The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American supersonic interceptor and fighter-bomber. The F-104 is the fruit of the American experience of the Korean War, where most air victories were achieved in one surprising blow. This, in turn, meant that the new USAAF fighter should, above all, be fast and have a high rate of climb. It is also a reflection of the concept of "plane-missile with a man on board", which also functioned in the Soviet and British aviation in the second half of the 1950s and early 1960s. The flight of the prototype, created by Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, took place on February 7 1954, and entry into line units began in 1958. The serial plane was powered by a General Electric J79 turbojet engine with thin, trapezoidal wings and R21G / H radar. The F-104 was produced in several versions. The basic one is the F-104A, acting as a fighter plane, and the F-104C, i.e. a fighter-bomber. Subsequent versions were primarily produced for export. F-104G, with a more powerful J79-GE-11 engine and improved avionics went to Germany, the CF-104 is a license version of the F-104G, but with the J79-OEL-7 engine, produced in Canada, the F-104S is an aircraft produced in Italy licensed with the J79-GE-19 engine. Finally, the F-104J was produced for the Japanese Air Force with the J79-IHI-11A engine at Mitsubishi plants. The plane designed to train test pilots was the NF-104 Rocket Starfighter. The F-104 was an airplane that was incredibly difficult to pilot and "unforgiving" mistakes. It has suffered many crashes - in the german aviation alone, 110 of the 238 F-104 planes were crashed! Technical data (version F-104G): Maximum speed: 2137 km / h, speed of climb: max. 254 m / s, maximum altitude 27,400 m, maximum range: 2,920 km, armament: fixed - one 20mm six-barrel M61A-1 cannon, suspended - up to 1,814 kg of cargo.
The origins of the Tornado design date back to 1968. It was then that the trinational PANAVIA consortium was established in order to implement the project known as MRCA (Multi-Role Combat Aircraft). On September 14, 1974, the flight of the first prototype took place and the construction of the first 640 ordered aircraft began, with production split in such a way that Germany and Great Britain each completed 42.5%, and Italy 15% of the order. Tornado fleets are currently the most important part of the air force of three European NATO countries. They remain in the composition of the air forces of Great Britain (Royal Air Force), Italy (Aeronautica Militare Italiana) and Germany (Luftwaffe) and in the aviation of the German Navy (Marinefliege). In addition, in 1986, a number of these aircraft were ordered by Saudi Arabia and incorporated into its armed forces (Royal Saudi Air Force). There are three main versions of the aircraft: Tornado ECR, Tornado ADV and Tornado IDS. Tornado ECR is a German / Italian reconnaissance version, it can carry Raytheon AGM - 88 HARM anti-radar missiles. In addition, they carry AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles for self-defense purposes. The Tornado ADV is a version of the interceptor, equipped with the great Marconi-Ferranti Foxhunter radar with a range of up to 190km and able to track up to 20 targets simultaneously. The Tornado IDS, on the other hand, is an assault bomber designed primarily to support land forces. It is capable of carrying a very wide range of weapons, including: a CWS flying cartridge, Paveway II guided bombs, GBU-15 guided bombs, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles. Technical data (ADV version): length: 18.68m, wingspan (maximum): 13.91m, height: 5.95m, maximum speed: 2.27Ma, rate of climb: 77m / s, practical ceiling: 21300m, maximum range : 1850 km, armament: fixed - one IWKA-Mauser 27 mm cannon, suspended - up to 8500 kg of cargo.The McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom is a long-range, twin-engine, two-seater multi-role fighter designed for operations in difficult weather conditions. The flight of the prototype took place on May 27, 1958, and serial production began in 1961. Originally, the F-4 was intended only as a stormtrooper, but from 1955 on, the design work went towards meeting the US Navy's need for a new on-board fighter. The F-4 Phantom turned out to be a very successful machine, produced in several versions, exported to many countries and produced under license. The first versions are models from A to D intended for fighter-bombers. The next version is the F-4E, produced since 1967 as a long-range fighter. Reconnaissance versions were also created: RF-4B, RF-4C and RF-4E. The latest versions are the F-4F and F-4G Wild Weassel - these are electronic warfare planes and designed to fight the enemy radars. The F-4 took part in the Vietnam War, the conflicts in the Middle East (1967, 1973) and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). In total, 5,057 F-4 Phantom aircraft were built. Technical data (version F-4E): Maximum speed: 2370 km / h, speed of climb: 210 m / s, maximum ceiling 18300 m, maximum range: 2600 km, armament: fixed - 1 20mm M61A-1 cannon, Suspended - up to 7255 kg of bombs and rockets.