US Mil.Aircraft

File: U.S. Military Aircraft

Report: Compiled by Calvin W. Lew

Last Updated: 30 October 2002

Designator Name Manufacturer

Wright 1909 Military Flyer Upon being purchased by the Signal Corps for $30,000 on August 2, 1909, the original airplane was redesignated Signal Corps Airplane No. 1, the world's first military heavier-than-air flying machine. It was used in October 1909 for giving flight instructions to Lts. Frank P. Lahm and Frederic E. Humphreys, and in 1910 it was used by Lt. Benjamin D. Foulois to teach himself how to fly. By March 1911, the airplane was no longer fit for use and was retired. It is now on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

SPECIFICATIONS: Span: 36 ft. 6 in. Length: 28 ft.11 in. Height: 7 ft. 10 1/2 in. Weight: 740 lbs. Engine: Four cylinder Wright of 30.6 hp. Cost: $25,000 plus $5000 bonus

PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: 42 mph. Maximum endurance: 1 hr. (approx.).

Wright 1911 Modified “B” Flyer This modified version of the Wright "B" Flyer, was the first model produced in quantity by the Wright Brothers. It is representative of Signal Corps Aeroplanes No. 3 and No. 4, purchased by the Army in 1911 and used for training pilots and in aerial experiments. At College Park, Md., in Oct. 1911, a Wright "B" was used for the first military trials of a bombsight and bomb-dropping device.

The major modifications of this airplane are the installation of an eight-cylinder Rausenberger engine in place of the orginal four-cylinder Wright engine and the addition of ailerons on the trailing edges of the wings in place of the Wright's lever control system.

SPECIFICATIONS: Span: 39 ft. Length: 28 ft. Height: 8 ft. 9 in. Weight: 1,400 lbs. loaded. Armament: None. Engine: Eight-cylinder Rausenberger of 75 hp. Cost: $5000.

PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: 45 mph. Maximum endurance: 2 hr.

Curtis 1911 Model D The Curtiss 1911 Model D Type IV pusher was the second military airplane purchased by the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Known as Signal Corps Airplane No. 2, it was accepted at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on April 27, 1911, one of five airplanes ordered by the Army that year. The military Model D is similar to the Curtiss Standard D pusher, having a tricycle landing gear and interplane ailerons, but the ailerons are attached to the rear instead of the front interplane struts. The wings were made in sections, making the airplane easy to disassemble and transport on Army wagons. The pilot operates the ailerons with a shoulder yoke on his seat, and the front elevator and rear rudder with the wheel mounted on a column in front of him. An observer's seat is located behind the pilot.

SPECIFICATIONS: Span: 38 ft. 3 in. (including ailerons). Length: 29 ft. 3 in. Height: 7 ft. 10 in. Weight: 700 lbs. empty 1,300 lbs. loaded. Engine: Curtiss V-8 of 60 hp. Cost: $5,000

PERFORMANCE: Maximum Speed: 50 mph. Maximum Endurance: 2 1/2 hrs. (approx)

AIRSHIPS:

ZRS-4 Akron The rigid airship AKRON (ZRS-4), along with her sistership MACON (ZRS-5), was designed to carry and operate fighter aircraft; the Curtiss F9C-2 SPARROWHAWK was specifically designed to be carried aboard the dirigibles. The airships could each carry four fighters in an interior hangar.

AKRON was commissioned on 27 October 1931. After nearly 1,700 hours in the air, she crashed at sea during a storm off the New Jersey coast on 4 April 1933.

ZRS-5 Macon

ATTACK BOMBER:

AD-5N Skyraider Douglas Aircraft Company Night operations aircraft

AD-6 Skyraider Douglas Aircraft Company

A-1H/J Skyraider Douglas Aircraft Company

A-2 Savage North American Aviation

A-3D-1/2Q Skywarrior Douglas Aircraft Company Carrier-based attack bomber. Following the initial flight of the YA3D-2Q prototype on 10 December 1958, 24 production A3D-2Qs were built.

A-4C/E/M Skyhawk McDonnell Douglas

A-5A/C Vigilante North American Aviation Conceived as a nuclear attack bomber, the VIGILANTE was originally known early in its design phase as the North American General Purpose Attack Weapon (NAGPAW). Designated the A3J, production deliveries began in 1960, with VAH-7 becoming the first operational squadron flying the plane, deployed aboard the USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN-65). Primary armament of the aircraft was a free-falling nuclear weapon, designed to be ejected rearwards from the bomb bay located between the twin engines. Before the linear bomb bay could be cleared for operational use, Navy policy deleted strategic bombing from the service role, resulting in the VIGILANTE being converted to the use for which it is best known - that of a high-speed reconnaissance aircraft.

Redesignated the A-5 in 1962, the RA-5C model became the standard; 43 A-5As were converted to RA-5C, while 91 new RA-5Cs were produced before production ended in October 1970. The aircraft in the image - Bureau number 156624 - was built as a production line RA-5C. Nine operational RVAH squadrons flew the aircraft, which were heavily used throughout the Vietnam War. The last VIGILANTE was retired in 1979.

A-6E/G Intruder Grumman Aerospace Two 9300-pound-thrust engines carry the subsonic A-6E on its way at a max 650 mph with a range of about 2000 miles. The A-6E carried advanced (for its time) target recognition radar and computers.

A-7E Corsair II/Strikefighter Ling-Temco-Vought

A-10A Thunderbolt II/Warthog Fairchild Republic

A-12 Shrike w/ stealth capabilities Curtiss Navy attack jet fighter canceled by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney in 1991. Was a secret “black” project.

NA-16 North American Aviation

SA-16B Grumman Aerospace

A-17 Northrop Corporation

YF-17 Hornet/Prototype naval strike fighter Northrop Corporation

F/A-18A/C/D Hornet/“Plastic Bug” McDonnell Douglas

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet McDonnell Douglas

F/A-18 Hornet 2000 McDonnell Douglas

A-20C Havoc Douglas Aircraft Company

A-26C (later B-26) Invader Douglas Aircraft Company The A-26 was an armored attack aircraft with a 4000 pound bomb payload and a comparatively fast top

speed of 373 mph. Though developed early in the war and first flown in 1942, it did not see service until the European theater in late 1944. After the war the plane was renamed to B-26 because the attack designation was discontinued as was the Martin plane of that name.

A-36 / NA-73 / P-51D Mustang North American Aviation First Flight: 26 October 1940, Wingspan: 37 feet, Length: 33 feet, Empty Weight: 6,300 pounds, Takeoff Weight: 8,600 pounds, Maximum cruise speed: 440 mph, Engines: one Allison V-1710 (P51, P51 A and A36) or, one Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650 (P51B, C and D), Crew: 1. Specifications vary slightly by model. Been arguably called the best American fighter plane ever and the “Cadillac of the Sky.”

A-37B Dragonfly Cessna Aircraft Company

NA-73 / A-36 / P-51D Mustang North American Aviation

AC-47D Gunship/ “Spooky” Douglas Aircraft Company

(DC-3)

AC-119G/K Shadow/Stinger (gunships) Fairchild/Hiller

AC-123 Provider Fairchild/Hiller

AC-130A/E/H Spectre (Hercules gunship) Lockheed Aircraft Company The AC-130 Spectre Gunship is used by the U.S. Air Force’s Special Operations Command. Special Operations Forces (SOF) and conventional forces need close air support in all weather conditions. Gunships have the capability to provide close air support in inclement weather using either radar beacons or inertial navigation/Global Positioning System coordinates.

The C-130 was ordered during the Korean war. It was an entry into the race for a replacement of the C-47, the venerable cargo version of the DC-3. The C-130 first flew in 1954 and entered service in 1955. The current production version C-130H has four efficient 4500-horsepower Allison turboprop engines, which provide a max level speed of 375 mph, a range of 2500 miles, and a payload approximately equal to the state of Rhode Island. The gunship variant, the AC-130 has gobs of armament and some armor.

AP-2H Neptune Lockheed Aircraft Company

AT-37 Dragonfly Cessna Aircraft Company "Attack" version -- ground support -- of the Cessna T-37 Dragonfly trainer.

