The 1960s was the Golden Age of US military aviation. This was the era in which airplane builders weren’t afraid of taking great risks in order to create aircraft that were faster and had higher ceilings and greater range than ever before and had capabilities that made fighting possible within air-to-air engagements at very high speeds and at higher than usual altitude levels. They developed airplanes in which wings became unbelievably thin; engines featured very hot afterburners, unusual control mechanisms appeared and the entire plane took its shape solely out of necessity for flight in supersonic environments. Although they were hard and expensive to fly, they showed where flight was able to get in just one half-century.

Even More Exciting! Not only do all of these planes offer their own brand of beauty, they all had different purposes, too. Some were intended solely to be interceptors; other planes would be equipped to be fighters, attack planes, bombers, or reconnaissance planes, while there were planes conceived only as carrier planes or research prototypes, others were designed to attain double sound speed. Even some of these would push beyond of sound double, the most of which fly near Mach 3 and over Mach 3 at extreme altitudes.

They were also models for diverse histories. While some are enduring icons that served for decades in the active force’s others were abandoned before ever reaching active units. Some attained reputations for extreme lethality; some others defined their niche in combat, as recon machines, or just through technological superiority. Together they represent the intrepid engineering that defines American military aviation in a decade of intense growth.

1. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was arguably an absolutely uncompromising design. Development following feedback from pilots of Korean War fighters was spearheaded by Kelly Johnson and the designers at Lockheed, with the final design driven to some extent by just one main requirement: superlative speed and climb performance. Rejecting the developing trend for larger and more complex fighter designs, Johnson produced one of the world’s narrowest aircraft with minuscule wings, but powered with a massive General Electric J79 turbojet, producing one of the best performers developed so far. Ironically the F-104 turned into one that was far more of a ‘coalition’ fighter than American with fifteen NATO and allied air forces receiving one or more version with West Germany, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, Belgium and Italy being some of the more major recipients. Despite an infamous ‘starfighter death rate’ in some countries the Starfighter can be considered one of the most technically audacious looking fighter aircraft produced so far.

Extreme Fighter Performance:

• Exceptional speed and climb
• Extremely narrow wings
• First production Mach 2 aircraft
• Record-breaking altitude performance
• Powerful J79 turbojet engine

The Starfighter was often and not unfairly summed up in the famous, if somewhat stark terms of ‘a missile with a man inside’. Designed with long, thin wings to excel at high-speed, high-altitude intercepts, it was the first production aircraft to successfully and reliably break Mach However, such was the performance penalty involved with the F-104: it possessed a much inferior turning performance to more standard fighters and required high landing speeds, its service life was further blighted by problems with early powerplants and, more critically, its safety record proved profoundly problematic during extensive NATO service.

2. Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne

The Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne was one of the strangest military aircraft projects of the 1960s. The Cheyenne was never a true helicopter but was developed as a compound attack helicopter featuring low-set wings, a four-bladed rigid rotor and an army standard T-tail and, at the tail of the machine there was a pusher propeller. This vehicle was designed to incorporate the flexibility of a helicopter with high forward speeds. The type recorded a high of about 244mph when undergoing test, and was designed to provide armed escort for Army helicopters while packing enough weapons for a large-scale ground attack helicopter ranging from various guns to rockets, grenades, and missiles.

Unusual Helicopter Design:

• Compound attack helicopter
• Low-mounted wings
• Rigid four-blade rotor
• Tail-mounted pusher propeller
• Higher forward speed

The idea was technically innovative, but innovation can invite risk. The vehicle was difficult to engineer and its test program encountered technical issues. A tragic accident set back development more, and a politically fractious argument between the Army and the Air Force about the Cheyenne’s role on the battlefield compounded those issues. The Army officially terminated the program in 1972. Though never used as a combat helicopter, it was a precedent for American attack helicopter programs in the future, and for just what challenges can arise when you get a helicopter fast with its rotors going vertical.

3. North American F-100 Super Sabre

The North American F-100 Super Sabre also contributes to the bringing American aircraft out of the slow era and into the Supersonic Age. This was also the first fighter plane of the USAF ever to achieve supersonic flight in level flight, and also became the first jet fighter aircraft of the “Century Series.” Originally, this was designed to be an improved superfast, high-performance version of the Sabre, but the smooth shape and powerful engine make it go fast but had issues with handling and with yaw stability, especially the early ones as the coupling from yaw acceleration to roll torque, this often-caused severe crash accidents so this aircraft have been sent back to factory work after every few months of service for remedial treatment.

