1. My Favorite Airplanes

2. B-29 Superfortress The plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Japan
Type: 10-/11 seat long-range strategic bomber
Power plant: four 1641 kW(2200-hp) Wright R-3350 Cyclone 18 turbocharged radial piston engines
Maximum speed: 576 km/h (358 mph)
Range and service ceiling: 6598 km(4100 miles) 9170 m (30,085 ft)
Armament: two 12.7-mm (.50-cal.) machined guns in each of four remotely controlled turrets and three 12.7-mm guns and one 20-mm cannon in the tail; bombload 9072 kg (20,00 lb.)
It was massive, fast for its size, and the plane with the biggest bombload during its wartime

3. F-106 Delta Dart A fondly remembered plane that never fired a shot
Type: single-seat interceptor
Power plant: one Pratt & Whitney j75-p-17 turbojet rated at 76.5 kN(17,212 lb thrust) dry thrust and kN(24,523 lb thrust) with afterburning
Maximum speed: Mach 2.25(2.25 times the speed of sound) or 2400 km/h (1491 mph) at 12,190 m (40,000 ft)
Range and service ceiling: 1850 km(1150 miles) m (58,600 ft)
Armament: one M61A-1 20-mm cannon, four AIM-4E and/or AIM-4G Falcon air-to-air missiles, plus two AIR-2B Genie nuclear rockets
Quick but not as quick as others because it would burn up
They were not made for range but performance but still had bigger range than the Lightning14 and Su-15 Flagon
Lacks a massive climb rate because of large weapon load
Used to take out Russian bombers

4. A-10 Thunderbolt II Tank Buster
Type: single-seat anti-tank and FAC aircraft
Power plant: two 40.3-kN(9068-lb-thrust) General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines
Maximum speed and climb rate: 682 km/h (424 mph) at sea level; 1,828 m/min (5,997 fpm) at sea level
Combat radius and service ceiling: 885 km (550 miles) 10,575 m (34,695 ft)
Armament: one General Electric FAU-8/A 30-mm cannon, plus up to 7258 kg ( lb) of weapons; forward air control load consists of up to 12 LAU-68 seven-tube rocket pods, two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and an ECM pod
A massive weapon load compared to similar craft
It is considered way to slow though
Requires a long runway to get airborne because of high carrying load
Can launch a missile at a tank and turn away because of great technology

5. F-14A Tomcat One of the world’s “top guns”
Type: two-seat long-range shipboard fleet defense interceptor, tactical reconnaissance aircraft, and fighter-bomber
Power plant: two kN (20,918-lb-thrust) Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofans with afterburning
Maximum speed: 2,485 km/h (1544 mph)
Combat radius and service ceiling: 525 km (326 miles) on internal fuel; 1,210 km (752 miles) with two 409-litre (90 gallon) tanks; 15,515 m (50,900 ft)
Armament; one 20-mm Vulcan cannon, six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles or six AIM-7 Sparrow plus four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles
Has a wingspan of 64 ft 1 in that can swing down into 38 ft 3 in
Has a longer reach than its counterparts
Can engage six enemies at the same time with Phoenix missiles
Maximum missile range in any of its missiles is 93 miles

6. SR-71A Blackbird
A mach 3 plane that requires the same tests as astronauts
Type: strategic reconnaissance aircraft
Power plant: two kN(32,528-lb-thrust) Pratt and Whitney J58-1 afterburning turbo-ramjets
Maximum speed: in excess of 3,700 km/h (2,300 mph) in level flight at 24,000m (78,740 ft) or in excess of 2,125 km/h (1,320 mph) at 9,145 m (30,000 ft)
Range and endurance: 4,000 km (2,485 miles) unrefueled at 24,000m (78,740 ft) and 3,190 km/h (1,982 mph) 1 hour 30 min at 3,220 km/h (2,000 mph) at 24,000m (78,740 ft) without refueling
Service ceiling: 25,900 m (84,974 ft)
Accommodation: pilot and reconnaissance systems officer
Service ceiling greatly outranks that of similar planes
Extreme secrecy may have led to smaller than real numbers

