#history

The VL Pyörremyrsky (“VL Hurricane”), also known as VMT Pyörremyrsky, is a Finnish Second World War-era fighter aircraft designed and built by Valtion Lentokonetehdas (“the State Aircraft Factory”). It was an attempt to produce a capable fighter locally for use in the late war period. It was to incorporate newly developed technologies and use locally available resources in its construction. However, the end of the war brought this ambitious project to a close, with only one prototype constructed.

The F2H-2 Banshee, is an early American jet fighter produced from 1947 to 1953 to be used by the US Navy. This aircraft was surprisingly good in real life and in game, and this article will cover how to use it in battle and a history on its real life usage, variants, and development.

Mörkö-Morane (“Bogeyman-Morane” or “Ghost-Morane”), also known by its official designation MSv, was a Finnish modification of the French Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 and M.S.410 fighter aircraft serving in the Finnish Air Force during the Second World War. It was an attempt to improve the obsolete Morane fleet for use during the late war period and to help retain the capabilities of the Finnish Air Force. Designed and converted by Valtion Lentokonetehdas (“The State Aircraft Factory”), Mörkö-Morane was considered to be the second most capable fighter aircraft operated by the FAF during the Second World War, though it arrived too late to have any significant impact.

During the Second World War, the Finnish Air Force was very diverse when it came to equipment. This was the result of multiple procurement programs, donations from other nations, and the continuous process of pushing captured or even downed enemy aircraft back into service on the home front. In this article, we’ll go through all the aircraft classified as fighters that served in the Finnish Air Force during this period, how they ended up in Finnish service, and what their service was like.

Lockheed is known for making unusual aircraft. The company's legendary creations include the F-104, the U-2, and the SR-71. Another well known plane is the F-117, the first stealth aircraft with its distinctive shape. But why and how was it designed this way? Read more in our infographic.

Despite how common this element is, its purpose remains little known. This component is called the Leitkreuz, which translates from German as guide cross. It carries no symbolic weight and is purely a technical device, despite its resemblance to the Balkenkreuz. So, what does it actually do? Read on in the article.

From the first operational jet fighter, to bombers intended to be able to fly to America in one trip, Germany’s Luftwaffe pushed the boundaries of military aviation to its fullest extent during the Second World War. However, from the war’s beginning, the Luftwaffe's leader, Hermann Göring, had avidly believed in the power of a certain aircraft type for ridding the skies of enemy fighter opposition: the 'Zerstörer' ('Destroyer'). But what actually was this design, and how successful was it in combat?

In the early Cold War era, the Belgian Air Force (Force Aérienne Belge, FAB) faced the challenge of modernizing its fighter fleet to meet escalating NATO air defence demands. During the 1950s, Belgium operated subsonic fighters such as the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak and the Hunter F.6, which were increasingly seen as inadequate against emerging high-speed threats. In response, NATO initiated a coordinated effort to equip several of its European members with a supersonic multi-role platform capable of both interception and tactical strike duties. Belgium opted to join this programme by selecting the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, a derivative of the original Lockheed F-104 designed with enhancements tailored for European operations.

This article examines the history of the MAA-1 Piranha, the first Brazilian domestic air-to-air missile, tracing its conception, development, testings, and the various setbacks and historical contexts that shaped the program. The Piranha was a bold project for its time, that sought to elevate Brazil into the small group of countries that were capable of producing domestic air-to-air missiles, a group which, at the time, consisted of France, the USA, the USSR, Israel, South Africa, the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan, and Japan.

Tanks have been in service for over 100 years, starting in the trenches of WW1 and still fighting today. While the first designs were slow, massive, and under-armed, they were still revolutionary, introducing an entirely new way to fight wars. Many tank designs from many nations aimed to create the fastest, the toughest, and the strongest tanks. However, one of the most famous of them all is the United States' M1 Abrams. First fielded in the 1980s, it has since fought across the world from Europe to Iraq and it has gone through over 40 years of combat and upgrades. Today, we will explore the history of the Abrams and its impact on American tank design.