Supersonic Fighter Development:

• First USAF level-flight supersonic fighter
• Sleek high-speed design
• Powerful aircraft engine
• Early handling challenges
• Later fighter-bomber role

With the advent of a fighter-bomber role in American military aviation, so did the F-100. These two fighters became of significance in this area of aviation and the F-100 saw many hours of combat during the Vietnam War. The USAF Thunderbirds made the F-100 into something a bit more glamorous than just a military airplane and although slowly replaced by better and more advanced fighter planes they still marked a milestone in aviation transition from the early jet aircraft to high supersonic jets in service.

4. McDonnell F-101 Voodoo

The twin-engined McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was originally designed to escort long range bombers but it became a multi-mission aircraft able to perform a multitude of stressful jobs. In common with its twin-engines, sleek body and unusual tail, the Voodoo’s distinctive looks were readily apparent; and there was sufficient power from its J57 engines for it to punch through to over Mach 1.5, it was quickly adapted for Tactical Air Command duty as it was capable of carrying the nuclear weapons to prosecute the roles that were assigned to it, and variations of it also became interceptors and recon naissance aircraft in a fairly short period for that time.

Versatile Mission Capabilities:

• Long-range bomber escort
• Nuclear-capable fighter-bomber
• Advanced air interceptor
• Tactical reconnaissance aircraft
• Mach 1.5-plus performance

The F-101B interceptor also featured a big radar and carried a second crewman for air-defence speciality. Additionally, the interceptor also had provision to store air-to-air missiles inside without altering its aerodynamic design. The air-to-surface and reconnaissance version was proved to be particularly useful. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, an RF-101 aircraft photographed the site of the deployment and saw action during the Vietnam War. Although it was to see only a short stint as a fighter-bomber, the interceptor and reconnaissance models served longer.

5. Convair F-106 Delta Dart

Project called F-106 Delta Dart, was born with a noble, and for the then time extremely lofty, the purpose to design the “Ultimate Interceptor” to protected the USA against all threats. Clean delta wing and aerodynamically perfected airframe body seemed very far ahead of their time and on a powerful Pratt & Whitney J75 engine plane developed speed higher than Mach 2. But, unlike most of the fighters of this era, the goal of creating fighters was to intercept, not air dueling. Its weapons were placed inside the airframe body as closely as possible to each other. That’s it to improve aerodynamic characteristics, especially at supersonic speeds.

Ultimate Interceptor Design:

• Built for high-speed threats
• Pure delta wing design
• Powerful J75 engine
• Weapons carried internally
• Exceeded Mach 2

During the design phase the aircraft ran into technical and performance problems so very few were actually produced and it didn’t attain its production volume objectives. Despite this, it was the main All-Weather Interceptor of the USAF for the greater part of the Cold War, it didn’t fight, wasn’t exported but was utilized by various outfits for a good many years, some are still flying with the ANG to this very day, a few were also converted into target drones and even fly with NASA as testbeds.

6. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

One of the most recognized aircraft from the 1960s is undoubtedly the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Built by Lockheed’s Skunk Works division and overseen by Kelly Johnson, the Blackbird brought together unprecedented levels of speed, altitude, materials technology, and incipient stealth concepts within a single, breathtaking reconnaissance aircraft. Capable of continuous cruise above Mach 3 at an altitude of circa 85,000 ft; under such conditions of speed and altitude, its best defense was usually outrunning the perceived threats. When launched, if one should register the activation of a missile launching systems, the SR-71 pilot would typically be capable of accelerating out from the threat region rather than needing to resort to conventionally oriented defense systems.

Extreme Reconnaissance Aircraft:

• More than Mach 3
• Around 85,000 feet altitude
• Advanced reconnaissance equipment
• Early stealth concepts
• Exceptional high-speed capability

It was intended for strategic reconnaissance-collecting intelligence from territory from which a conventional aircraft could not normally fly. Advanced cameras and radar and signals-intelligence equipment essentially made it a spy in the sky. The Blackbird was a terribly challenging aircraft to fly, it required substantial preparation, required mid-air refuelling and required many resources to maintain and maintain in the sophisticated fashion that was required, but the aircraft’s name is now synonymous with being the most revolutionary spy plane, or so some say, and still holds some of the major air speed records for manned air-breathing aircraft.

