@notapound Not A Pound For Air To Ground

Not A Pound For Air To Ground posts on YouTube about air, war, aviation, in the the most. They currently have [------] followers and [---] posts still getting attention that total [------] engagements in the last [--] hours.

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Social topic influence air #1137, war #2018, aviation #373, in the, history, military #3232, navy #571, air force #372, to the, naval #467

Top accounts mentioned or mentioned by @hardthrasher

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Top Social Posts

Top posts by engagements in the last [--] hours

"Mystre II: Inside Frances Supersonic Failure Dassault's Ouragan was an important step forward for the French aviation industry but it was also obsolete on delivery. Progress needed to accelerate if France was to be a player in the lucrative international market for military jet fighters. So in [----] Marcel Dassault was contracted to attach a swept wing to the Ouragan. The eventual result the Mystere II was a terrible combat aircraft. It was however the first of a dynasty that would produce two successful Mysteres and then a line of Mirages. Understanding the Mystere II is therefore essential"
YouTube Link 2025-10-31T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 68.4K engagements

"FINAL RECKONING: Winners And Losers In The Yom Kippur Air War The [----] Yom Kippur War was one of the highest intensity conflicts of the Cold War era. Israel and the Egyptian-led Arab alliance threw everything in their arsenals at each other with the fortunate omission of Israels nuclear stockpile. Support from the US on one side and the Soviet Union on the other allowed the conflict to carry on long past the exhaustion of the pre-war stocks of vehicles and weapons on either side. Over a thousand tactical fighters took part and many hundreds were shot down. [--] years on the proportion of those"
YouTube Link 2023-11-17T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 136.5K engagements

"The F-80 Shooting Star Flew More Combat Sorties Than Any Other Straight Winged Jet Fighter The F-80 Shooting Star was the first US jet fighter to see active service. Being the first and having straight wings it is generally regarded with a little disdain by enthusiasts today. In this video I'll set out why I see the F-80 as both a fine combat aircraft that distinguished itself in Korea and a vital pioneer in jet operations in the USAF. Sources: Long out of print but Lt Col Rhodes Arnold's "Shooting Star T-Bird And Starfire" is probably the best single book on the type in my view at least"
YouTube Link 2025-03-14T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 297.2K engagements

"SABRE: Development And Evolution Of The F-86 From Straight Wings To GUNVAL The F-86 Sabre is a legendary aircraft but also a complicated one to get your head around as an aviation enthusiast as there were so many different variants with so many quirks and features. I encountered this problem when trying to compare statistics against the MiG-15 in Korea so I set out to deepen my understanding of this amazing piece of 1940's engineering. This video is a deep dive into the technical features and details of the 'narrow body' US-built day fighter Sabres. It is therefore a jumping off point into"
YouTube Link 2023-12-12T16:21Z 98.6K followers, 248.5K engagements

"Misty Was The Most Dangerous Fast Jet Mission Of The Vietnam War On the 15th of May [----] sixteen elite US Air Force pilots assembled for the first time at Phan Rang. These sixteen men and their F-100F Super Sabres were the first of a storied cadre who would take the fight to the North Vietnamese in a treacherous low level battle just north of the DMZ. They were the Mistys and their mission was the most dangerous undertaken by US aviators during the Vietnam War. Sources: "Bury Us Upside Down" by Rick Newman and Don Shepperd is not just the best book on Misty it's one of the very best Vietnam"
YouTube Link 2024-08-09T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 121.9K engagements

"THE BEAST: Britain's All-Weather Delta Interceptor The late 1940s was a golden period for ambitious interceptor projects. The RAF's contribution to the genre was the Javelin a fighter that Internet experts seemingly love to hate. They're wrong of course. The Javelin wasn't a world beater but it was a useful interceptor was some interesting characteristics. This video is a more balanced take on it. Sources: Maurice Allward's "Gloster Javelin" is the best of a relatively thin set of serious books on the type Tony Buttler's "Gloster Javelin" is also worth picking up if only for its nice colour"
YouTube Link 2025-11-07T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 131.4K engagements

"THE CLUNK: Canada's CF-100 Was A Great Interceptor But Was It The Best Of Its Generation The CF-100 Canuck was the finest product of the Canadian aviation industry. It was also likely the best straight-winged fighter of all time and the best all-weather fighter of the early 1950s. This video details its origins development performance and the tactics used in its employment. Sources: There is only one written source of note on the Canuck Larry Milberry's masterful "The Avro CF-100". It is four decades out of print but remains both a nearly definitive guide to the aircraft and an excellent"
YouTube Link 2024-12-06T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 122.9K engagements

"Early Carrier AEW: Avenger To Skyraider Today airborne early warning is a standard capability for advanced air arms. Little thought or time is given to reflecting on how such aircraft came to be. As is often the case the answer can be found in the final years of World War [--] and in a project called Cadillac. This video looks at the first decade or so of carrier-based AEW aircraft their systems and tactics. Skyraider Avenger AD-3W AD-4W AD-5W AEW.1 Project Cadillac Forgotten Aircraft Cold War WW2 Kamikaze Skyraider Avenger AD-3W AD-4W AD-5W AEW.1 Project Cadillac Forgotten Aircraft Cold War WW2"
YouTube Link 2025-12-19T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 57.3K engagements

"Douglas Havoc: An Underappreciated War Winner The Douglas Havoc is rarely the central character in histories of World War [--] in the air. And yet it is a rare example of an Allied aircraft that served from the first shots to the last on every major front and in every major Allied air force. This video summarises its design early employment in France and then its development into light bomber intruder night fighter and even torpedo bomber versions. Sources: By far the best book on the Havoc is "Douglas Havoc & Boston: The DB-7/A-20 Series" by Scott Thompson That said "A-20 Havoc In Action" by"
YouTube Link 2025-03-18T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 169K engagements

"The Navy's Alternatives To The F-14 Tomcat Were A Fascinating Mix Of Good Ideas. Some Of Them French The US Navy had already begun to explore a companion aircraft to the F-111B before that programme was cancelled. Faced with a shortfall in fleet defence capabilities as the Phantom aged they instigated a crash programme to procure a new fighter. And although Grumman were clearly the front runners they were not the only game in town. This video explores the VFAX and VFX programmes and summarises the Navy's alternatives to the Grumman [---]. Main Sources: Although I referenced several F-14 books"
YouTube Link 2024-09-06T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 197.5K engagements

"Sabre vs. MiG-15: Design Performance and the Statistics of MiG Alley This video traces the parallel origins of the MiG-15 and F-86 Sabre comparing their aerodynamic and technical characteristics and explaining how each aircraft performed in combat over Korea. I've considered pilot training basing tactical doctrine and the evolving balance of advantage through the war. I'll also get into the sticky subject of which fighter did better in the conflict in Korea"
YouTube Link 2025-12-05T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 77.2K engagements

"DELTA DOMINANCE: The Mirage III [--] And [--] Are France's Most Successful Combat Aircraft Over [----] Mirage IIIs 5s and 50s were made between the late 1950s and the early 1970s. This video covers the major versions from the earliest MD.550 to the Mirage EX. Quick note. In advance of making this and the forthcoming video on the Mystere I took advice from a colleague who "spoke French" about the correct pronounciation of "Dassault". His advice was that it is "Dass-oo" and I followed it in this video. Having taken possibly better advice I am now more convinced that the correct way to say it is"
YouTube Link 2025-09-12T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 112.9K engagements

"Hell in the Sky: The True Story of the Brewster Buffalo Often mocked as one of the worst fighters of World War II the Brewster Buffalos story is predictably more complicated. This video examines its design combat record the myths and the marketing that shaped its reputation revealing why it was both a disaster in the Pacific and a legend in Finnish skies. Sources: "Brewster Buffalo Aces Of World War 2" is an easy and an interesting read although it lacks technical depth about the aircraft "Buffaloes Over Singapore" is similar to the above but in more depth on the combat record. I enjoyed it."
YouTube Link 2025-10-28T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 58.5K engagements

"DEATH OF AN INTERCEPTOR: MiG-21s Ambush F-102 Delta Daggers Laos [----] In the afternoon of February 3rd [----] a MiG-21 Fishbed flown by one of the VPAFs top aces Phm Thanh Ngn ambushed shot down and killed Captain Wallace Wiggins who was flying an F-102A Delta Dagger interceptor. This is the only confirmed loss of an American jet interceptor which makes the story interesting in its own right. In this video I explore how the Deuce an aircraft essentially unsuitable for fighter-on-fighter action came to be in Vietnam at all. I also go into a bit of detail on the F-102 weapon system the tactics of"
YouTube Link 2023-06-16T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 247K engagements

"Boulton Paul Defiant: Good Aircraft Flawed Concept I grew up with tales of the disastrous Boulton-Paul Defiant and how it was massacred by the Luftwaffe during a brief but inglorious service. This video delves into the origins design service and performance of one of World War 2's least well-regarded aircraft. Sources: "The Turret Fighters: Defiant and Roc" by Alec Brew is the definitive guide to the Defiant "Defiant Blenheim and Havoc Aces" by Andrew Thomas and Chris Davey covers multiple types but has excellent coverage of individual actions "Boulton Paul Defiant" by Mark Ansell is a"
YouTube Link 2025-09-23T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 91.5K engagements

"Flying the Saab J 21A: Swedens Odd but Capable Fighter The Saab J 21A looked like no other fighter of its time but its unusual layout grew from practical needs rather than eccentricity. Sweden wanted a modern home-built fighter despite limited resources and Saabs engineers pushed into new territory to achieve it. This video looks at how the J 21A was designed tested and flown the pilots experiences at the controls and the role it played as Sweden entered the jet era. Saab J 21A Swedish aviation history WWII fighters pusher fighter aircraft twin boom aircraft Saab aircraft history Swedish Air"
YouTube Link 2025-11-18T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 82K engagements

"Potez 63: A Swiss Army Knife Of Disasters The Potez [--] was the most numerous aircraft France could deploy in its defence against the German invasion in May [----]. The type suffered heavy losses leading to it having a poor reputation. This video explores its origins capabilities and legacy"
YouTube Link 2025-05-06T09:00Z 70.2K followers, 39.1K engagements

"The Flawed But Dangerous Soviet Cold War Super Fighter The MiG-29 was the most common Soviet 4th Generation fighter. Over [----] were produced before [----] and it thus represented the main threat to NATO air superiority in the 1980s. This video deep dives into the fascinating but flawed Fulcrum and assesses how it would have faired in an all-out war in the 1980s"
YouTube Link 2025-01-03T10:00Z 59.2K followers, 78.3K engagements

"How To Design A Soviet Aircraft (And Avoid The Gulag) It is tempting to imagine the big names in Soviet aircraft design to be just like those in the West: big integrated companies that conceived designed constructed and maintained combat aircraft. But the Soviet military-industrial complex was actually rather different in structure to that in the West. This video summarises how aircraft design evolved after the Revolution and how the Soviet aircraft industry was structured"
YouTube Link 2024-08-30T09:00Z 46K followers, 52.8K engagements

"The Pintail & Fawn Are Probably The Most Important Interwar Aircraft You've Never Heard Of The Pintail was the first entirely new aircraft that Fairey made after the First World War. Although it looks pretty conventional it was in fact quite an innovative aircraft. Commissioned by a conservative RAF as the land-based Fawn however it irked Charles Fairey so much that he decided to show the establishment what a real high-performance aircraft look like. The result his Fox sparked a revolution in British aircraft design. For this reason the Pintail and the Fawn are in some ways amongst the more"
YouTube Link 2025-04-22T09:00Z 68.5K followers, 10.6K engagements

"De Havilland Venom: NATO Thought That This British Fighter Was Better Than A Sabre"
YouTube Link 2025-01-10T10:00Z 60.2K followers, 120K engagements

"Rebuilding the Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe ceased to exist after Germany's unconditional surrender in May [----] but was resurrected at the Paris Accords in [----]. This is the story of its rebuilding with a focus on the aircraft and systems it used in the Cold War"
YouTube Link 2025-04-11T09:00Z 67.9K followers, 58.7K engagements

"CIA HUEY vs VPAF Biplane: The Remarkable Story Of An Aviation First In the late morning of the 12th of January [----] four North Vietnamese Air Force AN-2 Colt biplanes lifted off from an airfield in northeastern Vietnam and headed west toward Laos. Their objective was to destroy a lightly defended US Air Force observation post called LIMA [--]. Within hours two Colts would be smoking wrecks the victim of an unlikely air superiority fighter: the UH-1 Huey. This is the story of the first time a helicopter downed a fixed wing aircraft and the only confirmed kill ever made by the CIA"
YouTube Link 2025-01-24T10:00Z 86.7K followers, 115.1K engagements

"Tupolev's Aero-Engined Snowmobiles Were The Bear's Distant Cousins The Soviet Union's OKBs were not just responsible for aircraft designs. From the earliest days of the Soviet Union the big names produced other vehicles. Amongst the most successful of these were Andrei Tupolev's 'aerosans'; sleds powered by aero engines that were used for civilian and military tasks from the Revolution to the fall of communism. This video takes a brief look at Tupolevs most successful aerosans - the ANT IV and the A-3"
YouTube Link 2024-12-03T10:00Z 55.1K followers, 25.1K engagements

"EXERCISE SAGEBRUSH: What The Air Force Learned When It Nuked Louisiana In the fall of [----] the US Army ran a massive exercise called SAGEBRUSH involving up to [------] troops and hundreds of aircraft. Sagebrush is best known for the extensive employment of simulated nuclear artillery shells fired by big [--] inch artillery pieces. While thats definitely both cool and profoundly terrifying SAGEBRUSH was also fundamental in shaping how the Air Force thought about establishing air superiority in the event of a war with the Soviet Union. Many of the missteps in training tactics and procurement the Air"
YouTube Link 2023-12-15T10:00Z 24.8K followers, 13.1K engagements

