Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are switching gears and visiting a nuclear bomber, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, also known as the Model 450. The sleek-looking B-27 Stratojet showcased newly developed jet propulsion and 35-degree swept wings, which helped with its high speeds. The Model 450 took its first flight in 1947. This jet gained popularity quickly as it was…
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are paying a special visit to an experimental aircraft with a very unique look, the Grumman X-29. This aircraft was designed to test aerodynamics; most will notice the forward-swept wings, canard control surfaces, amongst other distinctive features. Composite materials, such as graphite epoxy and carbon-fiber, were used to control the aeroelastic divergent twisting wings…
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are visiting a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft, the North American X-15. This aircraft was part of the X-plane series and was a complete test bed. Dropping from a B-52, the X-15’s engine put out a total of 57,000 pounds-force of thrust, reaching the highest speed ever recorded, 4,520 miles per hour, or Mach 6.7! The…
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting one of the most futuristic airplanes that the U.S. has ever built, the XB-70 Valkyrie. This supersonic aircraft was initially designed to be a high-speed bomber which was spawned from Boeing’s MX-2145 concept. The XB-70 was proposed to use zip fuel, which increased combustion of the fuel and provided an extended range for…
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting the Lockheed Martin concept plane SR-72 used in “Top Gun: Maverick” as Darkstar. The SR-72 is a successor of the retired SR-71 Blackbird and is a Hypersonic optionally manned aircraft with the purpose of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Lockheed Martin expects that the SR-72, which can reach speeds in excess of Mach 6,…
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting what could be considered the best fighter designed but never built, the F-20 Tigershark. Development of the F-20 began in 1975 to combat the latest Soviet fighter aircraft. Evolving from the F-5E Tiger II, the Tigershark was faster, had better avionics, and had capability beyond visual range air-to-air. Three prototypes of the Tigershark…
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re joined by two special guests from the Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake as we visit the EA-18G Growler. The EA-18 Growler is a carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft and one of the newest aircraft in the Navy Fleet. This Airborne Electronic Attack aircraft combines the latest electronic attack technology including jamming pods, communication…
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting a multi-role combat aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II. The F-35 is the apex of American advanced fighter design right now and is the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world. Intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions, the F-35 provides electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.…
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting an advanced tactical fighter, the Northrop YF-23. In the 1980s, the USAF sent out a request for a proposal for a fighter aircraft to counter the Sukhoi Su-27.Built for survivability, supercruise, stealth and ease of maintenance, the YF-23 was one of two finalists for this proposal. Ultimately, it was not selected and the…
