (Stiletto)

Douglas X-3 (Stiletto)
Designed to collect data on supersonic speeds up to Mach 2, the Douglas X-3 Stiletto proved more or less a failure in that respect - only a single aircraft being completed.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas XB-19 (XBLR-2)

Douglas XB-19 (XBLR-2)
Eighteen crew were required to staff the enormous experimental Douglas XB-19 Heavy Bomber - of which only a single prototype was ever completed.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster

Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster
The Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster bomber proposal utilized a distinct twin-engine arrangement in a pusher configuration.

Thumbnail picture of the Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster

Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster
The three-man Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster existed only through a pair of prototypes - the first flying in May of 1946.

Thumbnail picture of the EGAO Helwan HA-300

EGAO Helwan HA-300
The Helwan HA-300 interceptor was designed by German Willy Messerschmitt for Spain and ultimately built in Egypt before being cancelled.

Thumbnail picture of the Embraer EMB-312 Tucano

Embraer EMB-312 Tucano
The Embraer EMB-312 Tucano proved itself a modest success for the Brazilian company, finding favor with several notable operators worldwide.

Thumbnail picture of the ENAER Mirage 50CN Pantera

ENAER Mirage 50CN Pantera
The ENAER Pantera was a locally-upgraded Chilean Air Force Mirage 50 mark made possible with Israeli assistance.

Thumbnail picture of the ENAER T-35 Pillan (Volcano)

ENAER T-35 Pillan (Volcano)
Over 150 ENAER T-35 Pillan basic trainers were completed for service with eight different operators including the Chilean and Spanish air forces.

Thumbnail picture of the English Electric / BAC Lightning

English Electric / BAC Lightning
The English Electric Lightning remains the only Mach 2-capable jet-powered fighter to emerge solely from Britain.

Thumbnail picture of the English Electric Canberra

English Electric Canberra
The record-setting English Electra Canberra progressed much as a medium-to-high altitude bomber - so much so that the U.S. ordered it as the B-57.

Thumbnail picture of the FAF EFW N-20 Aiguillon (Sting / Stinger)

FAF EFW N-20 Aiguillon (Sting / Stinger)
The EFW N-20 Stinger program for Switzerland netted just one completed, flyable example and an unpowered glider.

Thumbnail picture of the FAF EFW N-20 Arbalete (Crossbow)

FAF EFW N-20 Arbalete (Crossbow)
The EFW N-20.02 Crossbow was an outgrowth of the N-20 program which sought a locally-designed and developed jet fighter for the Swiss Air Force.

Thumbnail picture of the Fairchild AC-119 (Shadow / Stinger)

Fairchild AC-119 (Shadow / Stinger)
The Fairchild AC-119 gunship proved to be a successful conversion of the Fairchild C-119 transport aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 proved to be a tremendous post-war performer in the transport and gunship roles.

Thumbnail picture of the Fairchild C-123 Provider

Fairchild C-123 Provider
The C-123 Provider had a distinct design feature in that the system was powered by both turbojet and propeller engines.

Thumbnail picture of the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog)

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog)
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II features the awesome tank-killing 30mm GAU-8 Gatling Gun in its nose as standard.

Thumbnail picture of the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner

Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner was produced from 1968 to 2001 aand saw formal introduction during 1972.

Thumbnail picture of the Fairey Barracuda

Fairey Barracuda
The Fairey Barracuda stocked the inventory of many Fleet Air Arm squadrons during World War 2 action.

Thumbnail picture of the Fairey Firefly

Fairey Firefly
The Fairey Firefly proved to be an underrated success in multiple theaters of operation concerning World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Fairey Gannet

Fairey Gannet
Distinct features of the Fairey Gannet included its two contra-rotating propeller units and crew of three.

Thumbnail picture of the FFA P-16

FFA P-16
The FFA P-16 jet fighter prototype was the second major Swiss attempt at a local jet-powered combat platform seen during the Cold War.

Thumbnail picture of the FFVS J22

FFVS J22
Just under 200 examples of the FFVS J22 single-seat fighter were built for the Swedish Air Force from 1942 to 1946.

Thumbnail picture of the Fiat Aeritalia G.91 (Gina)

Fiat Aeritalia G.91 (Gina)
Nearly 800 Fiat Aeritalia G.91 swept-wing jet-powered fighters were produced with Italy and West Germany becoming major operators of the type.

Thumbnail picture of the Fiat G.55 Centauro (Centaur)

Fiat G.55 Centauro (Centaur)
The inline Fiat G.55 Centauro proved a major upgrade for the preceding radial-powered Fiat G.50 Freccia.

Thumbnail picture of the Fiat G.59 (Centauro)

Fiat G.59 (Centauro)
Completing the World War 2-era Fiat G.55 fighter with the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine produced the post-war Fiat G.59 series for Italy and Syria.

Thumbnail picture of the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Stork)

Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Stork)
The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a multi-faceted performer for the Third Reich in World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the FMA IA-58 Pucara (Fortress)

FMA IA-58 Pucara (Fortress)
The impressive FMA IA-58 Pucara was fielded by Argentine forces during its Falklands War with Britain and remains in active service today.

Thumbnail picture of the FMA IA-63 Pampa (Prairie)

FMA IA-63 Pampa (Prairie)
The Argentine FMA IA-63 Pampa advanced trainer was made possible with technical assistance from the German concern of Dornier.

Thumbnail picture of the FMA IAe 27 Pulqui (Arrow)

FMA IAe 27 Pulqui (Arrow)
The FMA IAe 27 Pulqui marked the first jet-powered aircraft to emerge from Argentina and South America - it was doomed by poor performance.

Thumbnail picture of the FMA IAe 30 Namcu (Eagle)

FMA IAe 30 Namcu (Eagle)
The promising FMA IAe 30 Namcu of Argentina was doomed by the rise of the jet age following World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the FMA IAe 33 Pulqui II (Arrow II)

FMA IAe 33 Pulqui II (Arrow II)
The FMA IAe 33 Pulqui II evolved the Argentina aero industry considerably but it failed to be adopted as a frontline fighter-interceptor.

Thumbnail picture of the FMA SAIA 90

FMA SAIA 90
The FMA SAIA 90 of the mid-1980s stood as a rather ambitious multirole fighter platform for the nation of Argentina - it did not progress far.

Thumbnail picture of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (Wurger)

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (Wurger)
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter is regarded by many to be the best German fighter aircraft of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Fokker F27 Friendship

Fokker F27 Friendship
Nearly 500 Fokker Friendship aircraft were produced from the period spanning 1955 until 1987.

Thumbnail picture of the Folland / Hawker-Siddeley Gnat

Folland / Hawker-Siddeley Gnat
The Folland Gnat proved a handful with the Indian Air Force, taking advantage of the technologically superior Pakistani F-86 Sabres.

Thumbnail picture of the Ford Trimotor

Ford Trimotor
Nearly 200 of the Ford Trimotor transport aircraft were produced from the middle of the 1920s on - some eighteen still fly today.

Thumbnail picture of the Fouga CM.170 Magister

Fouga CM.170 Magister
The Fouga CM.170 lays claim as being the first two-seat jet-powered trainer in the world.

Thumbnail picture of the General Dynamics / Grumman EF-111 Raven

General Dynamics / Grumman EF-111 Raven
The Grumman EF-111 Raven was a direct EWA conversion of the F-111A Aardvark fighter-bomber strike platform.

Thumbnail picture of the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark

General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark
The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark swing-wing bomber was retired in 1996 from active service with the United States Air Force followed shortly by its counterpart - the EF-111 Raven.

Thumbnail picture of the General Dynamics F-16XL

General Dynamics F-16XL
The General Dynamics F-16XL was developed from the existing F-16 multirole fighter, originally for research and then as a potential strike fighter for the USAF.

Thumbnail picture of the Ghods Mohajer / Mersad (Migrant)

Ghods Mohajer / Mersad (Migrant)
The Ghods Mohajer drone was one of the first successful UAV endeavors undertaken by the nation of Iran.

Thumbnail picture of the Gloster (Armstrong Whitworth) Meteor

Gloster (Armstrong Whitworth) Meteor
The Gloster Meteor became the first operational British jet-powered fighter on July 27th, 1944 - this during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Gloster Javelin

Gloster Javelin
The Gloster Javelin was the very last aircraft to be produced by the renowned Gloster company.

Thumbnail picture of the Goodyear GA-17

Goodyear GA-17
The Goodyear GA-17 design was part of the proposals for the USAAF looking to fulfill a heavy all-weather fighter requirement.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman A-6 Intruder

Grumman A-6 Intruder
The Grumman A-6 Intruder handled the strike role for the United States Navy through the Vietnam War, its last recorded actions being over Bosnia.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman AF Guardian

Grumman AF Guardian
The Grumman AF Guardian series served the United States Navy as its first dedicated ASW platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman C-1A / TF-1 Trader

Grumman C-1A / TF-1 Trader
The Grumman C-1 Trader served aboard USN carriers from the 1950s through the 1980s with notable action in the Vietnam War.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman C-2 Greyhound

Grumman C-2 Greyhound
The C-2 Greyhound transport was developed from the carrier-based E-2 Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman EA-6 Prowler

Grumman EA-6 Prowler
The Grumman EA-6B Prowler EWA aircraft was eventually succeeded in USN service by the newer Boeing EA-18G Growler line.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman F11F / F-11 Tiger

Grumman F11F / F-11 Tiger
Engine unreliability eventually limited the operational service life of the US Navy high-performance carrier-based F11F Tiger.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat

Grumman F-14 Tomcat
Born from the aborted F-111B naval initiative, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat proved itself the naval interceptor-of-choice during the latter stages of the Cold War.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman F6F Hellcat

Grumman F6F Hellcat
The classic Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter was known to make an Ace out of the many pilots who flew it during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman F7F Tigercat

Grumman F7F Tigercat
Despite missing combat action in World War 2, the Grumman F7F Tigercat served with the USMC in the upcoming Korean War.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman F8F Bearcat

