Neil Armstrong

American industry entered the competition to create the world's best fighter -- one that was faster and carried more armament. A dramatic increase in horsepower produced the P-47 Thunderbolt, often claimed to be the fastest fighter of the war.

When a fighter or bomber strikes ground forces, it is acting as an attack aircraft. Many fighters can play this role, but recent wars have shown the value of dedicated attack aircraft, designed to hit hard and survive extensive battle damage.

Light, maneuverable and capable of flying long distances, the Japanese Zero was the ideal air weapon for the island hopping Pacific war. While the Japanese built fleets of light, replaceable aircraft, the Americans opted for large, high-powered warbirds.

From the early days of flight, the military looked behind enemy lines with better and better spy planes. After the top secret U-2 was shot down over Russia, Lockheed developed the SR-71. Flying at Mach 3 near the edge of space, it out flew any missile.

Development of jet engines and the tensions of the Cold War pushed development of long-range bombers that could fly around the world. While designers grappled with structural challenges, pilots struggled with the complexity of flying gigantic machines.

In the early 1960's, the U.S. Strategic Air Command wanted high-flying supersonic bombers like the B-58 Hustler and the XB-70. But now the newest bombers are sub-sonic: the low-flying, radar-evading B-1B, and the high tech B-2 Stealth bomber.

Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan redefined the arts of aerial warfare with their revolutionary aircraft designs. As the storm clouds gathered for the Second World War, the rest of the world slowly began to rise to the challenge.

When jet engines appeared, a whole new set of problems appeared with them. For pilots, the early jets were a nightmare. Trained to fly propeller aircraft, pilots found themselves in need of drastic changes in technique.

The helicopter took on an offensive role for the Vietnam War. Bristling with cannons, rockets and guided missiles, created the gunships. Now the American Apache and Russian Hind are equipped with infrared night vision and lethal anti-tank weapons.

WW1 gave the airplane a job, soon the battlefields were full of unarmed aircraft, peering down at the trenches, then carrying news of an impending attack. With a machine gun mounted on the cowling of a Morane-Saulnier Bullet, the fighter plane was born.