AT-38 Talon Northrop Corporation

AT-46A Eaglet Fairchild

AV-8C Harrier II McDonnell Douglas

JSF Joint Strike Fighter

BOMBER:

TBF Avenger Grumman The TBF was the first production version of the Grumman TB, torpedo bomber. It saw its first action at Midway in 1942. It was powered by a Wright radial engine, and had a thousand-mile range. It continued in service after the war in anti-submarine configurations.

B-1B Lancer Rockwell International Four-engine supersonic bombers yet to see military action since being built during the Cold War to drop nuclear bombs on the former Soviet Union. They cost $280 million each, carry a crew of four and are now modified to carry a range of conventional missiles and bombs.

The B-1B Lancer bomber, one of the Air Force’s three long-range heavy bombers, has adjustable, swept-back wings and can fly intercontinental bombing missions without refueling. Designed in the 1970s to drop nuclear bombs, the plane has been converted since then for conventional missions. It can travel over 900 mph.

B-2 Spirit/Stealth Bomber Northrop Corporation Primary function: Multi-role heavy bomber. Prime Contractor: Northrop B-2 Division. Contractor Team: Boeing Military Airplanes Co., Vought Aircraft Co., and General Electric Aircraft Engine Group and Hughes Training Inc. -- Link Division. Power Plant/Manufacturer: Four General Electric F-118-GE-100 engines. Thrust: 17,300 pounds each engine (7,847 kilograms). Length: 69 feet (20.9 meters). Height: 17 feet (5.1 meters). Wingspan: 172 feet (52.12 meters). Speed: High subsonic. Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,152 meters). Takeoff Weight (Typical): 336,500 pounds (152,635 kilograms). Range: Intercontinental, unrefueled. Armament: Nuclear or conventional weapons. Payload: 40,000 pounds (18,144 kilograms). Crew: Two pilots, with provisions for a third crew station. Unit cost: Approximately $750 million. Date Deployed: December 1993. Air Force Inventory: Active force: 20 planned (operational aircraft); ANG: 0; Reserve: 0.

B-4 Keystone

B-10 Glenn L. Martin Company

B-12 Glenn L. Martin Company

B-14 Glenn L. Martin Company

B-15 Boeing Aircraft Company

B-17G Flying Fortress Boeing Aircraft Company The B17 Flying Fortress was the workhorse of the Allied forces air war in Europe in World War II. It was powered by 4 Wright 1200-horsepower radial engines, and was the design template for the Boeing Stratocruiser 307 airliner.

B-18 Digby Douglas Aircraft Company

B-19 Douglas Aircraft Company

B-21 North American Aviation

B-23 Douglas Aircraft Company

B-24 Liberator Consolidated (Convair) The B-24 was Consolidated's effort to build a better bomber than the B-17. It featured many technological innovations, such as pneumatic rubber deicing boots on wing and tail edges. It was the first large plane to feature a retractable tricycle landing gear. It was about the same weight as a B-17, but slightly faster and with a little more range. It had an 8800-pound payload, max level speed of 300 mph, and a range about 2100 miles.

B-25J Mitchell North American Aviation First Flight: 19 August 1940. Wingspan: 67 feet. Length: 53 feet. Empty Weight: 21,000 pounds. Takeoff Weight: 35,000 pounds. Maximum cruise speed: 300 mph. Engines: two Wright R-2600 Double Cyclones. Crew: 7.

The B-25 was a versitle bomber, a pilot's friend and a passenger's discomfort. It could do just about anything, as proved by it's launch from the unimaginably short runway of the USS Hornet aircraft carrier for Jimmy Doolittle's early-war raid on Tokyo. It had two Wright 1850-horsepower radial engines, 2400 pound bomb payload, max level speed of 275 mph and about 1275 mile range.

B-26K Marauder Glenn L. Martin Company

B-28 North American Aviation

B-29 Fortress Boeing Aircraft Company Span: 141 feet Length: 99 feet Cruise Speed: 290 mph. Crew: 10-14 Internal Bomb Load: 20,000 lbs First Flight: Sept. 21, 1942. The B-29 "Enola Gay" operating from its base on Tinian, Marianas Islands, dropped the first Atom Bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945, virtually ending World War II.

The B-29 was prominent in so many images of World War II. Its reason for being was to provide a large bomber platform with sufficient pressurizing and engine capacity to fly above most interception and ground-based fire, at 350-ish mph, on a 4100-mile round trip with 20,000 pounds of bombs. It thus became the most trusted (by virtue of its rare losses), and was used to drop the final bombs of the war in Japan. Another vivid image of the plane is its use, and that of its bigger brother the B-50, to drop the Bell X-1 aircraft with which the sound barrier was broken.

B-32 Dominator Convair

B-34 Lockheed-Vega

B-35 Flying Wing John K. "Jack" Northrop Corporation

B-36B Peacemaker Convair In the late 1940s, the Convair B-36 bomber was the United States’ primary strategic weapon; its development was a prime factor in the cancellation of the Navy’s new attack aircraft carrier UNITED STATES (CVA-58).

B-37 Lockheed-Vega

B-38 Boeing Aircraft Company

B-40 Boeing Aircraft Company

B-41 Consolidated

B-42 Douglas Aircraft Company

B-43 Douglas Aircraft Company

B-44 Boeing Aircraft Company

B-45 Tornado North American Aviation

B-46 Consolidated-Vultee

B-47 Stratojet Boeing Aircraft Company Engines: Six General Electric J-47 jets (5,970 lbs. thrust each). Wing Span: 116 ft. Length: 109 ft. 10 in. Height: 27 ft. 11 in. Max. Speed: 606 m.p.h. Cruise Speed: 495 m.p.h. Range: 3,600 miles (with max bomb load). Armament: Two 20mm cannon. 22,000 lbs bomb load. The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was the first swept wing jet bomber and the first to be designed to carry nuclear weapons. It was also the first Air Force aircraft to use "fly by wire" flight control systems. The design of the B-47 relied on swept wing data captured from Germany after World War II. A total of over 2,000 B-47s were built, forming the backbone of the Strategic Air Command in the mid 1950s.

B-48 North American Aviation

B-49 Flying Wing John K. "Jack" Northrop Corporation The Northrop YB-49 FLYING WING was the jet-propelled variant of the company’s XB-35 bomber. Eight Allison J35 engines, each delivering 3,750 pounds of thrust, gave the flying wing a top speed of 510 mph, or more than 100 mph faster than its prop-driven predecessor. Flight testing revealed stability problems which could not be corrected with existing technology. The second aircraft crashed on June 5, 1948, killing its 5-man crew. Edwards AFB, California was subsequently named for one of its crew members, Capt. Glen W. Edwards.

The giant 213,000-pound Northrop Flying Wing YB-49, was the world’s longest-ranging bomber. The mammoth, chevron-shaped bomber had eight jet engines, capable of producing the equivalent of over 32,000 horsepower of thrust. The worlds largest jet bomber was manned on its first continent-spanning flight by an Air Force crew, accompanied by several Northrop men as observers.

The personal dream of aircraft engineer John K. "Jack" Northrop, the Flying Wing was originally built to a 1941 order as the piston-engined XB-35, which first flew 25 June 1946. The propeller aircraft had a range of 10,000 miles without a payload; about 7,000 miles with a full bomb load. The XB-35 was re-worked in 1947 to add jet engines and re-typed the YB-49, but range plummeted to below 3,000 miles. In an attempt to gain publicity for the aircraft, the plane flew in 1948 from Muroc AFB to Andrews AFB outside Washington, D.C., but to no avail. Afterwards, piloted by Captain Glen Edwards (for whom Muroc AFB was renamed), the YB-49 prototype crashed in a test flight, killing all five crewmen, and leading to fears that the plane was uncontrollable. On 11 January 1949, the Air Force cancelled the Flying Wing program, ordering eleven incomplete airframes destroyed. The concept later proved to be the genesis of the B-2 Stealth bomber design.