Grumman F8F Bearcat
The Grumman F8F Bearcat was one of the fastest piston-engine aircraft of its time, its performance on par with early jet-powered fighters.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman F9F Cougar

Grumman F9F Cougar
The Grumman F9F Cougar was essentially an all-new Grumman F9F Panther complete with swept-wing assemblies.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman F9F Panther

Grumman F9F Panther
The Grumman F9F Panther was used extensively by the USN and USMC during the Korean War before some were passed on to the Argentine Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman Goose (G-21)

Grumman Goose (G-21)
The Grumman Goose was a true unsung war hero in World War 2, involved in transport, training and at sea rescue operations.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman HU-16 Albatross

Grumman HU-16 Albatross
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross served as both a transport and a search-and-rescue aircraft for the United States.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman OV-1 Mohawk

Grumman OV-1 Mohawk
The Grumman OV-1 Mohawk series saw extensive action in the Vietnam War.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman S-2 Tracker (S2F)

Grumman S-2 Tracker (S2F)
The Grumman S-2 Tracker was specifically designed and produced for the US Navy to help combat enemy submarines.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman Sapphire Cougar

Grumman Sapphire Cougar
Proposed by Grumman though not taken up by the United States Navy, the Sapphire Cougar undoubtedly influenced the upcoming F11F Tiger swept-wing fighter for the company.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman TBF Avenger

Grumman TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber saw nearly 10,000 produced during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman WF-2 / E-1 Tracer

Grumman WF-2 / E-1 Tracer
The Grumman E-1 Tracer AEW platform was based on the Grumman C-1 Trader carrier-based transport line.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman X-29

Grumman X-29
The unique Grumman X-29 design - with its forward-swept wings - was born from the existing airframe of the Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter series.

Thumbnail picture of the Grumman XF10F Jaguar

Grumman XF10F Jaguar
The Grumman XF10F Jaguar survived as only a single completed, flyable prototype and existed briefly from 1952 into 1953.

Thumbnail picture of the Gulfstream C-20

Gulfstream C-20
Two different Gulfstream business jets - the III and IV series - served as the basis for the military VIP transport-minded C-20.

Thumbnail picture of the Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH

Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH
The Gyrodyne H-50 DASH served the U.S. military primarily in the ASW role for a number of decades before becoming a target tug.

Thumbnail picture of the HAL Ajeet (Invincible)

HAL Ajeet (Invincible)
The HAL Ajeet was a further evolution of the British Folland Gnat fighter by way of India.

Thumbnail picture of the HAL HF-24 Marut (Spirit of the Tempest)

HAL HF-24 Marut (Spirit of the Tempest)
The HAL HF-24 Marut became the first indigenous jet fighter of India and the first supersonic type to be developed by the company.

Thumbnail picture of the HAL HJT-16 Kiran (Ray of Light)

HAL HJT-16 Kiran (Ray of Light)
The Indian HJT-16 Kiran flew for the first time on September 4th, 1964, and remains in service today - though its replacement is in active development.

Thumbnail picture of the Handley Page Halifax

Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax bomber shined in both night-bombing and airborne support roles during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Handley Page Hastings

Handley Page Hastings
Over 150 Hastings transport aircraft were produced by Handley Page following World War 2 - some took part in the Berlin Airlift operation following.

Thumbnail picture of the Handley Page HP.115

Handley Page HP.115
The Royal Aircraft Establishment of Britain relied on a single example of the Handley Page HP.115 aircraft for research into delta-winged planforms.

Thumbnail picture of the Handley Page Victor

Handley Page Victor
The Handley Page Victor formed the third - and last - point of the RAF V-Bomber triangle of nuclear-capable bombers.

Thumbnail picture of the Harbin SH-5 (Shuishang Hongzhaji)

Harbin SH-5 (Shuishang Hongzhaji)
Introduced in 1986, the Harbin SH-5 flying boat was only procured through seven total examples.

Thumbnail picture of the Harbin Z-5

Harbin Z-5
As with other Cold War-era Chinese military products, the Harbin Z-5 was nothing more than a copy of an existing Soviet design - in this case, the Mil Mi-4 series.

Thumbnail picture of the Hawker (Armstrong Whitworth) Sea Hawk

Hawker (Armstrong Whitworth) Sea Hawk
The Hawker Sea Hawk was born in late World War 2, becoming active in 1953 and forging a legacy up until 1983.

Thumbnail picture of the Hawker Hunter

Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter was the longest-serving British jet fighter and found many foreign operators abroad.

Thumbnail picture of the Hawker Sea Fury / Fury

Hawker Sea Fury / Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury was one of the fastest piston-engined fighters ever produced and the last prop-driven aircraft taken on by the British Royal Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier / AV-8A

Hawker Siddeley Harrier / AV-8A
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier was the first generation Harrier jump jet to see service and saw combat action in the Falklands War of 1982.

Thumbnail picture of the Heinkel He 111

Heinkel He 111
The most important German medium bomber of World War 2 became the classic Heinkel He 111 series - a prewar design that managed to fight into the final days.

Thumbnail picture of the Hiller OH-23 Raven (Model UH-12)

Hiller OH-23 Raven (Model UH-12)
Despite its rather simple appearance, the Hiller OH-23 Raven light helicopter line proved reliable even under the wartime stresses of Korea and Vietnam.

Thumbnail picture of the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach)

Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach)
The nimble little Hughes OH-6 Cayuse served extensively with US Army forces in the Vietnam War and, in various forms, exists today.

Thumbnail picture of the Hughes TH-55 Osage

Hughes TH-55 Osage
Around 2,800 examples of the nimble little Hughes TH-55 Osage were produced from 1961 to 1983.

Thumbnail picture of the IAI Arava (Willow)

IAI Arava (Willow)
Over 100 of the Israeli Arava were produced from 1972 to 1988 and these fielded across multiple foreign air forces.

Thumbnail picture of the IAI Kfir (Lion Cub)

IAI Kfir (Lion Cub)
The Israeli-originated Kfir multirole fighter aircraft was based on French-made Dassault Mirage 5 series.

Thumbnail picture of the IAI Lavi (Young Lion)

IAI Lavi (Young Lion)
Just three prototypes were all that became of the Israeli IAI Lavi multirole fighter program of the 1980s.

Thumbnail picture of the IAI Nesher (Vulture)

IAI Nesher (Vulture)
The IAI Nesher was an Israeli take on the French Mirage 5 attack platform - fewer than sixty-five were produced.

Thumbnail picture of the IAI RQ-2 Pioneer

IAI RQ-2 Pioneer
The RQ-2 Pioneer truly lived up to her namesake in the realm of UAV technology, seeing action beginning with the Persian Gulf War of 1991.

Thumbnail picture of the IAI Scout

IAI Scout
The IAI Scout went on to be replaced by the IAI Searcher Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of 1992.

Thumbnail picture of the IAR 316

IAR 316
The Romanian IAR 316 is nothing more than a license-production copy of the French Aerospatiale SA 319B Alouette III helictoper.

Thumbnail picture of the IAR 80 / IAR 81

IAR 80 / IAR 81
Development of the serviceable IAR 80 was slow and, though the fighter was of a capable breed when it first appeared, the system was highly outclassed by 1944.

Thumbnail picture of the Ilyushin IL-10 (Beast)

Ilyushin IL-10 (Beast)
The Ilyushin IL-10 Beast was successor to the extremely successful IL-2 Shturmovik series in Soviet Air Force service during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Ilyushin IL-102

Ilyushin IL-102
The Ilyushin IL-102 attacker prototype unsuccessfully challenged what would become the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot in Soviet Air Force service.

Thumbnail picture of the Ilyushin IL-18 (Coot)

Ilyushin IL-18 (Coot)
The Ilyushin IL-18 turboprop-powered airliner saw global adoption during the peak of the Cold War years - nearly 700 were produced.

Thumbnail picture of the Ilyushin IL-28 (Beagle)

Ilyushin IL-28 (Beagle)
The Ilyushin IL-28 Beagle was a successful Soviet product of the early Cold War years, being fielded in quantity by a variety of Soviet customers.

Thumbnail picture of the Ilyushin IL-38 (May)

Ilyushin IL-38 (May)
The Ilyushin IL-38 May has served with the Soviet-Russian Navy since its inception in 1967.

Thumbnail picture of the Ilyushin IL-40 (Brawny)

Ilyushin IL-40 (Brawny)
The Ilyushin IL-40 Brawny ground attack platform existed in only seven prototypes before the design was dropped from contention.

Thumbnail picture of the Ilyushin IL-62 (Classic)

Ilyushin IL-62 (Classic)
Operated by many, the Ilyushin Il-62 product has seen its fair share of incidents and accidents over a lengthy flying career.

Thumbnail picture of the Ilyushin IL-76 (Candid)

Ilyushin IL-76 (Candid)
Despite its age, the Soviet-era Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft series is still used around the globe in both civilian and military guises.

Thumbnail picture of the Ilyushin IL-78 (Midas)

Ilyushin IL-78 (Midas)
The Soviet-era Ilyushin IL-76 Candid forms the basis for the Ilyushin IL-78 Midas aerial tanker aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Junkers Ju 188 Rache (Avenger)

Junkers Ju 188 Rache (Avenger)
The Junkers Ju 188 Rache was a solid design and good performer, though appearing several years too late to make an impact.

Thumbnail picture of the Junkers Ju 290

Junkers Ju 290
The Junkers Ju 290 four-engined aircraft saw limited production during World War 2 but served in several key roles for the Luftwaffe.

Thumbnail picture of the Junkers Ju 52

Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 Tri-Motor proved a popular transport platform for operators before, during and after World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Junkers Ju 88

Junkers Ju 88
Like the Dornier Do 17 and the Heinkel He 111, the Junkers Ju 88 became a mainstay of the German Luftwaffe bombing campaigns throughout all of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Kaman HH-43 Huskie

Kaman HH-43 Huskie
As a dedicated rescue platform, the Kaman HH-43 Huskie helicopter series proved its worth in sorties over Vietnam.

