- First flight: 1986 However, during its first flights in 1942, it was found to not offer enough advantages over the high-performance propeller fighters of the time to be a viable force. The N model was a converted B model similar to the F-4S. Carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The B model was developed as interceptor aircraft. The J model was an improved F-4B. It's a floatplane whose takeoff was initiated via carrier catapult, and the Kingfisher's was first lifted off in 1938 before over 1,500 were produced. Business jet overflies Long Island MacArthur Airport at 34,000 feet (10,363 kilometers). - First flight: 1977 January 1: Rolls takes over the Rover plants, although the official date is several months later. - Manufacturer: Cessna Aircraft Company. - First flight: 1935 April: The He 280 flies under its own power for first time, powered by two, Work on the Jendrassik Cs-1 ends. The AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter represents the best and latest iteration of the 1960s Vietnam-era AH-1 Cobra. - Manufacturer: The Boeing Company. your CMS. Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the world's first airplane operated by a motor, and, in 1903, the brothers successfully took flight in their aircraft. It is no surprise that just before World War I, their 1909 Model A flyer became the world's first military airplane. F-15 Eagle. The second refueling plane on this list, Lockheed Martin's KC-130 Hercules, can simultaneously fuel two aircraft and offload up to 57,500 pounds. The B variety of Lockheed's F-35 stealth fighters employs short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) technology. One post-war study put the loss ratio at almost 2:1. Sign up for notifications from Insider! The $100 million fighter jet was intended to be the backbone and next evolutionary phase of the military's air combat fleeta replacement for the long-used F-16s and F/A-18 A-Ds. Tactical fighter, ground-attack version for the USAF. North American Aviation's single-engine training aircraft became popular during WWII among not only U.S. Air and Naval forces, but also among those of the U.K. Over 15,000 of these planes were manufactured, and several iterations followed in the ensuing decades. The aircraft is now expected to enter production and presumably provide operational capability by the end of the 2020s. Beechcraft, since acquired by Raytheon, introduced the C-12F Huron in 1974 as a short-range cargo/personnel aircraft that serviced the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Its service ceiling was 56,100 feet. In this timeline we will look into the operational history of US fighter jets since World War 2. Single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. All-weather interceptor, transonic jet fighter aircraft. Known as the R-4 in America and the Hoverfly in the U.K., the single-occupant invention of Russian-American Igor Sikorsky flew up to 75 mph, as high as 8,000 feet, and as far as 130 miles. In this timeline we will look into the operational history of US fighter jets since World War 2. The S model was an improved F-4J. Tyler Gonzalez: U.S Aviation History 1865-2001, Historical Review of Aerial Transportation, TIME LINE INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION, The Complete and Conclusive History of Aviation in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Flying Fearless: Aviation History Surrounding the 1910 Airshows. The US relies on F-22s and F-35s to check rivals around the world, and they've been deployed to important US bases in Japan, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. Stacker distribution partners receive a license to all Stacker stories, - First flight: 1979 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 nuclear bombers becoming a growingconcern during the Cold War, Interceptors that could reach those incoming bombers became a priority in jet development. It suffered from insufficient power for its massive six-engine, tri-wing, 65-foot-long body that could fit up to nine people. So read on, to see how American fighter jets have evolved from their inception, all the way to today: 15 Flawed And Unproven Origins - Bell P-59 Airacomet - 1942 Via The Few Good Men This is a target drone that is rigged with explosives. 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. It was developed from the FH Phantom. June 25, 1950. - First flight: 1918 - Manufacturer: Lockheed Corporation. Since it was mainly wood it was very light and could break very easily. Lockheed's plan for the Raider is to have it meet the requirements of the Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) and ultimately serve in Special Ops as well as the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. The F-16, designed as a lightweight fighter, has a 20 mm rotary cannon and can carry eight missiles and up to 8,000 pounds of bombs. - First flight: 1998 Orginally known as F4H-1F (A model) and F4H-1 (B-model). With the first test flight being conducted in 2006, the F-35sets the benchmarks for future fighter jets with vertical take-off and landing capability, ultra-advanced radar and sensors, stealth capability, and precision weapons. The Air Force's new T-7 Red Hawk training jet flew for the first time Wednesday in St. Louis, Missouri, the company said in a release. US fighter jets have now shot down four flying objects in fewer than 10 days. The C version