Aircraft
Nighthawk, Nieuport British fighter biplane
The Nightjar was a British carrier based fighter aircraft of the early 1920s. It was a modification of the earlier Nieuport Nighthawk fighter produced by Gloster after the Nieuport & General Company, who designed the Nighthawk closed down. 22 were converted, serving with the British Royal Air Force from 1922 to 1924. The Nieuport Nighthawk, designed by H P Folland…
Most Recent
North American XB-28 Dragon
North American XB-28 with painted finish. (U.S. Air Force photo) Model by Gunther Arnold DEVELOPMENT On November 15, 1939, the USAAC gave NAA a contract to build a single prototype twin-engine high-altitude medium bomber. This contract for the latest aircraft, designated as the XB-28 (NA-63), came only two months after…
Martin XB-48
Martin XB-48 taxiing, showing, tandem main gear and nacelle outriggers The XB-48 was Martin’s first jet bomber. Designed from Air Force specifications delineated in 1944, the XB-48 competed against North American’s XB-45, Convair’s XB-46, and Boeing’s XB-47. With the competition set, Martin proceeded with the six-engine straight-wing XB-48. Housed on…
Boeing XB-15
A Case of Gigantism. The Boeing XB-15 shown here was the largest airplane in the world when it was completed in 1937. Although an important step in large bomber development, the plane was slow and underpowered. With a wingspan of 149ft and a maximum take-off weight of 70,706lb, the Boeing…
Variants of the ‘Man in the Missile’ Starfighter
By: Raul Colon ‘Man on a Missile’, that’s how many Starfighter pilots referred to their experience flying one of the most intriguing aircraft ever developed: the Lockheed F-104. From its conception, the Starfighter was one of the most revolutionary airplanes in the history of aviation. Its clean lines, powerful engine…
Curtiss XP-55 Ascender
A rare colour image of the first XP-55 during an early test flight. On 15 November 1943, test pilot Harvey Gray was carrying out high level stall tests, when the aircraft suddenly entered an inverted spin from which he was unable to recover. He exited the aircraft safely before it…
Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu
The Ki 45 was Japan’s first twin-engine fighter and its most successful night fighter. It also served capably in a variety of missions, including ground attack, antishipping, and kamikaze. The Kawasaki Ki-45 required more time to develop and place in service than almost every other Japanese warplane of World War…