"VAMPIRE NIGHT FIGHTERS: The Interim Interim The RAF had a serious problem in [----]. The USSR was building up high altitude jet bomber forces. The RAF's Mosquito couldn't catch them. The Gloster Javelin was years away. The interim Meteor night fighter was delayed. NATO was fretting that the UK's vulnerability to air attack was a critical chink in the alliance's armour. So the RAF needed an interim for their interim. Fortunately a solution was right in front of them. De Havilland had built a dozen radar-equipped two seat Vampires as a cheap all-weather interceptor for Egypt. Worsening relations"
YouTube Link 2023-09-15T09:00Z 51.1K followers, 27.7K engagements

"QUEEN OF THE SKY: Meteor Night Fighters UK Air Defence and a Mediterranean Assassination In the late 1940s the RAF faced the same crisis of interception as their colleagues in the USAF. The Soviet Union had the bomb and would soon be able to mount it on jet bombers that flew faster and higher than piston engined all weather fighters. Even the Mosquito was outclassed. The RAF had designed on a sophisticated delta-winged supersonic interceptor. But this project was significantly delayed due to its complexity. They needed a stand in. They turned to Armstrong Whitworth to provide it. Although you"
YouTube Link 2023-09-01T09:00Z 51K followers, 89.1K engagements

"ROCKET KING: The Extraordinary Nuclear Rocket Armed Scorpion Was The F-35 Of The 1950s The F-35 Lightning is a remarkable technological feat. A flying computer packed with advanced systems and cutting edge weapons. Despite its dynamic limitations it is a lethal air-to-air fighter and strike aircraft. But this isnt the first time that the US has sought to push the technological boundaries in such a profound manner. In the early 1950s the US Air Defence Command began to deploy the F-89 Scorpion the F-35 of its day. A glamorous movie star of a plane that embodied the technological ambition of"
YouTube Link 2023-06-09T09:00Z 81.3K followers, 93.5K engagements

"THE GRINCH: A Forgotten German Bomber That Stole Christmas And Started A Naval Battle On the 24th of December [----] an aircraft appeared in the skies over the English port of Dover. Its crews' intention was to send a signal to the British Empire. And the war crime they committed did just that. This is the story of their mission their aircraft and its short but remarkable career"
YouTube Link 2024-12-24T10:00Z 57.1K followers, [----] engagements

"AN-71 MADCAP: The Soviet Tactical AWACS Was Part Smart And Part Crazy When we think about Soviet aerial warning aircraft most of us immediately jump to the Mainstay. Afterall it looks a bit like an E3 Sentry so it must do the same job. But in fact the Mainstay was mainly intended to defend the Soviet border against SAC bombers. Soviet tactical aviation were thus without AWACS capabilities as they entered the 1980s. To fill the gap they ordered the development of the AN-71 a curious mid-sized AWACS specifically designed for 1980s Soviet tactical doctrine"
YouTube Link 2025-02-14T10:00Z 78.1K followers, 70.6K engagements

"Britain's Secret Night Fighter Was The First To Fly With Radar In the spring of [----] Britain faced the real prospect of air attack. If they came by day then Fighter Command believed they had a chance. If they came at night then they lacked the weapons to resist. Against that backdrop the RAF deployed its secret weapon a modification of the humble Bristol Blenheim that could carry aloft the world's first air intercept radar. This is the story of a pioneering but short-lived aircraft"
YouTube Link 2025-02-04T10:00Z 61.9K followers, 27.2K engagements

"BLACK SEA RIVET JOINT INCIDENT: A Narrow Escape But The Reality Of Air-To-Air Missile Performance In the last couple of days more detail has started to leak out about a hair-raising incident over the Black Sea last year. If you missed the story on the 29th of September last year an RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint was intercepted by two SU-27 Flankers. One of the Flankers apparently deliberately fired two missiles at the unarmed RAF aircraft.Fortunately both failed to hit the Rivet Joint. If either had done then it's hard to imagine how NATO would have avoided a shooting war with Russia. Because it"
YouTube Link 2023-09-17T14:00Z 51.6K followers, 61.3K engagements

"Cold War Parasite Fighters Were A Deadly Dead End The challenge of providing suitable escort for intercontinental jet bombers vexed strategic planners in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Since no fighter could be designed with adequate range and performance their next move was to design towed and docked fighters that could be released by the bombers when enemy interceptors appeared. This video covers the realised experiments in the US and Soviet Union including towed P-80 MiG-15 the Goblin and FICON projects"
YouTube Link 2025-06-13T09:00Z 75.4K followers, 45.2K engagements

"The Brief But Controversial Battle Of The Aegean [----] At about two in the afternoon of the 22nd of July [----] an unusual dogfight took place over the northern Aegean Sea. A pair of Greek F-5 Freedom Fighters engaged two Turkish F-102 Delta Daggers. Missiles were fired by both sides. At least one aircraft crashed. Even fifty years on the exact outcome is the subject of endless debate and no little acrimony. This video gathers the evidence from both sides and attempts to conclude on what happened. A polite reminder that this is an aviation history channel not a political one. Please endeavour to"
YouTube Link 2024-07-19T09:00Z 50.9K followers, 275.2K engagements

"The YF-12 Would Have Been The Ultimate Interceptor On the 25th of August [----] a JQB-47 target drone was struck by a missile near Eglin Air Force Base in California. The firing aircraft was travelling at Mach [---] at [-----] feet. The JQB-47 was [--] miles away at [-----]. Even so the experimental AIM-47 scored a direct hit. Every single thing about this shot was remarkable including sadly the fact that the prototype aircraft that fired it was never selected for series production. It was of course the YF-12 a fighter derivative of the CIAs A-12 Oxcart spy plane. Had it entered service then it would"
YouTube Link 2024-12-13T10:00Z 56.3K followers, 29.2K engagements

"Cold War Supersonic Seaplane Interceptors The vulnerability of large paved runways and large aircraft carriers in a war between the NATO and the Soviet Union made designers all over the world wonder whether it might make more sense to use lakes and seas as a runway. This video explores the weird and wonderful world of jet-powered seaplane fighters in the Cold War. Major Sources: "Saunders and Saro Aircraft Since 1917" by Peter London is an indispensable guide to the company's realised and unrealised projects "Naval Fighters Number Twenty Five: Sea Dart" by Billy Jack Young is the only single"
YouTube Link 2024-08-23T09:00Z 51.7K followers, 60.4K engagements

"CAC SABRE: Was Australia's F-86 The Best F-86 This episode covers my favourite Sabre: the Australian CAC Sabre with its combination of Rolls Royce Avon and 30mm Aden cannons. The video looks at Australias reasons for procuring the type at a time when others were looking at 2nd generation fighters. It then covers the development of the aircraft squadron service and makes the case for the Avon being the best of all the day fighter Sabres as an air superiority fighter. I hope you enjoy this one and for those of you watching on the 26th I hope you have a good Australia Day"
YouTube Link 2024-01-26T10:00Z 58.5K followers, 101.1K engagements

"The Soviet Union's Monster Air To Air Missiles Were Like Nothing In The West This video covers the first operational heavy interceptor missiles deployed by the Soviet Union: the AA-3 Anab which armed the SU-15 Flagon and the AA-5 Ash used by the mighty TU-128 Fiddler. I also describe the AA-4 Awl which NATO thought was operational but in fact never saw service. Sources (were many and various) Yefim Gordon's 'Soviet and Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two' is a useful (arguably essential) starting point for anyone interested in the topic. It does however have contain some fairly bold"
YouTube Link 2025-02-28T10:00Z 63.3K followers, 42.2K engagements

"A Brief History Of The Syrian Air Force At the time of making this the Syrian Air Force had just been destroyed on the ground by the IDF/AF. This therefore seemed like a good moment to look back over the history of one of the most active air forces of the Cold War era. To do this I've gone back to the dawn of aviation in the country then the French Mandate World War [--] before independence and the wars with Israel. As ever I've concentrated mainly on aircraft and where possible some relevent statistics about the performance of the SyAAF. But just a reminder that this is not a political channel"
YouTube Link 2024-12-27T10:00Z 58.5K followers, 46.4K engagements

"The Soviet Unions Most Powerful Air To Air Missiles: Acrid & Amos This video covers the iconic AA-6 Acrid which armed the MiG-25 and the AA-9 Amos often referred to as the Soviet Phoenix"
YouTube Link 2025-03-28T10:00Z 66.4K followers, 38.7K engagements

"ANAKONDA: Lavochkin's Last Fighter Was A Magnificent Failure Semyon Lavochkin was one of the most successful Soviet aircraft designers of the piston-engine era. But although he also produced several good jet designs events always seemed to go against him and none saw real success. In the early 1950s he tried again one last time. His objective was to make a giant supersonic all-weather interceptor to defend the Soviet Union against SAC bombers. The result of his efforts was the mighty [---]. This video tells its story"
YouTube Link 2024-10-25T09:00Z 54.7K followers, 105.2K engagements

"Hummingbirds & Dragons: Germany's Pioneering Second World War Helicopters German experiments with helicopters began in the 1930s and by [----] their machines were the most advanced in the world. As war broke out three pioneering types were approaching operational service. This is the story of the machines and their genius creators. Sources: "Rotorcraft Of The Third Reich" by Ryszard Witkowski is probably the best single volume on German WW2 helicopters "German Helicopters 1928-1945" by Heinz J. Nowarra has excellent pictures but I found the narrative a little unstructured and slightly basic for"
YouTube Link 2024-12-10T10:00Z 79.3K followers, 142.1K engagements

"THE EVE OF BATTLE: The Opposing Air Forces In The [----] War Air superiority remains a fundamental element in the Israeli strategic and tactical concept. The Yom Kippur War of [----] saw the IDF/AF face its most severe challenge. Most people instantly think about the SAM umbrella over Suez as the basis of that challenge. And it is true that the SA-6 was a brutal surprise that claimed many planes and lives. But both Egypt and Syria had resurgent air forces at the outset of the conflict. In this video I've attempted to break down the orders of battle of Israel Egypt and Syria in the days leading up"
YouTube Link 2023-09-29T09:00Z 51.7K followers, 230.4K engagements

"THE SIX: The USAF's Ultimate Interceptor Was A Technical Marvel The F-106 Delta Dart pushed the boundaries of 1950s aviation technology to produce a groundbreaking combination of avionic sophistication and aircraft performance. This video goes deep into the ADC's ultimate interceptor with particular focus on its avionics and weapon system. To avoid disappointment this video doesn't cover the F-106B or proposed advanced versions of the aircraft. Standalone videos coming in [----] so please subscribe ;). Sources: Strangely the Delta Dart isn't tremendously well covered in recent literature. Most"
YouTube Link 2024-12-20T10:00Z 57.1K followers, 67.9K engagements

"Grumman Wildcatfish Seaplane Spitfire And Other Allied Float-Fighter Experiments At various points in the Second World War Allied planners decided that it would be useful to have a high performance fighter that could operate from the sea rather than a land base. This video covers these attempts"
YouTube Link 2024-10-22T09:00Z 84.5K followers, 44.4K engagements

"The SU-15 Flagon Was The Psycho Killer Of The Cold War Despite its slightly frumpy looks the SU-15 Flagon was an instrument of Soviet terror throughout the second half of the Cold War. A destroyer of airliners and other defenceless aircraft par excellence this is the story of the fascinating Flagon. Useful sources: A Soviet account of the Flight [---] incident : http://www.easternorbat.com/html/kal_flight_902_incident_eng.html Outstanding analysis of flight 007: https://admiralcloudberg.medium.com/a-shot-in-the-dark-the-untold-story-of-korean-air-lines-flight-007-a4ae6a4ef734 ICAO report:"
YouTube Link 2024-11-22T09:00Z 55.2K followers, 91.4K engagements

"THE MIGHTY KAY: USS Kearsarge An Essex Class Carrier In Korea Vietnam And Beyond In my FH Phantom video I made a fairly blinding pronunciation error. Extensive research reveals that its Kearsarge. By way of apology here is a video that follows the evolution of Kearsarge's air wing from [----] to Vietnam. It turns out that Kearsarge is a fascinating subject and the perfect candidate to investigate how the make up of an Essex class air wing evolved over the period between the Second World War and Korea then Korea to [----] and finally [----] through to the end of Rolling Thunder. Although super"
YouTube Link 2024-02-09T10:00Z 26.6K followers, 18.9K engagements

"The Sud Vautour II Was The Most Significant French Aircraft Of The Cold War Dassault's Mirage [--] is widely regarded as the most successful French aircraft series of the Cold War. In this video I'll make the case for an alternative option - the Sud Aviation Vautour [--]. This underestimated aircraft was arguably more vital to the development of the Armee De L'Air and French strategic power than its sexy delta winged comrade"
YouTube Link 2025-05-16T09:00Z 71.4K followers, 44.9K engagements

"FLEXIBLE DECKS: What Happened When The US And Royal Navies Decided That Wheels Were Excess Weight Removing spinning propellers and replacing them with jets made aircraft designers wonder whether they could also remove the landing gear saving weight and gaining aircraft performance. This video assesses the concept. Sources: "Grumman F9F-6/7/8 Cougar Part 1: Design Testing Structures And Blue Angels" by Corwin "Corky" Meyer is not the easiest read but it does contain some wonderful anecdotes and technical details about the type"
YouTube Link 2025-05-09T09:00Z 71.4K followers, 77.8K engagements

"2 PHANTOMS vs [--] MiGs: The Epic First Dogfight Of The Yom Kippur War Analysed The Air Battle Of Ophir is a classic dogfighting tale. The surprise attack. The insurmountable odds. The outrageous kill ratio. It has the lot. Curiously it has somehow avoided the same kind of detailed scrutiny that similar tales from other wars have attracted. In this video I tell the story of the battle with as much cross referencing of sources as I can. I then analyse the claims and counter-claims about what happened [--] years ago in the early afternoon of the 6th of October [----]. I hope you enjoy this one. Given"
YouTube Link 2023-10-06T09:00Z 70.5K followers, 229.9K engagements

