Convair F-106 Delta Dart

The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was a supersonic, interceptor aircraft in service with the US Air Force from 1959 to 1988. Although it had a great performance, it was a complex and costly machine. Developed from the F-102 Delta Dagger, its main mission was to intercept and shoot down Soviet bombers during the Cold War. Thus, it usually flew sorties in the skies over Alaska during the 1960s and 1970s. However, it never saw combat action as it did not take part in the Vietnam War or in any other armed conflict.

The F-106 Delta Dart performed its first flight on December 26, 1956, taking off from Edwards Air Force Base. It was the prototype YF-106A powered by one Pratt & Whitney J57-P-47 jet engine. The flight test phase lasted less than three years and it entered service with the US Air Force on June 18, 1959, as the F-106A. Including the two prototypes, 342 interceptor aircraft would be built, in only one combat version; the F-106A. However, a trainer variant was also produced; the F-106B. From the time it was introduced at Geiger Field, Washington, it became the backbone of North America air defense, also becoming the favorite of many pilots who flew it.

Below, head-on view of the delta-winged interceptor in 1959.

Technical Description

The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was a single-seat, single-engine, supersonic monoplane of all-metal construction. It had a delta wing configuration, with a slight anhedral angle (with the wing obliquely downwards). It was mounted on lower portion of fuselage (delta low mid-wing), right under the engine air intake. The fuselage was not cylindrical but rather triangular in shape, with a streamlined conical nose. The cockpit canopy was inverted-'V'-shaped.

The Delta Dart was equipped with a Pratt & Whitney J75-P-17 turbojet engine, which put out 17,212 pounds of thrust with afterburning. This engine also powered the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Aside from the internal fuel tank, it usually carried a pair of underwing tanks for longer range. This aircraft featured a powerful search radar and also an infra-red search and track system.

Specifications

Type: interceptor

Length: 21.55 m (70 ft, 8 in)

Wing Span: 11.67 m (38 ft, 3 in)

Wing Area: 61.46 m2 (662 sq. ft)

Power Plant: one Pratt & Whitney J75-P-17 turbojet engine

Maximum Speed: Mach 2.25 (2,400 km/h, or 1,491 mph)

Range: 1,850 km (1,150 miles)

Service Ceiling: 17,680 m (58,600 ft)

Armament: one 20-mm M61A cannon; four AIM-4E or AIM4G Falcon air-to-air missile, plus two Genie nuclear rockets.

Below, the prototype YF-106A in 1957.

Four Delta Darts flying in diamond formation.

Below, two F-106As in flight in the 1960s.

Douglas F4D Skyray

The Douglas F4D Skyray was a carrier-borne interceptor and fighter used by the US Navy during the Cold War years. This manta-winged, jet aircraft had a fast rate of climb and an excellent performance. However, it was tricky to fly, with a high accident rate, especially during carrier operations. The main mission of this advanced combat aircraft was to guard the US Fleet against attack by Soviet bombers. Douglas built a total of 422 aircraft, which served on every fleet carrier. After a short career, it would be replaced by the F-8 Crusader.

Designed by Ed Heinemann, the Skyray prototype, the XF4D-1, first flew on the morning of January 21, 1951. The pilot was Larry Payton, and experienced test pilot, and it was powered by an Allison J35-A-17 jet engine, which produced 5,000 pounds of thrust. The flight test program, which included the deck handling phase, would be long, lasting five years as they looked for the right engine. Finally, this naval combat aircraft was introduced into service with the US Navy in August 1956 as the F4D-1, which was the first version. It would be retired eight years later, in 1964, thus, not seeing combat action in Vietnam.

Technical Description

The Douglas F4D Skyray was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It had an all-metal fuselage and a modified-delta mid wing. It lacked the classical tail assembly as it had no tailplane (horizontal stabilizer), only the vertical fin and rudder; the triangular elevators moved freely on both side of aft portion of fuselage, right behind the wing trailing edge. The F4D-1 variant of the aircraft was powered by one Pratt & Whitney J57-P-8A turbojet engine, which was rated at 10,205 pounds of thrust. The engine air intakes were located on each side of fuselage. The fuel was stored in fuel cells distributed in wing and fuselage mid-section.