Thumbnail picture of the Kaman SH-2 Seasprite / Super Seasprite

Kaman SH-2 Seasprite / Super Seasprite
The Kaman SH-2 Seasprite series found a home in the ranks of the United States Navy beginning in late 1962.

Thumbnail picture of the Kamov Ka-15 (Hen)

Kamov Ka-15 (Hen)
The Kamov Ka-15 was introduced in 1955 but produced in fewer than 400 examples for the Soviet Union.

Thumbnail picture of the Kamov Ka-18 (Hog)

Kamov Ka-18 (Hog)
Just over 100 examples of the Kamov Ka-18 light utility helicopter were produced for the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Thumbnail picture of the Kamov Ka-22

Kamov Ka-22
Intended to feature the qualities of both a fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter, the experimental - and lethal - Kamov Ka-22 was only built in four examples.

Thumbnail picture of the Kamov Ka-25 (Hormone)

Kamov Ka-25 (Hormone)
Some 25 total variants of the base Kamov Ka-25 appeared throughout the systems production life.

Thumbnail picture of the Kamov Ka-27 (Helix)

Kamov Ka-27 (Helix)
Not built in large numbers, the Soviet-era Kamov Ka-27 Helix naval helicopter nonetheless became a featured rotary-wing platform for several militaries of the world.

Thumbnail picture of the Kawasaki C-1

Kawasaki C-1
Entering operational service in 1974, the indigenously designed and developed Kawasaki C-1 military transport has faithfully served the JASDF ever since.

Thumbnail picture of the Kawasaki Ki-48 Sokei (Lily)

Kawasaki Ki-48 Sokei (Lily)
After witnessing the usefulness of the Soviet Tupolev SB-2 bomber seires, Japanese authorities adopted the Kawasaki Ki-48 of similar form and function.

Thumbnail picture of the Kawasaki P-2J Neptune

Kawasaki P-2J Neptune
The Kawasaki P-2J Neptune made up the last remaining production batch of the American Lockheed Neptune maritime patrol line.

Thumbnail picture of the Kawasaki T-4

Kawasaki T-4
The Kawasaki T-4 intermediate jet trainer was introduced in 1988 and went on to see over 200 examples produced for the JASDF.

Thumbnail picture of the Lavochkin La-11 (Fang)

Lavochkin La-11 (Fang)
The Lavochkin La-11 was a further development of the successful La-9 series, but destined as a long-range fighter escort.

Thumbnail picture of the Lavochkin La-15 (Fantail)

Lavochkin La-15 (Fantail)
Aircraft like the Lavochkin La-15 Fantail formed the early-going for the growing Soviet jet program.

Thumbnail picture of the Lavochkin La-150

Lavochkin La-150
The Lavochkin La-150 fighter was developed in response to a Josef Stalin directive covering a single-seat jet-powered fighting platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Lavochkin La-152 (Series)

Lavochkin La-152 (Series)
Four prototypes constituted the La-152 series which evolved from a 1945 directive given by Soviet leader Josef Stalin.

Thumbnail picture of the Lavochkin La-160

Lavochkin La-160
The Lavochkin La-160 jet-powered fighter prototype was another in the long line of products put forth by the company in forming the early jet age for the Soviets.

Thumbnail picture of the Lavochkin La-250 (Anaconda)

Lavochkin La-250 (Anaconda)
The Soviet-era La-250 Anaconda prototype interceptor became the last notable submission for Lavochkin - it failed to see formal adoption.

Thumbnail picture of the Lavochkin La-5

Lavochkin La-5
The Lavochkin La-5 series was fielded in great quantities after its introduction, taking part in some of the great air battles over the East Front during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Lavochkin La-7

Lavochkin La-7
The Lavochkin La-7 prop-powered fighter appeared as an improved La-5 in the later years of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Lavochkin La-9 (Fritz)

Lavochkin La-9 (Fritz)
The Lavochkin La-9 was a further evolution of the Lavochkin La-126 prototype.

Thumbnail picture of the Leonardo (AgustaWestland) AW109

Leonardo (AgustaWestland) AW109
The AgustaWestland AW109 helicopter has gone on to see worldwide use by in both military and civilian roles.

Thumbnail picture of the Leonardo (SIAI-Marchetti) SF.260

Leonardo (SIAI-Marchetti) SF.260
Production of the SF.260 emerged under SIAI-Marchetti of Italy in 1964 and continues today under Leonardo SpA.

Thumbnail picture of the Liore-et-Olivier LeO 45

Liore-et-Olivier LeO 45
One of the most advanced bombers at the time of its inception, the LeO 45 series was simply not available in the numbers required to defend France.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed / Vought S-3 Viking

Lockheed / Vought S-3 Viking
The Lockheed-Vought S-3 Viking series was the first digitally-minded Anti-Submarine Warfare platform adopted for service with the U.S. Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed A-12 (Archangel 12)

Lockheed A-12 (Archangel 12)
The Lockheed A-12 served as a precursor to the more famous SR-71 Blackbird high-speed reconnaissance platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne

Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne
Lockheeds first - and last - foray into the helicopter market, the AH-56 Cheyenne, failed to materialize as a viable attack helicopter for the U.S. Army.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

Lockheed C-141 Starlifter
The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter strategic transport proved itself a Cold War-era workhorse for the US military.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
The massive Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is the largest aircraft in service with the United States Air Force today - fulfilling the role of strategic heavy lifter in service.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed C-69 Constellation (Model L-049)

Lockheed C-69 Constellation (Model L-049)
The Lockheed C-69 Constellation would earn more fame as a passenger transport than in its militarized counterpart.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed CP-140 Aurora

Lockheed CP-140 Aurora
The Lockheed CP-140 Aurora is based on the P-3 Orion with the equipment of the S-3 Viking and remains in service solely with Canada.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed D-21

Lockheed D-21
The Lockheed D-21 spy drone proved largely unreliable during its time in the air - just four operational-level missions were had before the design was given up.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call

Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call
The EC-130H Compass Call is a dedicated electronic warfare platform based on the ubiquitous Lockheed C-130 airframe.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter served a greater role with air forces abroad than it did with the USAF, though its operational service was not without issues.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk (Stealth Fighter)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk (Stealth Fighter)
Developed under a veil of secrecy, the iconic Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk became the first stealth aircraft to reach operational status.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed F-94 Starfire

Lockheed F-94 Starfire
The F-94 system was a further development of the T-33 twin-seat trainer aircraft produced by Lockheed.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed Have Blue

Lockheed Have Blue
Have Blue - despite the loss of both prototypes - served to showcase the viability of several stealth-minded technologies that were eventually implemented into the classic Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed HC-130 Hercules / Super Hercules

Lockheed HC-130 Hercules / Super Hercules
The Lockheed HC-130H Hercules of the USAF and USCG is a specialized surveillance and SAR version of the C-130H Hercules.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed Hudson

Lockheed Hudson
Nearly 3,000 Lockheed Hudson aircraft were built from the period spanning 1938 to 1943 - many seeing service during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed JetStar

Lockheed JetStar
Just over 200 JetStars were completed by Lockheed Corporation from the span of 1957 until 1978.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed L-100 Hercules

Lockheed L-100 Hercules
The Lockheed L-100 became the civilian-minded cargo transport version of the globally-popular C-130 Hercules line.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar

Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
Numbers of the 1970s-era Lockheed L-1011 TriStar have continually dwindle with each passing year.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed Martin (General Dynamics) F-16 Fighting Falcon

Lockheed Martin (General Dynamics) F-16 Fighting Falcon
The multirole-minded Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon has proven a favorite in the export market with over 20 operators committed to the type.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed Martin KC-130 Hercules / Super Hercules

Lockheed Martin KC-130 Hercules / Super Hercules
The Lockheed Martin KC-130 is a dedicated aerial refueling tanker offshoot of the famous C-130 Hercules transport line.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion

Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion
Even after some fifty years of service, the Lockheed P-3 Orion continues as a workhorse maritime patroller for many nations of the world.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed Martin U-2 Dragon Lady

Lockheed Martin U-2 Dragon Lady
The Lockheed U-2 Dragonlady spyplane series is set to be replaced by the Global Hawk UAV in the coming years.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed MC-130 Combat Talon (I / II)

Lockheed MC-130 Combat Talon (I / II)
In service since the Vietnam War, the Combat Talon series of aircraft has served in a multitude of mission types and is still in operational service today.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed MC-130P Combat Shadow

Lockheed MC-130P Combat Shadow
The MC-130 Combat Shadow support special forces operatives primarily in a night time flying role.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed MQM-105 Aquila TADAR

Lockheed MQM-105 Aquila TADAR
Despite it never seeing production, just under 1 billion USD was spent on developing the Aquila UAV.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed P2V Neptune

Lockheed P2V Neptune
The Lockheed P2V Neptune series was an exceptional aircraft in service with the United States Navy and Air Force during the Cold War years.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed P-80 / F-80 Shooting Star

Lockheed P-80 / F-80 Shooting Star
Though developed as early as 1943, the Lockheed P-80 jet fighter arrived too late to be used in World War 2, playing a larger role in the Korean War instead.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
The SR-71 maintained an excellent operational service record during its Cold War tenure, though a dozen were lost to accidents.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed T-1 SeaStar (T2V SeaStar)

Lockheed T-1 SeaStar (T2V SeaStar)
Like the T-33, the T-1 SeaStar was born from the success of the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star jet platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star

Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star
The successful Lockheed T-33 jet-powered trainer was based on a lengthened Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star fighter with a second cockpit added.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed Ventura / Harpoon

Lockheed Ventura / Harpoon
The Lockheed Ventura series was used in number by the U.S. and British during World War 2 and succeeded the Lockheed Hudson series of light bombers.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed XFV (Salmon)

Lockheed XFV (Salmon)
The Lockheed XFV-1 served the USN in testing the viability of a shipborne VTOL fighter - two prototypes were built before the project was cancelled in 1955.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed XP-90 / XF-90

Lockheed XP-90 / XF-90
Its size and weight held the Lockheed XF-90 from competing favorably against the McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo for the USAF.