"YAK-36 FREEHAND: The First Soviet VTOL Fighter In [----] a Soviet delegation under the leadership of Aleksander Yakovlev visited the Farnborough airshow. There they saw for the first time a working vertical takeoff jet aircraft. On his return Yakovlev set about making the Soviet equivalent. This is the story of the Freehand the father of the famous Forger"
YouTube Link 2025-07-04T09:01Z 79.3K followers, 43.9K engagements

"THE DEUCE IS LOOSE: The Magnificent Delta Dagger Was A 1950s Tech Fest And Vietnam Campfire Killer The F-102 Delta Dagger - the Deuce - is one of the most instantly recognisable 1950s aircraft. It has the classic interceptor 'look' of a big delta wing knife-like fuselage and big single engine. Many of us grew up with it as a poster child for speed and firepower. It made for a great model kit. But the real aircraft had a complicated gestation and an unusual career. Failing to live up to its performance promises it was rendered obsolete by a successor that became only operational three years"
YouTube Link 2023-08-25T09:00Z 51.3K followers, 260.8K engagements

"The [----] Air Battles For H-3 Were A Surprising Struggle For The IDF/AF On the first day of Operation Focus while the Egyptian and Syrian Air Forces were being destroyed Iraq decided to strike back. Although its attacks on Israel caused only minor damage they provoked a furious response. This led to three days of aerial war and to some of the wildest action of the Six Day War. This video assesses what happened and how it challenges the usual narrative about Israeli superiority over the Arab militaries"
YouTube Link 2025-06-06T09:00Z 74K followers, 40.3K engagements

"Was The Morane-Saulnier MS.406 Really The Worst Fighter Of WW2 When Germany invaded France in May [----] the Armee De L'Air's most numerous fighter was the Morane-Saulnier MS.406. Too slow too poorly armed and too vulnerable to damage the MS.406 finished the battle with the worst kill-to-loss rate of any modern fighter deployed in the Battle Of France. Some say that it was the worst of the war as a whole. This video explores the military and industrial failings that left the Armee De L'Air in this situation and deep dives into the [---] design"
YouTube Link 2025-06-03T11:01Z 74.7K followers, 67.7K engagements

"Fairey Fox 2: One Of The Unlikeliest Messerschmitt Killers Of World War [--] On the 10th of May [----] nine antique biplanes left for a fighter sweep around Dienst. Without warning they were bounced by six BF-109s which shot down three of them in seconds. But the biplanes were not unarmed. Before his own aircraft plummeted to earth Lieutenant Etienne Dufossez scored hits on a BF-109 perhaps even shooting it down. This is the story of the Fairey Fox [--] one of Interwar aviation's nearly planes. Sources: Etienne Dufossez story:"
YouTube Link 2025-06-17T09:01Z 74.9K followers, 15.8K engagements

"Parnall Peto & The Tragic Submarine Aircraft Carrier M2 In the early 1920s the Royal Navy rekindled its interest in submarine-launched spotting seaplanes. This led to conversion of the 12-inch gun armed submarine M2 into a carrier and to development of the innovative Parnall Peto. This is a brief look at an interesting but ultimately tragic development in naval aviation"
YouTube Link 2025-08-19T08:00Z 81.8K followers, [----] engagements

"The Royal Navy's Tragic Submarine Carrier Experiment In the early 1920s the Royal Navy rekindled its interest in submarine-launched spotting seaplanes. This led to conversion of the 12-inch gun armed submarine M2 into a carrier and to development of the innovative Parnall Peto. This is a brief look at an interesting but ultimately tragic development in naval aviation. Parnall Peto M2 Submarine Submarine Aircraft Carrier Royal Navy Interwar Seaplane Parnall Peto M2 Submarine Submarine Aircraft Carrier Royal Navy Interwar Seaplane"
YouTube Link 2025-10-14T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 13.5K engagements

"The North Korean People's Air Force Before The Korean War On the morning of the 25th of July [----] North Korean forces invaded the south and began to roll down the peninsula. They were supported by a small number of old Soviet aircraft which would be the first element of the communist invasion to be defeated when the US intervened. For this reason little attention is paid to the NKAF and there is little material on it in the west. This video looks at the history of North Korea's air force before the Korean War and its order of battle when the fighting began. Sources: The best (and only) book"
YouTube Link 2025-05-02T09:01Z 76.4K followers, 54.1K engagements

"Remarkable Soviet American And British Flying Aircraft Carrier Projects Of The '20s and '30s World War One demonstrated that although strategic bombing by Zeppelins or heavier-than-air bombers was effective the aircraft themselves were rather vulnerable to well-directed fighters. This spurred designers to experiment with ways of carrying fighters aboard the larger vessels ready to deploy for defensive and later offensive purposes. This video goes into the operational tests and brief combat employment of these carriers"
YouTube Link 2024-12-17T10:00Z 56.7K followers, 20K engagements

"SHAFRIR: Israel's Flawed First Air-To-Air Missile Was An Amazing Achievement This video examines the enigmatic Shafrir and Shafrir [--] Israel's first indigenous air-to-air missile. Although flawed it was an effective weapon in the War of Attrition and during the [----] Yom Kippur War. It's success led to development of the long-running Python series which continues to this day. Apologies for the slight audio glitch in the first couple of minutes. Hopefully it doesn't spoil your enjoyment"
YouTube Link 2024-02-16T10:00Z 86.7K followers, 41K engagements

"Fairey IIIF: The British Empire's Interwar Workhorse Although unglamorous Fairey's tough reliable IIIF was one of the most used and important military aircraft of the Interwar period. This video briefly describes the type and its various versions"
YouTube Link 2025-05-20T09:01Z 71.4K followers, 16.1K engagements

"ALUMINIUM FALCON - The MiG-15 Was An Underestimated Soldier Aircraft That Terrorised The West The historical record of fighter aircraft necessarily simplifies their qualities and capabilities. Reputations build down the generations. Some fighters are appreciated like fine wines classy and ageless. Their meticulously crafted details are loved and obsessed over. The MiG-15 is not one of those aircraft. It is remembered as an agricultural fighter. A tractor of the sky. A sufficiently dangerous antagonist to make poster-boy Sabre seem that much more impressive but fundamentally a crude and ugly"
YouTube Link 2024-01-05T10:00Z 85.3K followers, 294.4K engagements

"Mitsubishi Type [--] Naval Fighter This video covers the Type [--] Naval Fighter or 1MF designed by Herbert Smith. Smith designed the Sopwith Pup Triplane and Camel and in [----] was one of the world's preeminent aircraft designers. The Type [--] was a short lived aircraft but one that spawned the outstanding designs which would challenge the US in the Pacific in [----]. Mitsubishi Type [--] Herbert Smith Japanese IJN Interwar Biplane Carrier Hosho Mitsubishi Type [--] Herbert Smith Japanese IJN Interwar Biplane Carrier Hosho"
YouTube Link 2025-07-15T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 16K engagements

"TU-126 MOSS: The USSR's First AWACS Had A Shocking Problem In the early 1960s the Soviet Air Force faced a serious problem. Their giant northern border was a soft underbelly through which SAC bombers could travel at will. To plug the gap they developed their first AWACS the frighteningly noisy and rather poorly shielded TU-126. Service on this aircraft was probably one of the most brutal missions of the Cold War. This video unpacks the aircraft its operational use and its legacy"
YouTube Link 2024-09-27T09:00Z 50.6K followers, 185.9K engagements

"How The US Navy Could Have Intervened In The Yom Kippur War; And How They'd Have Tackled The Soviets In October [----] the US and the Soviet Union were on the brink of war. As Israel's counterattack pushed back Egyptian forces the Soviets appealed to Nixon to enforce a cease fire. If the President refused then the Soviets would enforce one unilaterally. The CIA reported that Soviet ships were transporting nuclear weapons to Egypt. US forces went to DEFCON [--]. In the eastern Mediterranean two US carrier groups loaded live nuclear weapons onto A6 Intruders. All the while they were stalked by"
YouTube Link 2023-10-20T09:00Z 81.8K followers, 94.3K engagements

"DOGSHIP: Why Have We Forgotten The Most Common Interceptor Of The Cold War The most numerous all-weather interceptor of the Cold War is not the Deuce. It isn't the Voodoo Flagon Fishpot Foxbat or Scorpion. It most certainly isn't the Ultimate Interceptor. No the anchor of North American Air Defence in the 1950s was the F-86D Sabre Dog. [----] Dogships were built in the early 1950s. It was a lightning fast rocket armed single seat fighter that set speed records and sold a lot of Plymouths in its day. A quarter of all F-86 Sabres were actually Dogs. It was the second most numerous variant of that"
YouTube Link 2023-09-08T09:20Z 20.2K followers, [----] engagements

"The Parnall Panther Pioneered Carrier Aviation In The UK US And Japan The Parnall Panther was amongst the first purpose-built carrier aircraft and was thus instrumental in the development of operational procedures and tactics in the formative years of carrier aviation. It also had the unique distinction of serving on the carriers of the Royal Navy US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navies thus playing an important but unheralded role in the early years of the only navies to ever fight a carrier war"
YouTube Link 2024-10-15T09:00Z 48.9K followers, 10.7K engagements

"UNDERWATER EJECTION: Four Remarkable Stories Of Rocket-Propelled Escape Over [----] aviators have ejected from their aircraft and lived to tell the tale. But only [--] have ever tried the seat underwater and lived. These are their stories. Sources: MacFarlane's story brilliantly told by Hushkit: https://hushkit.net/2020/10/13/66-years-ago-today-a-pilot-ejected-from-an-aeroplane-trapped-underwater/ The Starfighter Of The Lake (you'll need to scroll down.): https://www.i-f-s.nl/squadron-exchanges-1967/ Russ Pearson's story in his own words: https://www.ejectionsite.com/eunderh2o.htm Barry Evans'"
YouTube Link 2025-03-21T10:01Z 65.9K followers, 21.9K engagements

"The Curious F-82 Twin Mustang Made The First Kills Of The Korean War The F-82 Twin Mustang was developed in the closing stages of the Second World War as an escort for long-ranged B-29 raids on Japan. Arriving too late for service it languished until the need for an interim night fighter to take over from the P-61 Black Widow emerged. Although far from the perfect night fighter it was the right aircraft at the right time when North Korea invaded the South in June [----]. This video delves into one of the more fascinating aircraft of the early Cold War. Quick note: the naming conventions for US"
YouTube Link 2025-04-18T09:01Z 68.5K followers, 62.3K engagements

"Supermarine's Last Fighter: The Most Powerful Gun Battery Ever Deployed To A Carrier The Scimitar was Supermarine's last fighter. Because only [--] were made it is essentially forgotten despite having a legitimate claim to being the best carrier-based fighter of the 1950s. This video tells its story. Sources: "Scimitar: Supermarine's Last Fighter" by David Franks is slightly thin on text but has excellent photos and a comprehensive history of each aircraft and its fate "Supermarine Attacker Swift & Scimitar" by Philip Birtles is an older book but I think the most comprehensive source on these"
YouTube Link 2025-04-04T09:01Z 67.5K followers, 69.9K engagements

"The First US Air Strike In Vietnam Ended The Colourful Career Of The Remarkable George Laven George Laven's name comes up time and again when researching the first [--] years of US jet fighters. A moderately successful World War [--] ace he was instrumental in the service introduction of several key types including the F-100 F-86H F-104 and F-4 Phantom. He also led the first US air strike in Vietnam for which he was unfairly criticised leading to the end of his illustrious career. This video is a tribute to the man and a history of his influence on US air power from World War [--] to Vietnam and"
YouTube Link 2024-10-04T09:00Z 48.8K followers, 58.3K engagements

"The (First) Destruction Of The North Korean Peoples' Air Force [----] With apologies in advance for my dreadful Korean pronunication this video covers the early operations of the North Korean People's Air Force during the summer of [----]. It also charts their rapid destruction at the hands of the Far East Air Force and the major operations that caused it. The success of Allied air power was a major factor in halting Kim's drive south and then reversing it. Inadvertantly that success led to the covert entry of the Soviet Union and then the overt entry of China into the war. Sources: The best (and"
YouTube Link 2025-08-01T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 66.4K engagements

"Greek and Turkish Air Order Of Battle Cyprus [----] The Greek-backed 15th of July [----] coup on Cyprus was followed five days later by a Turkish invasion of the island. These events brought NATO allies Greece and Turkey to the brink of war. This video describes the air order of battle on all sides of the conflict. I recognise that the Cyprus conflict and subsequent division of the country is a deeply emotive issue. This video does not seek to take sides merely to state facts about the relative states of the air arms on both sides. Please keep comments civil and related to the topic. Sources:"
YouTube Link 2024-07-12T09:00Z 51.5K followers, 195.9K engagements

"THE BATTLE OF SYDNEY: Sabres Meteors Sea Furies And Two Blokes With A Bren Gun Battle A Runaway On the morning of the 30th of August Anthony Thrower of Lavinia Street Granville was out for a pleasure flight when his Auster Archer decided to make a break for freedom. What followed was a madcap three hour chase involving four jet fighters two Hawker Sea Furies and two blokes with a Bren Gun. Given that this incident pre-dated the more famous Battle Of Palmdale by a year I thought it was interesting to compare how more conventionally armed aircraft fared against a slow but determined"
YouTube Link 2023-06-23T09:00Z 95.8K followers, 393K engagements

"The Fairey Fox: The Plane That Defied the Air Ministry Although it isnt widely remembered the Fairey Fox was in fact one of the most important aircraft of the interwar period. The impact of its performance versus Ministry requirements was such that six years after it emerged a senior executive in the Ministry referred to it as the Fairey Fox agitation. This is the story of an aircraft that broke and rewrote the British Air Ministry's aircraft design rules. fairey fox fairey fox documentary fairey fox bomber the plane that defied the air ministry fairey aircraft charles fairey british aviation"
YouTube Link 2025-11-04T09:00Z 98.4K followers, 15.7K engagements