B-50 Superfortress Boeing Aircraft Company

B-51 Glenn L. Martin Company

B-52H (Boeing 464) Stratofortress Boeing Aircraft Company No aircraft is more associated with strategic bombing than the Stratofortress. It entered service in 1955 and stood as a vital part of America's nuclear deterrent until the end of the Cold War. The B-52 was and is not strictly a nuclear bomber. It is quite effective as a conventional bomber as well. B-52s served in the skies of Vietnam, flying from bases in Thailand and Guam. Several important bombing campaigns took place during the Vietnam War, they were code named Rolling Thunder, Arc Light, Linebacker 1 and Linebacker II. During these air campaigns, B-52s bombed strategic and tactical targets in both South and North Vietnam. B-52s again saw combat in Southwest Asia in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. B-52s were involved in Desert Storm and flew bombing missions against the Republican Guard using the carpet bombing technique. Their contribution helped bring the conflict to a quick conclusion. B-52s now serve with the USAF's Air Combat Command and the Air Force Reserve at Minot AFB, N.D. and Barksdale AFB, LA.

If there was a US warplane that needs no introduction, it surely must be the B-52. The design was in answer to a 1945 Army requirement, and the first prototype flew in 1952. Powered by eight Pratt & Whitney 17,000-pound-thrust engines, every subsystem on the plane was made to be more durable than it really needed to be. The plane had a range of halfway around the world, and could hustle along at 650 mph if need be.

B-57B/G Canberra Glenn L. Martin Company

B-58 Hustler Convair

B-60 Convair

B-66 Destroyer Douglas Aircraft Company

B-70A Valkrie North American Aviation

FB-111F Aardvark General Dynamics

EB-111 Raven General Dynamics

PBM-3/5 Mariner (seaplane) Glenn L. Martin Company Over 1,100 Mariner seaplanes were produced, with the vast majority being of either the PBM-3 or PBM-5 models. Production was ended in April 1949.

CARGO:

C-1A Trader Grumman Aerospace

C-2A Greyhound Grumman Aerospace

C-4 Grumman Aerospace

C-5B Galaxy Lockheed Aircraft Company

C-7A Caribou DeHavilland

C-9A/B Nightingales/Skytrain II McDonnell Douglas

C-10A Extender McDonnell Douglas

C-12F Huron/Super King Air Beech

C-17A Globemaster III McDonnell Douglas

EC-18B Boeing Aircraft Company

VC-20B Gulfstream

C-21A Learjet Gates

C-23A Sherpa

C-29A Inventory

C-32 Douglas Aircraft Company

C-33 Douglas Aircraft Company

C-34 Douglas Aircraft Company

C-38 Douglas Aircraft Company

C-39 Douglas Aircraft Company

C-41 Douglas Aircraft Company

C-42 Douglas Aircraft Company

UC-43 Traveler Beech

C-46A Commando Curtiss-Wright

C-47J (DC-3) Skytrain-Dakota Douglas Aircraft Company The C-47 is the military cargo version of the famous DC-3 workhorse. Two 1450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney engines carried the plane on a 1025-mile range at a 170-mph cruise. C-47 airframes have been recorded to exceed 80,000 hours in flight time, probably more by now. The DC-3 is a refurbishing favorite. At least one company in Wisconsin is currently refitting them to air cargo needs by lengthening the fuselage and installing turboprop engines and new avionics.

C-53 (DC-3) Skytrooper Douglas Aircraft Company

C-54S Skymaster Douglas Aircraft Company

C-56 Lodestar Lockheed Aircraft Company

C-69 Constellation Lockheed Aircraft Company

C-97 (Boeing 307) Stratocruiser Boeing Aircraft Company

C-102

C-103

C-117 Super DC-3 Douglas Aircraft Company

C-118B Liftmaster Douglas Aircraft Company

C-119F Flying Boxcar/Packet/ Fairchild/Hiller

Friendship

C-121J Super Constellation/Warning Star Lockheed Aircraft Company A military version of the civilian CONSTELLATION airliner, WARNING STARs were first adapted for naval use in 1949.

C-123K Provider Fairchild/Hiller

C-124 Globemaster II McDonnell Douglas

C-130A/E/H/N Hercules Lockheed Aircraft Company First

Flight: 23 August 1954 (YC-130), 7 April 1955 (C-130A), Wingspan: 130 feet, Length: 98 feet, Empty Weight: 75,500 pounds, Takeoff Weight: 174,600 pounds, Maximum cruise speed: 380 mph, Engines: four Allison T-56 Turboprops. Specifications vary slightly by model.

C-130J Hercules Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems The C-130J, built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, longtime builder of the KC-130 for all of the U.S. armed services (and for 64 other nations), retains the C-130 airframe, but has been fitted with new cockpit electronics, including: (a) a night vision imaging system that allows the crew to operate in areas of total darkness; (b) digital flight controls; and (c) liquid-crystal color displays. The enhanced cockpit permits a reduction in flight crew size from four crewmen to two. The C-130J is powered by a new Allison AE-2100D3 engine, a digitally controlled engine that weighs less than the Allison engine installed in C-130Hs now in service with the Air Force. The AE-2100D3 is capable of providing 25% more “hot-day” takeoff power and 20% greater altitude at cruising speeds.

C-131H Convair Liner/Samaritan Convair

C-133 Cargomaster Douglas Aircraft Company

C-135F Stratolifter (Boeing 717) Boeing Aircraft Company

C-137 Stratoliner (Boeing 707) Boeing Aircraft Company

C-140 Jet Star Lockheed Aircraft Company

C-141B Starlifter Lockheed Aircraft Company

CT-39 Sabreliner North American Aviation

ELECTRONIC:

E-1B Tracer (AWACS) Grumman Aerospace

E-2C Hawkeye (AWACS) Grumman Aerospace

E-3A/C (AWACS) Sentry (Modified 707) Boeing Aircraft Company The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system aircraft that provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications needed by commanders of U.S. and NATO air defense forces. The radar has a range of more than 200 miles for low-flying targets and farther for aerospace craft flying at medium to high altitudes. During Desert Storm, E-3s flew more than 400 missions and logged more than 5,000 hours of on-station time. E-3 controllers assisted in 38 of the 40 air-to-air kills recorded during the conflict.

E-4B Nightwatch (Modified 747) Boeing Aircraft Company

E-6A Tacamo (Boeing 707) Boeing Aircraft Company An Airborne command post for fleet ballistic missile submarines, the TACAMO provides secure, survivable, jam-resistant strategic communications relays.

Boeing derived this aircraft from its commercial 707 to replace the aging EC-130Q and perform the Navy's TACAMO ("Take Charge and Move Out") mission of linking ballistic missile forces with national command authority during time of crisis. The aircraft carries a low frequency communication system and wire antenna several thousand feet long that is winched in and out of the aircraft. The first E-6 was accepted by the Navy in August 1989.

E-7A

E-8C JointSTARS

AD-5Q Skyraider Douglas Aircraft Company

Originally built as an AD-5N night operations aircraft, this aircraft (132618) was subsequently converted to the AD-5Q electronics countermeasures Skyraider configuration. In September 1962, AD-5Qs were re-designated EA-1F.

EA-1F Skyraider Douglas Aircraft Company

EA-3B Skywarrior (ECM) Douglas Aircraft Company

The EA-3B was the electronics countermeasures version of the Douglas A-3 SKYWARRIOR carrier-based attack bomber. Following the initial flight of the YA3D-2Q prototype on 10 December 1958, 24 production A3D-2Qs were built; they were re-typed EA-3B in 1962. The EA-3B was identifiable by the square windows in the fuselage side, housing a pressurized compartment for four ECM specialists in place of the bomb bay, and by a long ventral fairing below the ECM compartment and wing.

EA-6A/B Prowler/”Intruder” Grumman Aerospace

EB-57E Canberra Glenn L. Martin Company

EB-66C Destroyer Douglas Aircraft Company

EB-111 Raven General Dynamics

EC-12-1N Warning Star Lockheed Aircraft Company

EC-18B Boeing Aircraft Company

EC-47 (DC-3) Skytrain-Dakota Douglas Aircraft Company

WV-2 Constellation/Warning Star (EAW) Lockheed Aircraft Company

Lockheed WARNING STAR Early Air Warning (EAW) aircraft. A military version of the civilian CONSTELLATION airliner, WARNING STARs were first adapted for naval use in 1949. The WV-2 model began delivery in 1954, and was later redesignated EC-121K.

