In 1991 the US Navy Advanced Tactical Aircraft (ATA) program and the associated subsonic McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II two-seat stealth attack aircraft was cancelled. The program was plagued by delays and huge cost overruns. The design was simply way too ahead of its time! Unfortunately the “Flying Dorito” never took flight and all that… Read More The A-12 Avenger II “Flying Dorito” Has Wings Again!
Finding a Stealth Replacement for the Intruder The Grumman A-6 Intruder was a legendary long-range US Navy attack aircraft that could operate in all weather conditions, day or night. They served from 1963 through to the 1990’s with the US Navy and US Marine Corps and saw extensive combat in Vietnam during the 1960’s and early… Read More What Might Have Been – The A-12 Avenger II
Designed during World War Two to provide air cover for Imperial Japanese forces deployed for amphibious beach landings in advanced locations that lacked prepared airstrips or aircraft carriers, the Kawanishi N1K Kyōfū (“Strong Wind” or “Mighty Wind” depending on the translation, Allied reporting code name “Rex”) floatplane fighter must have seemed a great idea to the Imperial Japanese… Read More The Survivors: Imperial Japanese Navy Kawanishi N1K Kyōfū Floatplane Fighter
Rare aircraft are a passion. If they are a bit of an oddity, then that’s even better and the Vought V-173 “Flying Pancake“, World War Two era experimental aircraft more than fits the bill! Ordered in May 1940, the wooden framed, canvas covered V-173 was completed in 1942 as the sole Proof Of Concept prototype for the… Read More The Survivors: Vought V-173 “Flying Pancake”
Two sleek-looking NASA Northrop T-38 Talons impressively stand guard at the main entrance to Space Centre Houston in Texas. Originally a USAF aircraft, the nimble T-38 first entered service with NASA in the 1960’s and due to its high level of capability and low operating cost, is still used today for Astronaut flight proficiency and training along with mission support duties such as… Read More NASA Gate Guardians
The words “Houston we’ve had a problem” were spoken by astronaut Commander James A. Lovell on April 13th, 1970 during a failed NASA mission to the Moon aboard Apollo XIII (this was the seventh manned mission in the Apollo program and intended to be the third landing on the Moon until an oxygen tank burst 2 days after… Read More “Houston we’ve had a problem”
Aces Flying High 