also had an inflight refuelling capability. Its excellent maneuverability, combined with the fact that most US pilots were hardened World War II veterans, enabled the Sabre to wreak havoc on North Korean, Chinese, and Soviet pilots. The Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) for the F-35 Lightning II is an affordable, high-performance, lightweight, multi-function system that provides precision air-to-air and air-to-surface targeting capability. The tandem-seat version takes a lot of inspiration from the F/A-18C and D Hornet. Browse. The Sabre wasn't the Air Force's first jet fighter, but none of its predecessors could handle the Soviet-made MiG-15 when the Korean War started in 1950. It is capable of deploying defensive countermeasures and is integrated with the Advanced Battle Management Systema system using secure cloud environments to share data across various weapons systems and leverage artificial intelligence for faster decision-making. The P-38 truly distinguished itself in the Pacific, however, claiming more Japanese aircraft than any other fighter. Despite lawmakers' displeasure with it, US military commanders say the jet is indispensable. - First flight: pre-WWI In October, a Russian military jet crashed into the courtyard of an apartment building in a town in . - Manufacturer: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. 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. It was technically not a fighter jet until the USAAF gave the pilots bombs to throw out of the window. - Manufacturer: Vought. This type of plane is used throughout the United Nations. F-101 Voodoo. - Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation (later Grumman Aerospace Corporation). The design never matures and work is later stopped in the late 1940s. But the P-51 Mustang is perhaps the best-known American fighter of World War II. Lockheed Martin claims its Sikorsky S-97 Raider prototype "will redefine helicopter flight during the 21st century." F-16 pilot calls the fighter jets sought by Ukraine 'easy to fly' . From Civil War ballooning to 21st-century drones, these aircraft are presented in the context of the battles, military branches, and geography in which they wereor currently are utilized. Serving the Air Force primarily in the years leading up to World War II, the autogyros differed from helicopters in how they generated rotor power. - First flight: 1942 The aircrafttouted by Boeing as the "world's most advanced multirole aerial refueler"is replacing an older model called the KC-135. 1930: Schmidt patents a pulsejet engine in Germany. Boeing's KC-46 Pegasus is a combat-ready air refueling plane utilized by the U.S. Air Force. The military purchased their Model A Military Flyer for $30,000. Developed during WWI as an unmanned aerial torpedo, its cruising speed was just 50 mph and maxed out at around 75 miles. The aircraft would later be christened Thunderstreak. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 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. While the P-80 proved to be a deadly fighter during the Korean War, the USAF needed an all-purpose jet fighterto fill in the gaps left by WWII era propeller planes. The He 178, the first jet-powered aircraft, flew on Aug. 27, 1939, nearly two years before its British equivalent, the Gloster E.28/39, on May 15, 1941. Designated F-14A+ before being re-designated as F-14B. Carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. This plane held 2 people. It was half plane and half pontoon. - Manufacturer: Bell Aircraft. - Manufacturer: General Atomics. The Boeing EA-18G holds two people and it has no guns. 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. Boeing's large cargo/transport helicopter can carry between three and six dozen troops with a 24,000-pound capacity. The panther was extensively used during the Korean War. Neither have faced enemy fighters head-to-head, but they have had promising results in numerous simulations. Mission The F-35A is the U.S. Air Force's latest fifth-generation fighter. The Wright brothers won a competition to sell the first military airplane in the worlda two-seat observation aircraftto the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Military Factory calls the F-35B the "most distinct of the trio" and notes it was the first supersonic-capable vertical-takeoff-and-landing design in the history of aviation. For full operation 2 people are required. Unlike guns, lasers. Supersonic jet fighter aircraft. Able to act as fighter and attack aircraft. F-8 Crusader. It will replace the U.S. Air Force's aging fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt II's, which have been the primary fighter aircraft for more than 20 years, and bring with it an enhanced capability to survive in the advanced threat environment in which it was designed to operate. 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. Originally envisioned as tactical nuclear fighter jets, the F-100s apparently never carried real nuclear weapons, although they did sometimes maintain alert status on the ground in Europe and the . - Manufacturer: Honeywell. Unlike its predecessors, the Phantom was designed as a fighter-bomber, allowing the Navy to field one model for multiple missions. Lockheed martin F-22 Raptro is one of the world's oldest most powerful combat planes. According to a North American Aerospace Defense Command statement, six F-16 fighter jets were deployed and scrambled to intercept the Cessna, causing a loud sonic boom over the region. the fighter aircraft, which was developed by Lockedheed Martin and boeing for the US Air Force and inducted in 2005, You might like: Amelia Earhart. The issue of a new generation of fighter jets is on the agenda. 