Thumbnail picture of the Lockheed YF-12

Lockheed YF-12
Just three of the fast Lockheed YF-12A interceptors were completed - though the line found itself with no role to fulfill at its end.

Thumbnail picture of the LTV XC-142

LTV XC-142
The LTV XC-142 was an American project looking into the viability of a vertically-launching and landing aircraft system for the purposes of transport.

Thumbnail picture of the Lun (Ekranoplan)

Lun (Ekranoplan)
The massive Lun Ekranoplan was one of the most unique aircraft designs of the Cold War years - it remains available to the modern Russian fleet.

Thumbnail picture of the Macchi C.205 Veltro (Greyhound)

Macchi C.205 Veltro (Greyhound)
Like the Reggiane Re.2005 and FIAT G.55, the Macchi C.205 made use of the German Daimler-Benz DB 605 series engine.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin AM Mauler

Martin AM Mauler
An order for 783 Martin Maulers became just 149 production examples with the end of World War 2 in 1945.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin B-57 Canberra

Martin B-57 Canberra
The Martin B-57 Canberra was the American-produced form of the classic British English Electric Canberra bomber series.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin JRM Mars

Martin JRM Mars
The Martin JRM Mars began as an armed patrol bomber for the US Navy until modified for the unarmed transport role during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin P4M Mercator

Martin P4M Mercator
Martin developed the P4M Mercator to contend for the USN long-range maritime patrol bomber role - it lost to the Lockheed Neptune design.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin P5M Marlin

Martin P5M Marlin
Martin P5M flying boats served both the French and American navies, the aircraft line formally retired in 1967.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin P6M SeaMaster

Martin P6M SeaMaster
Only twelve examples of the Martin P6M SeaMaster jet-powered flying boat were eventually realized.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin X-24A

Martin X-24A
Data garnered from the use of the experimental Martin X-24A was used in developing the reentry phase of the US Space Shuttle program.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin X-24B

Martin X-24B
The X-24B was developed from the existing X-24A series of experimental aircraft designed to test lifting body theories.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin XB-48

Martin XB-48
The Martin XB-48 jet bomber prototype competed unsuccessfully against what would become the Boeing B-47 Stratojet series.

Thumbnail picture of the Martin XB-51

Martin XB-51
Developed for a USAAF low-level bombing requirement, the Martin XB-51 existed in only two prototype examples before being canceled in 1952.

Thumbnail picture of the MBB Lampyridae (Firefly)

MBB Lampyridae (Firefly)
The MBB Lampyridae was being developed in West Germany as a low-observable missile-minded fighter - it was cancelled.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell Douglas / General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II

McDonnell Douglas / General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II
The A-12 Avenger II was cancelled by then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney in 1991.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell Douglas C-9 (Nightingale/Skytrain II)

McDonnell Douglas C-9 (Nightingale/Skytrain II)
The last McDonnell Douglas C-9 Nightingale was retired in 2005.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet

McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet
The Royal Canadian Air Force makes use of over 100 American FA-18 Hornet fighters as the CF-18 Hornet.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10

McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 served by the hundreds in the civilian airliner and transport market while the USAF commissioned for 60 of the type as the KC-10 Extender.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is regarded as one of the most successful fighter designs of all time.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Wild Weasel

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Wild Weasel
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II made up the basis for the F-4 Wild Weasel radar hunter.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell Douglas YC-15

McDonnell Douglas YC-15
While the USAF moved away from its AMST program which begat the YC-15, the design - in modified form - reemerged to become the C-17 Globemaster III transport.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo

McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo achieved several endurance and speed records during her time aloft, earning the nickname of One-Oh-Wonder in the process.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell F2H Banshee

McDonnell F2H Banshee
The F2H Banshee series of straight-wing jet aircraft saw combat action in the Korean War.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell F3H Demon

McDonnell F3H Demon
The F3H Demon was the first swept-wing, turbojet-powered fighter design offered by McDonnell Aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell FH / FD Phantom

McDonnell FH / FD Phantom
The McDonnell FH Phantom series became the first post-World War 2 jet-powered fighter of the United States Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell Model 60

McDonnell Model 60
The Model 60 was another McDonnell interceptor design attempt geared towards the United States Navy after the close of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin (Parasite Fighter)

McDonnell XF-85 Goblin (Parasite Fighter)
The XF-85 Goblin was to be a bomber-released parasite fighter but was soon found to be much too impractical.

Thumbnail picture of the McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo

McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo
Though a failed design in itself, the McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo did go on to become the successful F-101 Voodoo aircraft of the Cold War years.

Thumbnail picture of the MD Helicopters / Hughes MD500

MD Helicopters / Hughes MD500
Nearly 5,000 MD Helicopters MD500 models have been produced since introduction occurred in 1982.

Thumbnail picture of the Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun (Typhoon)

Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun (Typhoon)
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 owed much of its design to the record-setting Bf 108 model series.

Thumbnail picture of the Messerschmitt Bf 109

Messerschmitt Bf 109
The exceptional Bf 109 fighter was more than a handful for allied fighter pilots and bomber crews.

Thumbnail picture of the Messerschmitt Me 262 (Schwalbe / Sturmvogel)

Messerschmitt Me 262 (Schwalbe / Sturmvogel)
The German Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe of World War 2 became the first operational jet-powered fighter in military history.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan MiG-27 (Flogger)

Mikoyan MiG-27 (Flogger)
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27 was an all-new, strike-minded variant of the successful MiG-23 interceptor.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan MiG-29 (Fulcrum)

Mikoyan MiG-29 (Fulcrum)
The Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum has seen excellent sales figures at home and abroad.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan MiG-31 (Foxhound)

Mikoyan MiG-31 (Foxhound)
The MiG-31 Foxhound was the pinnacle of Soviet long-range interceptor design during the Cold War.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich I-270

Mikoyan-Gurevich I-270
The Mikoyan-Gurevich I-270 rocket-powered interceptor was influenced by the late-World War 2 German Messerschmidt Me 263 of similar form and function.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (Fagot)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (Fagot)
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet-powered fighter proved to be a potent adversary in the Korean War - particularly when flown by Soviet pilots.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (Fresco)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (Fresco)
The Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 jet fighter was a major improvement over the classic MiG-15 series.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (Farmer)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (Farmer)
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 Farmer brought with it a critical supersonic fighter jet capability for the Soviet Union when introduced for service in 1955.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Fishbed)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Fishbed)
The successful Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-21 Fishbed was a giant leap from earlier MiG turbojet-powered, swept-wing fighters for the Soviets.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (Flogger)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (Flogger)
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger was the first Soviet aircraft to feature variable sweep wings and paved the way for the equally-successful MiG-27 Flogger ground strike variant.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (Foxbat)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (Foxbat)
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat was specifically designed to intercept the ultimately-cancelled North American XB-70 Valkyrie Mach 3 bomber.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 (Fargo)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 (Fargo)
Despite its impressive appearance - no doubt made possible by captured German research following World War 2 - the MiG-9 was a heavy aircraft prone to accidents.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich SN

Mikoyan-Gurevich SN
The Mikoyan-Gurevich SN was based on the successful MiG-17 and used to test the validity of trainable forward armament.

Thumbnail picture of the Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-8 (Fishbed) / (MiG-23)

Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-8 (Fishbed) / (MiG-23)
What would have been the next evolution of the MiG-21 Fishbed became just two prototypes - and one of these lost to an accident during flight testing.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-1 (Hare)

Mil Mi-1 (Hare)
The Mil Mi-1 Hare light utility helicopter marked the first Soviet helicopter to enter quantitative production for operational service.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-14 (Haze)

Mil Mi-14 (Haze)
The Soviet-era Mil-14 Haze was developed exclusively for the maritime Anti-Submarine Warfare role - some still see operations with global customers today.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-17 (Hip-H)

Mil Mi-17 (Hip-H)
The Mil Mi-17 transport helicopter was born from the original Mi-8 series as an improved form.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-2 (Hoplite)

Mil Mi-2 (Hoplite)
Nearly 5,500 of the Mil Mi-2 helicopters were produced from 1965 until 1998.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-24 (Hind)

Mil Mi-24 (Hind)
The Soviet-era Mil Mi-24 Hind series of helicopters can be called on to accomplish a variety of roles in war or peacetime - as proven by many conflicts.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-26 (Halo)

Mil Mi-26 (Halo)
The Soviet-Russian Mil Mi-26 HALO remains the largest helicopter to ever have been produced in number and remains in active service across the globe.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-28 (Havoc)

Mil Mi-28 (Havoc)
The Mil Mi-28 Havoc has since become the standard attack helicopter for the Russian Air Force and Army - fielded alongside the rival Kamov Ka-50 / Ka-52 series.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-4 (Hound)

Mil Mi-4 (Hound)
The Mil-produced Mi-4 Hound series of helicopter was in direct response to the US H-19 Chickasaw series, of which it shares outward similarities with.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-6 (Hook)

Mil Mi-6 (Hook)
The Mil Mi-6 Hook heavy-lift transport helicopter continues to serve around the world despite production concluding in 1981.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil Mi-8 (Hip)

Mil Mi-8 (Hip)
Use of the Mil Mi-8 Hip was worldwide with the type being utilized in its military and civilian guises.

Thumbnail picture of the Mil V-12 (Homer)

Mil V-12 (Homer)
Only two prototypes emerged from the Soviet-era V-12 twin-rotor heavy-lift helicopter program sponsored by the Mil Design Bureau.

Thumbnail picture of the Mitsubishi F-1 (Supersonic Rei-Sen)

Mitsubishi F-1 (Supersonic Rei-Sen)
The Mitsubishi F-1 fighter was largely based on the Mitsubishi T-2 advanced trainer, replacing Korean War-era F-86 Sabres then in Japanese service.

