Douglas X-3 Stiletto – The Flying Shoe
The Douglas X-3 Stiletto was a series of experimental, VTOL aircraft developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It would have been the first practical VTOL aircraft, and represented the technical limit for the aircraft at the time.
The first X-3 was released in 1945 – with only one prototype being built. The airframe was a large single-seat, low-wing monoplane with an unconventional tailplane arrangement. The prototype X-3 used a four-stroke radial engine. After testing the...
Tupolev ANT-20 Maxim Gorky – Once the Largest Aircraft in the World
By the early 1930s, the question of how to build an aircraft that could fly faster than the speed of sound was a pressing one. It was especially important for both military and commercial aviation because it would make it possible for aircraft to travel long distances in a short amount of time.
In October 1929, Tupolev presented its ANT-20 to the Soviet government. This was an improved version of...
General Dynamics F-16 – The Rebirth of the Dogfighter | PlaneHistoria
Do you know about The General Dynamics F-16 – The Rebirth of the Dogfighter has always been a workhorse? The aircraft entered service in the 1970s and saw action in Israel, Turkey, and other nations around the world. Despite its age, the fighter has remained relevant for several reasons. First, it’s relatively cheap to maintain and operate, particularly compared to newer models like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Second,...
In December of 1942, the infamous Victor Bomber was flown by a team of engineers from Bell Aircraft to an Air Force base at Clinton Field in North Carolina. The aircraft was built for the US Army Air Forces as a transport plane, but it was never mass-produced. Instead, it was used mostly by the Army Air Forces’ 456th Bomb Group during World War II. Unlike most bombers of its time, the Victor bomber was designed to be flown by...
The DB 600 Series of V12s- the Backbone of the Luftwaffe
The DB 600 series was a series of inline air-cooled, 6-cylinder aircraft engines produced by Daimler-Benz, then a German automotive company. The series was introduced in 1935 and featured various improvements over previous models, including improved reliability and reduced weight. During World War II, the DB 600 engines were used in a variety of aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane.
The DB 600 engine was an air-cooled inline...
General Dynamics F-16 – The Rebirth of the Dogfighter | PlaneHistoria
Do you know the General Dynamics F-16 – the rebirth of the dogfighter? This is the fighter that took air combat to the next level. This is the fighter that redefined the art of the possible. This is the fighter that made you king of the skies. The F-16 was the product of a group of maverick pilots and engineers who were unafraid to think outside the box. They were...