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. Ground-attack capability was added for the B-model. Vikings at Waterloo, David S Brooks. October: A Power Jets W.2B is sent to General Electric to start production in the US. Disclaimer. It usually carried eight air-to-air missiles and eight 750-pound bombs. - Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Last summer, explosions at an air base in Crimea destroyed at least eight Russian fighter jets. The first and its successor had already retired to a pair of museums by the end of the decade. - First flight: 1941 The F model had a swept wing, instead of a normal wing on the F-84 Thunderjet. 1 Prior to 1919 2 Army Air Service, 1919-1924 2.1 Type O: Foreign-Built Pursuit Aircraft 2.2 Type I: Pursuit, water-cooled 2.3 Type II: Pursuit, night 2.4 Type III: Pursuit, air-cooled 2.5 Type IV: Pursuit, ground attack, 1922 2.6 Type V: Two-seat pursuit 2.7 Type VI: Ground attack, 1920-1922 2.8 Type VII: Infantry liaison The Phantom II was equipped with afterburners that made its top speed 1,485 mph, though it usually cruised at 590 mph. During 1941, Bell Aircraft were chosen to develop America's first fighter jet, what they made was the P-59 Airacomet. 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. - First flight: 1942 restrictions, which you can review below. A few decades after the first observation aircraft of WWI, the OS2U Kingfisher emerged as the key player during WWII. December: Northrop's T-37 turboprop is tested. e. First American naval jet. The Mustang could reach 425 mph and 40,000 feet, and was the US's primary fighter in Europe, though it also served as a fighter-bomber. This amazing jet holds one person this jet is a very good combat jet and also a good joint strike fighter. The first fighter equipped with guided missile ability. - First flight: 2003 By the late 1930s there were six teams chasing development, three in Germany, two in the UK and one in Hungary. - First flight: 1920 it was later developed into the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak. First operational American jet. This plane seated only one person. The F-15 has one of the best reputations among fighter jets. - Manufacturer: Northrop Corporation (now Northrop Grumman Corporation). 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. The long-range, jet-powered B-52 Stratofortress can engage in combat up to a radius of 4,000 miles (without refueling) and carry 70,000 pounds of weaponry. F2H Banshee. . 1937: At Junkers, Wagner and Mller decide to re-design their work as a pure jet. Heinkel is ordered to continue on the more advanced. - First flight: 1967 Apr 19, 1958 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter revolutionizes rocket powered aircraft They were similar in most respects to their piston-engined contemporaries, having straight, unswept wings and being of wood and/or light alloy construction. While retired from the USAF in 1997, F-111s remained in service all the way to 2007 with the Australian Air Force. The C/D model has improved cockpit avionics and radar which added all-weather beyond-visual-range capability. 2 Future records only include new-built aircraft close to delivery and expected second-hand deliveries. - First flight: 1934 The AH-1W Super Cobra, the first attack helicopter in the world, has been a central figure for the Marine Corps since 1986. This plane has two models and the first model holds only one and the second model hold two people. That less than a decade separated the Wright brothers' creation from the first plane capable of landing on a moving carrier speaks to the rapid evolution that has permeated the rest of U.S. military aircraft history. Related Article - F-16 Vs. - First flight: 1997 - Manufacturer: Piper Aircraft. AAI Corporation has manufactured over 500. The P-51 Mustang went through several engine transformations to achieve optimal flying altitude and efficiency to rival German air forces. Throughout 1943, the Jumo 004 and BMW 003 continue to destroy themselves at an alarming rate due to turbine failures. The turbojet-powered Ryan X-13 Vertijet became a successful prototype for the technology, but with no real military or financial impetus. Extremely unique is its combination of vertical takeoff and landingsimilar to that of a helicopterand horizontal turboprop airplane flight at high speeds and altitudes. - Manufacturer: Lockheed Corporation (now Lockheed Martin Aeronautics). - Manufacturer: The Boeing Company. Single-engine multirole all-weather fighter aircraft. Since the bloody aerial "furballs" of WWI, airpower has come to be an essential part of any conflict, and a crucial core of a nation's military might. The F4D, later redesigned F-6 was only in service for 8 years. The Air Force adopted the F-4C variant in 1963. Another North American Aviation commodity (see: T-6 Texan earlier), this long-range bomber escort and fighter plane seated one and saw enormous action in several WWII theaters and later the Korean War. Which means it does not come up on enemy radar. Swept-wing transonic jet fighter aircraft. On Aug. 6, 1945, Paul