Below, the Skyray prototype XF4D-1 in flight in 1951

Specifications

Type: carrier-based, all-weather interceptor/fighter

Length: 13.79 m (45 feet, 3 inches)

Wing Span: 10.21 m (33 feet, 6 inches)

Wing Area: 51.75 m2 (557 square feet)

Height: 3.96 m (13 feet)

Power Plant: one Pratt & Whitney J57-P-8A turbojet engine.

Maximum Speed: 1,164 km/h (722 mph)

Rate of Climb: 93 m/s (18,300 feet/minute)

Range: 1,930 km (1,200 miles)

Service Ceiling: 16,764 m (55,000 feet)

Avionics: AN/APQ-50 radar

Armament: four internal 20-mm cannons; four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles; two 454-kg (1000-lb) bombs.

Crew: one

Below, two F4D Skyray aircraft flying over the Mediterranean in 1959.

video of Skyray operations on carrier (footage)

Below, front view of the Skyray, with wing folded.

Two F4Ds rolling out of echelon, banking right. You can see the auxiliary disposable fuel tank for longer range flight.

Below, two Skyray aircraft on flight deck of a USS carrier in the Pacific.

Douglas A-1 Skyraider

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was a ground-attack, piston-engine aircraft used by the US Navy in the Korean and Vietnam War. It was sturdy, with a good performance, and it was able to deliver an incredible array of ordnance with pinpoint accuracy. Although the jet combat aircraft had already arrived in the theater of operations by the time the armed conflict in Southeast Asia broke out, this carrier-based attack aircraft showed the world that the old piston-engine warplanes could still be valuable and vital, specially when it came to provide fire support to ground troops.

The prototype of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, the XBT2D-1, made its maiden flight on March 18, 1945, at the end of WW2. This aircraft, which would be nicknamed the 'Spad' by the American pilots, had been designed by the renowned engineer Edward H. Heinemann. When it was introduced into service with the US Navy in 1946, many officers thought that it would have a short career, not only because WW2 had ended but also because jet planes were already being developed. However, in the Korean War, the Spad, along with two distinguished WW2 fighters, the F4U Corsair and P-51 Mustang, would show the military leaders that piston-engine aircraft were still valuable in combat due to their maneuverability, low-level flight capacity, and ruggedness.

The Skyraider entered service on July 27, 1946, as the AD-1, which was the former official designation it had been given. In 1962, it was redesignated A-1. Until 1957, several more variants would be produced, such as the AD-2, AD-3, AD-4, AD-4E, AD-4W, and AD-7. A total of 3,180 aircraft were built between 1945 and 1957, when production ended. The AD-4W and AD-5W were early-warning Skyraiders, which were fitted with a large radome on belly of fuselage containing a powerful radar. Its strong Wright R-3350 Cyclone radial piston engine and wing area gave it the same bomb-load capacity as the B-17 Flying Fortress.

Below, old but not obsolete, still a flying terminator; an AD-7 version of the Skyraider among jet combat aircraft on the flight deck of USS Shangri-LA (CV-38). It was assigned to VA-115.

Technical Description

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane of all-metal construction. It was fitted with straight, cantilever, low wing, with a slight dihedral angle. The wing leading and trailing edge tapered slightly towards the tip at angle of 12 degrees. The wing aileron was mounted on outer panel of wing, which could be folded up, while the flap was on inner panel of wing. The landing gear was a tricycle design.

The cockpit of the Spad was large and comfortable, topped by a bubble canopy, which gave the pilot excellent view. However, it had no ejector seat and pilots had to bail out manually and jump out of it, making the sign of the cross and looking up into the sky. The 388-gallon fuel tank was located right behind the cockpit next to the avionics and radio racks. The pair of large speed breakers lay on the sides of fuselage. The aircraft was powered by one Wright R-3350-26W, 18-cylinder, radial, piston engine, which delivered 3,020 horsepower.

