Aircraft
|
Primary
builder |
Number
built |
First
flight |
In service
|
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
|
United States
|
5,195
|
1958
|
1960–Present
|
Tupolev Tu-28 'Fiddler'
|
Soviet Union
|
198
|
1961
|
1964-1990
|
Sukhoi
Su-15 'Flagon'
|
Soviet Union
|
1,290
|
1962
|
1965-1996
|
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 'Foxbat'
|
Soviet Union
|
1,186
|
1964
|
1970–Present
|
Aeritalia F-104S Starfighter
|
Italy
|
246
|
1966
|
1969-2004
|
Fiat G.91Y
|
Italy
|
67
|
1966
|
1966-1972
|
Dassault Mirage F1
|
France
|
720
|
1966
|
1973–Present
|
Saab 37 Viggen
|
Sweden
|
329
|
1967
|
1971-2005
|
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 'Flogger'
|
Soviet Union
|
5,047
|
1967
|
1970–Present
|
Shenyang
J-8 'Finback'
|
People's
Republic of China
|
390
|
1969
|
1980–Present
|
IAI Kfir
|
Israel
|
220
|
1973
|
1976-1996
|
Mitsubishi F-1
|
Japan
|
77
|
1975
|
1978-2006
|
HAL Ajeet
|
India
|
89
|
1976
|
1977-1991
|
Atlas Cheetah
|
South Africa
|
70
|
1983
|
1986–Present
|
GUARDIAN ANGEL FOR THE B17 BOMBERS The P51 Mustang was one of the most effective planes of World War Two. The P51 Mustang gave the bombers of US 8th Air Force the fighter cover it so desperately needed over occupied Europe and, therefore, greatly assisted the bombing campaign against Nazi Germany in World War Two. In May 1944, the P51-D was introduced. This plane was fitted with fuel drop tanks that gave it far greater mileage in the air. When these tanks were empty, they could be dropped so that the plane had the full use of its aerodynamics. This extra fuel gave the Mustang an ability to escort the US 8th Air Force bomber formations to just about any target in Western Europe. Such cover was vital to the Americans as they were participating in daylight raids primarily over Germany and were thus exposed to attacks by the Luftwaffe. Before the Mustang, American bombers flew in a box formation and relied on the fire power of the many guns car...
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