7. North American A-5 Vigilante

Another beautiful and imposing naval aeronautical design from American engineering’s “golden age” of supersonic aviation, the A-5 Vigilante was conceived for carrier operations and carried into flight an unprecedented volume of new technologies into an almost comically huge and heavy airframe. However, it managed to fly at about Mach 2 with a nuclear strike load, which is remarkable for such a big beast from an aircraft carrier. It featured another technological marvel in utilizing a digital computer and flied smoothly and predictably at high speed, something that crews often complimented.

Advanced Naval Technology:

• Carrier-based supersonic aircraft
• Around Mach 2 speed
• Nuclear strike capability
• Digital computer technology
• Smooth high-speed handling

Nevertheless, launching and operating a Vigilante from a carrier would have been a great chore given its rapid approach speeds and considerable mass left it a very difficult aircraft to operate without crashing from the carrier. Add to this the relatively intricate operating systems required to function and the A-5 has had a tendency to come up as an expensive aircraft to operate. The A-5 was an aviation nuclear weapon briefly as American nuclear policy evolved before the reconnaissance version, the RA-5C, came of age as a reconnaissance asset, flying extensively during the Vietnam War.

8. Vought F-8 Crusader

Perhaps the most recognizable and distinct of the carrier-based fighters of its era, Vought F-8 Crusader was known as “The Last of the Gunfighters.” While many newly developed fighters were taking to relying exclusively on the employment of missiles for air combat, the Crusader still held guns as an important part of its armaments. One of its most obvious unique traits was the Crusader’s variable-incidence wing; upon landing the wing could be elevated while holding the fuselage parallel to the ground, allowing the pilot much greater forward visibility and aiding in maintain the correct angle of attack.

Distinctive Carrier Fighter:

• Known as “Last of Gunfighters”
• Variable-incidence wing
• Strong forward visibility
• High approach speeds
• Effective combat performance

The novel design also lent itself to the F-8 being a difficult aircraft to operate. High speeds in the approach and during carrier landings made operating from the smaller carriers demanding. The Crusader gained the moniker of being notoriously unforgiving at critical moments. But once in the air the F-8 could be extremely capable, fast and manoeuvrable. It would be tested on numerous occasions during the Vietnam War, facing down MiG-17 aircraft and participating in ground-attack sorties, and the reconnaissance version was instrumental in supplying low level intelligence during the cuban missile crisis.

9. Republic F-105 Thunderchief

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was intended for speed and shallow penetration of deep defenses. It was a fast (Mach 2 capable), massive, and potent aircraft that served as an attack aircraft armed with nuclear weapons but it would become America’s most heavily used fighter aircraft in the Vietnam War, in fact. Large and capable of carrying a heavy war load due to both an internal bomb bay and external pylons, it also carried an M61 Vulcan cannon.

High-Speed Strike Aircraft:

• High-speed low-level penetration
• Capable of Mach 2
• Large weapons capacity
• Internal bomb bay
• Powerful Vulcan cannon

This airplane was never intended to dogfight with lighter enemy fighters. The F-105 was intended to have good speed, payload and low altitude striking ability. During Vietnam, these missions made the Thunderchief highly vulnerable to enemy air defense. Over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties were flown during this conflict and the aircraft incurred very high losses. Later F-105F and G “Wild Weasel” aircraft performed a very hazardous role killing surface-to-air missile sites making up the role that will carry on to later aircraft.

10. McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II Perhaps more than any other airplane the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II epitomises a Cold War fighter. Although initially designed for the Navy, it swiftly spread to the US Air Force and Marine Corps and soon became perhaps the most famous US military design. It relied on twoJ79 turbojet engines to provide enormous power which it could push past Mach 2.2. Its sheer size added to the space available for fuel, electronics, weapons, which could be as much as 18,000 lbs of externally-mounted ordnance.

Iconic Cold War Fighter:

• Originally developed for Navy
• Later served Air Force
• Two J79 turbojets
• Exceeded Mach 2.2
• Large weapons capacity

These ten aircraft serve as a snapshot of how radically America’s military flight environment evolved in the 60s-an era when designers chased ever faster speeds, outrageous wingspans, high thrust, advanced electronics, and totally innovative ideas for attack, and for watching the enemy. Early in the Phantom’s history, its primary armament was missiles, and the aircraft had an empty nose where an internal cannon would now be. Combat would soon prove that didn’t cut it.