Thumbnail picture of the Mitsubishi F1M (Pete)

Mitsubishi F1M (Pete)
The Mitsubishi F1M floatplane made exceptional use of aerodyanmic design to produce an elegant and useful military aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Mitsubishi G4M (Betty)

Mitsubishi G4M (Betty)
The Mitsubishi G4M Betty will forever be linked to the ill-fated flight which saw the death of Japanese Admiral Yamamoto at the hands of American Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters over Bougainville in 1943.

Thumbnail picture of the Mitsubishi Ki-15 (Babs)

Mitsubishi Ki-15 (Babs)
Nicknamed Babs by the Allies, the Mitsubishi Ki-15 served as a reconnaissance platform and light bomber for both the IJA and IJN throughout World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Mitsubishi Ki-30 (Ann)

Mitsubishi Ki-30 (Ann)
The Mitsubishi Ki-30 series found some early success in the campaign against neighboring China but was featured less as the Pacific Campaign expanded.

Thumbnail picture of the Mitsubishi MU-2

Mitsubishi MU-2
The Mitsubishi MU-2 turboprop-powered transport proved a success for Japan in the post-World War 2 years.

Thumbnail picture of the Mitsubishi T-2

Mitsubishi T-2
The Mitsubishi T-2 advanced trainer was born from an internal Japanese initiative in the 1960s.

Thumbnail picture of the Myasishchev M-4 / 3M (Bison)

Myasishchev M-4 / 3M (Bison)
The Myasishchev M-4 / 3M served the Soviet well enough as a maritime patrol bomber, missile carrier and aerial tanker but was never exported to allies or satellite states.

Thumbnail picture of the Myasishchev M-50 / M-52 (Bounder)

Myasishchev M-50 / M-52 (Bounder)
Even to this day, very little has been revealed about the Cold War-era Myasishchev M-50 Bounder strategic bomber series.

Thumbnail picture of the Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic)

Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic)
The Myasishchev M-55 Mystic was developed as a high-altitude reconnaissance platform similar in mission scope to the American Lockheed U-2 series.

Thumbnail picture of the Nakajima A6M2-N (Rufe)

Nakajima A6M2-N (Rufe)
The Nakajima A6M-2 fighter was a floatplane derivative of the classic Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter line of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Oscar)

Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Oscar)
Production of the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa fighter for Japan was topped only by the Mitsubishi A6M Zero series during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Nanchang J-12 (Jianjiji-12)

Nanchang J-12 (Jianjiji-12)
The Nanchang J-12 was a promising indigenous Chinese lightweight supersonic fighter design derailed by the arrival of the Chengdu J-7 - a local version of the Soviet MiG-21.

Thumbnail picture of the Nanchang Q-5 (Fantan)

Nanchang Q-5 (Fantan)
The Nanchang Q-5 Fantan is a Chinese evolution of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 Farmer with some obvious physical changes.

Thumbnail picture of the Nord 1601

Nord 1601
The rebuilding post-World War 2 French Aviation industry was aided by the likes of the Nord 1601 research platform.

Thumbnail picture of the North American / Boeing T-2 Buckeye

North American / Boeing T-2 Buckeye
The impressive T-2 Buckeye trained thousands of US Navy pilots to fly jet fighters from 1959 through 2008.

Thumbnail picture of the North American A-5 Vigilante

North American A-5 Vigilante
Originally developed along the lines of a nuclear-capable attack bomber, the North American A-5 Vigilante suffered in the low-level reconnaissance role over Vietnam.

Thumbnail picture of the North American AJ (A-2) Savage

North American AJ (A-2) Savage
The North American AJ Savage bomber series was the first U.S. bomber designed specifically to carry the atomic bomb.

Thumbnail picture of the North American B-45 Tornado

North American B-45 Tornado
The NOrth American B-45 Tornado saw many firsts as a multi-jet-engined bomber design with the United States Air Force.

Thumbnail picture of the North American F-100 Super Sabre

North American F-100 Super Sabre
Though not without issues early on, the North American F-100 Super Sabre jet evolved into one of the finest American fighter aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the North American F-82 / P-82 Twin Mustang

North American F-82 / P-82 Twin Mustang
The North American F-82 Twin Mustang mated two P-51H Mustang fighter airframes into one potent night fighter and close-support platform used in the Korean War.

Thumbnail picture of the North American F-86 Sabre

North American F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre achieved 757 air victories to just 103 losses in the Korean War of 1950-1953.

Thumbnail picture of the North American FJ-1 Fury

North American FJ-1 Fury
Though serving in limited numbers for a limited time, the FJ-1 Fury was a major stepping stone in American jet fighter design.

Thumbnail picture of the North American FJ-2 / FJ-3 Fury

North American FJ-2 / FJ-3 Fury
The North American FJ-2 and FJ-3 series of fighters were a swept-back wing version of the original straight-winged FJ-1 Fury of 1947.

Thumbnail picture of the North American FJ-4 Fury

North American FJ-4 Fury
The North American FJ-4 Fury was the final evolution of the Fury fighter line that began with the straight-winged FJ-1 Fury of 1947.

Thumbnail picture of the North American P-51 Mustang

North American P-51 Mustang
The North American P-51 Mustang is arguably the most recognizable and celebrated American fighter of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco

North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco
The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco provided a useful light strike and observation capability for various forces throughout the Cold War years.

Thumbnail picture of the North American T-28 Trojan

North American T-28 Trojan
Despite its trainer origins, the single-engine twin-seat North American T-28 Trojan was successfully used as a combat platform for a time.

Thumbnail picture of the North American T-6 Texan

North American T-6 Texan
The Texan series saw production numbers surpass nearly 16,000 by the end of its run.

Thumbnail picture of the North American X-10

North American X-10
At the time of its development, the unmanned North American X-10 was the fastest turbojet-powered aircraft ever flown - only one survived testing.

Thumbnail picture of the North American X-15

North American X-15
The North American X-15 rocket-powered research aircraft was the culmination of work brought about by a long line of rocket-powered research planes of the 1940s and 1950s.

Thumbnail picture of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie

North American XB-70 Valkyrie
Only two prototypes of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie Mach 3 bomber were constructed before project cancellation.

Thumbnail picture of the North American XF-108 Rapier

North American XF-108 Rapier
The North American XF-108 Rapier only made it to the full-size mockup stage before seeing its cancellation by the USAF.

Thumbnail picture of the North American YF-107 (Ultra Sabre)

North American YF-107 (Ultra Sabre)
The North American YF-107 was based on the North American F-100 Super Sabre though it never developed into a viable production form.

Thumbnail picture of the North American YF-93

North American YF-93
The North American YF-93 was a vastly overhauled offshoot of the classic Korean War-era F-86 Sabre jet fighter.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop F-15 Reporter

Northrop F-15 Reporter
The Northrop F-15 Reporter was an offshoot of the successful P-61 Black Widow fighter line of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop F-20 Tigershark

Northrop F-20 Tigershark
Despite its impressive showing, the Northrop F-20 Tigershark was doomed by the arrival of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighter Falcon.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger / Tiger II

Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger / Tiger II
The Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter grew into the F-5 Tiger II, which sprouted the ill-fated F-20 Tigershark.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop F-89 Scorpion

Northrop F-89 Scorpion
The Northrop F-89 Scorpion jet-powered interceptor provided a decade of Cold War air defense for North America.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye

Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye
Despite its 1960s origins, the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye still provides American carrier battle groups with an advanced eye-in-the-sky monitoring system.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop N-102 Fang

Northrop N-102 Fang
The Northrop N-102 Fang existed as nothing more than a design study for a jet-powered lightweight fighter - the requirement was fulfilled by the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter series.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop P-61 / F-61 Black Widow

Northrop P-61 / F-61 Black Widow
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first American combat aircraft designed specifically for the night-fighting role.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop T-38 Talon

Northrop T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon has managed for itself a storied career - primarily in service with the United States Air Force as a supersonic advanced trainer.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop Tacit Blue

Northrop Tacit Blue
The Northrop Tacit Blue technology demonstrator delivered valuable stealth- and reconnaissance-minded data from 1982 to 1985 before it was retired.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop X-4 Bantam

Northrop X-4 Bantam
The Northrop X-4 Bantam test platform offered data concerning tailless aircraft design.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop XB-35 / YB-35

Northrop XB-35 / YB-35
The futuristic-looking Northrop XB-35 flying wing bomber flew for the first time in 1946 but was cancelled as soon as 1949.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop YA-9

Northrop YA-9
The Northrop YA-9A Close Air Support prototype competed unsuccessfully against the Fairchild Republic YA-10 in a USAF fly-off.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop YB-49

Northrop YB-49
The Northrop YB-49 jet bomber was an evolved form of the earlier piston-powered YB-35 flying wing design.

Thumbnail picture of the Northrop YF-17 (Cobra)

Northrop YF-17 (Cobra)
Originally a product intended for the USAF, the YF-17 Cobra earned her wings with the USN as the FA-18 Hornet.

Thumbnail picture of the OKB-1 EF-131

OKB-1 EF-131
The captured German wartime Junkers Ju 287 jet bomber served as the basis for the Soviet post-war OKB-1 EF-131 prototype.

Thumbnail picture of the OKB-1 EF-140

OKB-1 EF-140
The Soviet OKB-1 EF-140 jet-powered bomber prototype emerged from work immediately done after the close of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the OKB-1 EF-150

OKB-1 EF-150
The OKB-1 EF-150 was intended as a high performance jet-powered bomber for the Soviet Air Force - only one was fully completed but the line was not adopted for service.

Thumbnail picture of the Panavia Tornado ADV (Air Defense Variant)

Panavia Tornado ADV (Air Defense Variant)
The Panavia Tornado ADV is the dedicated Air Interceptor Variant of the successful Tornado fighter-bomber series.

Thumbnail picture of the Panavia Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat / Reconnaissance)

Panavia Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat / Reconnaissance)
The Panavia Tornado ECR forms the second of three major Tornado aircraft variants.

Thumbnail picture of the Panavia Tornado IDS (InterDictor / Strike)

Panavia Tornado IDS (InterDictor / Strike)
The Panavia Tornado became a limited production, specialized strike variant of the famous Panavia Tornado line.