"AIM-7 SPARROW: Development And Evolution Of A Pioneering But Troubled Weapon System The AIM-7 Sparrow was a highly ambitious and sophisticated piece of 1950s technology which pushed the boundaries of what was possible to cram into a missile body and airframe. Although its performance was disappointing in Vietnam it remained the primary armament of USAF fighters until the AMRAAM entered widespread service in the late 1990s. Despite its importance to Cold War aviation history I struggled to find any good single books or videos on the Sparrow. This is my attempt to fill that gap. Key sources. I"
YouTube Link 2024-06-07T09:00Z 91.3K followers, 177.9K engagements

"The Most Expensive Mail Delivery in History For two Centuries various inventors and innovators have experimented with the use of rockets and missiles for mail parcel freight and troop delivery. This video briefly summarises the most famous (and infamous) of those efforts. rocket mail missile mail cruise missile mail delivery Regulus missile mail USS Barbero Cold War missiles Cold War technology military postal experiments guided missile history cruise missile history V-2 legacy rocket mail history experimental mail delivery postal history oddities aerospace history documentary military"
YouTube Link 2025-12-23T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 24.2K engagements

"B-26 Invader In Korea: Trains Planes & A Big Pile Of Bricks The Douglas B-26 Invader was too late to see widespread service in the Second World War. But just as it seemed like its career was over Kim's invasion of South Korea in June [----] plunged the Invaders and it unprepared crews into a vicious fight against communism. For the next three years the Invader owned the night skies over North Korea playing a fundmental role in holding back the communist threat. Sources: Warren Thompson "B-26 Invader Units Over Korea" is a superb book with many first-hand anecdotes and good pictures Scott"
YouTube Link 2025-06-27T09:00Z 95.5K followers, 81.6K engagements

"Wild Weasel 1: Super Sabre vs SA-2 Guideline In Vietnam In late July [----] an F-4 Phantom on MiGCAP near Hanoi was suddenly struck by a surface-to-air missile. This new threat required a proper countermeasure. Since that didn't yet exist four F-100 Super Sabres were hastily modified into the first SAM hunting jets. This video is the story of Vietnam's first Wild Weasels. Sources: A useful forum thread on the type: https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php/topic/87152-f-100f-wild-weasel/ "North American F-100 Super Sabre" by David A Anderton contains some entertaining anecdotes about the"
YouTube Link 2024-10-18T09:00Z 94.1K followers, 162.9K engagements

"FREEDOM FIGHTER: The Original Northrop F-5 Was A US Fighter Build Like A Soviet One The F-5 was a revolutionary fighter. As the Tiger II it was distributed to many nations around the world besting the contemporary MiG-21 on numerous occasions. This has reasonably led to suggestions that it would have been the best USAF air-superiority option during Rolling Thunder. What people forget of course is that the F-5E is a 1970s fighter. In the 1960s the F-5 was still the Freedom Fighter. The Freedom Fighter was a fascinating aircraft. It was in many ways an American version of a MiG: a small tough"
YouTube Link 2024-02-02T10:00Z 62.2K followers, 255.6K engagements

"MiG's I-7U Was The Foxbat's Granddad As the threat from US bombers escalated the Soviet Union sought to develop integrated systems of radars computers and supersonic interceptors. Having scored smash hits with their MiG-15 and MiG-17 day fighters Mikoyan and Gurevich were drafted in to similarly change the interceptor game. This would prove much harder than either had anticipated. In this video I cover their first attempts: the I-3 and I-7. Sources - there are not many books in English on these aircraft so my main sources were: "Soviet Heavy Interceptors" by Yefim Gordon which although a"
YouTube Link 2025-04-25T09:00Z 87.4K followers, 63.3K engagements

"SLICK CHICK: The Wild Story Of The USAF's First Top Secret Supersonic Spy Plane Sometime in the early summer of [----] an F-100A Super Sabre landed at a half-finished airfield near Trabzon Turkey. This might seem like a totally normal occurrence albeit in a slightly unusual location. And it would have been were it not for the fact that the rear end of this F-100 looked like it been attacked with a blow torch. The titanium fuselage was full of scorched holes. How this Super Sabres pilot came to melt through the aft section of his planes fuselage is an interesting story. It involves an illegal"
YouTube Link 2023-08-18T09:00Z 96.4K followers, 208.8K engagements

"The Soviet Union's (Largely Unrealised) Aircraft Cruiser Carrier And Supercarrier Projects Although the Soviet Union only succeeded in deploying rudimentary aircraft carriers towards the end of the Cold War they actually attempted to commission such vessels on multiple occasions and commissioned OKBs to design aircraft for them. This video looks at the successes and failures of the Soviet Navy's design teams with particular focus on the Cold War. Researching this one was not the easiest as there are few English language sources. Hopefully I've got most of the content right but apologies if I"
YouTube Link 2025-03-07T10:00Z 89.2K followers, 166.7K engagements

"The F2H Banshee Was The Best Straight Wing Jet Fighter This video covers the later long fuselage McDonnell F2H Banshees. Although straight winged the Big Banjo was an excellent fighter with unparalleled range and high altitude performance for the time. It also ushered in the era of radar-equipped Navy fighters operating in regular squadrons outside of night and all-weather detachments. These aircraft tend to be a footnote in the Banshee story rather than seen as a distinct aircraft in their own right. Hopefully this video goes some way to correcting that oversight. Key Sources Steve Ginter's"
YouTube Link 2024-04-05T09:00Z 95.2K followers, 73.1K engagements

"WB-29 & RB-26: Korean Weather Warriors This video examines how the U.S. Air Force conducted strategic and tactical weather reconnaissance during the Korean War using aircraft such as the WB-29 and RB-26 to gather real-time atmospheric data over hostile territory. It explains how these missions supported bombing operations and close air support by determining when and where flying conditions were actually viable. The video also looks at the risks crews faced and how their work reshaped military weather forecasting and doctrine in the early Cold War. Korean War aviation weather reconnaissance"
YouTube Link 2026-01-16T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 38K engagements

"UNPREPARED FOR WAR: The Far East Air Force Before The Korean War When North Korea invaded the South on June 25th [----] US forces in the region suddenly found themselves scrambling to prevent a complete communist victory. This video examines the air power available to the UN on in June [----] its bases and its leaders"
YouTube Link 2025-05-30T09:01Z 95.5K followers, 47.3K engagements

"FJ-4 Fury: The Sabre The Navy Always Wanted When the US Navy ordered the original FJ-2 Fury they thought that they would receive something every bit as good as Korea's F-86. What they actually got was a hot mess most obviously because of some creative thinking in how guns should be aimed. The follow-on FJ-3 shared most of the same issues but was at least capable of landing on a carrier. But the Navy wasn't done and their last throw of the dice was both an excellent fighter and an essential part of the 1950s carrier airwing"
YouTube Link 2025-02-07T10:00Z 94K followers, 56.7K engagements

"Americas First Modern Amphibian: The Loening OL Story The Loening OL was an aircraft unlike any other of its time: a compact rugged amphibian that could operate from beaches lakes rivers and runways with equal ease. This video traces its development engineering innovations and service history across the Americas the Arctic China and the Pacific. It also explores the aircrafts legacy and its influence on later designs such as the Grumman Duck Loening OL Loening amphibian Grover Loening aircraft 1920s amphibious aircraft U.S. Navy amphibian U.S. Army OA-1 Early seaplane history Amphibious"
YouTube Link 2025-12-02T10:01Z 98.4K followers, 21.7K engagements

"AIM-4 FALCON: As Bad As Its Reputation Suggests The Hughes Falcon has a poor reputation. General Robin Olds famously remarked that it wasn't called a 'hittile' for a reason. And its true that compared to the Sidewinder the AIM-4D performed quite poorly over Vietnam. But take any weapon out of context and out of role and you can quite quickly find flaws. This video gets into the history and the true capabilities of the Falcon family which for good or ill was one of the most influential weapon systems of the Cold War. Sources: Information on the Falcon is quite sparse. This outstanding article"
YouTube Link 2024-11-01T10:00Z 96.8K followers, 129.5K engagements

"BERIEV MAINSTAY: The Soviet AWACS Defending the Soviet Union's long borders against SAC and RAF bombers was a vexing problem throughout the Cold War. Their first flying radar picket the TU-126 Moss proved to be obsolete on delivery as SAC moved to low level ingress profiles. So the PVO moved to acquire a more advanced aircraft equipped with a pulse-doppler radar. This in turn led to the Beriev Mainstay an interesting aircraft that continues in service today. Note: In the video I mention the shooting down of two Mainstays in Ukraine and that the exact method of attack is as yet unclear. At the"
YouTube Link 2024-11-08T10:00Z 89.1K followers, 196.7K engagements

"Soviet Aerial Tankers In The Cold War US and NATO forces made extensive use of air-to-air refuelling throughout the Cold War. It's therefore natural to assume that Soviet air forces did the same but in fact the Soviet Union's development of aerial tankers was quite different from that in the West. This video looks at the main operational types deployed in the Soviet Union and briefly reflects on the doctrinal differences that shaped their development"
YouTube Link 2025-05-23T09:01Z 92.8K followers, 111.8K engagements

"SHAHAK The Mirage III Was The Most Successful Supersonic Fighter Of The Cold War In the hands of the IDF/AF the Mirage IIIC became an aviation legend. It is one of the most successful jet fighters of all time and probably is the supersonic fighter with the most MiG kills. But the Mirage III was not a super-fighter. It was in fact a deeply flawed aircraft. Ironing out those issues and forging the Mirage into the Shahak - the sky blazer that tormented Arab air forces for a decade took skill determination and a touch of good fortune. In this video I go deep into the short fuselage Mirage III"
YouTube Link 2023-10-13T13:15Z 92.3K followers, 350.8K engagements

"TU-95 Bear: The Soviet Union's Iconic Nuclear Bomber The TU-95 was one the most obvious symbols of the Soviet Union's global reach. From the late 1950s to the fall of Communism it was a regular visitor to Western shores and a photogenic subject for interception by several generations of US and NATO fighters. This video explores the origin and interesting features of the Cold War Bear. Sources: "Tupolev Tu-95/-142 Bear'" By Yefim Gordon and Vladimir Rigmant published by Aerofax is the best single volume on the type. It's worth knowing that all of the other books written or co-written by Gordon"
YouTube Link 2025-06-20T09:01Z 93.9K followers, 230.6K engagements

"The USAF's First ASAT Missile Was A Loose Connection Away From Success On September 22nd [----] a B-58 Hustler launched a missile at a defunct satellite flying hundreds of miles above it. This video is the story of that shadowy Cold War test and the programme that spawned it: High Virgo"
YouTube Link 2024-11-15T10:01Z 89.8K followers, 36.9K engagements

"HERE COMES THE BANJO: McDonnell's F2H Banshee In Detail McDonnell's Phantom was a major success for the company despite its limited capabilities and small production run. It proved that a jet could be a useful carrier fighter and that McDonnell could make a combat aircraft. Their next attempt was the best of the straight winged carrier fighters: The Banshee. This video covers the original 'short fuselage' Banshees with particular focus on Korea. Sources: Steve Ginter's "Naval Fighters Number Two: McDonnell Banshee" provided useful background "FH Phantom/F2H Banshee In Action" by Jim Mesko has"
YouTube Link 2024-03-22T10:00Z 97K followers, 102.4K engagements

"Why Did The Armee De L'Air Lose The Battle Of France This video tackles a fascinating but I think underappreciated topic: how and why the French lost the air battle over their country in May and June [----]. It's a long one but I think an interesting one Main Sources (.there were many sources) "The Rise And Fall Of The French Air Force" by Greg Baughn is a great single volume on the topic although there are some bits (performance of the Morane 406) that could have been better researched. Still an essential read for the data tables alone "The Forgotten Air Force: French Air Doctrine in the"
YouTube Link 2025-07-08T09:00Z 98.1K followers, 149.6K engagements

"Greenland Iceland and the World War Two Air Battle for the Atlantic In September [----] Greenland and Iceland sat outside any serious Atlantic defence pla. There were no permanent military airfields no aircraft and little strategic precedent for treating the far North as managed airspace. This video traces how Denmarks occupation in April [----] forced a rapid change of tack. Improvised RAF Hudson patrols and intermittent Sunderland operations gave way to U.S.-built runways at Meeks and Patterson Fields long-endurance Catalina patrols and then Liberators that finally pushed air cover deep into"
YouTube Link 2026-01-27T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 35.3K engagements

"GRUMMAN PANTHER: Korean War Warrior The Grumman Panther was a happy accident of aircraft procurement which resulted in one of the most durable and effective aircraft of the Korean War. Although not the most sophisticated or high performance aircraft of its era nonetheless its combination of Grumman toughness ease of maintenance and heavy armament makes it one of the best combat aircraft of the Cold War. I hope this video does it justice. Surprisingly the Panther isn't terribly well covered compared to its better-known land-based contemporaries. Main Sources: I used Navy Standard Aircraft"
YouTube Link 2024-04-26T09:00Z 97.3K followers, 211.9K engagements

"A Brief History Of The M-61 Vulcan The M-61 is a legendary weapon that has served the US and its allies in the air on land and at sea for nearly [--] years. This video briefly looks into its inspirations and development from [----] to [----]. M-61 Vulcan Rotary Cannon Cold War Aviation Weapons 20mm M-61 Vulcan Rotary Cannon Cold War Aviation Weapons 20mm"
YouTube Link 2025-08-08T09:00Z 98.5K followers, 77.2K engagements