7. F-117 Nighthawk Laser bomb equipped stealth bomber
Type: single-seat strike fighter
Power plant: two kN(10,809-lb-thrust) non-afterburning General Electric F404-GE F1d2 turbofans
Maximum speed: Mach 1 (estimated) or 1,100 km/h (684 mph)
Combat radius: 1,200 km (746 miles) unrefueled, with a 2,250-kg (4,960-lb) weapon load
Armament: range of tactical fighter ordnance up to 2,268 kg (5,000 lb) carried internally; principal weapons were GBU-10/GBU-12 Paveway II or GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bombs
Slower than similar bombers because of shape meant for stealth
Small weapon load compared to others but probably one of the most accurate
Did not take off with a full fuel tank but filled up once in the air

8. F-16C Fighting Falcon The most widely used plane in the West
Type: single-seat multi-role fighter
Power plant: one kN(27,263-lb-thrust) General Electric F110-GE-100 or Pratt & Whitney f100-P-220 afterburning turbofan
Maximum speed and climb rate: 2,124 km/h (1,320 mph) clean at 12,190 m (40,000 ft) 15,240 m/min (50,000 fpm)
Combat radius: 547 km (340 miles) on a hi-lo-hi mission with six 454-kg (1,000-lb) bombs
Armament: one internal six-barrel 20-mm cannon and up to 9,276 kg (20,450 lb) of ordnance
Slightly slower than similar craft but with added fuel and armament
Small climb rate compared to competitors but has just as much maneuverability
Giant weapons load compared to other craft
There are four different variants

9. F-22 Raptor The world’s most expensive fighter
Type: advanced-technology fighter
Power plant: two kN (35,030-lb-thrust) Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofans with afterburners
Maximum speed; over 2,000 km/h (1,243 mph)
Range: more than 5,700 km (3,542 miles) with maximum fuel
Service ceiling; over 15,000 m (49,200 ft)
Armament: one Martin Marietta M61A1 Vulcan 20-mm cannon with 500 rounds, four AIM-120A AMRAAM missiles in belly weapons bay; four AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles in side bays
Not as fast as other fighters but has a faster and better economic cruise speed
Massive range compared to other craft
More advanced in some weapons areas but lacking in others
Can lock on, fire missile, turn around, and not worry about return fire due to stealth engine setup and extreme range and radar

10. F-15C Eagle
A nearly impossible to beat giant dogfighter (Gulf War: 32 kills with no losses)
Type: single-seat air-superiority fighter
Power plant: two kN (23,760-lb-thrust) Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 afterburning turbofans
Maximum speed; Mach 2.5 or 2,655 km/h (1,650 mph)
Range; more than 5,750 km (3,656 miles) with external conformal fuel tanks
Service ceiling; 18,300 m (60,000 ft)
Armament: one 20-mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon; up to four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles; up to four AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles; provision for up to 4,852 kg (10,700 lb) of bombs and missiles
Blazing fast to everything including its one rival
Massive climb rate but is second to the Flanker, which came out ten years later than the Eagle
Its weapons do not have the same range of some due to design for medium to short engagements

11. F/A-18 Hornet
The cockpit is said to be a cross of Star Wars and a video game
Type: carrier-based naval strike fighter
Power plant: two 71.2-kN (16,020-lb-thrust) afterburning General Electric F404-GE-400 turbofans
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8 or 1,915 km/h (1,190 mph) at 12,190 m (40,000 ft)
Combat radius: 1,060 km (659 miles)
Climb rate and service ceiling: 305 m/sec (1,000 fps) 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Armament: one Martin Marietta M61A1 Vulcan 20-mm cannon; two AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles; 7,000 kg of ordnance
It is stuck at mach 1.8 because of simple intake design
Small range but with aerial refueling it can get back kicking butt in no time
Surprisingly high weapons load because or extreme maneuverability
Work together with HARM missiles; one Hornet lobs a missile at tanks and before enemy radar can detect the missile another Hornet launches a missile to distract the enemy