Thumbnail picture of the Petlyakov Pe-2 (Pawn)

Petlyakov Pe-2 (Pawn)
The Petlyakov Pe-2 went on to become the best Soviet light tactical bomber of World War 2 with production netting 11,427 units.

Thumbnail picture of the Petlyakov Pe-8 (TB-7)

Petlyakov Pe-8 (TB-7)
The Petlyakov Pe-8 was the only Soviet-made, four-engined strategic bomber to serve in World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Piasecki H-21 Workhorse

Piasecki H-21 Workhorse
The awkward-looking Piasecki H-21 Workhorse series of tandem-rotor transport helicopters was aptly-nicknamed the Flying Banana.

Thumbnail picture of the Piasecki H-25 (HUP Retriever)

Piasecki H-25 (HUP Retriever)
The Piasecki H-25 series saw over a decade of service with several major naval powers of the world.

Thumbnail picture of the Pilatus PC-7

Pilatus PC-7
Over 600 of the Swiss-originated Pilatus PC-7 basic trainers have been produced since 1966.

Thumbnail picture of the Pilatus PC-9

Pilatus PC-9
Developed from the Pilatus PC-7, the PC-9 serves as a basic and advanced two-seat trainer for many global operators.

Thumbnail picture of the Piper L-4 Grasshopper

Piper L-4 Grasshopper
The exemplary Piper-produced J-3 Cub series of light observation aircraft - which includes the L-4 Grasshopper - has been flying since the 1940s.

Thumbnail picture of the Polikarpov Po-2 (Mule)

Polikarpov Po-2 (Mule)
The Polikarpov Po-2 represents the most-produced biplane of all time.

Thumbnail picture of the PZL I-22 Iryda

PZL I-22 Iryda
Money troubles and a crash of a preproduction example limited the Polish PZL I-22 series advanced jet trainers.

Thumbnail picture of the PZL TS-11 Iskra

PZL TS-11 Iskra
The Polish-originated PZL TS-11 Iskra jet trainer managed a modest production total of 424 units and went on to serve Poland and India.

Thumbnail picture of the PZL W-3 Sokol

PZL W-3 Sokol
The Polish-produced PZL W-3 Sokol has been in service since 1985.

Thumbnail picture of the Radioplane OQ-2

Radioplane OQ-2
The Radioplane OQ-2 aerial target drone was the first quantitative UAV purchase for the United States.

Thumbnail picture of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief

Republic F-105 Thunderchief
The large Republic F-105 Thunderchief was the most technologically advanced aircraft of its type when introduced in the late-1950s.

Thumbnail picture of the Republic F-84 Thunderjet / Thunderstreak

Republic F-84 Thunderjet / Thunderstreak
The Republic F-84 jet-powered fighter suffered through many issues in its early service life - but proved a major player in the Korean War.

Thumbnail picture of the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, nicknamed the Jug, proved itself an unsung hero of World War 2 where it fought across all major theaters of the conflict.

Thumbnail picture of the Republic XF-103 (Thunderwarrior)

Republic XF-103 (Thunderwarrior)
The XF-103 was a Republic response to the Soviet heavy bomber threat of the early Cold War years - a missile-armed, supersonic turbojet-and-ramjet-powered interceptor.

Thumbnail picture of the Republic XF-12 Rainbow

Republic XF-12 Rainbow
The Republic XF-12 Rainbow squared off against the Hughes XF-11 with both losing out thanks to the end of World War 2 and the American shift to jet-powered types.

Thumbnail picture of the Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech

Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech
The Republic XF-84H attempted to mate a turbine engine with a supersonic propeller system but was limited to just two prototypes.

Thumbnail picture of the Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor

Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor
The Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor mated rocket-propelled take-offs with turbojet-controlled landings.

Thumbnail picture of the Rockwell B-1 Lancer

Rockwell B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer strategic bomber evolved from becoming a cancelled product to a nuclear bomber to a conventional bomber during its time aloft.

Thumbnail picture of the Rockwell XFV-12

Rockwell XFV-12
The Rockwell International XFV-12 VTOL system never materialized past the prototype stage.

Thumbnail picture of the Rockwell-MBB X-31 (EFM)

Rockwell-MBB X-31 (EFM)
Two Rockwell-MBB X-31 aircraft were completed to test the nuances of vectored thrust - the series flew into 2003.

Thumbnail picture of the Ryan AQM-91 Firefly / Compass Arrow

Ryan AQM-91 Firefly / Compass Arrow
The stealthy, reconnaissance-minded Ryan AQM-91 Firefly was also known under the name of Compass Arrow during its short time as a long-range reconnaissance drone.

Thumbnail picture of the Ryan FR Fireball

Ryan FR Fireball
The Ryan Fireball was a combination-propulsion fighter design, making use of a radial piston and turbojet engine.

Thumbnail picture of the Ryan X-13 Vertijet

Ryan X-13 Vertijet
Only two prototypes of the Ryan X-13 Vertijet existed, both now museum pieces.

Thumbnail picture of the Ryan XF2R Dark Shark

Ryan XF2R Dark Shark
The XF2R Dark Shark was another Ryan Aeronautical attempt at producing a hybrid turboprop-jet fighter for the US military.

Thumbnail picture of the Saab 105

Saab 105
In service since 1967, the Saab 105 continues to operate for the Austrian and Swedish air services.

Thumbnail picture of the Saab 17

Saab 17
Over 300 Saab Model 17 aircraft were produced for the nations of Austria, Ethiopia, Finland and Sweden from 1941 until 1944.

Thumbnail picture of the Saab B18

Saab B18
The Saab B18 twin-engine medium bomber was a local solution for the Swedish Air Force born during of the fighting of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Saab J21

Saab J21
The Saab J21 appeared at the end of World War 2 as a prop-driven fighter only to later become a fully jet-powered platform in the J21R.

Thumbnail picture of the Saab J29 Tunnan (Barrel)

Saab J29 Tunnan (Barrel)
The Saab J29 became the second locally designed, developed and produced jet aircraft by Sweden in the post-World War 2 period.

Thumbnail picture of the Saab J32 Lansen (Lance)

Saab J32 Lansen (Lance)
The indigenous jet-powered Saab J32 Lansen fighter served a multitude of roles for the Swedish Air Force during - and after - the Cold War.

Thumbnail picture of the Saab J35 Draken (Dragon / Kite)

Saab J35 Draken (Dragon / Kite)
The Saab J 35 Draken was a design ahead of its time, producing the revolutionary double delta wing configuration.

Thumbnail picture of the Saab JA37 Viggen (Thunderbolt)

Saab JA37 Viggen (Thunderbolt)
After 34 years of faithful service to the nation of Sweden, the JA37 Viggen fighter was replaced by the advanced JAS Gripen in 2005.

Thumbnail picture of the Saturn V

Saturn V
The Saturn V rocket series proved crucial to success of the American space program of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Thumbnail picture of the Saunders-Roe SR.53

Saunders-Roe SR.53
The Saunders-Roe rocket-powered interceptor was cancelled by the British government before a first flight had been recorded.

Thumbnail picture of the Saunders-Roe SR.A-1

Saunders-Roe SR.A-1
The Saunders-Roe SR.A-1 was a unique attempt at combining fighter-like capabilities with the qualities of a flying boat.

Thumbnail picture of the Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Pipistrello (Bat)

Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Pipistrello (Bat)
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 survived World War 2 and continued in service until 1950.

Thumbnail picture of the SEPECAT Jaguar

SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar was a joint French/British strike fighter endeavor that saw action in several notable conflicts of the 1990s.

Thumbnail picture of the Shaanxi Y-8 (Yunshuji-8)

Shaanxi Y-8 (Yunshuji-8)
First flying in 1974, the PLA Air Force still makes use of the An-12-based Shaanxi Y-8 turboprop-powered transport.

Thumbnail picture of the Shenyang (AVIC) J-13

Shenyang (AVIC) J-13
The Shenyang J-13 air superiority platform was to place China as a major player on the world stage concerning fighter design - development troubles doomed it.

Thumbnail picture of the Shenyang (AVIC) J-5 (Fresco)

Shenyang (AVIC) J-5 (Fresco)
The Chinese-originated Shenyang J-5 fighter had roots in the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 Fresco - production reached nearly 2,000 units.

Thumbnail picture of the Shenyang (AVIC) J-6 / F-6 (Farmer)

Shenyang (AVIC) J-6 / F-6 (Farmer)
The Shenyang J-6 was nothing more than a direct copy of the Soviet-era Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 Farmer jet-powered fighter.

Thumbnail picture of the Shin Meiwa US-1 / PS-1

Shin Meiwa US-1 / PS-1
The Shin Meiwa maritime patrol flying boat was developed to a JMSDF requirement during the late-1960s.

Thumbnail picture of the Short 360

Short 360
Just 165 of the robust Short Brothers Model 360 fixed-wing transports were produced from 1981 until 1991.

Thumbnail picture of the Short C-23 Sherpa

Short C-23 Sherpa
The Short C-23 Sherpa continues to serve US Army forces as a multirole STOL performer.

Thumbnail picture of the Short S25 Sunderland

Short S25 Sunderland
The British Short Sunderland became one the finest flying boat aircraft to serve in World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Short S38 Sturgeon

Short S38 Sturgeon
The Short Sturgeon began as a war-time torpedo bomber but saw a bulk of its service days as a target tug for the British Royal Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Short S45 Solent

Short S45 Solent
The Short Solent series was the last in the long line of flying boat aircraft for the Short Brothers company.

Thumbnail picture of the Short Skyvan

Short Skyvan
Despite its modest production numbers, the Short Skyvan has been a well-liked fixed wing platform for many users worldwide.

Thumbnail picture of the Short Stirling

Short Stirling
The Short Stirling four-engined bomber made up a large contingent of RAF heavy bombing capability at one point during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Short Tucano

Short Tucano
Short Brothers of Belfast, Ireland manufactures the Short Tucano - a basic trainer for the Royal Air Force and a few others.