EC-121D/K/R Superconstellation/ Lockheed Aircraft Company

Warning Star (AWACS)

EC-130E/H/Q Tacamo/Hercules Lockheed Aircraft Company

EC-135E Stratolifter (Boeing 717) Boeing Aircraft Company

EC-137D Stratoliner (Boeing 707) Boeing Aircraft Company

EF-10B Skynight McDonnell Douglas

EF-111A Raven General Dynamics

EH-101

EKA-3B Skywarrior Douglas Aircraft Company

EP-3E Orion / Aries II Lockheed Aircraft Company A radar-equipped U.S. Navy surveillance plane used to listen in on radio and telephone signals and monitor radar sites: Powered by four turbo-prop engines. First flown in the late 1950s. Equipped with tracking, searching and jamming radar; infrared equipment. Can track submarines; may carry torpedoes and depth bombs. Wingspan: 99.75 feet.

ER-2 Lockheed Aircraft Company

ES-3A Viking/“Hoover” Lockheed Aircraft Company

EV-1E Mohawk Grumman Aerospace

FIGHTER:

F2A Buffalo Brewster

F4F/FM Wildcat Grumman

F4U Corsair Chance Voight The F4U was designed to put the biggest engine possible into the smallest airframe suitable for fighter bomber applications. This was mostly to save room on aircraft carriers. The result was a 2300-horsepower Wright radial engine with some wings and a fuselage attached, capable of carrying two 1000-pound bombs at a max level speed of 470 mph over a 1120-mile range. Because of its speed, it continued in service into the Korean war, finally being retired after being proved insufficient to tackle Mig jets.

F6F Hellcat Grumman

F7F Tigercat Grumman

F8F Grumman

F9C-2 Sparrowhawk Curtiss The Curtiss F9C-2 SPARROWHAWK was specifically designed to be carried aboard the dirigible airships AKRON (ZRS-4) and MACON (ZRS-5), during the early 1930s.

F9F-2 Panther Grumman Panthers flying from the USS VALLEY FORGE (CV-45) had been the first Navy jet fighters to see combat in the Korean War, on 3 July 1950. On 9 November 1950, Lt.Cdr. Tom Amen flew the first Navy jet to shoot down a jet aircraft in combat, destroying a MiG-15. During the Korean Conflict, 24 Navy squadrons flew the Panther in combat.

FJ-4B Fury North American Aviation The FJ-4B North American Fury attack fighter (Bureau No. 139534) flew during the late 1950s. The final production version of the FJ-1/-2/-3/-4 Fury family, the first FJ-4B flew on 4 December 1956; production ended in May 1958. The aircraft was re-designated F-1E in September 1962.

F-1E Fury North American Aviation

F-2H Banshee McDonnell

F-3H-2N Demon McDonnell Douglas

F-3B Demon McDonnell Douglas The F-3B was a strike fighter carrying a variety of underwing loads, armed with four 20mm cannon and fitted with a Hughes APG-51 radar. Prior to 1962, the F-3B was designated F3H-2. The first F3H-2 was flown in June 1955, fitted with a 9,700 lb. s.t. Allison J71-A-2 engine. F-3 production ended in November 1959; the DEMON remained in front-line carrier service until 1965.

F4H-1 Phantom II prototype McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

F-4E/S Phantom II McDonnell Douglas

F-4G Wild Weasel McDonnell Douglas

F-5C/E/F Freedom Fighter/Tiger II Northrop Corporation Single-

seater and two seater versions.

F4D Skyray Douglas Aircraft Company

F5D-1 Skylancer Douglas Aircraft Company The F5D-1 was a devolpment of the F4D Skyray which first flew on January 23, 1951.

F-6 Skyray Northrop Corporation

(Originally Douglas Aircraft)

F-7U Cutlass Chance Vought Incorporated

F-8A/E/J Crusader Ling-Temco-Vought

F-9 Cougar Grumman Aerospace

F-10B Skynight McDonnell Douglas

F-11 Tiger Grumman Aerospace

YF-12A Hornet Lockheed Aircraft Company

F-14A/B/D Tomcat Grumman Aerospace

F-15C/E Eagle McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) The F-15 was from its inception intended to be THE U.S. air superiority fighter. First flown in 1972 and delivered in numbers through the 1970s, its distinctive twin-rudder and boxy-intake airframe is among the most easily recognized contemporary aircraft. Two 25,000-pound-thrust engines can send the plane along at mach 2.5, or providing cross-country range when used with more moderation.

The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. The F-15 has electronic systems and weaponry to detect, acquire, track and attack enemy aircraft while operating in friendly or enemy-controlled airspace. Its weapons and flight-control systems are designed so one person can safely and effectively perform air-to-air combat. F-15s were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm, where they proved their superior combat capability with a confirmed 26-0 kill ratio.

F-16A/C/D/WW “Fighting” Falcon General Dynamics World-

renowned as the best “dog-fighter” in the world. Adversaries widely acknowledge thier apprehension of getting in a “knife fight” with the “Viper.”

With the introduction of the F-16 in the 1970s, General Dynamics created the Free World’s most advanced lightweight fighter. Seated in a semi-reclining ejection seat, F-16 pilots are in command of a versatile aircraft capable of demanding high G-force combat maneauvers and top speeds in excess of Mach 2. This agile fighter is powered by Pratt & Whitney’s sophisticated F-100 turbofan, and armed with a 20mm cannon, two Sidewinder missiles, and an assortment of bombs.

Entering the 1980s, the sleek General Dynamics F-16 represented an impressive new breed of fighters that soon achieved operational status with the United States Air Force and four NATO air forces. The F-16 “Fighting” Falcons are lightweight, multi-role fighters primarily designed as air superiority fighters, yet capable of excellent performance in the close air support role as well. They are powered by highly advanced F-100-FW-200 engines that provide awesome inflight performance.

The cockpits are specifically designed to serve the needs of fighter pilots functioning in intense air combat situations. The ejection seat is positioned in a semi-reclining attitude in an effort to more evenly distribute the stressful “G” forces encountered in high speed maneuvering. The expansive, blown canopy bubble provides unrestricted visibility to the pilot, and a unique, side-mounted control stick enables the pilot to out maneuver a potential adversary.

Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, and Israel have also elected to equip their air forces with the powerful F-16.

Type: Single seat multi-role tactical fighter. Dimensions: Length: 49’6” (15.09m), Wingspan: 32’10” (with missiles) (10.01m), Height: 16’8-1/2” (5.09m). Powerplant: One Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 augmented turbofan engine. Performance: Max. speed mach 2, Service ceiling 50,000’ (15,240m). Armament: One 20mm M61A-1 cannon, two AIM-9L or Shafrir AIM missiles on wingtip shoes.

FSX(-16?) General Dynamics?

YF-17 Hornet/Prototype naval strike fighter Northrop Corporation

F/A-18A/C/D Hornet/“Plastic Bug” McDonnell Douglas

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet McDonnell Douglas

F/A-18 Hornet 2000 McDonnell Douglas

F-19 “Stealth Fighter-Bomber” Lockheed Aircraft Company

F-20 Tigershark Northrop Corporation

F-21A Kfir “Aggressor” fighter Israeli Aircraft Industries Twelve of these Israeli Aircraft Industries F-21A KFIR fighter aircraft were flown by VF-43 in the aggressor role for adversary training from early 1985 to April 1988, when they were replaced by F-16Ns and returned to Israel. Known in Israel as the C.1, the KFIR was developed from the French-designed Dassault-Breguet Mirage 5 fighter, and is powered by a General Electric J79-J1E engine developing 11,890 lb. s.t. with afterburner.

F-22A Raptor [stealth fighter/Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)] Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in partnership with Boeing Co. and Pratt & Whitney

The Air Force is scheduled to get 339 F-22A Raptor (stealth fighters) to replace the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15C Eagle, currently its top fighter, at a cost of $43 billion. The first squadron of the new planes is due to be operational by 2005.

The F-22 also could replace the Lockheed F-117A stealth fighter-bombers.

Maiden Flight of the final version: 7 September 1997. The YF-22 prototype had flown previously.

A main advance of the F-22 is its computer system that shows the

pilot all of its data on one screen instead of several different

monitors.

YF-23A PAV (Prototype Air Vehicle)

P-26 Boeing Aircraft Company

P-35 Seversky

P-36 Curtiss

P-38J Lightning Lockheed Aircraft Company Called the “Fork-Tail Devil” by the Germans.

