De Havilland Mosquito (1940)
The de Havilland Mosquito was a fast British multi-role combat aircraft that flew in 1940. The Mosquito achieved its military objectives through its fast speed and powerful firepower which combined with its design that used lightweight wood materials and two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines as power sources.
The de Havilland Mosquito is famous for its success as a fighter bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with the RAF and the Allies in the second world war, but its story did not stop there. The 'Wooden Wonder' saw its last combat in Israeli hands. The Israeli Air Force operated Mosquitos with enthusiasm despite the severe Middle Eastern climate damaging their wooden airframes.
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (1941)
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was a large fighter powered by a radial engine. The aircraft served as the main fighter bomber for United States Army Air Force operations during World War II because it possessed fast speed and long-range capability and exceptional durability. The P-47 required expensive operation costs because of its complex systems yet it maintained strong performance and dependable operation. More than 15636 units were produced.
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (1938)
The aircraft became known for its fire-starting capabilities throughout Europe yet the aircraft spent its entire existence during active duty to extinguish fires. The Flying Fortress's career in its intended role was limited after 1945; the advent of the B-29 rendered it obsolescent in its home nation. The system needed to be developed because most developing countries would find its size and operational expenses and advanced nature to be unmanageable. As a result, most of the B-17s operated by air forces after 1945 were used as transport craft. The one great exception was Israel, which operated three Fortresses for years, bombing Cairo in 1948 to great psychological, though militarily insignificant, effect.
Douglas C-47/DC-3 (1935)
The DC-3 was an airliner developed in the mid-1930s. At the beginning of the Second World War, it was modified into a military transport aircraft which received the name C-47. The military versions accounted for more than 95 percent of all airframes that were built. C-47 production lasted for ten years while multiple engine types operated within the same engine size and power capacity. The original DC-3 operated with the 9-cylinder Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 engine which generated 1000 horsepower. The C-47 predominantly used the 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine which generated 1200 horsepower.
Mil Mi-24 ‘Hind’ (1969)
The aircraft in this article have been compared to their Western counterparts but the Mil Mi-24 does not have a Western equivalent because its closest match the Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk was cancelled. Western countries operate Apache attack helicopters and H-60 Blackhawk transport helicopters but the Mi-24 functions as both an attack helicopter and a transport helicopter.
Mil Mi-24 'Hind'
The Mi-24 helicopter has established itself as an iconic aircraft which has participated in nearly every military conflict that occurred between the late 20th century and the early 21st century. The Mi-24 helicopter functions as a "flying tank" which military personnel can transport to foreign countries through their delivery in separate crates and assemble which they can operate without advanced technology.
Avro Shackleton
The Royal Air Force received its first Shackleton aircraft when No. 120 Squadron RAF received delivery of the aircraft on 30 March 1951. The aircraft type was in use by seven squadrons by December 1952. The British Royal Navy planned to start retiring its Shackleton aircraft when the Nimrod aircraft entered service in 1969. The United Kingdom lost all its airborne early warning radar capabilities after it decommissioned its massive aircraft carriers together with their Gannet aircraft.
Grumman F-14 Tomcat
The F-14 Tomcat entered service in 1974 and retired from the US Navy, which operated the aircraft as its primary military branch, in 2006. The US Navy operated the F-14 Tomcat for 32 years, which represents a shorter operational period, even though other countries flew the aircraft during its service life. The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force operates the F-14 aircraft as its sole military fighter. Iran ordered the F-14 Tomcat in 1974 and received aircraft two years later.
The Tomcat proved successful for Iranian forces during the Iran-Iraq War, because it achieved multiple aerial victories against Iraqi planes. The F-14 fighter jet remains in service with the Iranian military, because Iranian engineers developed extensive modifications to the aircraft, despite the US military ending all support for the aircraft more than 30 years ago. The Iranian military operates 41 F-14 planes, which continue to serve since they still fly in the country.
Tupolev Tu-95 ‘Bear’ (1952)
A Tu-95 pilot who exists today may have a grandfather who also flew the same aircraft. The military maintains active service for a few aircraft models which first entered service during the early 1950s but the 'Bear' aircraft stands out with its unusual design and loud operational sound.
The strategic bomber features a unique design that includes wings which extend back from the airframe and four NK-12 turboprop engines which use contra-rotating propellers. The design team selected the turboprop powerplant because Soviet jet engines at that time lacked sufficient fuel efficiency for the aircraft's planned operational range.