Thumbnail picture of the Siebel Si-204

Siebel Si-204
Over 1,200 Siebel Si-204 aircraft were built and these served several wartime and post-World War 2 participants.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave

Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave
Introduced in the mid-1950s, the Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave was used by American forces for a time during the Vietnam War.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion

Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion
The Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion was introduced to American forces in 1966 and still sees active service today in slightly varied forms.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion
The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a modified heavy-lift helicopter based on the Vietnam War-era CH-53 Sea Stallion with improvements throughout.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe / Erickson S-64 Skycrane

Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe / Erickson S-64 Skycrane
The unique Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane heavy-lift helicopter also spawned a military form in the CH-54 Tarhe for the United States Army.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw

Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw
The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw series of multi-purpose helicopter has seen extensive use with forces from all over the globe.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky H-34 / CH-34 Choctaw

Sikorsky H-34 / CH-34 Choctaw
The Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw served with the USAF, US Army, USMC, USN and the USCG during its tenure in American hands.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky H-5

Sikorsky H-5
The Sikorsky H-5 was a further development of the R-4 and saw combat exposure during the Korean War.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky HH-3 Pelican

Sikorsky HH-3 Pelican

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant

Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant
The Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant distinguished itself in rescue operations of downed American airmen throughout the Vietnam War.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky MH-53 (Pave Low)

Sikorsky MH-53 (Pave Low)
The mammoth Sikorksy MH-53 Pave Low series of helicopters proved critical to US Special Forces operations all over the globe.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky S-43 (Baby Clipper)

Sikorsky S-43 (Baby Clipper)
Sikorsky introduced their S-43 flying boat during the pre-war 1930s and built some 53 of the type for service locally and overseas.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk

Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk
Only one Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk was ever completed and this was lost to a fatal crash in September of 1974.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky S-72 (X-Wing)

Sikorsky S-72 (X-Wing)
The Sikorsky S-72 experimental helicopter of the late-Cold War period was used to test a compound helicopter design - two flyable prototypes were completed before the end.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky S-76

Sikorsky S-76
The Sikorsky S-76, a medium-class hauler, has proven a modest commercial success for Sikorsky Aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King
The hugely-successful Sikorsky S-61 platform has been adapted to a wide variety of roles including ASW, SAR, VIP transport and AEW forms globally.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk

Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk
The Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk has proven a capable maritime performer with several of the world's leading navies.

Thumbnail picture of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is the workhorse of many-an-army over the battlefields of today.

Thumbnail picture of the SNCAC (Aerocentre) NC.1080

SNCAC (Aerocentre) NC.1080
The SNCAC NC.1080 single-seat fighter was part of the post-World War 2 rebuilding phase of France - just one was completed.

Thumbnail picture of the SNCAC Martinet

SNCAC Martinet
While a German-designed aircraft, the SNCAC Martinet was produced by French aero-industry in the post-World War 2 period.

Thumbnail picture of the SNCASE S.E.212 (Durandal)

SNCASE S.E.212 (Durandal)
The SNCASE S.E.212 Durandal attempted to provide a viable mixed-propulsion interceptor aircraft - the program yielded just two prototypes.

Thumbnail picture of the SNCASE S.E.5000 (Baroudeur)

SNCASE S.E.5000 (Baroudeur)
The rebuilding French aviation industry of the 1950s needed developments like the SNCASE Baroudeur to overcome various challenges.

Thumbnail picture of the SOKO G-2 Galeb (Seagull)

SOKO G-2 Galeb (Seagull)
Nearly 250 of the SOKO G-2 Galeb jet-powered aircraft were built by Yugoslavia during the Cold War, these going on to serve with various air services worldwide.

Thumbnail picture of the SOKO G-4 Super Galeb (Super Seagull)

SOKO G-4 Super Galeb (Super Seagull)
The dual-role advanced SOKO G-4 trainer survived the Yugoslav war of the 1990s and still maintains a presence in todays military airspace.

Thumbnail picture of the SOKO J-21 Jastreb (Hawk)

SOKO J-21 Jastreb (Hawk)
Just over 100 of the SOKO J-21 Jastreb ligth attack aircraft were produced for various global operators during the Cold War decades.

Thumbnail picture of the SOKO J-22 Orao (Eagle)

SOKO J-22 Orao (Eagle)
Designed and developed when there was still a unified Yugoslavia, the SOKO J-22 now serves Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia separately.

Thumbnail picture of the Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103)

Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103)
Space Shuttle Discovery became the third American shuttle to enter service, joining the Columbia and the Challenger - both later lost in accidents.

Thumbnail picture of the Stinson L-5 Sentinel

Stinson L-5 Sentinel
The Stinson L-5 Sentinel series was specifically developed for service in World War 2 as a liaison platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Sud-Ouest / SNCASE SE 580

Sud-Ouest / SNCASE SE 580
The Sud-Ouest SE.580 was in development during World War 2 but cancelled in 1947 with the arrival of the jet age.

Thumbnail picture of the Sud-Ouest SO 4050 Vautour

Sud-Ouest SO 4050 Vautour
The capable French Sud-Ouest Vautour line would later be replaced by the more advanced Dassault Mirage F1 series fighter jets.

Thumbnail picture of the Sud-Ouest SO 6000 Triton

Sud-Ouest SO 6000 Triton
Origins of the French Sud-Ouest Triton were in clandestine work begun during World War 2 by engineer Lucien Servanty.

Thumbnail picture of the Sud-Ouest SO 8000 Narval

Sud-Ouest SO 8000 Narval
Two prototypes of the SNCASO SO.8000 Narval were completed and flown - the company hoping to sell the design to the French Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Sud-Ouest SO 9000 Trident

Sud-Ouest SO 9000 Trident
A dozen supersonic-capable SO.9000 Trident mixed-power interceptor aircraft were completed by French aero-industry.

Thumbnail picture of the Sud-Ouest SO.2400 (Grognard)

Sud-Ouest SO.2400 (Grognard)
The Sud-Ouest Grognard was a notable attempt to bring French aero-industry back into the fold following the close of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi P-1 (Perekhvatchuk-1)

Sukhoi P-1 (Perekhvatchuk-1)
The Sukhoi P-1 was intended as an interceptor solution for the Soviet Union during the early-Cold War years - it failed in this regard as a single prototype was all that was completed.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-11 (Fishpot-C)

Sukhoi Su-11 (Fishpot-C)
Improvements brought about to the Sukhoi Su-9 Fishpot series of Soviet interceptors gave rise to the Sukhoi Su-11 line.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-15 (Flagon)

Sukhoi Su-15 (Flagon)
Like many other Cold War-era Soviet interceptors, the Sukhoi Su-15 Flagon was charged with defending Soviet airspace against incursions by Western bombers and spyplanes.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-15 (Samolet P)

Sukhoi Su-15 (Samolet P)
The Sukhoi Su-15 interceptor prototype entry of 1949 failed to impress and was ultimately limited to just a single prototype.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-17 / Su-20 / Su-22 (Fitter)

Sukhoi Su-17 / Su-20 / Su-22 (Fitter)
The Soviet Sukhoi Su-17 Fitter - and its export derivatives, the Su-20 and Su-22 - were swing-wing developments of the original Su-7 Fitter fixed-wing design.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-20 (Fitter-C)

Sukhoi Su-20 (Fitter-C)
The Sukhoi Su-20 Fitter-C was nothing more than an export version of the Su-17 Fitter series.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-24 (Fencer)

Sukhoi Su-24 (Fencer)
Even after its Cold War-era decades of service, the nuclear-capable Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer strike platform still presents a lethal foe and is in active use with Russia and others.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-25 (Frogfoot)

Sukhoi Su-25 (Frogfoot)
Due to her distinct battlefield role and Soviet roots, the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot was likened to the legendary Ilyushin IL-2 Sturmovik attack aircraft series of World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-27 (Flanker)

Sukhoi Su-27 (Flanker)
The Soviet-Russian Su-27 Flanker series ushered in a new era of Russian military aircraft design - becoming one of the finest combat aircraft of its time.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-7 (Fitter-A)

Sukhoi Su-7 (Fitter-A)
The Sukhoi Su-7 Fitter-A was produced in nearly 1,850 examples with over a quarter of these made available for export.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-9 (Fishpot)

Sukhoi Su-9 (Fishpot)
The Sukhoi Su-9 Fishpot interceptor was typical of Soviet high-speed aircraft design for the Cold War period.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi Su-9 / Su-11 / Su-13 (1946)

Sukhoi Su-9 / Su-11 / Su-13 (1946)
Captured German wartime technology allowed the Soviets to advance their jet fighter programs such as the Sukhoi Su-9 series.

Thumbnail picture of the Sukhoi T-4 (Sotka)

Sukhoi T-4 (Sotka)
The Sukhoi T-4 was envisioned as the Soviet answer to the North American XB-70 Valkyrie - though neither aircraft saw formal adoption into service.

Thumbnail picture of the Supermarine Attacker

Supermarine Attacker
The Supermarine Attacker was the first jet-powered fighter used by the British Royal Navy carrier groups.

Thumbnail picture of the Supermarine Scimitar

Supermarine Scimitar
The Scimitar was a capable carrierborne fighter and the last product of the fabled Supermarine aircraft firm.

Thumbnail picture of the Supermarine Sea Otter

Supermarine Sea Otter
Nearly 300 Sea Otter amphibians were completed by the storied Supermarine concern - these seeing service in World War 2 and beyond.

Thumbnail picture of the Supermarine Seafang

Supermarine Seafang
The Supermarine Seafang was intended as a future Royal Navy carrier-based fighter in the mold of the classic Spitfire series.

Thumbnail picture of the Supermarine Seafire

Supermarine Seafire
The carrierborne Supermarine Seafire was a derivative of the highly successful Supermarine land-based Spitfire.

Thumbnail picture of the Supermarine Spitfire

Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire became the undisputed champion of the British cause during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Supermarine Stranraer

Supermarine Stranraer
The Supermarine Stranraer was the last of the line of biplane flying boats to be accepted into service with the RAF.

