The A-10 Thunderbolt II is best known for two things: the GAU-8 30 mm rotary cannon in its nose, and its ability to destroy tanks. Unpopular when first introduced, the A-10 Warthog is considered by many as very well designed to fulfil its mission: close air support to ground forces

In 1958, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation delivered a prototype, twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather, long-range fighter -  a design the US Navy could not ignore: the F-4 Phantom II. It would go on to become the most-produced American supersonic jet fighter in history and an icon of the Cold War. 

The F-111 Aardvark was an all-weather attack aircraft, capable of low-level penetration of enemy defences to deliver ordnance on the target. It was also the first production aircraft to feature variable-sweep wings. After a troubled development, the F-111 entered service with the US Air Force in 1967. It flew in Vietnam, Operation El Dorado Canyon, and the first Gulf War before its retirement in 1998.

The Blackbird was developed in the 1960s during the Cold War as a high-flying reconnaissance jet. It is still considered by many as the most advanced aircraft of its type, flying at three times the speed of sound. So why was the Blackbird grounded? Why were so few made? And what was it like to fly?