Military Archives - Page 40 of 180

F-35 Set for ‘Green Flag West’ Exercise

Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35 Lightning II fighter jet will play a major role in a large U.S. military exercise this week for the first time, marking another milestone for the Pentagon’s largest weapons program, Air Force officials said Monday. The exercise, which is called “Green Flag West” and runs through June 12, tests the U.S. […]

Final Tyndall QF-4s Take Off

Story and photo by U.S. Air Force The 82nd Aerial Target Squadron, a subordinate unit of the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, flew its final McDonnell Douglas QF-4 Phantom mission May 27, marking the end of almost 20 years at Tyndall. Two QF-4 full-scale aerial targets took off around 10:15 a.m. and were successfully destroyed about […]

10 Cool Airplanes That Won’t Fly Again

There are a lot of good reasons that some airplanes will never — and in some cases should never — fly again. Sometimes the safety, economic or logistical obstacles are just too great. Sometimes the airplane is just too valuable an artifact of the glorious history of flight to risk it. Sometimes, it’s all of the above. Here’s a […]

Sikorsky S-97 Makes First Flight

Sikorsky flew its S-97 Raider rigid coaxial-rotor, high-speed helicopter for the first time May 22, completing a hover and low-speed flight at the company’s development flight center in West Palm Beach, Florida. The aircraft is the first of two prototypes of the Raider light tactical helicopter being built under a $200 million industry effort funded by […]

Kiwi Huey Fleet Conducting Farewell Tour

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Bell Helicopter UH-1 Huey has conducted a final tour of the country ahead of its planned retirement in July after 49 years in service. Serving with No. 3 Squadron, the once 14-strong fleet of Hueys has been reduced to six as it nears retirement on July 1, and several […]

Marine F-35Bs Gather on USS Wasp

Six U.S. F-35B fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin landed on the USS Wasp amphibious warship on Monday for two weeks of operational testing required before the U. S. Marine Corps can declare a first squadron of 10 F-35s ready for combat use in July, according to a U.S. defense official. The testing, taking place […]

Museum of Flight to Receive EA-6B

The last active duty flight of a U.S. Navy Grumman EA-6B Prowler will be to The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Wash., on May 27, where it will be officially decommissioned and taken into the museum’s permanent collection. Immediately after the plane’s 12:15 p.m. arrival, there will be a brief ceremony with museum officials and […]

Inside the Airlander 10

A century after work began on the first of Cardington’s giant hangars, or “sheds,” as part of efforts to help Britain counter German airship dominance during World War I, a new-generation lighter-than-air vehicle is being prepared for flight testing inside the cavernous structure. Occupying the entire eastern half of the 812-ft.-long No. 1 shed, U.K. airship […]

Marine Helo Found Crashed in Nepal

Nepalese rescuers on Friday found three bodies near the wreckage of a U.S. Marine helicopter that disappeared earlier this week while on a relief mission in the earthquake-hit Himalayan nation, and officials said it was unlikely there were any survivors from the crash. “The wreckage of the helicopter was found in pieces and there are […]

Training to Fly for the RAAF

Among the trainee fighter pilots of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) Introductory Fighter School is a Qantas captain who has taken leave without pay and a former Australian Army soldier. Another is from Melbourne and a fourth from country Western Australia. “It’s a dream they’ve been chasing for quite a while,” Squadron Leader Grant […]