P-39D-1 Aircobra Bell Helicopter Company

P-40E Tomahawk/Warhawk Curtiss

P-41 Seversky

P-43 Lancer Republic Aviation Corporation

P-46 Curtiss

P-47D Thunderbolt Republic Aviation Corporation Sustained only one loss for every five enemy aircraft destroyed.

P-49 Lockheed Aircraft Company

P-50 Grumman Aerospace

P-51D / NA-73 / A-36 Mustang North American Aviation First Flight: 26 October 1940, Wingspan: 37 feet, Length: 33 feet, Empty Weight: 6,300 pounds, Takeoff Weight: 8,600 pounds, Maximum cruise speed: 440 mph, Engines: one Allison V-1710 (P51, P51 A and A36) or, one Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650 (P51B, C and D), Crew: 1. Specifications vary slightly by model. Been arguably called the best American fighter plane ever and the “Cadillac of the Sky.”

P-54 Vultee

P-55 Curtiss

P-56 Northrop Corporation

P-58 Chain Lightning Lockheed Aircraft Company

P-59 Aircomet Bell Helicopter Company

P-60 Curtiss

P-61 Black Widow Northrop Corporation The P-61 night fighters were ordered by the Army in 1940 and first flew in 1942. The first few planes had a dorsal turret. Two 2000-horsepower engines carried the bristling plane on a 1000-mile range with a max speed of 375 mph.

P-62 Lockheed Aircraft Company

P-63 King Cobra Bell Helicopter Company

P-67 McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

P-69 Republic Aviation Corporation

P-70 Douglas Aircraft Company

P-72 Republic Aviation Corporation

P-75 General Motors

P-77 Bell Helicopter Company

P-79 Northrop Corporation

P/F-80 Shooting Star Lockheed Aircraft Company

P-81 Consolidated-Vultee

P-82 Twin Mustang North American Aviation

P-83 Bell Helicopter Company

F-84 Thunderstreak/Thunderjet/ Republic Aviation Corporation

Thunderflash

F-85 McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

F-86K Sabre North American Aviation

P-87 Curtiss

F-88 McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

F-89 Scorpion Northrop Corporation

F-90 Lockheed Aircraft Company

F-91 Thunderceptor Republic Aviation Corporation Proposed in 1945 in light of German swept wing research, the XF-91 "Thunderceptor" was intended as a "point defense" fast climbing rocket powered interceptor similar in operational concept as the German rocket powered Me-163. It was conceived as a hybrid, powered by both a XLR-11 rocket engine and a J47 turbojet. It was also unique in its inverse tapered swept wings where the gear retracted towards the outer edge. After suffering numerous delays, especially in the delivery of a flight worthy XLR11 engine, performance was quite disappointing. Although designed for Mach 1.4, it became very unstable at 1.18, and no pilot dared push it further. This combined the delays and numerous engine failures, explosions, and fires caused both Republic and the Air Force to loose interest after 5 years and 192 flights, and the project was canned in 1954.

F-92 Convair

F-93 North American Aviation

F-94 Starfire Lockheed Aircraft Company

F-100D/F Super Sabre/Wild Weasel I North American/Northrop

F-101 Voodoo McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

F-102A Delta Dagger Convair Division of General

Dynamics

F-104G/S Starfighter Lockheed Aircraft Company

F-105F/G Thunderchief/Thud/ Republic Aviation Corporation

Wild Weasel

F-106A Delta Dart Convair

F-107A NASA experimental fighter in the late 1950s. The air intakes for the jet engines were directly above and behind the cockpit. Pilot ejection was a problem in this design.

F-111E/F Aardvark/Raven General Dynamics The Raven made

its test debut in 1964, but engine problems and other design issues kept it from being a significant contributor until the late 1960's. Still in use, they were last manufactured in 1976. The variable geometry wings and dual engines were great ideas that reached their apex in other platforms.

FB-111F Aardvark General Dynamics

EF-111A Raven General Dynamics

F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter-Bomber Lockheed Aircraft Company

The highly-classified stealth fighter gained recognition in the Gulf War. It started by precisely excised Iraq's radar capabilities, then went on to distinguish itself further. The plane has a radar signature slightly less distinct than a hummingbird.

The boomerang-shaped F-117A Nighthawk, armed with laser-guided bombs, was used in the Persian Gulf War against the most heavily defended Iraqi targets because of its ability to evade radar and radar-guided missiles. Stealth technology uses curved or angular surfaces to reduce radar reflection -- known as the cross-section -- and when combined with radar-absorbing composite materials the plane with a 43-foot wingspan displays the cross section of a bumblebee.

JSF Joint Strike Fighter

REFUELER/TANKER:

KA-3B Skywarrior Douglas Aircraft Company

EKA-3B Skywarrior Douglas Aircraft Company

KA-6D/E Intruder Grumman Aerospace

KC-10A Extender McDonnell Douglas The McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender is America's newest air refueling aircraft. Entering service in the early 1980s, the Extender epitomizes Air Mobility Command's motto of "Global Reach for America." With a maximum takeoff weight of 590,000 lbs, the KC-10 can offload up to 340,000 lbs of fuel, or carry 164,000 lbs of cargo. It can also be equiped to carry up to 75 personnel. It has the advantage of being able to receive fuel from other tankers during flight. Hence it's range and endurance are limited only by crew fatigue. The KC-10 is the only American tanker capable of refueling both USAF aircraft and Navy/NATO aircraft on the same mission, since it has both the high speed refueling boom and a centerline drogue system on all flights. Each aircraft engine is rated at 52,500 lbs. of thrust, and the aircraft cruises at .825 Mach. The basic crew consists of a pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and boom opertor.

Although the KC-10A aircraft's primary mission is aerial refueling, it can combine the tasks of tanker and cargo aircraft by refueling fighters while carrying the fighters’ support people and equipment during overseas deployments. The KC-10A can transport up to 75 people and about 170,000 pounds of cargo about 4,400 miles. In addition to refueling airlift aircraft, the KC-10A, along with the smaller KC-135, moved thousands of tons of cargo and thousands of troops in support of the massive Persian Gulf buildup.

KC-130F/R/T Hercules Lockheed Aircraft Company The KC-

130Fs are vintage 1960s and the KC-130Rs and KC-130Ts were acquired in the 1970s and early 1980s respectively.

KC-130J Hercules Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems The C-130J, built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, longtime builder of the KC-130 for all of the U.S. armed services (and for 64 other nations), retains the C-130 airframe, but has been fitted with new cockpit electronics, including: (a) a night vision imaging system that allows the crew to operate in areas of total darkness; (b) digital flight controls; and (c) liquid-crystal color displays. The enhanced cockpit permits a reduction in flight crew size from four crewmen to two. The C-130J is powered by a new Allison AE-2100D3 engine, a digitally controlled engine that weighs less than the Allison engine installed in C-130Hs now in service with the Air Force. The AE-2100D3 is capable of providing 25% more “hot-day” takeoff power and 20% greater altitude at cruising speeds.

HC-130N Hercules (Helicopter refueler) Lockheed Aircraft Company

MC-130E/H/P Combat Talon tanker/support Lockheed Aircraft Company

KC-135A/E/L/Q Stratotanker (Boeing 717) Boeing Aircraft Company

KC-135R Stratotanker (Boeing 717) Boeing Aircraft Company The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker has the distinction of being the only aircraft designed primarily for the mission of aerial refueling. It entered active service in 1955 and today, still serves as the backbone of America's tanker fleet. The KC-135 is a Boeing Model 717, derived from the same prototype that led to the sucessful 707 airliner. The KC-135 served with distinction as part of the Strategic Air Command, serving as a vital link in the Command's role of nuclear deterrence. The KC-135 served in combat during the Vietnam War and Desert Storm. Operated today by Air Mobility Command, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units, it also provides refueling support for many other operations, both military and humanitarian, such as Operations Restore Hope in Somalia and Deny Flight in Europe. The KC-135 is capable of carrying 31,200 gallons of fuel (203,000 lbs.) and can refuel USAF aircraft by use of the boom or Navy, Marine and Allied aircraft by use of a drogue attached at the end of the boom.

