The F-111 Aardvark flew 4000 combat missions during the Vietnam War, struck Libya in 1986, and saw action during Operation Desert Storm. Originally designed as a medium-range fighter-bomber, the versatile aircraft proved its meddle as a strategic bomber, tractical strike aircraft, and reconnaissance platform. When it debuted in 1964, the F-111 ushered in a new era. Equipped with variable-geometry wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and terrain-following radar, the high-tech F-111 was truly groundbreaking. Originally printed by General Dynamics and the United States Air Force in the 1960s,...

The Air Force's first all-jet strategic bomber, the swept-wing Boeing B-47 Stratojet had a range of 3,500 nautical miles and a payload capacity of 20,000 pounds. It served as the mainstay of Strategic Air Command in the 1950s into the mid 1960s. The B-47 was an outgrowth of WWII research and development efforts, and the prototype aircraft first flew in December of 1947. The unique six-jet design featured twin engine pods on the wing near the fuselage, and one outboard. It also incorporated an elegant bicycle-type landing gear with two-wheel struts on the forward and aft fuselage and outrigger...

Designed by Douglas Aircraft Co.'s brilliant engineer Ed Heinemann, the turbojet powered, delta-wing A-4 Skyhawk played a key role in conflicts from Vietnam to the Falklands and Yom Kippur Wars. The Skyhawk was intended to replace the venerable Skyraider as a carrier-based, ground attack aircraft, yet Heinemann's design looked nothing like its predecessor. Its small, lightweight airframe was so compact that its wings did not even have to be folded for carrier stowage, and it surpassed the Navy's design specification for weight by nearly 100%. No wonder the nimble jet was dubbed "Heinemann's...

Built as both a fighter-interceptor and fighter-bomber, the F-86 Sabre (sometimes called the Sabrejet) was one of the most widely-produced fighters of the Cold War. In December of 1950, three squadrons of Sabres were rushed into combat in Korea, where they dueled North Korean, Chinese and Russian pilots flying the MiG-15. By the time the war was over, F-86 pilots achieved a stunning victory ratio - destroying nearly 800 enemy aircraft with a loss of only 76 Sabres. The nimble jet also saw combat in the Taiwan Straight Crisis and the Indo-Pakistan Wars of 1965 and 1971. Originally printed by...

The first ICBM to be developed and deployed by the United States, the Atlas had a range of 5500 nautical miles and could achieve a speed of 15,500 mph. Depending on configuration, it could be equipped with either a W-49 (1.45 megaton) or W-38 (4.5 megaton) thermonuclear warhead. The Atlas' development can be traced to a series of research and development studies performed in the wake of WWII by the Convair company. These led to the company winning a contract in 1951 for a long range missile. The three-engine XSM-65A design that eventually emerged featured a thin skin, inflated by internal...

The first ICBM to be developed and deployed by the United States, the Atlas had a range of 5500 nautical miles and could achieve a speed of 15,500 mph. Depending on configuration, it could be equipped with either a W-49 (1.45 megaton) or W-38 (4.5 megaton) thermonuclear warhead. The Atlas' development can be traced to a series of research and development studies performed in the wake of WWII by the Convair company. These led to the company winning a contract in 1951 for a long range missile. The three-engine XSM-65A design that eventually emerged featured a thin skin, inflated by internal...

Created by famed Lockheed designer Kelly Johnson, the F-104 Starfighter was designed to compete with Soviet Mig-15s. Equipped with a huge and powerful J79 engine, the aircraft could reach speeds well in excess of Mach 2.0, while its thin, trapezoidal wing provided extremely low drag with terrific acceleration and rate of climb. Unforgiving and sensitive to control inputs, the F-104 killed many pilots and developed a reputation as a "widow-maker." Despite its shortcomings, the Starfighter enjoyed a long career. It flew in the air support role during "Rolling Thunder" in the Vietnam War. It...