Specifications (AD-2/A-1B)

Type: dive-bomber/ground attack aircraft

Length: 11.63 m (38 feet, 2 inches)

Wing Span: 15.24 m (50 feet)

Wing Area: 37.16 m2 (400 square feet)

Height: 4.7 m (15 feet, 5 inches)

Power Plant: one 3,020-HP, Wright R-3350-26W Cyclone, radial piston engine.

Maximum Speed: 498 km/h (309 mph)

Range: 1,448 km (900 miles)

Service Ceiling: 9,753 m (32,000 feet)

Armament: four 20-mm wing-mounted cannons; 3,600-kg (8,000-lb) of bombs on external hardpoints; or torpedoes and rocket pods.

Below, the AD-2 (A-1B) version from VA-65 Squadron taking off from flight deck of USS Valley Forge (CV-45) for a strike on targets in Korea. It remained in service with the US Navy for two decades, during which it proved to be one of the most versatile attack aircraft.

The prototype XBT2D-1 in 1945, parked on airbase tarmac.

Below, the A-1H (AD-6) version fully loaded with ordnance on all 15 external points in 1964.

An A-1H Skyraider assigned to VA-145 on the USS Intrepid (CV-11) has extended  its speed break to slow down the aircraft before touching down on flight deck.

de Havilland Sea Vixen

The de Havilland Sea Vixen (DH.110) was a carrier-borne, all-weather jet fighter used by the Royal Navy during the Cold War. Bristling with armament and equipped with a powerful radar, it was a combat aircraft to be reckoned with. When it was introduced into service in the late 1950s, it was a great step forward as it constituted the backbone of the Royal Navy's carrier force in the 1960s, together with the Blackburn Buccaneer.

Designed in 1947 in response to Naval Specifications No 40/46, the first prototype of the Sea Vixen, the DH.110 WG236, first took to the air on September 26, 1951, from Hatfield airbase. It was flown by test pilot John Cunningham. After several flight tests, it would crash the following year at Farnborough. However, the project would continue with a series of prototypes, like the WG240. Sea trials on carrier began on April 5, 1956, when the prototype XF828 landed on the deck of HMS Ark Royal. Finally, this naval aircraft would enter service with the Royal Navy in October 1959 in the FAW.Mk 1 version.

Below, three FAW.Mk 2 variants of Squadron No 899 from HMS Eagle carrier.

Technical Description

The de Havilland Sea Vixen was a two-seat, twin-engine monoplane. It had an all-metal fuselage, with a twin-boom tail layout. The tail horizontal stabilizer was set up between the twin boom fins. It featured broad swept wing, mounted in middle of fuselage. The wing leading edge angle was set at 40 degrees. The wing outer panels could be folded up for storage convenience.

The FAW.Mk 2 variant was powered by two Rolls Royce Avon RA.28 Mk-208 turbojet engine, which could put out 11,237 pounds of thrust. It was fitted with A.I.18 air interception radar mounted in the nose of aircraft. It had a single refueling probe, which projected forward from the wing leading edge. The aircraft had a hydraulically-operated arrestor hook for carrier operations.

Specifications (FAW.Mk 2)

Type: carrier-borne fighter

Length: 16.94 m (55 feet, 7 inches)

Wing Span: 15.24 m (50 feet)

Wing Area: 60.19 m2 (648 square feet)

Height: 3.28 m (10 feet, 9 inches)

Power Plant: two Rolls Royce Avon RA.28 Mk-208 turbojet engines.

Maximum Speed: 1,030 km/h (640 mph)

Range: 2,260 km (1,404 miles)

Service Ceiling: 14,630 m (48,000 feet)

Armament: four Firestreaks air-to-air infrared homing missiles; twenty eight 51-mm rockets in underfuselage microcell pack; plus two 454-kg bombs.

Crew: two

Below, the prototype WG240 in flight in 1953.

One Sea Vixen DH.110, FAW.Mk 1, No 488, flying over the Atlantic in 1964.

