In today’s episode, we are about to talk The Evolution of American Fighter Jets
From WWII and the Cold War to the present-day, airpower has come to be an essential part of any
conflict, and a crucial core of a nation's military might. WWII showed the world just
how important combat aircraft could be, with fighter planes being sealed into legendary status
as some of the most important and inspiring machines ever made. But the end of WWII saw
a dramatic paradigm shift in air power - the jet engine. Ever since the first fighter jet,
they have come to symbolize aerial supremacy and the ultimate machines humans have created.
While Germany may have made the first fighter jet, the intense standoff between the USSR and
the USA during the Cold War led the way for the incredible evolution of fighter jet technology,
spawning machines that are legendary, and still serving to this day.
American fighter jets serve more than just America,
with allies across the world flying the incredible machines the American aerospace industry creates.
So keep watching, to see how American fighter jets have evolved from their inception,
all the way to today: At number 15 we have Bell P-59 Airacomet
Despite the greatest secrecy surrounding development, first-generation fighter
planes were born throughout WWII, with Germany developing the first in 1939. Bell Aircraft was
chosen to develop America's first fighter jet in 1941, and the P-59 Airacomet was the result.
However, during its first flights in 1942, it was discovered that it did not provide enough
advantages over high-performance propeller fighters of the period to be a viable force.
As a result, America's first fighter plane became a footnote in history.
#14. Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star With WWII at its late phase,
the P-59 canceled, and Germany's ME-262 jets poised to dominate the skies of Europe,
America needed a truly competitive fighter jet to stay on top of airpower.
Thanks to Lockheed, that competitive fighter was built in just 150 days and offered unmatched
performance for the time. Taking flight in 1944, the P-80 didn't see action during WWII
but proved itself well during the early days of the Korean War.
#13. Republic F-84 Thunderjet While the P-80 proved to be a lethal
fighter during the Korean War, the USAF needed an all-purpose jet fighter to fill in the gaps left
by WWII era propeller planes. Making its first flight in 1946, the F-84 Thunderjet stepped in
to fill that duty. Carrying a wide range of guns, bombs, rockets, and even nuclear bombs,
the F-84 was a prolific workhorse during the Korean War, but the new technologies were a
nightmare to maintain, and the old fighter style of straight wings severely limited its top speed.
#12. North American F-86 Sabre
While the F-84 proved to be capable of multiple roles, the F-86 Sabre proved to be a dominating
force of a fighter, offering then unheard of performance for an aircraft. Using swept swings
and a more refined engine, the Sabre was able to hit an unmatched top speed of 650 MPH. 6,000
Sabres were produced and served for decades living on as a true air legend, partially due to an
insane record of 10 enemy aircraft destroyed for every 1 Sabre lost during the Korean War.
#11. North American F-100 Super Sabre
As Cold War tensions grew, so did the pace of advancements in military technology.
Just 6 years after the F-86 Sabre took flight, a far more advanced, supersonic version took
to the skies - the F-100 Super Sabre. The F-100 was the first American jet to enter
service that could break the sound barrier in level flight and could hit almost 1,000 MPH.
While it proved to be an extremely capable aircraft, flaws with the design,
such as the pilot killing "Sabre Dance" dampened the legendary status of this revolutionary jet.
#10. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter The F-100 was the beginning of the
"Century Series" of fighter jets, but the F-104 is where things got really intense.
Referred to as "a missile with a man in it," the F-104 is a brutal aircraft that prioritized speed
and power over everything else. Capable of a still insane 1,400 MPH, the Starfighter introduced a new
doctrine of speed for interceptors. However, the price paid for performance was difficult handling,
causing the Starfighter to be one of the most crashed fighter jets of all time, still, they
served several nations all the way up to 2004. #9. Convair F-106 Delta Dart
With nuclear bombers becoming a growing concern during the Cold War,
Interceptors that could reach those incoming bombers became a priority in jet development.
