The Il-2 Sturmovik: The Most-Produced Military Aircraft in History
Share this story With 36,183 examples built, the Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik is the most-produced military aircraft in history — and arguably the most important ground-attack platform of the Second World War. Soviet infantry called it “the flying tank.” German...
The Convair B-58 Hustler: First Supersonic Bomber
Share this story The Convair B-58 Hustler was the world’s first operational supersonic bomber — a Mach 2 delta-wing marvel that could outrun every interceptor of its era. It was also one of the most dangerous aircraft in the United States Air Force inventory,...
What Pilots See Through a Head-Up Display
Share this story A fighter pilot pulling 7G in a turning engagement has roughly three seconds to acquire a target, compute a firing solution, and press the trigger. Looking down at cockpit instruments during those three seconds means looking away from the threat — and...
Sea Baby Drone Boats Now Launch FPV Swarms at Sea
Share this story A naval drone that costs roughly $200,000 can now launch its own swarm of first-person-view attack drones while underway at sea. The Sea Baby unmanned surface vessel — a remotely piloted maritime platform with a 1,500-kilometre range — has evolved...
When a Fishing Boat Met a Fighter Jet — and Changed Supersonic Flight Forever
NASA’s X-59 QueSST aircraft, the direct descendant of the SSBD programme, broke the sound barrier for the first time in June 2026 — designed to produce a gentle thump instead of a thunderclap. (NASA) If you have ever seen a photo of the Shaped Sonic Boom...
How the Next-Gen Airlifter Will Land on Dirt Roads
A C-130J Super Hercules at a forward operating location. The Hercules has served as the backbone of tactical airlift for seven decades, but the Air Force is now planning its eventual replacement. (U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons) Somewhere in the western Pacific,...
China’s PL-16: The Stealth Missile That Could Outshoot America Over the Pacific
Somewhere in China’s vast defence-industrial complex, a missile is being built that could fundamentally change the arithmetic of air combat over the Pacific. The PL-16 — Beijing’s next-generation beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile — has never been...
The F-104 Starfighter: How Germany Turned a Masterpiece Into the Widowmaker
Kelly Johnson built the F-104 Starfighter to do one thing: climb fast, fly high, and kill Soviet bombers before they reached American cities. The Lockheed engineer surveyed Korean War fighter pilots in 1951 and concluded that what they wanted was not another heavy,...
India Unveils Its First AI-Piloted Fighter Concept
A Bengaluru startup has just thrown India’s hat into the ring of autonomous combat aviation. Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA) has unveiled the FWD Supreme — an AI-piloted fighter concept designed to fly, fight, and make tactical decisions without a...
China’s Tailless Fighter Just Showed It Can Turn
Share this story One question has shadowed China’s J-36 since it first flew: a tailless aircraft can be stealthy and stable, but can it actually manoeuvre? New footage circulating online appears to answer it. The big, three-engined sixth-generation prototype is...
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