KE-3 Sentry (Modified 707) Boeing Aircraft Company

KS-3A Viking/ “Hoover” Lockheed Aircraft Company

LIAISON:

L-9

L-19E Bird Dog Cessna Aircraft Company

(Cessna 170/O-1) Observation plane.

LC-130R Hercules Lockheed Aircraft Company

OBSERVATION:

O-1G Bird Dog Cessna Aircraft Company

(Cessna 170/Formerly L-19)

O-2T Skymaster II Cessna Aircraft Company Forward Air Controller aircraft -- low and slow -- used to direct airstrikes in support of ground forces.

YO-3 Q-Star Lockheed Aircraft Company

VO-67

OA-4M Skyhawk McDonnell Douglas

OA-10 Thunderbolt II Fairchild Republic

OA-37B Dragonfly Cessna Aircraft Company

OP-2E Neptune Lockheed Aircraft Company

OV-1D Mohawk Grumman Aerospace

OV-10D Bronco Rockwell International

(Originally North American)

OV-22A Osprey Bell and Boeing

MV-22A Osprey Bell and Boeing

PATROL:

P-2V5 Neptune Lockheed Aircraft Company The P2V-5 model first flew on 29 December 1950; it featured an Emerson ball turret in the nose mounting two 20-mm cannon, and enlarged wingtip tanks, as well as a searchlight mounted in the starboard wingtip tank nose. Total production of the P2V-5 model reached 348 aircraft.

P-2J Neptune Lockheed Aircraft Company

P-3C/F Orion (ASW) Lockheed Aircraft Company

maritime patrol aircraft

P-5B Marline Glenn L. Martin Company

P-6M Seamaster Glenn L. Martin Company

Eight Martin P6M SEAMASTER (Bureau number 143822) prototypes were built as the YP6M-1, three P6M-2s were also constructed before the program was halted, a victim of program cuts to boost development of the Navy’s Polaris program in the late 1950s.

A very promising aircraft, the SEAMASTER was designed as a seaplane minelayer and photo reconnaissance aircraft, intended to operate in Heavy Attack (Mining Squadrons). It was the last new seaplane design ordered by the U. S. Navy, and the only all-jet seaplane operated in the service.

P-6M-2 Seamaster Glenn L. Martin Company

PBM-3/5 Mariner (seaplane) Glenn L. Martin Company Over 1,100 Mariner seaplanes were produced, with the vast majority being of either the PBM-3 or PBM-5 models. Production was ended in April 1949.

TARGET AND / OR DRONE:

QF-4 Phantom II drone aircraft McDonnell Douglas

QF-100S Super Sabre North American / Northrop

QU-22 Beech

RECONNAISSANCE:

TR-1 Lockheed Aircraft Company

ER-2 Lockheed Aircraft Company

SR-71C Blackbird Lockheed Aircraft Company

RA-3B Skywarrior Douglas Aircraft Company

RA-5C Vigilante Rockwell International Conceived as a nuclear attack bomber, the VIGILANTE was originally known early in its design phase as the North American General Purpose Attack Weapon (NAGPAW). Designated the A3J, production deliveries began in 1960, with VAH-7 becoming the first operational squadron flying the plane, deployed aboard the USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN-65). Primary armament of the aircraft was a free-falling nuclear weapon, designed to be ejected rearwards from the bomb bay located between the twin engines. Before the linear bomb bay could be cleared for operational use, Navy policy deleted strategic bombing from the service role, resulting in the VIGILANTE being converted to the use for which it is best known - that of a high-speed reconnaissance aircraft.

RB-26 Invader Glenn L. Martin Company

RB-52B Stratofortress Boeing Aircraft Company

RB-57F Canberra Glenn L. Martin Company

RB-66 Destroyer Douglas Aircraft Company

RC-12D Guardrail/Huron/Super King Air Beech

RC-47 (DC-3) Skytrain-Dakota Douglas Aircraft Company

RC-130B Hercules Lockheed Aircraft Company

RC-135D/E/T/U/W Stratolifter (Boeing 717) Boeing Aircraft Company

RF-4C Phantom II McDonnell Douglas

RF-5C Freedom Fighter/Tiger II Northrop Corporation

RF-8G Crusader Ling-Temco-Vought

RF-18 Hornet McDonnell Douglas

RF-19 Lockheed Aircraft Company

RF-101C Voodoo McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

RF-104G Starfighter Lockheed Aircraft Company

RP-3D Orion Lockheed Aircraft Company

RT-33A Shooting Star Lockheed Aircraft Company

RU-21J Ute Beech

RV-1D Mohawk Rockwell International

SEARCH:

S-2A/B/G “Stoof”/Tracker (ASW) Grumman Aerospace The Grumman S-2B TRACKER (Bureau no. 136658), S-2B model, formerly designated S2F-1S, differed from the S-2A in having AQA-3 Jezebel passive long-range acoustic search equipment and its associated Julie explosive echo-sounding equipment.

The TRACKER was the first U. S. Navy aircraft specifically designed from the start as a carrier-based anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. Entering service with VS-26 in February 1954, the Stoof served for almost 22 years, last deploying with VS-37 aboard the USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63) until December 1975. Numerous examples of S-2s still serve in foreign armed services.

S-3A/B Viking (ASW)/“Hoover” Lockheed Aircraft Company

VS-30 Sea Tiger

SA-16B Grumman Aerospace

SC-47J (DC-3) Skytrain-Dakota Douglas Aircraft Company

SR-71C Blackbird Lockheed Aircraft Company

TRAINER:

Jenny Biplane Curtiss The Curtiss JENNY biplane was the primary trainer of U.S. military aviators during World War One and the 1920s. The JENNY earned longer-lasting fame postwar, as the most popular “barnstorming” aircraft of the 1920s and 1930s.

T-1A Sea Star Lockheed Aircraft Company

T-2C Buckeye North American Aviation

T-6 Texan

T-28D Trojan North American Aviation

T-29 Flying Classroom Convair

T-33A Shooting Star Lockheed Aircraft Company

T-34C Turbo-Mentor Beechcraft

T-37C Dragonfly Cessna Aircraft Company

T-38A Talon Northrop Corporation

T-39D Sabreliner North American Aviation

T-41D Skyhawk/Mescalero Cessna Aircraft Company

T-42A Chochise/Baron Beech

T-43A Surveiller Boeing Aircraft Company

T-44A

T-45A Goshawk McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace (BAe) Advanced pilot trainer aircraft. Subsequent models of the T-45A featured modifications to the tail unit and wing to improve handling characteristics. The Goshawk design was modified from British Aerospace’s (BAe) RAF Hawk trainer.

T-46A Eaglet Fairchild

T-47A Citation II Cessna Aircraft Company

TA-3B Skywarrior Douglas Aircraft Company

TA-4J Skyhawk McDonnell Douglas

TA-7C Corsair II Ling-Temco-Vought

TC-47K (DC-3) Warning Star Lockheed Aircraft Company

TF-8A Crusader Chance Vought Incorporated

TF/A-18A Hornet/“Plastic Bug” McDonnell Douglas

TF-102A Delta Dagger Convair

TF-104J Starfighter Lockheed Aircraft Company

TL-19D Bird Dog Cessna Aircraft Company

TO-1G Bird Dog Cessna Aircraft Company

TR-1B Lockheed Aircraft Company

TS-2A Tracker Grumman Aerospace

UTILITY:

U-1 Otter DeHavilland

U-2R “Spy Plane” Lockheed Aircraft Company

U-3 Model 310 Cessna Aircraft Company

U-4 Commander 560 Aero

U-6 Beaver DeHavilland

U-8F Queen Air/Seminole Beech

U-9 Grand Commander Aero

U-10 Super Courier Helio

U-11 Aztec Piper

HU-16E Albatross Grumman Aerospace

U-17 Skywagon Cessna Aircraft Company

U-18 Rangemaster Navion

U-19 Sentinel

U-20 Model 195 Cessna Aircraft Company

U-21A Ute Beech

QU-22 Beech

HU-25A Guardian Dassault-Breguet of France

UC-12B Super King Air Beech

UC-43 Traveler Beech

UC-123B Provider Fairchild/Hiller

UP-2J Neptune Lockheed Aircraft Company

US-2B Tracker Grumman Aerospace

US-3A Viking/“Hoover” Lockheed Aircraft Company

UV-20A Chincahuas

STAFF & ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSPORTS:

VA-3B Skywarrior Douglas Aircraft Company

VC-9C Nightingales/Skytrain II McDonnell Douglas

VC-10 Extender/Victor/Tristar McDonnell Douglas

VC-20B Gulfstream

VC-117D Super Skytrain Douglas Aircraft Company

VC-118B Liftmaster Douglas Aircraft Company

VC-135C Stratolifter (Boeing 717) Boeing Aircraft Company This aircraft used to be a WC-135 and is now configured for VIP transport in direct support of CINCPAC and COMPACAF. She’s a -135 airframe with no boom and has an air-refueling recepticle that is not used by this particular squadron. Crew includes 2 pilots, 1 flight engineer, 1 nav, 1 Comm operator and 3 flight attendants.

