military aircraft...

Latest Military Aircraft News

    Bases Chosen for Fighter Jet - The Air Force has chosen bases in Arizona, Florida, Utah and Vermont as homes for the military?s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
    Lockheed Says Several Parts for F-35s Are Failing - a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/business/28fighter.html?partner=rssnytemc=rss"img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/07/28/business/Fighter/Fighter-thumbStandard.jpg" border="0" height="75" width="75" hspace="4" align="left"/aThe parts problem is slowing flight testing on a model of the F-35 tailored for the Marines.
    Panel Seen Approving F-35 Engine, Risking Veto - a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/us/politics/27engine.html?partner=rssnytemc=rss"img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/07/27/business/Engine/Engine-thumbStandard.jpg" border="0" height="75" width="75" hspace="4" align="left"/aDespite increasing calls for deficit reduction, one program opposed by the White House ? an alternate engine for the joint strike fighter ? so far refuses to die.
    Airbus Makes a Late Entrance - a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/business/global/19iht-ravmilt.html?partner=rssnytemc=rss"img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/07/19/business/19iht-ravmilt_337-span/19iht-ravmilt_337-395-thumbStandard.jpg" border="0" height="75" width="75" hspace="4" align="left"/aIt is big-bellied, overweight, over-budget and overdue. But for four days this week, the Airbus A400M military transporter will be the star of the Farnborough international air show.
    Canada?s Defense Chief Rejects Criticism of F-35 Jet - Peter MacKay, the country?s defense minister, said the government would spend about 9 billion Canadian dollars, or $6.77 billion, to buy 65 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin.
    Canada Plans to Buy F-35s, but Hurdles Remain - a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/business/global/16fighter.html?partner=rssnytemc=rss"img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/07/16/business/16Fighter/16Fighter-thumbStandard.jpg" border="0" height="75" width="75" hspace="4" align="left"/aThe Canadian government wants to buy 65 Lockheed Martin fighter jets, but its air force rarely even enters combat.
    Boeing Bids for Tanker, and Reshapes 767 Production - a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/business/10tanker.html?partner=rssnytemc=rss"img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/07/10/business/10Boeing/10Boeing-thumbStandard.jpg" border="0" height="75" width="75" hspace="4" align="left"/aThe aircraft maker submitted a bid for a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract and said it would cut costs on the production line to compete with its rival.
    Qaeda Leader Reported Killed in Pakistan - A local commander for Al Qaeda was among eight militants reported killed in a drone strike in South Waziristan.

 

Introduction to Military Aircraft

Military aircraft designed primarily for attacking strategic enemy targets and to gain air superiority. The bomber is designed to attack ground targets using bombs and air to surface missiles. Fighters in comparison are small, fast, and maneuverable and are the means by which air forces achieve superiority in the air. The term military aircraft also encompasses helicopters, reconnaissance, tankers and supply aircraft.

Key dates

1907: US Army specification far 2 seater military airplane with top speed of 64kph (40mph) and a range of 200km (125 miles).

1910: First demonstration of projectiles being dropped from a military aircraft.

1910: German patent taken out for a device allow fixed machine gun from an airplane.

1912: First British armed aircraft, Vickers FB1 ordered by Admiralty. Royal Flying Corps formed.

1913: First aerial combat takes place in Mexican civil War.

1914: First World War begins heralding a new era in aviation.

1915: Aerial bombardment of London by Zeppelin LZ-38. First flight of the all metal Junkers J1

1916: The emergence of Fighter aces begins

1917: First ever land on a ship under way carried out by E. H. Dunning in a Sopwith Pup.

1921: First sinking of a battle ship by an aircraft.

1922: This aircraft carrier USS Langley enters service.

1930: Frank Whittle a 23 year old RAF officer patents the jet engine.

1935: A prototype Douglas DC3 flies for the first time

1939: The second World War begins. The world's first jet aircraft the prototype Heinkle Hr-178 flies

1941: Carrier launched attack on Pearl Harbor. The He-280 becomes the first operational jet fighter.

1942: Me-262 exceeds 539 mph in test flights.

1944: The first V2 missiles are fired at London. The first Japanese Kamikaze mission are carried out.

1945: The B-29 Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

1947: The Bell X-1 flown by Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier.

1950: A Mig-15 and F-80 Shooting Star carry out the first all jet combat.

1953: Scott Crossfield exceeds Mach 2 in a Douglas D-558-2.

1959: Gary Powers flying a U2 is shot down over the USSR.

1965: SR-71 Blackbird exceeds Mach 3.