Thumbnail picture of the Supermarine Swift

Supermarine Swift
The Supermarine Swift never lived up to the intended purpose of high-level interception and was instead relegated to low-level reconnaissance duties.

Thumbnail picture of the Tadiran Mastiff

Tadiran Mastiff
Combat experience in the 1970s drove the Israeli Defense Force to develop such measures as the Tadiran Mastiff Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Thumbnail picture of the TEMCO TT-1 Pinto

TEMCO TT-1 Pinto
The TEMCO TT-1 Pinto proved itself a short-lived jet-powered trainer experiment for the United States Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Transall C-160

Transall C-160
The Franco-German C-160 transport aircraft is still going strong after 40 years of faithful service.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-114

Tupolev Tu-114
The Soviet Tu-95 military reconnaissance aircraft formed the basis of the Cold War-era Tupolev Tu-114 medium-range passenger airliner.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-123 (Yastreb) / (DBR-1)

Tupolev Tu-123 (Yastreb) / (DBR-1)
Over fifty of the Tupolev Tu-123 Yastreb reconnaissance drones were produced for the Soviet Union from the mid-1960s into the early-1970s.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-126 (Moss)

Tupolev Tu-126 (Moss)
The Tupolev Tu-126 Moss was a serviceable Airborne Early Warning and Control platform developed from a modified Tu-114 airliner.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-134 (Crusty)

Tupolev Tu-134 (Crusty)
Introduced in 1967, the Tupolev Tu-134 managed a healthy production total of some 850 aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-142 (Bear)

Tupolev Tu-142 (Bear)
The Tupolev Tu-142 Bear was an Anti-Submarine Warfare offshoot of the original Tu-95 Bear family line appearing during the Cold War.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-144 (Charger)

Tupolev Tu-144 (Charger)
The Tupolev Tu-144 Charger became the worlds first commercial airliner to break Mach 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-154 (Careless)

Tupolev Tu-154 (Careless)
The Tupolev Tu-154 has had a tainted service record since its inception - a mix of crew errors, stresses of harsh operating environments and accidents.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-16 (Badger)

Tupolev Tu-16 (Badger)
The Tu-16 Badger was one of the most important medium aircraft of the USSR during the Cold War.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-160 (Blackjack)

Tupolev Tu-160 (Blackjack)
The Tupolev Tu-160 Black Jack is currently the largest and heaviest swing-wing bomber in service.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-2 (Bat)

Tupolev Tu-2 (Bat)
The Tupolev Tu-2 Bat served a variety of critical frontline roles for the Soviet Air Force in World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-22 (Blinder)

Tupolev Tu-22 (Blinder)
The Tu-22 Blinder medium bomber began service in the 1960s and was retired in the 1990s.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-22M (Backfire)

Tupolev Tu-22M (Backfire)
The Tupolev Tu-22M Backfire was a supersonic swing-wing development related to the original 1960s-era Tu-22 Blinder Medium Bomber.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-28 / Tu-128 (Fiddler)

Tupolev Tu-28 / Tu-128 (Fiddler)
The Tupolev Tu-28 became the largest and heaviest dedicated interceptor ever adopted by any national air arm.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-4 (Bull)

Tupolev Tu-4 (Bull)
The Tupolev Tu-4 Bull was nothing more than a Soviet reverse-engineered copy of the famous American Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-80

Tupolev Tu-80
The Tupolev Tu-80 existed in a single prototype form born from the Tu-4 Bull program, itself a copy of the American Boeing B-29.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-85

Tupolev Tu-85
Two prototypes of the Tupolev Tu-85 heavy bomber existed though the series was not adopted for production.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear)

Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear)
The Tupolev Tu-95 Bear evolved from several earlier Tupolev projects including the Tu-4 Bull, a copy of the American Boeing B-29.

Thumbnail picture of the Tupolev Tu-98 (Backfin)

Tupolev Tu-98 (Backfin)
Only a single prototype of the Tupolev Tu-98 Backfin bomber was ever completed.

Thumbnail picture of the Vickers Valiant

Vickers Valiant
The Vickers Valiant was the beginning of the V-Bomber trio of strategic bombers for the Royal Air Force.

Thumbnail picture of the Vickers VC10

Vickers VC10
Appearing in both civilian and military guises, the Vickers VC10 managed production into the 1970s and service well beyond that.

Thumbnail picture of the VL Myrsky (Storm)

VL Myrsky (Storm)
The indigenous Finnish VL Myrsky fighter series led a relatively short operational life and saw limited production numbers.

Thumbnail picture of the VL Pyorremyrsky (Whirlwind)

VL Pyorremyrsky (Whirlwind)
The VL Pyorremyrsky became a rare wartime Finnish aircraft development - only one flyable form was completed before the end.

Thumbnail picture of the Vought / LTV A-7 Corsair II

Vought / LTV A-7 Corsair II
The LTV A-7 Cosair II strike platform was developed as a replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk line and was based on the successful Vought F-8 Crusader design.

Thumbnail picture of the Vought F4U Corsair

Vought F4U Corsair
The fast and powerful Vought F4U Corsair fighter was the first Allied aircraft capable of going toe-to-toe with the fabled Japanese Zero - it fought into the Korean War years and beyond.

Thumbnail picture of the Vought F6U Pirate

Vought F6U Pirate
The Vought F6U Pirate achieved limited production totals but was never introduced for formal frontline service into the U.S. Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Vought F7U Cutlass

Vought F7U Cutlass
Engine issues and an unenviable accident record eventually doomed the interesting Vought F7U Cutlass carrier-based fighter of the United States Navy.

Thumbnail picture of the Vought F-8 Crusader

Vought F-8 Crusader
The storied Vought F-8 Crusader carrier-based fighter served in an operational role for over 40 years with the United States, the Philippines, and France.

Thumbnail picture of the Vought V-173 (Flying Pancake)

Vought V-173 (Flying Pancake)
The Vought V-173 was certainly one of the more unique fighter forms to come out of testing during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Vought XF5U (Flying Flapjack)

Vought XF5U (Flying Flapjack)
Of the two XF5U airframes built by Vought for the US Navy, only one was ever completed - ending her days as a museum showpiece.

Thumbnail picture of the Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III

Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III
The Chance Vought XF8U-3 was born from the F-8 Crusader design and competed unsuccessfully against the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II prototype.

Thumbnail picture of the Westland Dragonfly (WS-51)

Westland Dragonfly (WS-51)
Fewer than 135 of the Westland WS-51 Dragonfly series helicopter were produced for the British military and others during the early-1950s.

Thumbnail picture of the Westland Lysander

Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander arrived just in time to do battle in World War 2 and saw considerable service in the period following the Grand Conflict.

Thumbnail picture of the Westland Wyvern

Westland Wyvern
The Westland Wyvern became the first British ship-based turboprop-powered fighter and the only such aircraft to see combat service - this during the Suez Crisis of 1956.

Thumbnail picture of the Xian H-6

Xian H-6
The Xian H-6 became essentially nothing more than a Chinese licensed production copy of the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-16 medium strategic bomber series - fewer than 200 have been produced.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-15 (Feather)

Yakovlev Yak-15 (Feather)
The Yakovlev Yak-15 mated the German Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engine with a highly-modified airframe of the Yak-3 piston-powered fighter.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-17

Yakovlev Yak-17
The Yakovlev Yak-17 is a direct development of the jet-powered Yak-15 type.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-18 (Max)

Yakovlev Yak-18 (Max)
The Soviet-era Yakovlev Yak-18 lived a long and storied operational life with fewer than 50 reportedly flying today.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-23

Yakovlev Yak-23
The Soviet Yak-23 was the ultimate development of the Yak-15 and Yak-17 series of turobojet-powered post-war aircraft.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-25 (Flashlight / Mandrake)

Yakovlev Yak-25 (Flashlight / Mandrake)
The Yakovlev Yak-25 served mainly in the reconnaissance role over the vast Soviet Frontier.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-28 (Brewer / Firebar)

Yakovlev Yak-28 (Brewer / Firebar)
The Yakovlev Yak-28 proved a useful multirole performer for the Soviet Union during the Cold War years, seeing service as a bomber, interceptor and specialist platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-30

Yakovlev Yak-30
The swept-wing Yakovlev Yak-30 jet-powered interceptor prototype was a further evolution of the abandoned straight-wing Yak-25 design of 1947.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-30 (Magnum)

Yakovlev Yak-30 (Magnum)
The Yakovlev Yak-30 jet-powered advanced trainer project yielded just four flyable examples before it met its end.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-36 (Freehand)

Yakovlev Yak-36 (Freehand)
Four Yakovlev Yak-36 Freehand aircraft were completed for testing of a viable Vertical Short Take-Off and Landing aircraft platform.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-38 (Forger)

Yakovlev Yak-38 (Forger)
The Yakovlev Yak-38 Forger was something of the Soviet answer to the VTOL British Harrier jump jet of the West.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-41 (Freestyle / Yak-141)

Yakovlev Yak-41 (Freestyle / Yak-141)
The Yakovlev Yak-41 Freestyle was a promising VTOL naval fighter derailed by Soviet events of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-44

Yakovlev Yak-44
Only a full-sized mockup of the Yakovlev Yak-44 was ever produced, the fall of the Soviet Empire derailing all further development.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-50

Yakovlev Yak-50
The impressive Yakovlev Yak-50 jet-powered interceptor prototype was developed to a standing Soviet Air Force requirement - it was not selected.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-50 (1975)

Yakovlev Yak-50 (1975)
The Yakovlev Yak-50 series of basic trainers were produced for over a decade and ultimately numbered 314 total aircraft completed.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-52

Yakovlev Yak-52
The Yakovlev Yak-52 basic two-seat trainer was developed from the preceding Yak-50 series of one-seat airframes.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-7

Yakovlev Yak-7
The Yakovlev Yak-7 formed a valuable portion of the capable Yakovlev stable of fighter aircraft for the Soviet Air Force during World War 2.

Thumbnail picture of the Yakovlev Yak-9 (Frank)

Yakovlev Yak-9 (Frank)
The Soviet Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter was developed from an experimental version of the earlier Yak-7 product.