Below, a Sea Vixen on the deck HMS Hermes in June 1968.

The aircraft arranged on deck of HMS Eagle, with their wings folded up, in July 1967.

English Electric Canberra

The English Electric Canberra was a twin-engine bomber used by the British Royal Air Force during the Cold War. Not only could it fly as fast as contemporary fighters but it was also as agile as them. During its very long career, it took part in many armed conflicts, including the Vietnam War, where the Royal Australian Air Force used the type alongside US Air Force aircraft on bombing raids. The Argentinean Air Force also used this bomber during the 1955 coup d'etat which overthrew President Juan D. Peron, and the 1982 Falklands War in ground-attack missions against British troops.

Designed by William Eduard W. Petter, the prototype of the Canberra, the VN799, first flew on May 13, 1949. It was flown by English Electric Company's chief test pilot R. P. Beamont. It was introduced on May 25, 1951, as the B Mk 2 version. A total of 1,352 bombers would be produced in many variants. About 400 would be built in the USA under license, entering service with the USAF as the Martin B-57, which was used in Vietnam. Also a photo-reconnaissance version model was also produced, identified with the letters PR.

Below, the Canberra in flight as it banks right. This bomber was very maneuverable due to its straight wing design, with a large area.

Technical Description

The English Electric Canberra was a twin-engine, medium-size, mid-wing monoplane, carrying a crew of 3 men. The all-metal fuselage was of semi-monocoque construction, with the fore portion containing the cockpit being pressurized. The upper center fuselage held three fuel tanks, while the lower part contained the bomb-bay. The tail portion was of standard pattern, with variable incidence tailplane.

The Canberra B Mk 2 version was powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon Mk1/RA3 jet engines, which were mounted in the wings. Each engine could generate 6,500 pounds of thrust. Internal fuel was usually augmented by additional tanks attached to the underside of wing tips. Thus, it had an exceptional long range (5,000 km). The landing gear was retractable, folding up into wings.

Specifications (B. Mk 6)

Type: bomber

Length: 19.96 m ( 65 feet, 6 inches)

Wing Span: 19.51 m (64 feet)

Wing Area: 89.19 m2 (960 square feet)

Height: 4.75 m (15 feet, 7 inches)

Power Plant: two 7,500-lb-thrust, Rolls-Royce Avon Mk 109 turbojet engines.

Maximum Speed: 871 km/h (541 mph)

Range: 5,842 km (3,630 miles)

Service Ceiling: 14,630 m (48,000 feet)

Crew: 3

Armament: nine 454-kg (1,000-lb) bombs in bomb-bay; two 454-kg bombs on wing pylon.

Below, the English Electric Canberra prototype VN799 in flight

The phto-reconnaissance version equipped with F52 oblique cameras and various types of sensors.

Below, the Martin B-57, which was the American variant of the Canberra made in the USA under license.

English Electric Lightning

The English Electric Lightning was a supersonic interceptor aircraft in service with the Royal Air Force between 1959 and 1988. It was the first British combat aircraft to fly at twice the speed of sound in 1958, when it was still a prototype. With a rate of climb of 20,000 ft/min (100 m/s), this warplane could hurtle skywards at an incredible speed to intercept any enemy intruder, such as a bomber.

The prototype of the Lightning, the P.1A, made its first flight on August 4, 1954. It was flown by test pilot Robert P. Beamont and it was escorted by a Canberra aircraft. It was a 33 minutes flight, which would be the start of a very long test program that was to last five years, involving several prototypes. Finally, it entered service with the British Royal Air Force on December 23, 1959, as the F.1A. A total of 337 aircraft would be built by English Electric, with the F.2, F.3, F.3A, T.5 (trainer), and F.6 being the most important variants.

Despite its high speed, it was a maneuverable and reliable aircraft that could also be used as a fighter. During the Cold War, British pilots frequently turned back Soviet reconnaissance aircraft heading for Great Britain's shores. In real combat situations, they would have fired the Firestreak air-to-air missiles on approaching bombers, sending them down in flames. In those days, few other fighters were as fast and formidable as this British aircraft.