"Capturing The Achille Lauro Hijackers - The Interception Of EgyptAir [----] In the dead of night on the 10th of October [----] one of the most remarkable intercepts of the Cold War took place over the Mediterranean. As well as capturing a murderer and his three accomplices it demonstrated the options that carrier strike groups gave the US and NATO. Notes & Inconsistencies The Achille Lauro hijacking and the carrier aviation actions taken in this story remain somewhat controversial and somewhat clouded. As far as Im aware no conclusive report from the Navy on the tactical aspects has been"
YouTube Link 2025-10-10T09:00Z 98.4K followers, 124.2K engagements

"Why Stalin Didn't Want The ME-262 Copied (And What Happened Next) The Soviet Union made a slow start in the jet age. They did however capture several examples of Nazi German jet fighters. This video investigates why they didn't simply copy and then develop the ME-262 and provides an overview of the twin-pod fighters that were developed as competition to the MiG-9. Sources: "Soviet Secret Projects - Fighters Since 1945" by Yefim Gordon and Tony Buttler "OKB Ilyushin: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft" by Sergey Komissarov Yefim Gordon and Dmitiry Komissarov "OKB Sukhoi: A History"
YouTube Link 2024-06-14T09:00Z 98.4K followers, 312.8K engagements

"The Zombie MIG That Terrified Europe The 4th of July is a time for Americans all over the world to celebrate. The Air Force is no exception. Even at the height of the Cold War bases went quiet on the 4th so that everyone could celebrate with their friends and families. At Soesterberg in the Netherlands that meant a massive picnic carnival rides and a ball game between the pilots and the maintainers on the bases infield. Fireworks were planned for the evening. But on this 4th of July the fireworks would come early. Events were already out of control. Early that morning fighters would be"
YouTube Link 2024-07-05T09:00Z 98.4K followers, 143.7K engagements

"COW Gun Fighters: There Is Such A Thing As Too Big A Gun After German Gotha bomber raids on London in [----] British planners began searching for new ways to counter massed bomber formations. This led to an unusual interwar idea: heavily armed gun fighters equipped with large-calibre Coventry Ordnance Works cannons intended to engage bombers from unconventional angles. In this video I look at the aircraft built around that concept including ambitious multi-seat designs and single-seat fighters that mounted [--] mm guns firing upward. Although the approach ultimately proved impractical it played a"
YouTube Link 2026-02-03T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 140.5K engagements

"A Short History Of The Venezuelan Air Force Note: this video was originally prepared before the events begining January 3rd [----]. This video traces the Venezuelan Air Force from its improvised beginnings in the 1920s through successive phases of European American and later Russian influence showing how aviation evolved as a tool of state control oil security and Cold War alignment. While Venezuela at times fielded one of Latin Americas most capable air arms political instability embargoes and economic collapse ultimately hollowed out a service whose modern deterrent now rests more on"
YouTube Link 2026-01-03T10:10Z 98.4K followers, 90.4K engagements

"Air Power On Cyprus: [----] to [----] This video traces the history of British and American air power on Cyprus from World War One through the Suez Crisis [----] and [----] Arab Israeli Conflicts the civil war on Cyprus itself and operations in the Lebanon. raf cyprus akrotiri nicosia cold war cento nato beirut israel egypt lightning hunter canberra vulcan raf cyprus akrotiri nicosia cold war cento nato beirut israel egypt lightning hunter canberra vulcan"
YouTube Link 2025-09-05T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 39.7K engagements

"TACTICAL VOODOO: The Forgotten Nuclear Fighter Bomber Was A Lethal Low Level Weapons System When the legendary F-101 Voodoo is talked about all the focus is generally placed on the interceptor and recon versions of the type. But the original F-101A and C models were actually good aircraft in their own right and did solid service during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This video focuses on the adventures and misadventures of the under-appreciated tactical Voodoo. Sources: Books on the Voodoo are thin on the ground. I referenced: "The F-101 Voodoo In Detail And Scale" which is okay but not the"
YouTube Link 2025-12-12T10:01Z 98.5K followers, 78.8K engagements

"Inside Americas Two-Seat Delta Interceptors This video examines the two-seat Convair delta interceptors the TF-102A and F-106B explaining why the USAF needed them and how they differed from their single-seat counterparts. It explores the design compromises training role and combat capability of both aircraft and shows how lessons from the TF-102A shaped the far more effective F-106B. F-102 F-106 TF-102A F-106B Delta Dart Delta Dagger Trainers Interceptor Cold War Aviation F-102 F-106 TF-102A F-106B Delta Dart Delta Dagger Trainers Interceptor Cold War Aviation"
YouTube Link 2026-01-09T10:01Z 98.4K followers, 37.3K engagements

"Fancy Frescos - MiG-17 And MiG-15 Night Fighters During the late 1940s and early 1950s the Soviet Union faced an interceptor gap. Fast high-flying US and British bombers outperformed World War Two radar-equipped fighters and could operate at night to avoid early jets. With heavy jet interceptors a decade away the Politburo ordered Mikoyan and Gurevich to develop radar-equipped versions of their successful MiG-15 day fighter. This is the story of those aircraft and their long-lived successors: the MiG-17P PF and PFU. MiG-15 MiG-17 MiG-17PF Night Fighters Interceptors Soviet Union China Cold"
YouTube Link 2025-08-22T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 50.2K engagements

"Douglas A-26 Invader: The Best Allied Light Bomber Of World War [--] The A-26 Invader was the successor to the war-winning A-20 Havoc. Unfortunately production issues delayed its introduction and it therefore played only a bit part in proceedings. This video charts its development and war service. Sources: Osprey's "A-26 Units Of World War 2" is the usual fare - a short read and light on technical details but containing good stories. It is also quite affordable and readily available The best book (in my opinion) on the A-26 is "Douglas A-26 and B-26 Invader" by Scott Thompson. It has a wealth of"
YouTube Link 2025-04-08T09:00Z 97.1K followers, 173.6K engagements

"America's First Indigenous Fighter: The Thomas-Morse MB-3 The Thomas-Morse MB-3 is one of the most unfairly forgotten early fighters. Although far from revolutionary it was fundamental to the success of Boeing a central company in the Second World War and the Cold War. This video remembers the humble MB-3 and the company responsible for it. which wasn't Boeing Thomas Morse Boeing MB-3 Interwar Biplane Fighter Pursuit USAAF Forgotten Aircraft Thomas Morse Boeing MB-3 Interwar Biplane Fighter Pursuit USAAF Forgotten Aircraft"
YouTube Link 2025-10-07T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 32.4K engagements

"The Vehicles That Made Cold War Aircraft Carriers Work Aircraft carriers depend on careful deck organisation as much as fast jets and this video looks at the machines that quietly make flight operations possible: deck tractors. From improvised jeeps in the Second World War to purpose-built diesel tugs of the Cold War these vehicles evolved alongside the growing size and weight of naval aircraft. I briefly compare how the United States Britain France and the Soviet Union each solved the same practical problem of moving positioning and starting aircraft in confined hazardous conditions at sea."
YouTube Link 2026-02-06T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 35.4K engagements

"The Truth Behind the A-60: The USSRs Experimental Flying Laser Lab This video explores the development design and testing of the Soviet Beriev A-60 airborne laser laboratory built to counter high-altitude reconnaissance balloons and later adapted for satellite-dazzling experiments. Drawing on archival material and surviving technical accounts it explains how the system worked and why it was never a viable operational weapon. Note: only anecdotal information about the A-60 is in circulation in the West. I have therefore inferred capabilities from other similar US programmes and from my own"
YouTube Link 2025-12-09T10:01Z 98.4K followers, 45.1K engagements

"FJ-2/3 FURY: The Sabre That Couldn't Shoot Straight The great success of the F-86 Sabre in the Korean War led the US Navy to contract North American Aviation to navalise the type. This would have led to an exceptional carrier aircraft if it wasn't for the US Navy's project office. Their ideas about how to aim the Sabre's cannons led to one of the least useful aircraft ever deployed on a US carrier deck. Major Sources: "FJ Fury In Detail And Scale" is an excellent book and one of the few on the type "FJ Fury In Action" by Jim Mesko is a good read but somewhat showing its age in terms of"
YouTube Link 2024-10-11T09:00Z 98.1K followers, 115.5K engagements

"Guns-A-Go-Go: The Most Heavily Armed Helicopter of the Vietnam War In the mid-1960s the U.S. Army experimented with an unusual idea. They turned their new CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter into a heavily armed gunship. Known as the ACH-47A Guns-A-Go-Go the aircraft combined extreme firepower with the endurance and survivability of a heavy-lift helicopter. This video traces its development combat service in Vietnam and the reasons the programme was ultimately abandoned. Note that this video is less detailed than my usual fare as it was first published as an end of year extra. ACH-47A"
YouTube Link 2025-12-16T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 230.6K engagements

"The Lumberjack: Grumman's Forgotten F-11 Tiger The US Navy took a great deal of risk when it put together its 1950s fighter portfolio. Failure of the Westinghouse J-40 meant that its four fighter projects each failed to achieve the performance and longeivity that the Navy desired. Undeterred it commissioned two advanced fighters for the 1960s in the form of the F-8 Crusader and F-4 Phantom. But these programmes both contained considerable technical risk. So Grumman excluded from the roster of 1960s combat aircraft approached the Navy with another option: a less risky supersonic fighter that"
YouTube Link 2025-10-24T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 113.4K engagements

"Soviet Aircraft Cannons: The Good The Bad And The Unusual This video covers Soviet fighter cannons in the Cold War with some comments on World War [--] fighter weapons. Because of their international isolation in the 1920s and '30s and the Iron Curtain post-war the Soviets had a rather different philosophy to the West when it came to gun systems. They made some interesting weapons and rather peppy claims about their effectiveness. cannons soviet union cold war aircraft military flanker fulcrum foxhound flogger farmer fresco fagot mig sukhoi russia cannons soviet union cold war aircraft military"
YouTube Link 2026-01-23T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 74.8K engagements

"Before the Zero: The Nakajima A2N Carrier Fighter This video examines the Nakajima A2N Type [--] the Imperial Japanese Navys first carrier fighter to match contemporary Western designs. It traces the aircrafts foreign influences development limited combat service and its role in training the pilots who would later fly the A5M and A6M. Nakajima A2N Type [--] carrier fighter Imperial Japanese Navy aviation IJN carrier fighters Japanese biplane fighter prewar Japanese aircraft interwar naval aviation before the Zero early Japanese fighter aircraft A2N Type [--] history Japanese carrier aviation 1930s"
YouTube Link 2026-01-13T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 20.3K engagements

"MiG-19 Farmer: The Forgotten Supersonic Killer The MiG-19 is often dismissed as a dangerous unreliable stop-gap. The real story is far more interesting. This video uncovers the frantic Cold War engineering race that produced an aircraft capable of extraordinary performance and terrifying behaviour in equal measure. MiG-19 MiG-19 Farmer Soviet supersonic fighter Cold War aircraft Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-19 documentary Soviet jet fighter history AM-5 engine AM-9 engine MiG-19 vs F-100 MiG-19 development Soviet Air Force Cold War MiG-19 combat history MiG-19 Egypt MiG-19 Cuba MiG-19 North Korea"
YouTube Link 2025-11-21T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 153.8K engagements

"THE LAST BATTLE: F-51D Mustangs In Korea The F-51D Mustang was amongst the best fighters of the Second World War. It was supposed to be replaced by jets but five years after the war ended the USAF found itself thrust into a desperate battle against Communism. And so the aging Mustangs found themselves fighting their last battle. Major Sources: "F-51 Units Over Korea" by Warren Thompson is a comprehensive single volume on the type's service I used the Korean War Project (KORWALD) for loss statistics: https://www.koreanwar.org/dpaa/korwald-all.pdf f-51D Mustang USAF SAAF RAAF Korean War"
YouTube Link 2025-07-11T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 178.2K engagements

"The Reaper Was A Carrier Full Of The Luftwaffe's Secret Weapons On July 19th [----] the escort carrier HMS Reaper departed Cherbourg on her way to New York. On her decks was a treasure trove of German aircraft technology on its way to the USA for examination and exploitation. This video catalogues the aircraft onboard the Reaper and the US assessment of the different types. REAPER luftwaffe secret technology operation lusty seahorse me-262 paperclip world war two ar-234 US Air Force special operations REAPER luftwaffe secret technology operation lusty seahorse me-262 paperclip world war two"
YouTube Link 2025-07-18T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 221.8K engagements

"F/A-18 Hornet: Strike Fighter Supreme This video traces the F/A-18 Hornets journey from its origins in the lightweight fighter competition to its emergence as a true multirole aircraft culminating in its first night of combat during Operation Desert Storm. Sources: In my view Warbird Tech Volume [--] "Boeing F/A-18 Hornet" is the best single book on the legacy Hornet and also contains helpful material on the Super Aviation Classics 'F/A-18 Hornet' is also excellent if thinner "Walkaround F/A-18" written by Gregg Davis and Chris Neill published by Squadron/ Signal is worth picking up for"
YouTube Link 2026-01-02T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 88.5K engagements

"F-4C Deep Dive: The Overlooked Early Phantom Was 1965's Best Air-To-Air Fighter The first air-to-air skirmishes in Vietnam exposed the dangers posed by the aging VPAF MiG-17. So the USAF turned to their brand new cutting edge multirole fighter to dominate South East Asian skies. In May [----] the now-legendary F-4C Phantom II entered the fray. But the VPAF refused to meekly fly up and get shot by the mighty Phantom. They played hard to get. So the US Tactical Air Command devised a trap. This video tells the story of how that trap unfolded and how two US aircrews unexpectedly found themselves"
YouTube Link 2023-07-28T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 107.1K engagements