VC-137C Stratoliner (Boeing 707) Boeing Aircraft Company

VC-140

VERTICAL / SHORT TAKE-OFF and LANDING (V/STOL):

AV-8C Harrier II McDonnell Douglas

OV-1 Mohawk Grumman Aerospace

RV-1 Mohawk Rockwell International

OV-10A/D Bronco Rockwell International

(Originally North American)

XV-15 Tiltrotor predecessor to the V-22 Bell Helicopter Company

UV-20A Chincahuas

MV-22A Osprey Bell and Boeing The Osprey is poised to be the replacement for the CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps and Special Operations Command. The V-22 is capable of carrying 24 combat-ready troops or 10,000 lbs of payload at up to 294 knots at an altitude of up to 18,000 feet.

VO-67

VS-30 Sea Tiger

XFV-1 Lockheed Aircraft Company

XFY-1 Pogo Stick Convair

WEATHER:

WC-130E Hercules Lockheed Aircraft Company

WC-135 Stratolifter (Boeing 717) Boeing Aircraft Company

WP-3D Orion Lockheed Aircraft Company

EXPERIMENTAL:

X-1 First airplane (officially) to exceed the Bell Helicopter Company

speed of sound, flown 14 October 1947, by Major Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager

X-2 Bell Helicopter Company

X-3 Stiletto Douglas Aircraft Company Designed to explore flight phenomena at sustained Mach 2 speeds, the Douglas X-3 STILETTO was something of a disappointment. Because its planned J46 engines never materialized and its fuselage was too narrow for more powerful ones, the X-3 never achieved useful speeds or altitude. Almost by accident, however, its extremely long, narrow planform and short-span wings revealed the cause and the remedy for the deadly phenomenon of roll-coupling. All high speed aircraft since have benefited from research conducted with this craft.

X-5 Experimental fighter

FSX(-16?) General Dynamics?

X-13 Vertijet Ryan The dimunitive aircraft, Ryan X-13 VERTIJET was designed to explore the feasibility of a pure-jet vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fighter aircraft. Using a Rolls Royce Avon turbojet engine, the aircraft easily made the transition between vertical and horizontal flight and enjoyed a highly successful career. Never seriously considered for further airframe development, it nevertheless paved the way for the modern Harrier fighter by showing that pure-jet VTOL flight was possible.

X-15A Rocket plane North American Aviation

X-24A/B Martin Marietta

X-31 Rockwell International

X-32A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Boeing

concept demonstration aircraft

X-33 VentureStar Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Lockheed Martin NASA announced on 2 July 1996, that it had selected the Lockheed Martin Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) design for development, beating out competing designs from McDonnell Douglas Aerospace and Rockwell International Space Systems.

Lockheed Martin is now developing a sub-scale, sub-orbital test demonstrator vehicle to prove technical and financial feasibility of the RLV concept. The X-33 demonstrator vehicle is scheduled to begin flying in March 1999.

X-36 Stealth X Plane McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have developed a tailless research aircraft that could dramatically change the design of future stealthy fighters. Designated the X-36, the vehicle has no vertical or horizontal tails and uses new split ailerons to provide yaw (left and right) and pitch (up and down) directional control. This innovative design promises to reduce weight, drag and radar signature and increase range, maneuverability and survivability of future fighter aircraft. The 28-percent scale prototype was designed, developed and produced in just 28 months for only $17 million.

X-B51 Glenn L. Martin Company

XB-35 Flying Wing John K. "Jack" Northrop

Corporation

XB-70A Valkrie North American Aviation

XP-80A Shooting Star Lockheed Aircraft Company

XF-91 Thunderceptor Republic Aviation Corporation

XF-92A Convair

XFV-1 Lockheed Aircraft Company

XFY-1 Pogo Stick Convair

F4D Skyray Douglas Aircraft Company

F5D-1 Skylancer Douglas Aircraft Company

XV-15 Bell Helicopter Company

PROTOTYPE / SERVICE TEST:

XFY-1 Pogo Stick Convair

YA-3D-2Q Skywarrior Douglas Aircraft Company

YB-49 Flying Wing John K. "Jack" Northrop

Corporation

YC-130 Hercules Lockheed Aircraft Company

YF-17 Hornet/Prototype naval strike fighter Northrop Corporation

YF-22A Raptor (stealth fighter) Lockheed-Martin with Boeing

YF-23A PAV (Prototype Air Vehicle)

YF-102A Delta Dagger Convair

YP-6M-1 Seamaster Glenn L. Martin Company

NOTE: In 1994-1996, [Leroy "Red Mike"] Grumman Aerospace and [John K. "Jack"] Northrop Corporation merged to form Northrop Grumman.

Also, Lockheed Aircraft Company and [Glenn L.] Martin Marietta merged to form Lockheed Martin.

In December 1996, [William E.] Boeing Aircraft Company purchased McDonnell Douglas for $13 billion. Thus, the two companies have merged; continuing the decrease of U.S. aerospace companies since the end of the Cold War.

1996 North American Aviation's (1934-1996) space systems, aircraft division, Rocketdyne, Autonetics, missile systems, aircraft modification and other units joined The Boeing Company in 1996.

And, in late 1997 the former Rockwell aerospace units joined Boeing to form Boeing North American

FOUNDERS & PIONEERS:

Walter Herschel Beech, January 30, 1891-November 29, 1950

Pioneer Aviator, Founder of Beech Aircraft Company

William Edward Boeing, 1881-1956

Company Founder and Owner, President, Chairman of the Board — 1916-1934

Clyde Vernon Cessna, December 5,1879-November 20, 1954

Pioneer Aircraft Designer, Founder Cessna Aircraft Co.

Glenn Hammond Curtis, 1878-July 23, 1930

Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., 1892-February 1, 1981

http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/history/mdc/douglas.htm

Douglas Aircraft Company, 1921-1967

Company President, 1921-1957

Chairman of the Board, 1957-1967

Honorary Chairman 1967-1981

McDonnell Douglas Corp.

Sherman Mills Fairchild, 1896-1971

Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker, April 6, 1890-December 23, 1939

Leroy Randle "Red Mike" Grumman, January 4, 1895-October 4, 1982

Howard Robard Hughes, 1905-April 5, 1976

William Powell Lear, Sr., 1902-1978

Allan Haines Loughead (Lockheed), January 20, 1889-May 28, 1969

Glenn Luther Martin, January 17, 1886-December 1955

James Smith McDonnell, 1899-August 22, 1980

John Knudsen "Jack" Northrop, November 10,1895-February 18, 1981

William Thomas Piper, Sr., 1881-1970

Chance Milton Vought, February 26, 1890-July 25, 1930

--------------------------------------------------------

AIRCRAFT TYPE & CLASSIFICATION:

A - Attack bomber O - Observation

B - Bomber P - Patrol

C - Cargo Q - target and/or drone

D - Director R - Reconnaissance

E - Electronic S - Search and Rescue

F - Fighter T - Trainer

G - permanently Grounded U - Utility

H - Helicopter V - staff and administrative transports

J - special test, temporary or V/STOL

K - tanker W - Weather

L - Liaison X - eXperimental

M - Missile aircraft Y - prototype/service test

N - special test, permanent Z - obsolete

OTHER ACRONYMS:

ASAT Anti-Satellite

ASW Anti-Submarine Warfare

AWACS Airbourne Warning And Control System

CTOL Carrier Take-Off Or Landing

ECM Electronic Counter Measures

RLV Reusable Launch Vehicle

V/STOL Vertical or Short Take-Off Or Landing

--------------------------------------------------------

HELICOPTERS

AH-1S Huey Cobra Bell Helicopter and Textron

AH-1T/W/J Super Cobra (Marines)/ Bell Helicopter and Textron

Sea Cobra (Navy) The SuperCobra serves not only the US Marines, but also Thai and Turkish forces.

