P-51 Mustang

One of the most famous aircraft of all time is the P-51 Mustang. It flew during WWII and was extremely effective in the role it played. It was designed in built in 117 days, and was a one-seater plane. It was so effective in the war because it was durable and fast, and easy and cheep to produce. It contained six .50 caliber machine guns mounted on it.

While the Mustang is not measurable to the technology, firepower, and speed of modern aircraft, it was revolutionary in its time. It will still be one of the greatest aircraft to ever take the skies. It even was flown up until the 80's. It's versatility was its greatest asset. No matter how many decades pass, the P-51 Mustang will always be a legend of the skies.

A-10 Warthogs Strafing Targets

Recently, Strafing Runs have become a more vital part of air combat operations overseas. A strafing run is when an aircraft flies at a very low altitude and uses its automatic machine guns to target specific enemy positions. Strafing runs carry a lot of danger with them. Obviously, flying at low altitude presents a long list of dangers with it. Also, because of the terrain, pilots must pay extra attention to their surroundings while at the same time piloting a complex aircraft while shooting at the enemy.

However, the benefits of strafing are far too great to abandon it. Even though it carries danger, it is a lot safer for ground forces. Because pilots are able to pinpoint their attacks, they do not have to use bombs which destroy a wide area. This cuts back greatly on civilian deaths. The firepower of strafing is also great. This practice was very popular back in the WWII era, and now it is starting to make a comeback. I believe that the military should definitely utilize this effective practice.

Blue Angels Cockpit Video F/A-18 Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron

No other team of pilots has as much fame and respect as the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels are a Navy flight demonstration team that contains some of the best pilots in the world. They fly for demonstrations and air shows worldwide that captivate audiences from the moment they take off. The Blue Angels began at the end of world war two because of an effort from the Chief of Naval Operations to keep the public interested in Naval Aviation. As seen above in the video, they perform seemingly impossible maneuvers such as flips, barrel rolls, Immelman Turns, and others all while remaining around 12 inches apart. They even play a game of chicken where two pilots fly straight on towards each other and at the last second split off. One cannot help but have a racing heart.

The aircraft used by the pilots are Boeing F/A-18 Hornets. They have a 40 foot wingspan and can travel 1200 miles per hour. Without a question, The Blue Angels will always be a source of pride for America. If you get the chance to see them live, do not miss out on the opportunity!

Plane? Or Helicopter?

One word comes to mind when thinking of the V-22 Osprey: Innovation. People first looking at the plane might not really have an idea what it is. The Osprey features two "nacelles" on either side of the aircraft. These appendages feature three-blade proprotors on each side. The osprey is the first of its kind.



The Osprey has a vertical take off, just like a helicopter. However, the innovation comes in to play next. When airborne, the nacelles rotate 90 degrees forward until it looks like a normal propeller airplane. This is more efficient than a helicopters stable rotors because it is able to function as a turboprop plane. This plane is controversial due to its high production costs and other reasons. The Osprey, which has been in development since the 80's, was once predicted to have a total project cost of 2.5 billion. Today, however, 27 billion has been spent on the project and 27 more will be needed to complete the project. During its first deployment, Time magazine called the V-22 "unsafe". However, the Osprey has proved its worth serving overseas.

The program's necessity or worth is up for debate. However, one thing remains certain: it is a technological wonder.

The SR-71 Blackbird: A Look Back On A Classic Aircraft

The SR-71 Blackbird will go down in history as one of the world's greatest planes. A technologically advance aircraft even in 1964, the SR-71 was a historic spy plane. It was developed in 1964 primarily by Clarence Johnson as an extremely high flying and fast reconnaissance plane. In fact, the SR-71, even though it is discontinued, is still the fasted and highest flying plane. It can fly 2200 miles per hour at 85,000 feet, which is over three times the speed of sound and over sixteen miles high. Although the aircraft's program was canceled probably because of its high crash rate, it is one of the most effective military planes ever deployed. Twelve of the 32 planes created were lost due to crashes. It only makes sense that a plane flying in those extreme conditions would have difficulty with reliability. However, none of the 12 destroyed were lost in combat.

Some other pros to the SR-71 include its evasive maneuvers and its stealth. The SR-71 was the first aircraft to be made with a radar resistant design. Because of its design, high flying altitude, and speed, it was very hard to detect. If it was detected and shot at from the ground, however, the standard evasive maneuver was simply to accelerate.

There are many who still support the Blackbird. They believe that the government should not have ended this legend of the sky. Nonetheless, it will still go down in history as being one of the most famous aircraft to exist.