PilotPhotog Podcast

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: All about the hypersonic super-secret spyplane:  The SR-72 aka Son of Blackbird.  If you enjoy this episode, subscribe to this podcast, you can find links to many podcast streaming services here: PilotPhotog Podcast (buzzsprout.com) You can check out my YouTube channel for many videos on fighter planes here: https://youtube.co...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Let’s take a look at what was to be the ultimate high speed, high altitude and last manned strategic bomber: The XB-70 Valkyrie.  An aircraft which still looks futuristic even today, the Valkyrie was a Mach 3 bomber which flew at 70,000 feet, rode its own shock wave - and almost wasn’t built.  Changing technologies and advance...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: The Boeing KC-135, nicknamed Stratotanker is an aerial refueling aircraft that has been in continuous service with the USAF for over 60 years with over 800 examples of the C-135 series built.  The first jet powered refueling tanker for the Air Force, the KC135 was conceived to refuel long range strategic bombers at the height...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Here is my rendition of the classic Twas the Night Before Christmas.  I hope you enjoy it and thank you for a wonderful year on YouTube.  I can't express how happy and thankful I am. Thanks to you I've been able to build a community of aviation pilots, maintainers, authors, and enthusiasts.  You've given me insp...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: In order to replace their legacy F/A-18 Hornets which have been flying for the Finnish Air Force or FAF since 1995, the Ministry of defence initiated a replacement program known as the HX challenge back in 2015.  The goal of the HX challenge was an ambitious one:  procure new multi role fighters while maintaining the FAF’s cur...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Let’s take a look at the unremembered fighter bomber the  F-111 A product of the Cold War and 1960s consolidation, the F111 program suffered from an ever-growing list of requirements and was limited to the technology of its time. Despite this, the F111 may just surprise you with its accomplishments, strong legacy and how it ma...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: For some time now, Canada has been looking to replace their legacy CF18 Hornets which have been operating far beyond their planned service life.  As a result, the Canadian government has put forth a request to select a new fighter aircraft by 2022 with a projected program cost of $19 billion along with a strong consideration t...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: The Convair B58 Hustler was the world's first operational Mach 2 bomber.  Designed to fly high and fast to quickly penetrate the soviet union and deliver its nuclear payload, The B58 served for nearly a decade from March of 1960 until January of 1970.  Everything about the B58 was designed for speed: its narrow fuselage w...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Let's take a look at what makes the F15EX Eagle II the Ultimate Eagle: The F-15 Eagle is the embodiment of the air superiority fighter, having been in continuous service with the US Air Force for nearly 50 years.  A fighter with an unprecedented 100+ to zero kill ratio, the F15 was made even better by the introduction of...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Recently the Air Force conducted a munitions proof of concept where five AGM -158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles or JASSMs were mounted to a single F-15E Strike Eagle. The effort has been dubbed Project Strike Rodeo, which explores the concept of self escorting fighters entering into highly contested airspace.  Today w...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: The Grumman X-29 was an experimental aircraft that intensely tested a combination of the use of canards, forward swept wings, fly by wire, composite materials and other cutting edge aircraft technologies. Featuring a highly aerodynamically unstable design which first flew in 1984, the last X29 flight was conducted in 1992 and...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Is the F-35 Misunderstood?  The Joint Strike Fighter set out to become a platform which would fulfill many roles and replace several aircraft.  Over the course of its development, it has received its fair share of criticism. We will take a look at why the F-35 may have been unfairly compared to previous fighters, and what the...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Here are some fast facts about the F-35.  Enjoy!  If you enjoy this episode, subscribe to this podcast, you can find links to many podcast streaming services here: PilotPhotog Podcast (buzzsprout.com) You can check out my YouTube channel for many videos on fighter planes here: https://youtube.com/c/PilotPhotog And finally you...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Upgrading the F-5 to the Advanced Tiger: The Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter is a small, highly aerodynamic  and maneuverable jet  which was built around two compact and high thrust General Electric J85 engines.  The F-5 was designed from the ground up to be an easy to maintain, simple to fly, inexpensive multirole fighter.  With...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Listen to the interview with Future War series author FX Holden.  We discuss modern military tactics, 5th generation stealth fighters, and how he works with a beta team of experts to help source material for his books. Click here to get the first book in the series on Amazon. (affiliate link) If you enjoy this episode, subscri...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Revealed to the world at the 2021 MAKS Air Show, the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate is a planned single engine fifth generation stealth fighter for the Russian Air Force and as an export option for Russia’s allies.  Internally the fighter is designated as the T-75. The model revealed at the air show is essentially an early engineering...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Let’s take a look at the X-51 Waverider and how the Super Hornet could be getting a hypersonic weapons upgrade! The Navy’s current air deployed anti-ship weapon is the AGM-84 Harpoon, which has been in service for decades.  With over 7,000 examples built it is hard to argue that the Harpoon has been a successful design, howeve...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: The Tejas is a single-engine multirole fighter which features a tailless, compound delta wing design that omits horizontal stabilizers in the tail.  This allows for better close-combat, high-speed, and high-alpha performance characteristics than comparable traditional wing designs.  Extensive wind tunnel testing on scale model...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Recently the Philippine Air Force or PAF has stepped up its efforts to obtain modern fighters, narrowing down their final selection to either the advanced Block 70 F-16 or the Saab JAS 39 C and D Gripen. This competition comes at a time with ever increasing tensions in the South China Sea.   The economic and geostrategic impor...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Dassault Rafale - The Omin Role Fighter The Dassault Rafale is a French Designed and produced multirole fighter.  Intended to perform aerial reconnaissance, air superiority, interdiction, ground support, strike missions, anti-ship, and even  nuclear deterrence missions.  Because of this vast range of  missions, the Rafale is o...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: My Guest today is Rick "Kluso" Tolini who wrote an excellent book entitled "Call Sign Kluso - An American Fighter Pilot in Mr. Reagan's Air Force" You can pick up a hardcover or digital copy of the book here: https://tinyurl.com/z8sj6xz9 We discuss his experience leading up to and in Desert Storm, incl...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Covering over 100 years of the fighter in 10 minutes, we will take a look at the evolution of the fighter plane.  From canvas and wood biplanes to supercomputer equipped composite stealth fighters. If you enjoy this episode, subscribe to this podcast, you can find links to many podcast streaming services here: PilotPhotog Podc...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: It’s official, Switzerland has chosen the Lockheed Martin F35A Lightning II as its newest fighter plane.  In a 5.5 Billion Dollar deal that adds a 15th nation to the growing base of F35 users, the agreement also comes alongside an additional 2.1 Billion dollar deal to buy the surface to air Patriot missile defense system.  Swi...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Part of the NASA technology demonstrators, X-31 was designed to test thrust vectoring technology by using a delta wing, canards, and vectored thrust from the engine.   Designed and built by  Rockwell and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm or MBB, The X-31 was  part of a joint US and German project known as the Enhanced Fighter Maneuve...

Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message: Listen to the origin story, current state and future of the F-22 Raptor. Widely considered the best air superiority fighter in the world, the Lockheed Martin F-22 is a fifth generation, twin engine, single seat, all weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft.  Developed from decades of air combat experience the F-22 excels in i...