Below, the famous British interceptor during the last stage of the flight test program. The bulge on aircraft belly is the fuel tank.

Technical Description

The English Electric Lightning was a single-seat, twin-engine supersonic monoplane. It had highly-swept mid-wing, with the leading edge angle having a sweepback of 60 degrees. Thus, the wing could also be classified as notched delta. The tail assembly horizontal plane was also swept back at same angle and was mounted low on fuselage. The tail vertical fin was set up on top of rear portion of fuselage. The rear wheels of landing gear folded up into wing.

The fuselage of the Lightning was of all-metal construction. Its engines layout was unique as they were mounted one on top of the other. These were Rolls-Royce Avon 302 afterburning turbojet engines, which produced 16,367 pounds of thrust. The air intake was located in the nose of aircraft, being fitted with an air cone. Although the aircraft was popular with pilots, the cockpit was fairly cramped.

Specifications (F.6)

Type: interceptor/fighter aircraft

Length: 16.84 m (55 feet, 3 inches)

Wing Span: 10.62 m (34 feet, 10 inches)

Wing Area: 35.31 m2 (380 square feet)

Height: 5.97 m (19 feet, 7 inches)

Power Plant: two 16,367-lb, Rolls-Royce Avon-302 turbojet engines.

Maximum Speed: Mach 2.3 (2,415 km/h, or 1,500 mph)

Range: 1,200 km (746 miles)

Service Ceiling: 16,500 m (54,134 feet)

Armament: two 30-mm ADEN cannons; two Firestreak heat-seeking missiles.

Below, the prototype P.1A, WG760, in flight in 1954.

The English Electric Lightning F.4 version.

Below, the F.6 version during a passover before touching down on airbase runway.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was a long-range, supersonic spy plane, which was in service with the US Air Force from 1966 to 1989. During the Cold War, it flew hundreds of sorties in the skies over Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea, China, Cuba, and Siberia, with an average of one flight per week. It was equipped with a long-range radar, infrared search sensors, an infrared tracking system, and an Itek 102A 910-1,220-mm reconnaissance camera.

The SR-71's main feature was its speed as it could fly at Mach 3+ at high altitude. It also had a very small radar cross-section design and radar counter-measures to provide it with stealth characteristics and to avoid being detected. The only Soviet combat aircraft which posed a real threat to the Blackbird were the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat and the MiG-31 Foxhound, both of which could reach speeds of Mach 2.9 at high altitudes and were fitted with powerful long-range radars and air-to-air missiles.

The prototype of the SR-71 Blackbird, the YF-12A (No. 06937), made its maiden flight on December 22, 1964. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J58 (JT11D-20) turbojet engines, with afterburner. After more than a year of flight tests, it was introduced into service with the US Air Force in January 1966 and it was assigned to the 4200th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing based in California. A total of 32 aircraft would be produced by Lockheed in the SR-71A, SR-71B, and SR-71C versions.

For more than two decades, the Blackbird was a top-secret aircraft, which had been designed to replace the Lockheed U-2; this spy plane had been shot down by Soviet SAMs in 1960 while it flew a secret sortie over Soviet territory. This U-2 was flown by Francis Gary Powers, who was taken prisoner and exposed to the international press in Moscow. It was a great scandal for president Dwight Eisenhower.

Below, photograph of the Blackbird in flight about to plug into a KC-135Q tanker aircraft.

Technical Description

The Lockheed SR-71 was a two-seat, twin-engine high-tech aircraft. The design configuration of this advanced plane consisted of a very long tailless fuselage, which was made of titanium alloy, and broad delta wing. The wing was mounted on rear portion of fuselage. It was equipped with two vertical fins and rudders, which were set up on top of each of engine nacelles. The front section of fuselage was fitted with blended forward wing, which was called 'chine'. The chine acted as a fixed canard that provided stability and decreased drag.