12. Av-8b Harrier II Vertical take-off and landing
Type: single-seat attack aircraft
Power plant: one kN (23,820-lb-thrust) Rolls-Royce F402-RR-408 (Pegasus 11-61) turbofan
Maximum speed: 1,065 km/h (662 mph) at sea level
Combat radius: 1,100 km (684 miles) hi-lo-hi
Service ceiling: 15, 240 m (50,000 ft)
Armament: one 25-mm GAU-12/A Equalizer five-barrel cannon with 300 rounds; two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles: provision for up to kg (13,228 lb) of bombs, rockets, or missiles
Even though it cannot reach super sonic speeds, the Harrier II is still adequate in battle especially with its excellent subsonic acceleration
Great range compared to similar craft
Large weapons load but nothing to the Hornet

13. F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Is the Navy’s hope for the future
Type: tactical fighter and strike aircraft
Power plant: two afterburning kN (21,901-lb-thrust) General Electric F414-Ge-400 turbofan engines
Maximum speed: 1,910 km/h (1,187 mph) at 6,096 m (20,000 ft)
Range and combat radius: 2,036 km (1,265 miles) 912 km (567 miles)
Ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Armament: one 20-mm M61A1 cannon and typically 8,165 kg (18,000 lb) of other weapons including AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AGM-88 HARM, AGM-154 JSOW, BlU-109 JDAM, AGM-65E Maverick, AGM-84H SLAM-ER, and AGM-84D Harpoon or various free-fall bombs
Great weapons load and variety of weapons
Slower than other similar aircraft but great maneuverability makes up for it

14. F/RF-5E Tiger II/F-20 Tigershark
The U. S. government wanted a relatively cheap plane and got it with the F-20
Type: light tactical fighter
Power plant: two 22.2-kN (4,000-lb-thrust) General Electric J85-GE-21B afterburning turbojets
Maximum speed: 1,700 km/h (1,054 mph) at 10,975 m (36,000 ft)
Ferry range: 3,720 km (2,300 miles) with empty tanks dropped; 3,175 km (1,970 with tanks retained
Service ceiling: 15,590 m (51,000 ft)
Armament: two M39A2 20-mm cannon in the nose, two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on wing-tip launchers plus up to 3,715 kg (6.985 lb) of ordnance on fuselage and wing pylons
Has excellent speed that is bested by few
Unlike the MiG-21, the F-5E/F-20 cannot reach Mach 2 but can carry more weapons
Just like the speed factor, its climb rate is bested by few

15. B-2 spirit No fuselage creating huge range
Type: two-seat long-range strategic bomber
Power plant: four kN (19,017-lb-thrust) General Electric F118-GE-100 turbofan engines
Maximum speed: approx. 960 km/h (597 mph) above 12,200 m (40,000 ft)
Range: 12,225 km (7,596 miles)
Service ceiling: over 16,920 m (53,440 ft)
Armament: normal strategic load of eight B61 or B83 nuclear bombs, or 16 stand-off nuclear missiles on rotary launcher in bomb-bay; conventional load of kg (500-lb) bombs or up to 22,600 kg (50,000 lb) of other conventional weapons
Has massive range that trumps nearly all planes without refueling
Best load proportionate to its size and range
Does not have the massive speed of competing bombers because of stealth
Is called the most impressive of America’s warplanes

16. AH-1 HueyCobra (Single)
Favorite helicopters
AH-64 Apache
AH-1 HueyCobra (Twin)
AH-1 HueyCobra (Single)

17. F-15C Eagle (my first model) F/A-18E/F Super Hornet B-2 Spirit
Top 3 FAvorite
F-15C Eagle (my first model)
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
B-2 Spirit