When it comes to aviation, I can’t help but think of Orville and Wilbur Wright. After all, they paved the way for aviation as it exists today. Without their historic flight on December 17th, 1903, who’s to say where aviation would currently be. The Wright Brothers achieved this feat using their “Wright Flyer” aircraft, which [...]
The MiG-31 Foxhound is one of the fastest combat jets in the world. The Mikoyan MiG-31 (NATO codename Foxhound) was developed by Soviet Air Forces to replace the MiG-25 "Foxbat." Introduced in 1970, the Foxbat was among the fastest military aircraft ever developed. But it had its fair share of issues; while the Foxbat was [...]
Of the 17 known to exist, there are only two airworthy Lancasters are left in the entire world. The Lancaster was used extensively during World War II. The handsome planes dropped a total of 608,612 long tons of bombs between 1942 and 1945. The Avro Lancaster was the primary British aircraft used for bombing until [...]
When it comes to stealth planes, the B-2 often comes to mind. The B-2 stealth bomber began its life as a grey project for the US Air Force by Northrop Grumman. It began being produced in 1987 and made its first flight in July of 1989. Armament Since this plane is designed as [...]
If you fancy yourself a hipster, you might want to stay away from the Cessna 172. Why, you might ask? Because more Cessna 172 aircraft have been built than any other aircraft. Seriously. The Cessna Skyhawk is the most successful aircraft in history, due to its longevity and popularity. Production models were first [...]
Military aircraft are a bit like fashion models: as soon as they show even the slightest signs of age, they are pulled from the runway. Understandably so. Putting our nation’s military pilots at risk for the sake of a few extra miles is not something the United States is keen on doing. In spite of [...]
Sit. Stay. Good plane. https://youtu.be/lF_w9bq8vyc XFV "Salmon" Trust us: there's nothing super fishy about this plane, even if you question the ability of a plane to "sit" on its tail. This experimental "tail sitter" prototype originated from a proposal by the U.S. Navy in 1948. They were looking for an aircraft that was capable of [...]
If the Wright Brothers ever got a chance to see this plane, they would look at each other, high-five, and say “Dude” in true surfer fashion. Yea, this plane is that impressive. This double-deck jet airliner is currently the largest passenger jet in the skies. The Airbus A380 made its first flight on April 25th, [...]
The Spruce Goose: an incredible feat of modern engineering and one of the most famous aircraft in the history of flight. Howard Hughes – in modern times (shamefully) known best as the character that Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed in The Aviator – will go down in history as an aviation revolutionary, a brilliant thinker, and a [...]
1 if by land, 2 if by sea, 3 if by air, 4 if...all of the above. The Albatross is a special plane...or it's a very special boat (really, it's both). How? Because this craft is not just an aircraft: it's a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat. Really. Operational History The Grumman HU-16 Albatross was an improvement [...]