"Life Aboard: The Cruiser Floatplane Crews Of WWII Cruiser floatplane crews were a small often overlooked part of naval aviation but their work was essential. From scouting ahead of the fleet to spotting long-range gunfire their missions demanded skill judgement and a steady hand. This video explores how these men lived trained and operated in some of the most challenging conditions at sea and what made their role both vital and uniquely dangerous. Quick note that this was inspired by and in response to Drachinifel's Drydock pisode [---] cruiser floatplanes naval aviation history WWII seaplanes"
YouTube Link 2025-11-11T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 61.8K engagements

"The First Vulture - France's Flawed "Heavy" Bomber Experiment Immediately after the Second World War France embarked on a series of ambitious research and development projects. Amongst these was a long range bomber that would be able to evade defences through speed and high altitude. This aircraft the SO.4000 would never reach production but it would serve as an essential test bed for those who would ultimately conceive and construct France's strategic Cold War bomber force. sncaso france armee de l'air so.4000 so. M1 so. M2 Vautour Sud Aviation Experimental aircraft Bombers Cold War sncaso"
YouTube Link 2025-08-29T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 72.2K engagements

"Messerschmitt's Comeback Tour: The HA-200 Saeta Willy Messerschmitt was tried as a fellow traveller at Nuremberg and imprisoned. When he emerged from his exile he initially was unable to design new aircraft due to Germany being banned from doing so. Eventually he found employment in Franco's Spain initially as a consultant on their license-built BF-109s and then more interestingly as the designer of Spain's first jet aircraft: the Hispano HA-200 Saeta. This is its story. saeta hispano ha-200 messerschmitt egypt spain forgotten aircraft training aircraft cold war saeta hispano ha-200"
YouTube Link 2026-01-30T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 100K engagements

"The Regia Marina's Surprisingly Good Seaplane Spotters & Fighters 1910-1945 The Regia Marina were early pioneers in the use of seaplanes for spotting shell fire. Lacking conventional aircraft carriers they continued to use seaplanes for this purpose and latterly for rudimentary air defence through to the end of the Second World War. This video introduces the main types and their use aboard various ships during the First World War the interwar period and the Second World War. Regia Marina Seaplanes IMAM Ro.43 CANT [--] Reggiane Re.2000 World War [--] Military Aviation Forgotten Aircraft Battleships"
YouTube Link 2025-08-12T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 35.4K engagements

"ALKALI: The First Soviet AAM Broke Missile Design Conventions (But No Records) The Alkali was the first wholly-Soviet engineered air-to-air missile. Having been developed in isolation from Western ideas it incorporates a number of original design ideas none of which could be said to have been successful. Even so it is an interesting weapon and served in the Warsaw Pact Air Forces on three generations of fighters and into the 1970s. AA-1 K-5 Alkali Air-to-Air Missiles AA-1 K-5 Alkali Air-to-Air Missiles"
YouTube Link 2024-05-10T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 66.9K engagements

"The Spad VII: One Of The Best Aircraft Of The Great War As soon as the Great War broke out the Hispano-Suiza automobile company set out to turn its successful automotive V8 engine into an aircraft motor. The result was the 8A one of the all-time great aircraft engines. Now the French just needed an aircraft to put it in. That aircraft was the Spad VII and it was a classic fighter plane. spad VII France World War [--] Combat Aircraft dogfights USAAF Great War Biplane spad VII France World War [--] Combat Aircraft dogfights USAAF Great War Biplane"
YouTube Link 2025-09-09T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 46.8K engagements

"MiG [--] Foxhound: The Ultimate Cold War Interceptor Was Not A Wonder Weapon The ultimate realisation of Soviet interceptor doctrine the MiG-31 is an enigmatic aircraft that continues to serve today. This video looks at its history features and capabilities through a rational lens. MiG-31 Foxhound Soviet Union Cold War Aviation Combat Aircraft Russia NATO Interceptors MiG-31 Foxhound Soviet Union Cold War Aviation Combat Aircraft Russia NATO Interceptors"
YouTube Link 2025-10-17T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 178.8K engagements

"MiG-17: The Long Lived Soviet Workhorse The MiG-17 is often the fall guy in air combat stories from the 1950s and 1960s. But in fact the Fresco was an effective widely distributed and long lived combat aircraft that did good service in many air arms. This video covers its development and combat service. My video covering the MiG-17 night fighter is here: https://youtu.be/kXyGIukx9fE MiG-17 Fresco Cold War Soviet Union Aviation Vietnam MiG-17 Fresco Cold War Soviet Union Aviation Vietnam"
YouTube Link 2025-10-03T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 129.9K engagements

"Vought's F7U Cutlass Was Part Innovative Fighter And Part Safety Disaster In recent times there have been attempts to rehabilitate the reputation of one of the most legendarily dangerous Cold War fighter aircraft: the F7U Cutlass. In this video I take a long look at its history design and try and understand whether the Cutlass was a disaster or just misunderstood. Main sources: "Naval Fighters No. 6" by Steve Ginter is interesting but typically eclectic in style "Vought F7U Cutlass: A Developmental History" by Tom Gardner is a slightly heavy read but contains fabulous detail I also referenced"
YouTube Link 2024-05-31T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 271.3K engagements

"The OV-1 Mohawk Was The Vietnam War's Unlikeliest MiG Killer One day in February [----] a US Army pilot named Ken Lee was spotting targets just south of the DMZ when he was bounced by a MiG-17 Fresco of the VPAF. Minutes later Ken Lee would become probably the unlikeliest MiG killer of the Vietnam War. This is his story and also that of the OV-1 Mohawk. Sources: In my view "OV-1 Mohawk In Action" by Terry Love is the best single volume on the Mohawk. Out of print but readily available "OV-1 Mohawk Walk Around" by Ken Neubeck is a really useful pictorial guide to the aircraft I used "Operators'"
YouTube Link 2024-08-02T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 793.2K engagements

"Jet-Powered Turret Fighters: Practice Eats Theory For Breakfast In [----] German night fighters began using a tactic called Schrage Musik against the armada of RAF bombers that attacked each night. Taking advantage of the bombers weak ventral defences they angled their cannons upwards with devastating effects. The perceived success of Schrage Musik led to post-war aircraft designers specifying these systems on their early jet fighters and interceptors. This video examines such efforts on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Turret Fighter Aviation Cold War Forgotten aircraft Mig-17 Grumman panther"
YouTube Link 2025-07-25T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 71.5K engagements

"GRUMMAN F-9 COUGAR: An Important But Not An Exciting 1950s Carrier Fighter The Grumman Panther is rightly well-regarded for its extensive service in the Korean War. But the Panther was essentially obsolete on delivery thanks to the emergence of the swept wing Sabre and MiG-15. The US Navy had plenty of ambitious plans for high performance swept wing carrier fighters. But ambitious plans take time to come to fruition. So the Navy asked ever-reliable Grumman to graft a swept wing onto the Panther. This is the story of that aircraft: the largely forgotten F-9 Cougar. A solid but unremarkable jet"
YouTube Link 2025-02-21T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 90.1K engagements

"USAF Light Fighter Development & The Alternatives To The F-16 [--] years ago General Dynamics' YF-16 beat Northrop's YF-17 to be the USAF's next tactical fighter. This video explores development of light fighters in the US during the middle 1960s and early 1970s and introduces the five competitors to the YF-16. Sources "American Secret Projects: Fighters" by Tony Buttler is indispensible for anyone interested in the development of US aircraft during the Cold War Although there are many good books on the F-16 and F/A-18 the best source about their early development is the peerless Secret"
YouTube Link 2025-01-17T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 162.1K engagements

"F-14 TOMCAT: The US Navy's Ultimate Cold War Fighter After a convoluted [--] year journey the F-14A Tomcat went to sea for the first time in September [----]. This video goes deep into the Cold War Tomcat one of my favourite fighters. It is both a fascinating and complex weapon system. Primary sources: In my view the best book on the Tomcat is David Baker's "Grumman F-14 Tomcat" published by Crowood Press. Sadly it is out of print and a little on the pricey side. Probably the best single presentation on the Tomcat is this incredible hour-long video. A must-watch:"
YouTube Link 2024-09-20T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 238.2K engagements

"THE CHAIR: The F-3H Demon Was A Vital But Sedate Part Of US Naval Aviation History It is very easy to look at an aircraft's statistics and come away with the wrong impression. The McDonnell Demon was heavy and underpowered. It drank fuel like it was going out of fashion and its first iteration was a pilot killer. But over time its friendly flying characteristics and effective radar and missile combination allowed US naval aviators to develop the tactics and techniques that they would eventually take to war in Vietnam. That is not to say however that the Demon taught them everything they"
YouTube Link 2025-09-26T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 93.7K engagements

"From Browning to Vulcan: How Western Fighter Guns Evolved [--------] Gun systems was one of your top requests for [----] so here is a video that covers the development of NATO gun systems during the Cold War. I've tried to be as comprehensive as possible but imagine some things will have slipped through the cracks as this wasn't the easiest topic to research. Someone needs to write a book about Cold War gun systems Comments much appreciated Cold War fighter cannons aircraft guns NATO fighters jet age weapons M61 Vulcan ADEN cannon DEFA cannon Browning M3 Hispano [---] Western air forces fighter"
YouTube Link 2025-11-14T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 90.6K engagements

"The F-100 Super Sabre Was An Unappreciated Warrior Aircraft You would think that an aircraft that flew over [------] combat missions would have earned a place in the list of great fighting aircraft. But that is not the case with North American Aviation's F-100 Super Sabre. Instead it is a sometimes forgotten and often ridiculed aviation footnote. The Hun deserves more time in the limelight. This video goes deep into its development capabilities and combat service in Vietnam. My other F-100 videos: Wild Weasel: https://youtu.be/DcTUP-wKdJQ Misty FAC: https://youtu.be/13F1iN1idbQ Slick Chick:"
YouTube Link 2024-11-29T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 265.6K engagements

"Voodoo vs Superstar: The Penetration Fighter Competition The penetrating counter air mission is fashionable in these days. But this is not the first time such a mission has been proposed. In [----] the USAAF sought a jet powered very long range escort fighter that could clear the skies ahead of its bombers. This was the first penetration fighter and the attempt to develop it was a significant part of second and third generation fighter development in the USA. Sources: "McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo" by Steve Pace is an excellent source on the first Voodoo. which is lucky because its essentially the"
YouTube Link 2025-09-19T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 64.1K engagements

"Forger: The Fascinating Soviet Jump Jet In the late 1960s the Soviet Navy was commissioning a series of very large cruisers with flight decks. Although intended for helicopters Admiral Gorshkov was persuaded to also acquire a novel fixed wing aircraft based on Yakovlev's promising Yak-36 Freehand. Yak's Forger is often dismissed as a poor copy of a Harrier but it was in fact a clean sheet design full of novel features. This video explores its characteristics and performance. Yak Forger Yak-36M Yak-38 Kiev Cold War Aviation Carrier Soviet Union Yak Forger Yak-36M Yak-38 Kiev Cold War Aviation"
YouTube Link 2025-08-15T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 116.2K engagements

"The Flying Barrel: SAAB's J.29 Tunnan This video explores the Saab J.29 Tunnan Swedens first true jet fighter examining its design performance accidents combat use in the Congo and the hard lessons that shaped Swedish air power in the Cold War"
YouTube Link 2025-12-26T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 69.4K engagements

"The FH-1 Phantom Was A Pioneering Jet Fighter That Deserves More Recognition The US Navy was probably the most dominant air force in the world within its sphere of influence. Wildcat Hellcat and Corsair went down as legendary piston engined fighters. Bearcat was one of the best ever made. But as early as [----] the Navy knew that it needed to get into the jet game if it was to continue to dominate the air space at sea and over land. With their other suppliers already tied up with war work they turned to the little-known McDonnell Corporation to design and build their first carrier jet fighter."
YouTube Link 2023-11-10T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 137.6K engagements

"Grumman Guardian: The US Navy's Last New Piston Engined Aircraft The Grumman Guardian was a short-lived but hard working aircraft that served on US Navy carriers in the early 1950s. Tasked with the arduous and dangerous job of hunting Soviet submarines its crews flew long missions at low level in all weathers. This video covers the aircraft its mission and its weapons. Grumman Guardian ASW Carriers Cold War Forgotten Aircraft USA Submarines Grumman Guardian ASW Carriers Cold War Forgotten Aircraft USA Submarines"
YouTube Link 2026-02-13T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 47.6K engagements

"Northrop's Tiger II Was A Lightweight MiG Killer Northrop's F-5 Freedom Fighter was a sales success that gave many nations their first taste of supersonic fighters. But as the 1960s came to an end the avionic and performance compromises that had been taken to get to the right price point no longer looked so clever. So Northrop remixed the formula and came up with the F-5E one of the best balanced combat aircraft of the Cold War. Note: this video does not cover the F-5's later use as an aggressor. F-5E Tiger [--] Northrop Cold War Aviation Fighters Iran F-5E Tiger [--] Northrop Cold War Aviation"
YouTube Link 2025-11-28T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 84.9K engagements

"Grumman Guardian: The US Navy's Last New Piston Engined Aircraft The Grumman Guardian was a short-lived but hard working aircraft that served on US Navy carriers in the early 1950s. Tasked with the arduous and dangerous job of hunting Soviet submarines its crews flew long missions at low level in all weathers. This video covers the aircraft its mission and its weapons. Grumman Guardian ASW Carriers Cold War Forgotten Aircraft USA Submarines Grumman Guardian ASW Carriers Cold War Forgotten Aircraft USA Submarines"
YouTube Link 2026-02-13T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 47.6K engagements

"The Vehicles That Made Cold War Aircraft Carriers Work Aircraft carriers depend on careful deck organisation as much as fast jets and this video looks at the machines that quietly make flight operations possible: deck tractors. From improvised jeeps in the Second World War to purpose-built diesel tugs of the Cold War these vehicles evolved alongside the growing size and weight of naval aircraft. I briefly compare how the United States Britain France and the Soviet Union each solved the same practical problem of moving positioning and starting aircraft in confined hazardous conditions at sea."
YouTube Link 2026-02-06T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 35.4K engagements

