The Cold War gave the US Navy some of its most impressive and innovative aircraft, as the aircraft industry transitioned from modified Second World War aircraft to modern, missile-armed fighters, specialised attack aircraft, and precise surveillance systems. Operating from the deck of an aircraft carrier in every ocean, this equipment played vital roles in anti-submarine […]
6 Breakthrough Technologies That Make Ford-Class Aircraft Carriers a Floating Military Powerhouse
The USS Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier is a stunning new vessel that promises to change the face of modern naval power and engineering. 1,092 feet long and roughly 100,000 tons, the multi-billion dollar supercarrier is intended to succeed the older Enterprise and Nimitz-class ships as well as usher in an new era of maritime […]
10 Mass Produced Aircraft of World War II and Their Operational Roles
WWII was when machine flight really changed. A modern air force depends on aircraft for control of the air, close support, strategic attack and all kinds of other missions and during the world wars, aircraft were built on a mass scale to satisfy the needs of the war effort. They operated across Europe, the Pacific […]
8 Iconic Warplane Camouflage Designs Engineered for Aerial Survival and Deception
Military aircraft camouflage is about far more than simply giving a warplane a distinctive appearance. Since the early days of military aviation, specialised paint schemes have been used to make aircraft harder to spot, help them blend into their surroundings, and even confuse enemy pilots. Colours, patterns and surface designs have been carefully selected according […]
10 Iconic Fighter Aircraft of World War II Ranked by Engineering and Combat Impact
By the end of the war military aircraft had advanced at an astonishing rate from basic fighters to complex warplanes designed to control the air space, defend formations of bombers, destroy land based targets and support the fleet. In every theatre of operations Europe, the Pacific and the Eastern Front engineers relentlessly improved engines, aerodynamics, […]
Fincantieri Marinette Marine Secures Major U.S. Navy Constellation Class Frigate Contracts
Fincantieri Marinette Marine is a major contributor to the construction of the US Navy’s Constellation-class frigates in Marinette, Wisconsin. The DoD has awarded the firm a $526 million contract for the fourth Constellation-class frigate, following on from the initial April 2020 contractual obligation for the future USS Constellation at a cost of $795 million. The […]
10 Formidable Cold War Carrier Aircraft That Defined Naval Aviation
Enter the perilous domain of Cold War aircraft carrier aviation, an era when thousands of tons of steel and hundreds of crew members made these capital ships among the premier mediums for projecting military air power on the high seas. This floating embodiment of airpower operated over vast distances and may be required to launch […]
A Close Look at Ten of the Most Unconventional Aircraft Ever Built
The history of aviation is peppered with amazing mechanical designs that defy everything we expect in our flight. Planes which appear to follow the same type of design layout as the commercial planes seen today may be familiar, but engineers and inventors over the past few decades have developed some pretty extraordinary flying machines with […]
Flawed Designs in Aviation History: 10 Helicopters That Failed to Meet Expectations
These are the helicopter stories that we’ve all heard before the aeronautical designers bending the rules of physics to add a whole new dimension to aviation. The following list is not that list. Instead, they are the helicopters that didn’t quite work out as planned. These were the bastard rotorcraft that attempted to make history […]
Comparing US and Chinese Aircraft Carriers: Engineering, Technology, and Naval Power Capabilities
Today’s aircraft carriers are the definition of naval power projection. As the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy modernizes its fleet with supercarrier-like ships such as the Fujian, comparing flattops across the developing Chinese and well established US supercarrier fleets offers a fascinating means of assessing the capacities of the world’s two most powerful carrier forces. […]