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was made of titanium alloy to withstand the kinetic heating of prolonged Mach 3 cruise speed. Most of the fuselage and wing internal volume was taken up by fuel tanks. To endow it with stealth capability, the SR-71 was painted overall in a black radar-absorbent paint, which contained microscopic ferrous balls, with markings kept to the minimum. The cockpit had two seats arranged in tandem. Both pilot and reconnaissance system officer wore pressurized suits as they breathed pure oxygen for about half an hour before take-off to eliminate the nitrogen in their bloodstream to avoid decompression sickness.

Specifications

Type: long-range, strategic, reconnaissance aircraft.

Length: 32.74 m (107 feet, 5 inches)

Wing Span: 16.95 m (55 feet, 7 inches)

Wing Area: 167.23 m2 (1,800 square feet)

Height: 5.64 m (18 feet, 6 inches)

Power Plant: two 32,528-lb-thrust, Pratt & Whitney J58-1 afterburning turboramjet engines.

Maximum Speed: Mach 3.3

Range: 5,230 km (3,250 miles)

Service Ceiling: 25,900 m (84,974 feet)

Below, the prototype of the Blackbird, the YF-12A in 1964.

The SR-71B version on runway ready for take-off.

Below, the SR-71B variant in flight around 1982.

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was a carrier-borne attack aircraft used by the US Navy and Marine Corps during the Cold War. Technically, it was a light bomber. However, it had the maneuverability of a fighter. It was also accurate in the ground-attack role, since it had excellent handling qualities flying at low levels. It showed these flight virtues during the Vietnam War, operating from aircraft carriers, and during the 1982 Falklands War, taking off from Patagonia. It could carry an impressive array of ordnance.

Designed by Edward H. Heinemann, the prototype of the A-4 Skyhawk, the XA4D-1, performed its maiden flight on June 22, 1954. It was flown by Douglas test pilot Robert Rahn, taking off from Edward airbase, California. The first performance would be followed by a two-year period of intense test flights to improve shortcomings and make corrections. The prototype was powered by one Curtiss Wright J65-W-2 jet engine. Tests aboard a carrier began in September 1955, operating from the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) flight deck. Finally, it entered service with the US Navy on October 26, 1956, with VA-72 squadron, in the A4D-1 version, which would later be redesignated A-4A.

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk would be produced for more than two decades, with a total of 2,960 aircraft built in several variants. It would take part in the Vietnam War, the Six-Day War, and the Falklands War. In this latter conflict and in service with the Argentinean Air Force, the Skyhawk sank four British warships: the destroyer HMS Coventry (D118), the frigate HMS Antelope (F170), the destroyer HMS Glasgow (D88), the troop transport ship Sir Galahad. It also damaged the frigate HMS Argonaut (F56). It was a great deed because the Argentinean pilots flew without avionics and without self-defense missiles, using unguided bombs and flying at low levels over the sea.

Below, the US Navy's A-4E variant at an airbase. It is armed with eighteen Mk-81 bombs and two AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-ground missiles attached to wing outer pylons.

Technical Description

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was a single-seat, single-engine, subsonic monoplane. The fuselage was all-metal and built in three sections: the nose, the forward, and the aft section. It featured a modified, delta low-wing, which was curved at the tip, with a low aspect ratio and an area of 260 square feet. The wing trailing edge had ailerons of constant chord on the outer half, and split flaps, also of constant chord, on the inner half. The wing leading edge was fitted with slats, which were controlled only by its own weight and the airflow over the wing.

The A-4E, A-4F and A-4M variants featured a dorsal 'hump', which housed the avionics, on top of fuselage. The TA-4E trainer model had two seats. The A-4A, A-4B, and A-4C versions were powered by one Curtiss Wright J65 Sapphire jet engine, which was rated at 7,700 pounds in the J65-W-16A model. The A-4E, A-4F, A-4G, and A-4M were equipped with one Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojet engine, which was rated at 9,000 pounds of thrust. The engine air intakes were located on the sides of fuselage.