Tibbets flew a crew of 12 and the bomb named Little Boy from the Northern Mariana Islands to the airspace over Hiroshima, which took a few hours, before their B-29 Superfortress released the nuclear weapon which took 43 seconds to reach the ground. - Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. F-14 Tomcat. - First flight: 2008 Also known as the Glenn Martin Bomber, the Martin MB-1 was a two-engine bomber, of which just nine were ever created. The aircraft remains in service today. Improvements included new GE F110-GE-400 engines and upgraded aviation package. First made for the Navy in 1940, its production didn't cease until 1953, and it was flown by the U.S. Marines, the Royal Navy, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. - Manufacturer: Stabilimento Costruzioni Aeronautiche. F-84 Thunderjet. In this timeline we will look into the operational history of us fighter jets since world war 2. ", - First flight: 2007 Honeywell designed this unmanned micro air vehicle as a support drone for the U.S. Army's platoons, though it also plays a vital role in the Navy's Explosive Ordinance Division. The F-35C Lightning II is one of three variants of a versatile stealth combat fighter; this one has foldable wingtips for maximum compact storage aboard aircraft carriers. World War I was the first combat experience for American pilots, who were then part of the Aeronautical Division of the US Signal Corps. The first, the F-22 Raptor, was adopted in 2005. 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. Metrovick jet turbines sold to Armstrong Siddeley. Following the Tomcat's spirit, Boeing re-designed the Hornet into the Super Hornet, with a whole suite of upgrades and more power. - First flight: 1942 Another advanced unmanned aircraft, the BAe QF-4 drew inspiration from Vietnam-era F-4 fighters and became a reusable target drone. - First flight: 1918 According to Military Factory, the B-52 served "throughout the heightened periods of the Cold War as a nuclear deterrent a dedicated bomber and reconnaissance platform in the Vietnam War," and recently in Afghanistan (2001) and Iran (2003). One of Boeing's B-29 Superfortress bombers, the Enola Gay, is etched in world history for dropping an atomic bombthe first aircraft to do soand one of the very few aircraft known by a nickname. In the 1950s, the Air Force wanted to test the viability of vertical takeoff and landing and horizontal flight. The F-4 Phantom also carried nuclear weapons. If your organization is interested in becoming a Stacker First in action in 1997, the QF-4 is capable of Mach 2 speed and a 1,300-mile range. Nov 11, 2020, 4:15 PM PST F-15C Eagles fly over Okinawa during a solar eclipse. January 27, 2023 Dirck Halstead // Getty Images Publish this story A history of US military aircraft from WWI to today Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the world's first airplane operated by a motor, and, in 1903, the brothers successfully took flight in their aircraft. Army [ edit] Marine Corps [ edit] See also: United States Marine Corps Aircraft "In service" sources: [11] [12] Navy [ edit] For aircraft no longer in service, see the list of military aircraft of the United States . Supersonic light fighter aircraft. Eddie Rickenbacker and 2nd Lt. Frank Luke, scored most of their kills with SPAD XIIIs. The raised cockpit allows the pilot excellent sight and is protected by titanium carbon. Single-seat carrier-based jet fighter aircraft. From the Sopwoff Camel to the Apache Helicopter, the F-16 to the Harrier Jump Jet, we'll be exploring the legendary world of military aviation.It's like Netf. - Manufacturer: AAI Corporation. Through an involved chain of events in which Schelp's intervention was pivotal, Wagner's efforts led to the Junkers Jumo 004 engine. Its speed, power, and tapered design made it a staple on aircraft carriers. With the lessons of Vietnam, the Air Force was determined to keep the advantage in fighter technology. The L-1000 becomes the J37, GE's Type I the J31, and Westinghouse's WE-19 the J30. January 2022 Operational timeline overview of post-war US jets. Developed in the 1960s, the Harrier was intended to achieve flight in the shortest time possible, and provided reconnaissance and attacking capabilitiesincluding for the U.S. Marine Corps. The final variant fitted with General Electric F110-GE-400 engines and new avionics, radar and glass cockpit. World Wide Military. - Manufacturer: Republic Aviation Corporation. 1897: Harold Medway Martin Patent No. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The "production-quality" BMW 003 is first tested. Also used by Allied air forces like those of the U.K. and France, the P-47 contributed mightily to both aerial combat and ground attack (aka airstrikes) in the Pacific and European theaters. With no experience or fighter aircraft of its own, the US had to purchase British- and French-made fighters. Yevgeny Prigozhin, who leads the mercenary group, stood his troops down in a shock twist. Racks under the wings could carry 10 rockets or up to 1,000 pounds of bombs. This was a very fast plane for its time by reaching speeds of 200+ mph. - Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. 