"COW Gun Fighters: There Is Such A Thing As Too Big A Gun After German Gotha bomber raids on London in [----] British planners began searching for new ways to counter massed bomber formations. This led to an unusual interwar idea: heavily armed gun fighters equipped with large-calibre Coventry Ordnance Works cannons intended to engage bombers from unconventional angles. In this video I look at the aircraft built around that concept including ambitious multi-seat designs and single-seat fighters that mounted [--] mm guns firing upward. Although the approach ultimately proved impractical it played a"
YouTube Link 2026-02-03T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 140.5K engagements

"Messerschmitt's Comeback Tour: The HA-200 Saeta Willy Messerschmitt was tried as a fellow traveller at Nuremberg and imprisoned. When he emerged from his exile he initially was unable to design new aircraft due to Germany being banned from doing so. Eventually he found employment in Franco's Spain initially as a consultant on their license-built BF-109s and then more interestingly as the designer of Spain's first jet aircraft: the Hispano HA-200 Saeta. This is its story. saeta hispano ha-200 messerschmitt egypt spain forgotten aircraft training aircraft cold war saeta hispano ha-200"
YouTube Link 2026-01-30T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 100K engagements

"Greenland Iceland and the World War Two Air Battle for the Atlantic In September [----] Greenland and Iceland sat outside any serious Atlantic defence pla. There were no permanent military airfields no aircraft and little strategic precedent for treating the far North as managed airspace. This video traces how Denmarks occupation in April [----] forced a rapid change of tack. Improvised RAF Hudson patrols and intermittent Sunderland operations gave way to U.S.-built runways at Meeks and Patterson Fields long-endurance Catalina patrols and then Liberators that finally pushed air cover deep into"
YouTube Link 2026-01-27T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 35.3K engagements

"Soviet Aircraft Cannons: The Good The Bad And The Unusual This video covers Soviet fighter cannons in the Cold War with some comments on World War [--] fighter weapons. Because of their international isolation in the 1920s and '30s and the Iron Curtain post-war the Soviets had a rather different philosophy to the West when it came to gun systems. They made some interesting weapons and rather peppy claims about their effectiveness. cannons soviet union cold war aircraft military flanker fulcrum foxhound flogger farmer fresco fagot mig sukhoi russia cannons soviet union cold war aircraft military"
YouTube Link 2026-01-23T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 74.8K engagements

"WB-29 & RB-26: Korean Weather Warriors This video examines how the U.S. Air Force conducted strategic and tactical weather reconnaissance during the Korean War using aircraft such as the WB-29 and RB-26 to gather real-time atmospheric data over hostile territory. It explains how these missions supported bombing operations and close air support by determining when and where flying conditions were actually viable. The video also looks at the risks crews faced and how their work reshaped military weather forecasting and doctrine in the early Cold War. Korean War aviation weather reconnaissance"
YouTube Link 2026-01-16T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 38K engagements

"Before the Zero: The Nakajima A2N Carrier Fighter This video examines the Nakajima A2N Type [--] the Imperial Japanese Navys first carrier fighter to match contemporary Western designs. It traces the aircrafts foreign influences development limited combat service and its role in training the pilots who would later fly the A5M and A6M. Nakajima A2N Type [--] carrier fighter Imperial Japanese Navy aviation IJN carrier fighters Japanese biplane fighter prewar Japanese aircraft interwar naval aviation before the Zero early Japanese fighter aircraft A2N Type [--] history Japanese carrier aviation 1930s"
YouTube Link 2026-01-13T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 20.3K engagements

"Inside Americas Two-Seat Delta Interceptors This video examines the two-seat Convair delta interceptors the TF-102A and F-106B explaining why the USAF needed them and how they differed from their single-seat counterparts. It explores the design compromises training role and combat capability of both aircraft and shows how lessons from the TF-102A shaped the far more effective F-106B. F-102 F-106 TF-102A F-106B Delta Dart Delta Dagger Trainers Interceptor Cold War Aviation F-102 F-106 TF-102A F-106B Delta Dart Delta Dagger Trainers Interceptor Cold War Aviation"
YouTube Link 2026-01-09T10:01Z 98.4K followers, 37.3K engagements

"A Short History Of The Venezuelan Air Force Note: this video was originally prepared before the events begining January 3rd [----]. This video traces the Venezuelan Air Force from its improvised beginnings in the 1920s through successive phases of European American and later Russian influence showing how aviation evolved as a tool of state control oil security and Cold War alignment. While Venezuela at times fielded one of Latin Americas most capable air arms political instability embargoes and economic collapse ultimately hollowed out a service whose modern deterrent now rests more on"
YouTube Link 2026-01-03T10:10Z 98.4K followers, 90.4K engagements

"F/A-18 Hornet: Strike Fighter Supreme This video traces the F/A-18 Hornets journey from its origins in the lightweight fighter competition to its emergence as a true multirole aircraft culminating in its first night of combat during Operation Desert Storm. Sources: In my view Warbird Tech Volume [--] "Boeing F/A-18 Hornet" is the best single book on the legacy Hornet and also contains helpful material on the Super Aviation Classics 'F/A-18 Hornet' is also excellent if thinner "Walkaround F/A-18" written by Gregg Davis and Chris Neill published by Squadron/ Signal is worth picking up for"
YouTube Link 2026-01-02T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 88.5K engagements

"The Flying Barrel: SAAB's J.29 Tunnan This video explores the Saab J.29 Tunnan Swedens first true jet fighter examining its design performance accidents combat use in the Congo and the hard lessons that shaped Swedish air power in the Cold War"
YouTube Link 2025-12-26T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 69.4K engagements

"The Most Expensive Mail Delivery in History For two Centuries various inventors and innovators have experimented with the use of rockets and missiles for mail parcel freight and troop delivery. This video briefly summarises the most famous (and infamous) of those efforts. rocket mail missile mail cruise missile mail delivery Regulus missile mail USS Barbero Cold War missiles Cold War technology military postal experiments guided missile history cruise missile history V-2 legacy rocket mail history experimental mail delivery postal history oddities aerospace history documentary military"
YouTube Link 2025-12-23T10:00Z 98.4K followers, 24.2K engagements

"Early Carrier AEW: Avenger To Skyraider Today airborne early warning is a standard capability for advanced air arms. Little thought or time is given to reflecting on how such aircraft came to be. As is often the case the answer can be found in the final years of World War [--] and in a project called Cadillac. This video looks at the first decade or so of carrier-based AEW aircraft their systems and tactics. Skyraider Avenger AD-3W AD-4W AD-5W AEW.1 Project Cadillac Forgotten Aircraft Cold War WW2 Kamikaze Skyraider Avenger AD-3W AD-4W AD-5W AEW.1 Project Cadillac Forgotten Aircraft Cold War WW2"
YouTube Link 2025-12-19T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 57.3K engagements

"Guns-A-Go-Go: The Most Heavily Armed Helicopter of the Vietnam War In the mid-1960s the U.S. Army experimented with an unusual idea. They turned their new CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter into a heavily armed gunship. Known as the ACH-47A Guns-A-Go-Go the aircraft combined extreme firepower with the endurance and survivability of a heavy-lift helicopter. This video traces its development combat service in Vietnam and the reasons the programme was ultimately abandoned. Note that this video is less detailed than my usual fare as it was first published as an end of year extra. ACH-47A"
YouTube Link 2025-12-16T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 230.6K engagements

"TACTICAL VOODOO: The Forgotten Nuclear Fighter Bomber Was A Lethal Low Level Weapons System When the legendary F-101 Voodoo is talked about all the focus is generally placed on the interceptor and recon versions of the type. But the original F-101A and C models were actually good aircraft in their own right and did solid service during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This video focuses on the adventures and misadventures of the under-appreciated tactical Voodoo. Sources: Books on the Voodoo are thin on the ground. I referenced: "The F-101 Voodoo In Detail And Scale" which is okay but not the"
YouTube Link 2025-12-12T10:01Z 98.5K followers, 78.8K engagements

"The Truth Behind the A-60: The USSRs Experimental Flying Laser Lab This video explores the development design and testing of the Soviet Beriev A-60 airborne laser laboratory built to counter high-altitude reconnaissance balloons and later adapted for satellite-dazzling experiments. Drawing on archival material and surviving technical accounts it explains how the system worked and why it was never a viable operational weapon. Note: only anecdotal information about the A-60 is in circulation in the West. I have therefore inferred capabilities from other similar US programmes and from my own"
YouTube Link 2025-12-09T10:01Z 98.4K followers, 45.1K engagements

"Sabre vs. MiG-15: Design Performance and the Statistics of MiG Alley This video traces the parallel origins of the MiG-15 and F-86 Sabre comparing their aerodynamic and technical characteristics and explaining how each aircraft performed in combat over Korea. I've considered pilot training basing tactical doctrine and the evolving balance of advantage through the war. I'll also get into the sticky subject of which fighter did better in the conflict in Korea"
YouTube Link 2025-12-05T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 77.2K engagements

"Americas First Modern Amphibian: The Loening OL Story The Loening OL was an aircraft unlike any other of its time: a compact rugged amphibian that could operate from beaches lakes rivers and runways with equal ease. This video traces its development engineering innovations and service history across the Americas the Arctic China and the Pacific. It also explores the aircrafts legacy and its influence on later designs such as the Grumman Duck Loening OL Loening amphibian Grover Loening aircraft 1920s amphibious aircraft U.S. Navy amphibian U.S. Army OA-1 Early seaplane history Amphibious"
YouTube Link 2025-12-02T10:01Z 98.4K followers, 21.7K engagements

"Northrop's Tiger II Was A Lightweight MiG Killer Northrop's F-5 Freedom Fighter was a sales success that gave many nations their first taste of supersonic fighters. But as the 1960s came to an end the avionic and performance compromises that had been taken to get to the right price point no longer looked so clever. So Northrop remixed the formula and came up with the F-5E one of the best balanced combat aircraft of the Cold War. Note: this video does not cover the F-5's later use as an aggressor. F-5E Tiger [--] Northrop Cold War Aviation Fighters Iran F-5E Tiger [--] Northrop Cold War Aviation"
YouTube Link 2025-11-28T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 84.9K engagements

"MiG-19 Farmer: The Forgotten Supersonic Killer The MiG-19 is often dismissed as a dangerous unreliable stop-gap. The real story is far more interesting. This video uncovers the frantic Cold War engineering race that produced an aircraft capable of extraordinary performance and terrifying behaviour in equal measure. MiG-19 MiG-19 Farmer Soviet supersonic fighter Cold War aircraft Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-19 documentary Soviet jet fighter history AM-5 engine AM-9 engine MiG-19 vs F-100 MiG-19 development Soviet Air Force Cold War MiG-19 combat history MiG-19 Egypt MiG-19 Cuba MiG-19 North Korea"
YouTube Link 2025-11-21T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 153.8K engagements

"Flying the Saab J 21A: Swedens Odd but Capable Fighter The Saab J 21A looked like no other fighter of its time but its unusual layout grew from practical needs rather than eccentricity. Sweden wanted a modern home-built fighter despite limited resources and Saabs engineers pushed into new territory to achieve it. This video looks at how the J 21A was designed tested and flown the pilots experiences at the controls and the role it played as Sweden entered the jet era. Saab J 21A Swedish aviation history WWII fighters pusher fighter aircraft twin boom aircraft Saab aircraft history Swedish Air"
YouTube Link 2025-11-18T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 82K engagements

"From Browning to Vulcan: How Western Fighter Guns Evolved [--------] Gun systems was one of your top requests for [----] so here is a video that covers the development of NATO gun systems during the Cold War. I've tried to be as comprehensive as possible but imagine some things will have slipped through the cracks as this wasn't the easiest topic to research. Someone needs to write a book about Cold War gun systems Comments much appreciated Cold War fighter cannons aircraft guns NATO fighters jet age weapons M61 Vulcan ADEN cannon DEFA cannon Browning M3 Hispano [---] Western air forces fighter"
YouTube Link 2025-11-14T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 90.6K engagements

"Life Aboard: The Cruiser Floatplane Crews Of WWII Cruiser floatplane crews were a small often overlooked part of naval aviation but their work was essential. From scouting ahead of the fleet to spotting long-range gunfire their missions demanded skill judgement and a steady hand. This video explores how these men lived trained and operated in some of the most challenging conditions at sea and what made their role both vital and uniquely dangerous. Quick note that this was inspired by and in response to Drachinifel's Drydock pisode [---] cruiser floatplanes naval aviation history WWII seaplanes"
YouTube Link 2025-11-11T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 61.8K engagements

"THE BEAST: Britain's All-Weather Delta Interceptor The late 1940s was a golden period for ambitious interceptor projects. The RAF's contribution to the genre was the Javelin a fighter that Internet experts seemingly love to hate. They're wrong of course. The Javelin wasn't a world beater but it was a useful interceptor was some interesting characteristics. This video is a more balanced take on it. Sources: Maurice Allward's "Gloster Javelin" is the best of a relatively thin set of serious books on the type Tony Buttler's "Gloster Javelin" is also worth picking up if only for its nice colour"
YouTube Link 2025-11-07T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 131.4K engagements

"The Fairey Fox: The Plane That Defied the Air Ministry Although it isnt widely remembered the Fairey Fox was in fact one of the most important aircraft of the interwar period. The impact of its performance versus Ministry requirements was such that six years after it emerged a senior executive in the Ministry referred to it as the Fairey Fox agitation. This is the story of an aircraft that broke and rewrote the British Air Ministry's aircraft design rules. fairey fox fairey fox documentary fairey fox bomber the plane that defied the air ministry fairey aircraft charles fairey british aviation"
YouTube Link 2025-11-04T09:00Z 98.4K followers, 15.7K engagements