Specifications (A-4F)

Type: naval attack aircraft

Length: 12.29 m (40 feet, 4 inches)

Wing Span: 8.38 m (27 feet, 6 inches)

Wing Area: 24.16 m2 (260 square feet)

Height: 4.57 m (15 feet)

Power Plant: one 9,310-lb-thrust, Pratt & Whitney J65-P-A8 turbojet engine.

Maximum Speed: 1,054 km/h (653 mph)

Combat Radius: 612 km (379 miles)

Range: 1,127 km (700 miles)

Service Ceiling: 12,878 m (42,200 feet)

Armament: two 20-mm Mk-12 cannons; bomb-load: 3,719-kg (8,182-lb); rockets or air-to-ground missiles.

Below, two Douglas A-4Fs of VMA-111 flying over South Vietnam in 1972, on a fire support mission.

One A-4E in flight, carrying out a ground attack mission over Vietnam in 1968.

Below, the prototype XA4D-1 in 1954 at the factory tarmac.

One A-4E from VA-12 is being hooked up to the catapult, getting ready to take off from the flight deck of USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42).

Below, two US Marine Corps' A-4Ms flying over California.

The different parts and components that make up a Skyhawk.

Below, the cockpit and the instrument panel of an A-4 Skyhawk.

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

The Lockheed P-2 Neptune was a long-range, anti-submarine aircraft. It was in service with the US Navy from 1947 to 1984. It was the West's answer to the Soviet submarines during the first half of the Cold War. It was equipped with a wide array of weapons, which included depth charges, torpedoes, bombs, and rockets. It was also used as a maritime patrol aircraft, also playing an anti-surface ship role. In 1982, an Argentine Navy's Neptune guided the Super Etendard bomber, which sank the HMS Sheffield destroyer with an Exocet missile.

Originally designated P2V, the Lockheed P-2 was used during the Korean War to insert secret agents behind enemy lines. During the Vietnam War, it was employed as a reconnaissance and maritime patrol aircraft, also relaying communications from CIA agents. However, the P2V Neptune spent most of its career stalking Soviet submarines, operating from land airbases or from aircraft carriers. Aside from its anti-submarine role, it also had other capabilities, such as electronic intelligence and countermeasures, and drone launching.

The Lockheed P-2 Neptune prototype, the XP2V-1, first took to the air on May 17, 1945. It was introduced into service with the US Navy on March 20, 1947, as the P2V-1. In 1962, it would be redesignated the P-2. A total of 1,181 aircraft would be built in different versions, and it would be sold to several countries, which included Australia, Argentina, Brazil, and Canada. Piloted by commander Thomas P. Davies, it broke a world record, flying 18,227 km (11,326 miles) from Perth, Australia, to Columbus, Ohio, in 55 hours, 17 minutes. This record showed the aircraft long range and endurance capacity.

Below, the P-2H (P2V-7) version in flight in the 1970s.

Technical Description

The Lockheed P-2 Neptune was a two-engine, mid-wing monoplane, which was fitted with a tricycle landing gear. The fuselage was an all-metal, semi-monocoque. An all-metal, cantilever wing was attached to it. Its tail assembly was composed of a large vertical fin and rudder, and a variable tailplane (horizontal stabilizer), to take account of changes in weight and center of gravity. The wing ailerons were of conventional operation; however, spring tabs were fitted, acting as servo tabs at high speeds. The wing also had modified Fowler high lift flaps.

The Lockheed P-2 was powered by two Wright R-3350-32W turbo compound, radial piston engines, each of which put out 3,500 horsepower. To carry out its anti-submarine and maritime patrol missions, it was equipped with one AN/ASQ-8 magnetic anomaly detector radar, which was mounted in an extended tail boom, and with one AN/APS-20 surface search radar, which was set up on belly of aircraft.

Specifications

Type: long-range anti-submarine aircraft

Length: 27.94 m (91 feet, 8 inches)

Wing Span: 31.65 m (103 feet, 10 inches)

Wing Area: 92.90 m2 (1,000 square feet)

Height: 8.94 m (29 feet, 4 inches)

Power Plant: two Wright -R-3350-32W radial, piston engines.