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. It can carry out attacks at altitudes of 50,000 feet and house up to 40,000 pounds of nuclear or conventional armament. The $100 million fighter jet was intended to be the backbone and next evolutionary phase of the military's air combat fleeta replacement for the long-used F-16s and F/A-18 A-Ds. Delta-wing supersonic interceptor aircraft. Instead of wood, like the earlier planes, this one is made out of aluminum. All-weather interceptor aircraft. By the time of World War II, US pilots, then part of the US Army Air Corps, were much better prepared. From Civil War ballooning to 21st-century drones, these aircraft are presented in the context of the battles, military branches, and geography in which they wereor currently are utilized. Originally developed for the U.S. Army Air Corps in the 1930s, these four-engined aircraftthe third-most produced bomberwere employed in the 1940s by the England-based U.S. Eighth Air Force and Italy-based Fifteenth, popping up as well in Pacific raids against Japanese targets. The midway point of this list of aircraftmany of which have been praised for their flight rangeis the perfect opportunity to highlight a vital logistical-support/refueling plane. The US's newest fifth-generation fighter, the F-35, is again under fire from Congress. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Sold to the U.S. Army Signal Corps for $30,000, it sported a wooden frame, a pedestrian 30- to 40-horsepower engine, and skids instead of wheels. - Manufacturer: Boeing. Single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. F3D Skyknight. The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps utilize this reconnaissance vehicle for surveillance, damage assessment, and target acquisition. , production delays, and rising costs. The resulting blast decimated the city; three days later, a similar attack was carried out over Nagasaki, and the two events killed over 100,000. [emailprotected]. Compared to its predecessor, the Pegasus can carry 30% more passengers, twice as many patients requiring aeromedical evacuation, and three times as many pallets containing equipment and supplies. F-16 Fighting Falcon. In doing so, youre agreeing to the below guidelines. Dating back in time we show general information about the type and special characteristic, for instance if the aircraft is capable of carrier operations, operational status and links to related articles or search for related photos. Two F-35C Lightning II fighter jets, attached to the "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, fly in formation for a photo exercise in Lemoore, Calif., Nov. 16, 2018. 6088 combustion chamber powering a turbine. - Manufacturer: Glenn L. Martin Company. Known as a "hunter/killer" aircraft, the MQ-9 is able to be broken down for transport by a Lockheed C-130 or comparable transport craft, allowing it to be deployed anywhere in the world. The TALWS program will allow fighter jets to shoot down incoming missiles. Timeline of usaf fighter jets. - Manufacturer: Kellett Autogiro Company. Lots of features from the F3H were later used in the F-4 design. Part of a joint experiment between the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the U.S. Army Air Forces, and the U.S. Air Force, the X-1 was eventually piloted by Chuck Yeager on Oct. 14, 1947, when it achieved supersonic speed in the California desert. 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 realreplacement in sight. . However, officials at the time declined to disclose information about the plane or its . The. WASHINGTON The U.S. Air Force's long-planned test of an airborne laser weapon aboard a fighter jet has been delayed until 2023 due to technical challenges and complications spurred by the . Developed from concerns thata true lightweight, nimble fighter was necessary, the F-16 was born to fill the weight gap even if it meant lower weapons capability. Efforts in the United Kingdom, at one point years behind due to official indifference, have now caught up due to the availability of high temperature alloys which allowed for considerably more reliable high-heat sections of their designs. Retired, 522 build (J model) and 302 converted (S), 228 F-4Bs converted (N model), Retired, 153 (A-model), 26 (B), 27 (C) and 21 (D), Retired, 71 build (B-model), 610 (D), 143 (F). - Manufacturer: AeroVironment, AeroVironment developed this small (3 feet x 4.5 feet) unmanned aerial vehicle for American military forces, but nearly a dozen other international armies utilize the RQ-11 Raven. The P-51 was the main US fighter until the F-86 Sabre arrived in 1949, but it continued to serve in the Korean War. - First flight: 1962 The F-15 was adopted in 1976 and the F-16 in 1978. Sabres shot down hundreds of MiGs. The final airship to be filled with hydrogen, the 410-foot-long T-34 struck high-voltage lines during a test flight in Virginia and caught fire, killing 34. North Korea attacks South Korea to begin Korean War. - First flight: 2000 - Manufacturer: Wittemann-Lewis Aircraft Company. Web a timeline of fighter jets and bomber planes (military . 1.30pm: The US Coast Guard's Northeast tweeted that a C-130 Hercules reconnaissance . June: The Messerschmitt Me 262 enters squadron service in Germany. - Manufacturer: Hughes Helicopters (19751984); McDonnell Douglas (19841997); Boeing Defense, Space & Security (1997present). Swept-wing carrier-based fighter aircraft. Please refer to the current fleet list to see each aircraft's individual age. Single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft. 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.