"Mystre II: Inside Frances Supersonic Failure Dassault's Ouragan was an important step forward for the French aviation industry but it was also obsolete on delivery. Progress needed to accelerate if France was to be a player in the lucrative international market for military jet fighters. So in [----] Marcel Dassault was contracted to attach a swept wing to the Ouragan. The eventual result the Mystere II was a terrible combat aircraft. It was however the first of a dynasty that would produce two successful Mysteres and then a line of Mirages. Understanding the Mystere II is therefore essential"
YouTube Link 2025-10-31T10:00Z 98.6K followers, 68.4K engagements

"Hell in the Sky: The True Story of the Brewster Buffalo Often mocked as one of the worst fighters of World War II the Brewster Buffalos story is predictably more complicated. This video examines its design combat record the myths and the marketing that shaped its reputation revealing why it was both a disaster in the Pacific and a legend in Finnish skies. Sources: "Brewster Buffalo Aces Of World War 2" is an easy and an interesting read although it lacks technical depth about the aircraft "Buffaloes Over Singapore" is similar to the above but in more depth on the combat record. I enjoyed it."
YouTube Link 2025-10-28T10:01Z 98.6K followers, 58.5K engagements

"The Lumberjack: Grumman's Forgotten F-11 Tiger The US Navy took a great deal of risk when it put together its 1950s fighter portfolio. Failure of the Westinghouse J-40 meant that its four fighter projects each failed to achieve the performance and longeivity that the Navy desired. Undeterred it commissioned two advanced fighters for the 1960s in the form of the F-8 Crusader and F-4 Phantom. But these programmes both contained considerable technical risk. So Grumman excluded from the roster of 1960s combat aircraft approached the Navy with another option: a less risky supersonic fighter that"
YouTube Link 2025-10-24T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 113.4K engagements

"MiG [--] Foxhound: The Ultimate Cold War Interceptor Was Not A Wonder Weapon The ultimate realisation of Soviet interceptor doctrine the MiG-31 is an enigmatic aircraft that continues to serve today. This video looks at its history features and capabilities through a rational lens. MiG-31 Foxhound Soviet Union Cold War Aviation Combat Aircraft Russia NATO Interceptors MiG-31 Foxhound Soviet Union Cold War Aviation Combat Aircraft Russia NATO Interceptors"
YouTube Link 2025-10-17T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 178.8K engagements

"The Royal Navy's Tragic Submarine Carrier Experiment In the early 1920s the Royal Navy rekindled its interest in submarine-launched spotting seaplanes. This led to conversion of the 12-inch gun armed submarine M2 into a carrier and to development of the innovative Parnall Peto. This is a brief look at an interesting but ultimately tragic development in naval aviation. Parnall Peto M2 Submarine Submarine Aircraft Carrier Royal Navy Interwar Seaplane Parnall Peto M2 Submarine Submarine Aircraft Carrier Royal Navy Interwar Seaplane"
YouTube Link 2025-10-14T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 13.5K engagements

"Capturing The Achille Lauro Hijackers - The Interception Of EgyptAir [----] In the dead of night on the 10th of October [----] one of the most remarkable intercepts of the Cold War took place over the Mediterranean. As well as capturing a murderer and his three accomplices it demonstrated the options that carrier strike groups gave the US and NATO. Notes & Inconsistencies The Achille Lauro hijacking and the carrier aviation actions taken in this story remain somewhat controversial and somewhat clouded. As far as Im aware no conclusive report from the Navy on the tactical aspects has been"
YouTube Link 2025-10-10T09:00Z 98.4K followers, 124.2K engagements

"America's First Indigenous Fighter: The Thomas-Morse MB-3 The Thomas-Morse MB-3 is one of the most unfairly forgotten early fighters. Although far from revolutionary it was fundamental to the success of Boeing a central company in the Second World War and the Cold War. This video remembers the humble MB-3 and the company responsible for it. which wasn't Boeing Thomas Morse Boeing MB-3 Interwar Biplane Fighter Pursuit USAAF Forgotten Aircraft Thomas Morse Boeing MB-3 Interwar Biplane Fighter Pursuit USAAF Forgotten Aircraft"
YouTube Link 2025-10-07T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 32.4K engagements

"MiG-17: The Long Lived Soviet Workhorse The MiG-17 is often the fall guy in air combat stories from the 1950s and 1960s. But in fact the Fresco was an effective widely distributed and long lived combat aircraft that did good service in many air arms. This video covers its development and combat service. My video covering the MiG-17 night fighter is here: https://youtu.be/kXyGIukx9fE MiG-17 Fresco Cold War Soviet Union Aviation Vietnam MiG-17 Fresco Cold War Soviet Union Aviation Vietnam"
YouTube Link 2025-10-03T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 129.9K engagements

"THE CHAIR: The F-3H Demon Was A Vital But Sedate Part Of US Naval Aviation History It is very easy to look at an aircraft's statistics and come away with the wrong impression. The McDonnell Demon was heavy and underpowered. It drank fuel like it was going out of fashion and its first iteration was a pilot killer. But over time its friendly flying characteristics and effective radar and missile combination allowed US naval aviators to develop the tactics and techniques that they would eventually take to war in Vietnam. That is not to say however that the Demon taught them everything they"
YouTube Link 2025-09-26T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 93.7K engagements

"Boulton Paul Defiant: Good Aircraft Flawed Concept I grew up with tales of the disastrous Boulton-Paul Defiant and how it was massacred by the Luftwaffe during a brief but inglorious service. This video delves into the origins design service and performance of one of World War 2's least well-regarded aircraft. Sources: "The Turret Fighters: Defiant and Roc" by Alec Brew is the definitive guide to the Defiant "Defiant Blenheim and Havoc Aces" by Andrew Thomas and Chris Davey covers multiple types but has excellent coverage of individual actions "Boulton Paul Defiant" by Mark Ansell is a"
YouTube Link 2025-09-23T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 91.5K engagements

"Voodoo vs Superstar: The Penetration Fighter Competition The penetrating counter air mission is fashionable in these days. But this is not the first time such a mission has been proposed. In [----] the USAAF sought a jet powered very long range escort fighter that could clear the skies ahead of its bombers. This was the first penetration fighter and the attempt to develop it was a significant part of second and third generation fighter development in the USA. Sources: "McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo" by Steve Pace is an excellent source on the first Voodoo. which is lucky because its essentially the"
YouTube Link 2025-09-19T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 64.1K engagements

"DELTA DOMINANCE: The Mirage III [--] And [--] Are France's Most Successful Combat Aircraft Over [----] Mirage IIIs 5s and 50s were made between the late 1950s and the early 1970s. This video covers the major versions from the earliest MD.550 to the Mirage EX. Quick note. In advance of making this and the forthcoming video on the Mystere I took advice from a colleague who "spoke French" about the correct pronounciation of "Dassault". His advice was that it is "Dass-oo" and I followed it in this video. Having taken possibly better advice I am now more convinced that the correct way to say it is"
YouTube Link 2025-09-12T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 112.9K engagements

"The Spad VII: One Of The Best Aircraft Of The Great War As soon as the Great War broke out the Hispano-Suiza automobile company set out to turn its successful automotive V8 engine into an aircraft motor. The result was the 8A one of the all-time great aircraft engines. Now the French just needed an aircraft to put it in. That aircraft was the Spad VII and it was a classic fighter plane. spad VII France World War [--] Combat Aircraft dogfights USAAF Great War Biplane spad VII France World War [--] Combat Aircraft dogfights USAAF Great War Biplane"
YouTube Link 2025-09-09T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 46.8K engagements

"Air Power On Cyprus: [----] to [----] This video traces the history of British and American air power on Cyprus from World War One through the Suez Crisis [----] and [----] Arab Israeli Conflicts the civil war on Cyprus itself and operations in the Lebanon. raf cyprus akrotiri nicosia cold war cento nato beirut israel egypt lightning hunter canberra vulcan raf cyprus akrotiri nicosia cold war cento nato beirut israel egypt lightning hunter canberra vulcan"
YouTube Link 2025-09-05T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 39.7K engagements

"The First Vulture - France's Flawed "Heavy" Bomber Experiment Immediately after the Second World War France embarked on a series of ambitious research and development projects. Amongst these was a long range bomber that would be able to evade defences through speed and high altitude. This aircraft the SO.4000 would never reach production but it would serve as an essential test bed for those who would ultimately conceive and construct France's strategic Cold War bomber force. sncaso france armee de l'air so.4000 so. M1 so. M2 Vautour Sud Aviation Experimental aircraft Bombers Cold War sncaso"
YouTube Link 2025-08-29T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 72.2K engagements

"Fancy Frescos - MiG-17 And MiG-15 Night Fighters During the late 1940s and early 1950s the Soviet Union faced an interceptor gap. Fast high-flying US and British bombers outperformed World War Two radar-equipped fighters and could operate at night to avoid early jets. With heavy jet interceptors a decade away the Politburo ordered Mikoyan and Gurevich to develop radar-equipped versions of their successful MiG-15 day fighter. This is the story of those aircraft and their long-lived successors: the MiG-17P PF and PFU. MiG-15 MiG-17 MiG-17PF Night Fighters Interceptors Soviet Union China Cold"
YouTube Link 2025-08-22T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 50.2K engagements

"Forger: The Fascinating Soviet Jump Jet In the late 1960s the Soviet Navy was commissioning a series of very large cruisers with flight decks. Although intended for helicopters Admiral Gorshkov was persuaded to also acquire a novel fixed wing aircraft based on Yakovlev's promising Yak-36 Freehand. Yak's Forger is often dismissed as a poor copy of a Harrier but it was in fact a clean sheet design full of novel features. This video explores its characteristics and performance. Yak Forger Yak-36M Yak-38 Kiev Cold War Aviation Carrier Soviet Union Yak Forger Yak-36M Yak-38 Kiev Cold War Aviation"
YouTube Link 2025-08-15T09:01Z 98.6K followers, 116.2K engagements

"The Regia Marina's Surprisingly Good Seaplane Spotters & Fighters 1910-1945 The Regia Marina were early pioneers in the use of seaplanes for spotting shell fire. Lacking conventional aircraft carriers they continued to use seaplanes for this purpose and latterly for rudimentary air defence through to the end of the Second World War. This video introduces the main types and their use aboard various ships during the First World War the interwar period and the Second World War. Regia Marina Seaplanes IMAM Ro.43 CANT [--] Reggiane Re.2000 World War [--] Military Aviation Forgotten Aircraft Battleships"
YouTube Link 2025-08-12T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 35.4K engagements

"A Brief History Of The M-61 Vulcan The M-61 is a legendary weapon that has served the US and its allies in the air on land and at sea for nearly [--] years. This video briefly looks into its inspirations and development from [----] to [----]. M-61 Vulcan Rotary Cannon Cold War Aviation Weapons 20mm M-61 Vulcan Rotary Cannon Cold War Aviation Weapons 20mm"
YouTube Link 2025-08-08T09:00Z 98.5K followers, 77.2K engagements

"The (First) Destruction Of The North Korean Peoples' Air Force [----] With apologies in advance for my dreadful Korean pronunication this video covers the early operations of the North Korean People's Air Force during the summer of [----]. It also charts their rapid destruction at the hands of the Far East Air Force and the major operations that caused it. The success of Allied air power was a major factor in halting Kim's drive south and then reversing it. Inadvertantly that success led to the covert entry of the Soviet Union and then the overt entry of China into the war. Sources: The best (and"
YouTube Link 2025-08-01T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 66.4K engagements

"Jet-Powered Turret Fighters: Practice Eats Theory For Breakfast In [----] German night fighters began using a tactic called Schrage Musik against the armada of RAF bombers that attacked each night. Taking advantage of the bombers weak ventral defences they angled their cannons upwards with devastating effects. The perceived success of Schrage Musik led to post-war aircraft designers specifying these systems on their early jet fighters and interceptors. This video examines such efforts on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Turret Fighter Aviation Cold War Forgotten aircraft Mig-17 Grumman panther"
YouTube Link 2025-07-25T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 71.5K engagements

"The Reaper Was A Carrier Full Of The Luftwaffe's Secret Weapons On July 19th [----] the escort carrier HMS Reaper departed Cherbourg on her way to New York. On her decks was a treasure trove of German aircraft technology on its way to the USA for examination and exploitation. This video catalogues the aircraft onboard the Reaper and the US assessment of the different types. REAPER luftwaffe secret technology operation lusty seahorse me-262 paperclip world war two ar-234 US Air Force special operations REAPER luftwaffe secret technology operation lusty seahorse me-262 paperclip world war two"
YouTube Link 2025-07-18T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 221.8K engagements

"Mitsubishi Type [--] Naval Fighter This video covers the Type [--] Naval Fighter or 1MF designed by Herbert Smith. Smith designed the Sopwith Pup Triplane and Camel and in [----] was one of the world's preeminent aircraft designers. The Type [--] was a short lived aircraft but one that spawned the outstanding designs which would challenge the US in the Pacific in [----]. Mitsubishi Type [--] Herbert Smith Japanese IJN Interwar Biplane Carrier Hosho Mitsubishi Type [--] Herbert Smith Japanese IJN Interwar Biplane Carrier Hosho"
YouTube Link 2025-07-15T09:01Z 98.4K followers, 16K engagements

"THE LAST BATTLE: F-51D Mustangs In Korea The F-51D Mustang was amongst the best fighters of the Second World War. It was supposed to be replaced by jets but five years after the war ended the USAF found itself thrust into a desperate battle against Communism. And so the aging Mustangs found themselves fighting their last battle. Major Sources: "F-51 Units Over Korea" by Warren Thompson is a comprehensive single volume on the type's service I used the Korean War Project (KORWALD) for loss statistics: https://www.koreanwar.org/dpaa/korwald-all.pdf f-51D Mustang USAF SAAF RAAF Korean War"
YouTube Link 2025-07-11T09:00Z 98.6K followers, 178.2K engagements

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