Maximum Speed: 648 km/h (403 mph)

Range: 5,930 km (3,685 miles)

Service Ceiling: 6,800 m (22,310 feet)

Crew: 7/ or 12

Armament: torpedoes, depth charges, bombs, and rockets.

Below, Lockheed P-2E (P2V-5) version flying over the Atlantic Ocean.

The Neptune during anti-submarine exercises.

Below, the P2V-3C variant about to take off from an USS aircraft carrier.

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was an interceptor aircraft in service with the US Air Force during the Cold War. It was known as the 'Zipper' to pilots as it was the fastest combat aircraft of the 1950s. It was also the first airplane capable of sustaining Mach 2 speeds. Although it had a brief military career in the United States, it would play an important role in Europe as a fighter-bomber. A total of 2,578 Starfighters were produced, with the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) being the main user. It was also employed by the Italians, the Dutch, and Turkish.

Designed by Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson, the prototype, the XF-104, performed its first flight on March 4, 1954. After three years of flight tests, with accidents, it was introduced into service with the US Air Force on February 28, 1958, as the F-104A version. The F-104B, F-104C, F-104F, and F-104G would be the main variants. The F-104B was a tactical fighter and trainer, equipped with two seats in tandem. Meanwhile, the F-104G was the most massively built, with a total of 1,127 aircraft, having a stronger fuselage and improved avionics.

The Lockheed F-104C was a fighter-bomber variant, which was fitted with an upgraded fire-control radar (AN/ASG-14T). It was powered by one General Electric J79-GE-7 afterburning turbojet engine. It was capable to carry one Mk-28 nuclear bomb. This version would be operated by the US Tactical Air Command in the 1960s; during the Vietnam War, it took part in Operation Rolling Thunder in the air support role, providing a protective umbrella for other US Air Force aircraft. It would be retired from active service in the US Air force in 1974, along with the other versions.

Below, photograph of the prototype XF-104, s/n 53-7783, in flight in the skies over California.

Technical Description

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a single-seat, single-engine supersonic monoplane. It had a long, rocket-like, all-metal fuselage, with a long tapered nose. It featured trapezoidal mid-wing, with a 10-degree anhedral angle (downward inclination). It was fitted with a T-tail, with trapezoidal horizontal stabilizer mounted on top of the vertical fin. It had two 170-gal. wingtip fuel tanks. It was equipped with narrow-tracked retractable landing gear.

The location of the horizontal stabilizer on top of the vertical fin raised the center of pressure on the tail, thus increasing induced roll effect during sideslip (downward sharp bank). To offset this increased roll, the wing was designed with a 10-degree negative dihedral (anhedral). The narrow, 6-m wing span was optimized for Mach-2 high speeds performance. The leading edge of wing was so thin and sharp, it was said that it was sharp enough to cut meat with.

Specifications (F-104G)

Type: Interceptro/Fighter Aircraft

Length: 16.69 m (54 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Span: 6.68 m (21 feet, 11 inches)

Wing Area: 18.22 m2 (196 square feet)

Height: 4.11 m (13 feet, 6 inches)

Power Plant: one14,806-lb-thrust, General Electric J79-GE-11A turbojet, with afterburner.

Maximum Speed: 2,330 km/h (1,450 mph)/Mach-2.2

Combat Radius: 800 km (497 miles)

Service Ceiling: 16,764 m (55,000 feet)

Armament: one 20-mm M-61 Vulcan, six-barrel, rotary cannon in fuselage; one centerline rack capable of carrying one 907-kg (2,000-lb) bomb; two underwing pylons each capable of carrying one 454-kg (1,000-lb) bomb. Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

Below, three Starfighters in flight in the 1960s.

The prototype with chief engineering test pilot Herman R. "Fish" Salmon standing beside the aircraft at a military base.

Below, the F-104A, s/n 56-736 flying over Arizona in 1959.

The M-61 Vulcan gattling-gun type cannon.