Breaking Barriers: 1960-1970 Fighter Jets
Venture into the 1960-1970 era, a dynamic and transformative period in aviation, featuring iconic fighter jets such as the F-4 Phantom II, MiG-21, English Electric Lightning, and the Saab Draken. This decade was characterized by the pursuit of higher speeds, greater altitudes, and more sophisticated weaponry, including the introduction of beyond-visual-range missiles.
Intrigued by these supersonic warriors? Click on the name of a fighter jet for an in-depth exploration of its design, history, and combat roles. Or, enjoy a leisurely journey through our comprehensive articles, capturing the essence of fighter jet development and aerial combat tactics during the 1960s.
J35 Draken, Saab | Harrier, Hawker-Siddeley
A-5 Vigilante: Cold War’s Supersonic Game Changer
The North American A-5 Vigilante, a marvel of Cold War engineering, redefined naval aviation with its advanced supersonic capabilities, optimized for high-speed, low-level attacks. Its innovative design featured long, angular lines, rectangular air intakes, and slender, swept wings equipped with full-span flaps for enhanced aerodynamics. Despite its groundbreaking features and being one of the largest…
A-4 Skyhawk: McDonnell Douglas’s Legendary Jet
The A-4 Skyhawk, a testament to McDonnell Douglas’s engineering prowess, emerged as a pivotal aircraft in modern military aviation. Conceived initially as a carrier-based bomber in the 1950s, the Skyhawk’s design was revolutionary, prioritizing simplicity, compactness, and agility. Measuring just 40 feet in length with a wingspan of 27 feet, this single-engine, tailed delta jet…
Beyond the Clouds: The XB-70 Valkyrie’s Daring Tale
Dive headfirst into the mesmerizing saga of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie: a technological marvel that dared to touch the very edge of aviation’s future, sculpting an era where speed and altitude redefined the boundaries of what was possible. This high-flying Mach 3 bomber, conceived in the crucible of the Cold War, was set to…
Mirage III, Dassault
The delta-winged Mirage III jet fighter has been the largest succes of the post-war French aviation industry. More than 20 countries bought the Mirage III, and it is still in service, now undergoing extensive modernisation programmes in South-Africa, Chili and Switzerland. One of the most elegant aircraft ever flown, the Mirage III has a large…
SR-71 Blackbird, Lockheed
The SR-71 is a famous Mach 3+ spy plane. This is the fastest aircraft ever known to be in service with an air force. The large, delta-winged SR-71 gets is performance from the unusual J-58 engines, that act like ramjets at high altitude and speed. It was related to the the YF-12 fighter and its precessor, the…
BAC Lightning, English Electric
The layout of the Lightning was unusual: two engines above each other, a sharp-edged nose intake, and 60 degrees wing sweep. The Mach 2+ Lightning was the first supersonic British fighter. It was a good dogfighter, with a speed, acceleration and climb rate that were difficult to match. Armament and fuel capacity were limited, however,…
F-4 Phantom II, McDonnell
The big F-4 fighter-bomber was gradually evolved from the F3H, with which it had no more than a configurational similarity. Despite its size and bulky look, the F-4 had excellent performance and good manoeuvrability; it was adopted by both the USN and the USAF. Early F-4’s had no fixed gun, but this was corrected after…
Sukhoi Su-17/Su-22 Fitter
The Su-17 was a large step in the development of the Su-7 to a more useful attack aircraft. The most important change was the introduction of swivelling outer wing panels, improving take-off and landing performance, and thus allowing a larger weapons load. The Su-20 and Su-22 were export versions. The Su-17 was a significant step…
F-5A Freedom Fighter / F-5E Tiger II, Northrop
The F-5 was developed as a cheap ‘export fighter’ for military assistance programs. It was a small jet fighter with short-span wings, twin-engined and optimized for easy maintenance. The F-5 was never used on a large scale by the USAF, but because of characteristics similar to the MiG-21, the F-5 was used as ‘agressor’ aircraft. The…
Harrier, Hawker-Siddeley
For a long time this was the only operational western aircraft capable of vertical take off and landing (VTOL). The Harrier is a small ground-attack aircraft. VTOL operation is achieved by the four swivelling nozzles of the R.R. Pegasus engine. The basic concepts dates back to 1960, but production still continues. The type was adopted…
J35 Draken, Saab
The J35 is a Swedish jet fighter. The Draken was optimized for short runways and high climbing speed. It has a double delta wing: the inboard section is higly swept and has the oval jet intakes in the leading edges; the outbords sections have less sweep. The Saab 35 has high performance, but is said…