HH-1N Iroquois

TH-1

UH-1N Huey/Iroquois Bell Helecopter and Textron

SH-2 Sea Sprite ASW attack helicopter Kaman Aerospace Corporation

SH-2G Super Sea Sprite ASW attack helicopter Kaman Aerospace Corporation

UH-2F Sea Sprite Kaman Aerospace Corporation

CH-3E Jolly Green Giant Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-3E Jolly Green Giant Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-3F Pelican Sikorsky Aircraft

SH-3H Sea King (ASW) Sikorsky Aircraft

VH-3D Sikorsky Aircraft

OH-6A Loach/Cayuse Hughes

OH-6D Cayuse McDonnell Douglas/Kawasaki

(Stealth Helicopter)

OH-13S Sioux Bell Helicopter Company

TH-13N Bell Helicopter Company

UH-13P Bell Helicopter Company

AH-16 Albatross Grumman Aerospace

H-19 Sikorsky Aircraft

CH-19E Sikorsky Aircraft

H-21C Shawnee Piasecki/Vertol

CH-21 Shawnee Vertol

H-23D Raven Hiller

Span: 35 feet Length: 28 feet Cruise Speed: 90 mph Seats: 3 First Flight: April 3, 1956

UH-23D Raven Hiller

UH-25C Retriever Vertol

H-34 Choctaw Sikorsky Aircraft

CH-34 Choctaw Sikorsky Aircraft

SH-34J Sea Bat Sikorsky Aircraft

UH-34D Choctaw Sikorsky Aircraft

CH-37C Mojave Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-43F Huskie Kaman Aerospace Corporation

OH-43D Huskie Kaman Aerospace Corporation

UH-43C Huskie Kaman Aerospace Corporation

CH-46E/F Sea Knight Boeing-Vertol

Span: 50 feet Length: 44 feet Cruise Speed: 160 mph Seats: 28 First Flight: August 12, 1958.

HH-46F Sea Knight Boeing-Vertol

UH-46F Sea Knight Boeing-Vertol

ACH-47A Chinook Boeing-Vertol The CH-47 Chinook is the

Army's medium-lift helicopter. Designed in the 1950's, its primary missions are movement of ammunition, repair parts, petroleum and tactical movement of artillery, troops, and special weapons on the battlefield. Chinooks were upgraded in 1975 and now have fiberglass rotor blades, transmission and drive system, modularized hydraulics, electrical system, advanced flight controls, triple hook cargo system, and an auxiliary power unit. Contractors are Boeing Vertol (Philadelphia, PA) and Avco Lycoming (Stratford, CT).

CH-47D Chinook Boeing-Vertol

MH-47D/E Chinook Boeing-Vertol The MH-47E medium-lift helicopters are all re-built CH-47 Chinooks.

HH-52A Sea Guard Sikorsky Aircraft

CH-53A/D Sea Stallion Sikorsky Aircraft

CH-53D/E Super Stallion Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-53H Super Jolly Green Giant Sikorsky Aircraft

RH-53D Sea Stallion Sikorsky Aircraft

MH-53E Super Stallion/Sea Dragon (mine counter-measures) Sikorsky

MH-53J “Pave Low III” Sikorsky Aircraft

CH-54 Tarhe Sikorsky Aircraft

TH-55J Osage Hughes

RAH-56 Comanche

TH-57C Sea Ranger Bell Helicopters and Textron

OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Bell Helicopter Company

CH-60S Knighthawk Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-60A/E Hawk Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-60H Seahawk (SAR) Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-60J Jayhawk Sikorsky Aircraft

MH-60G Pave Hawk Sikorsky Aircraft Only ten Sikorsky MH-60G PAVE HAWK helicopters are in U.S. Air Force service. The Pave Hawk is a twin-engine medium-lift helicopter operated by the Air Force Special Operations Command, a component of the U.S. Special Operations Command.

The MH-60G's primary wartime missions are infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces in day, night or marginal weather conditions. Other missions include combat search and rescue.

The MH-60G is equipped with an all-weather radar which enables the crew to avoid inclement weather. To extend their range, Pave Hawks are equipped with a retractable in-flight refueling probe and internal auxiliary fuel tanks. Pave Hawks are equipped with a rescue hoist with a 200-foot (60.7 meters) cable and 600-pound (270 kilograms) lift capacity.

All MH-60G's have an automatic flight control system to stabilize the aircraft in typical flight altitudes. They also have instrumentation and engine and rotor blade anti-ice systems for all-weather operation. The non-retractable landing gear consists of two main landing gears and a tail wheel. Aft sliding doors on each side of the troop and cargo compartment allow rapid loading and unloading.

External loads can be carried on an 8,000-pound (3,600 kilograms) capacity cargo hook. Pave Hawks are equipped with folding rotor blades and a tail stabilator for shipboard operations and to ease air transportability.

The Pave Hawk is equipped with two crew-served 7.62mm miniguns mounted in the cabin windows. Also, two .50 caliber machine guns can be mounted in the cabin doors. The Pave Hawk can be equipped with the external stores support system. The aircraft can also carry eight to 10 troops.

SH-60B/F Seahawk/LAMPS Mk III (ASW) Sikorsky Aircraft, SH-60F system; and International Business Machines (IBM), SH-60B avionics

SH-60 Foxtrot (ASW) Sikorsky Aircraft

UH-60A (S-70C) Black Hawk McDonnell Douglas The UH-60A Black Hawk is the US Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS). It's twin 1500-plus horsepower GE engines allow it to transport 11 troops or lift about 8000 pounds from its cargo hook. Max speed is 184 mph, range is about 375 miles.

VH-60 Black Hawk

AH-64A/D Apache/Longbow McDonnell Douglas The U.S. Army's four-

bladed AH-64 Apache is the newest and most advanced multimission helicopter in the U.S. inventory. The AH-64D Longbow Apache fires its weapons more accurately from longer ranges, fires more sophisticated weapons, and fights even more effectively than the AH-64A, day or night and in adverse weather. The Longbow Apache completed a three-month initial operational test and evaluation program in 1995. Beginning in mid-1996, U.S. Army AH-64As will be remanufactured into Longbow Apaches. Two international customers selected the Longbow Apache in 1995 the Netherlands, which will purchase 30 for its Royal Air Force, and the United Kingdom, which plans to order 67. McDonnell Douglas delivered 36 Apaches in 1995.

HH-65B Dolphin Aerospatiale of France

RAH-66A Comanche Boeing Sikorsky

EH-101

FH-1100 Faichild/Hiller

S-70C Nighthawk/Black Hawk Sikorsky Aircraft The United

States sold Sikorsky Aircraft S-70C Black Hawks to The Illegitimate Regime in Beijing prior to 1990. In 1990, the US government refused to sell any more.

24 Sikorsky S-70C Black Hawks were bought by the PRC in the mid 1980s by the PLA army for troop transportation (some have been lost since then). However due to the shortage of spare parts caused by the US embargo, these Black Hawks are being replaced by Russian Mil Mi-17 Hips.

The four (4) largest air forces in the world:

1. The United States of America

2. Russia

3. The Illegitimate Regime in Peking

4. India

UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AIRCRAFT

CARGO:

HC-130 Hercules Lockheed Aircraft Company

HELICOPTERS:

HH-3F Pelican Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-52A Sea Guard Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-60A Hawk Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-60J Jayhawk Sikorsky Aircraft

HH-65B Dolphin Aerospatiale of France

REFUELER/TANKER:

HC-130N Hercules (Helicopter refueler) Lockheed Aircraft Company

UTILITY:

HU-16E Albatross Grumman Aerospace

HU-25A Guardian Dassault-Breguet of France

_______________________________________________________________

“United States Military Aircraft” -- Compiled by Calvin W. Lew,

calvinlew@aol.com

P.O. Box 6586, Oceanside, CA 92052-6586

(619) 687-9090

_______________________________________________________________