While the F-104 Starfighter was a worthy interceptor, the Convair F-106 proved to
be the next step in their evolution. Setting an absolute speed record of 1,525 MPH when it
first flew in 1956, the F-106 went on to reliably serve as the "Ultimate Interceptor" until 1987.
#8. McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II While Interceptors received plenty of evolutionary
attention during the 1950s, the decade would also see the introduction of a true legend,
and a multi-role monster that broke a grand total of 16 world records including altitude,
time-to-altitude and speed records. The F-4 was one of the most capable aircraft
the world had ever seen and introduced a new generation of fighter jet to the world.
Astoundingly, the F-4 Phantom was so capable, even in modern times, that the last remaining
Phantoms were only retired from active Japanese Air Force service in March of 2020.
#7. General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark The F-4 Phantom marked a dramatic leap in aircraft
development. While blistering Mach 2 speed was previously limited to interceptors until the F-4,
the F-111 Aardvark took the Phantom's multi-role capabilities and speed
and kicked things up a notch. Using wings that could sweep out for low-speed stability, and
inwards for Mach 2 flight, the F-111 proved itself to be an extremely capable fighter. While retired
from the USAF in 1997, F-111s remained in service all the way to 2007 with the Australian Air Force.
#6. Grumman F-14 Tomcat
One of the most iconic fighter jets of all time, the F-14 Tomcat was a mighty fighter
that could do just about anything asked of it with advanced sensors and a wide range of weaponry,
marking a new generation of fighter jet. Using the swing-wing developments of the F-111,
the F-14 could adjust the angle of its wings for optimal performance at any speed,
all the way up to a blisteringly fast top speed of around 2.5 times the speed of sound.
Additionally, the F-14 could do it all from the deck of an aircraft carrier.
#5. McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
By the time the F-15 Eagle first took flight in 1972, air combat had dramatically shifted from the
days of plane vs plane dogfighting. With missiles and radar reaching a new peak of capabilities,
the F-15 was designed around "Beyond Visual Range" (BVR) fighting. By 1975,
the F-15 had shattered several world records, including a maximum altitude of 103,000 feet.
With Israeli Air Force F-15s scoring the first kills for the new jet, the Eagle proved itself
to be nearly invincible, never suffering a loss in air combat, and still serving proudly to this day.
#4. General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon While fighter jets like the F-14 and F-15
were incredibly impressive, they had a downside, size, and weight.
Developed from concerns that a true lightweight, nimble fighter was necessary, the F-16 was born
to fill the weight gap even if it meant lower weapons capability. Developed using every bit of
new technology available in the mid-'70s, the F-16 has been a truly successful aircraft, serving to
this day with no real replacement in sight. #3. Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet
The ethos of the F-14 Tomcat was to be a brutally fast, multi-role capable, carrier-based fighter.
The F/A-18 Hornet had served alongside the Tomcat in a similar role but didn't have the power to
replace them. Following the Tomcat's spirit, Boeing re-designed the Hornet into the Super
Hornet, with a whole suite of upgrades and more power. The Super Hornet took flight in 1995 and
accomplished its goal of replacing the aging F-14 as the US Navy's ultra-capable workhorse fighter.
#2. Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor With technology advancing at a blinding pace,
a need for an aircraft that would be stealth capable, use every advanced sensor possible,
and have unbeatable speed and maneuverability was felt. In 1997, that need was fulfilled when
the first F-22 took flight. Initially slated to replace the F-15 Eagle, the F-22 is one of the
most capable fighter jets in the world, however, cost and difficulty of production limited its use,
with the mighty Raptor seeing its first combat use in 2014, 17 years after it first flew.
And the last one is Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
The newest and perhaps greatest advancement to fighter jets, the F-35 is an incredible
aircraft with technological capabilities that are beyond anything seen before.
With the first test flight being conducted in 2006, the F-35 sets the benchmarks for future
fighter jets with vertical take-off and landing capability, ultra-advanced radar and sensors,
stealth capability, and precision weapons. As well, the F-35 can also operate on aircraft
carriers, making it one of the most versatile of the latest generation of fighter jets.
Thanks for watching and see you in another episode