[solvegas]

Another loud aircraft that would take off from North Island Naval Air station in San Diego and rattle your windows was the F-8 Crusader, built by Vought aviation, which later became LTV aviation and later absorbed by Grumman which later merged with Northrop and became todays Northrop-Grumman. The F-8 was the first supersonic carrier-based aircraft and was the last all gun fighter and she was in the US Navy from 1957 until finally retired in 1987. By the late 70's until the mid 80's, it wasn't used so much for combat but as a reconnaissance aircraft.

[rtpoe]

By no means would anyone consider the Consolidated PBY Catalina to be "cool", but the darn thing was one of the workhorses of WWII. A 'flying boat', it could land and takeoff just about anywhere - making it ideal for search & rescue and supply for all the far-flung islands where we had outposts.

There's even a little talk about reviving and updating the design for the modern military:
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/aviation-company-relaunching-pby-5-as-modern-military-aircraft

Here's a quartet of Catalinas over the Aleutians in WWII:

[solvegas]

The A-4 Skyhawk, introduced into the US Navy and US Marine Corps on October 1, 1956, about a week and a half before I was born, was manufactured by Douglass Aircraft, which later on merged with McDonell aircraft to become McDonell Douglass which later was absorbed by Boeing. Unlike most Navy aircraft, it doesn't have folding wings since it was so compact, and it could carry a bigger bombload than a World War 2 B-17 Fortress bomber. It wasn't retired from US service until 1998 when the Marine Corps retired it. It was considered a great ground support aircraft, and it was very maneuverable which was why it was used for fighter training. I remember when stationed in San Diego, it would fly out of North Island Naval station and unlike other aircraft, it wasn't so loud. It was used until 2015 in the Israeli Air Force as a training aircraft.

[solvegas]

While stationed at Pearl Harbor submarine base, Hickam Air Force Base was nearby on the other side of the bay, and I remember how there were F-15 Eagle fighters stationed there and they were very loud but very fast and they put a great show when flying overhead. I was stationed in Hawaii from 1979 to 1983 and they were very new at the time since they were put in active duty in 1976. They are still being made, mostly for export, and no F-15 Eagle has ever been shot down in combat with Israel being the nation that has more fighting experience with it than any other nation.

[solvegas]

First flown in 1958 and entered service in 1961 and retired in 1979, the A-3J Vigilante, later changed to A-5 when in 1962, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara forced the Navy and Air Force to combine their classifications of aircraft, was the largest carrier borne Aircraft of all time and was built by North American aviation, builder of the iconic World War 2 P-51 Mustang, later on absorbed by General Dynamics. The A-5 was a supersonic atomic bomb bomber and due to its speed, at the end of its career it became a reconnaissance aircraft. I remember how super loud it was when I was stationed in San Diego back in the 70's. She was a sleek bird.

[solvegas]

Perhaps the most significant and history changing single aircraft in world history, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress manufactured under license by the Glenn L. Martin company in Omaha, Nebraska, she was in service from 18 May 1945 until retired by the US Army Air Force on 24 July 1946 due to its historical significance, was named by its Commanding Officer and pilot Colonel Paul Tibbetts after his mother Enola Gay Tibbets. It was part of the 509th Bombing Squadron, which were modified and specialized aircraft for their mission, to carry nuclear weapons. The Enola Gay is presently at the National Air and Space Museum annex  at the Steven F. Udvard-Hazy center by the Washington Dulles airport in Chantilly, Virginia. Someday, I'll go visit the site. I've been at the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. but that was about 25 years ago.

[solvegas]

Built from 1968 until 2023, the queen of the skies, the Boeing 747 was the first Jumbo jet and I got to fly it once in my entire life. This was back in 1981 when I was stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and I flew in the 747-200 variant from Honolulu International to LAX International on Northwest airlines, which got merged out of existence. I couldn't afford the ticket but my Father asked me to visit his Family in Mexico for Christmas and so he bought the ticket. From Los Angeles we flew to Mexico City in a Aeromexico 727 and then we were picked up at the Benito Juarez airport and were driven to Orizaba by my Tio Alfredo (Uncle Fred) and we stayed at his house. It wasn't just my Dad, he was with his wife (my stepmother) and her two kids (Stepsister and Stepbrother) and he lived in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. I have a lot of great memories from that Christmas since my father was the oldest of 12 chi1dren on his side of the family and I have 63 Mexican cousins and it was huge gathering. 

[solvegas]

One of the most distinctive aircraft of World War 2, the Lockheed P-38 Lighting was first flown on January of 1939 and introduced to the US Army Air Corps in July of 1941 and it was the first aircraft in the USA inventory to fly over 400 miles per hour, which was amazing at the time. It was also a very good fighter, and one was used to shoot down and kill Admiral Yamamoto, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor, while he was being transported in the South Pacific to visit his fellow officers. If you ever fly into Chicago's O'Hare airport, it was named after a Medal of Honor recipient Richard O'Hare, who was the American that shot down the most enemy aircraft in World War 2 and he did it on a P-38 Lightning while serving in the Pacific theater.

[Jack59]

You're confusing Major Richard Bong, and Lt. Cmdr. Edward "Butch" O'Hare.

It was Bong who was the highest scoring US Ace of the war in a P-38.

O'Hare flew F4F Wildcats and F6F Hellcats. And yes, O'Hare Airport was named after him.

[solvegas]

You're confusing Major Richard Bong, and Lt. Cmdr. Edward "Butch" O'Hare.

It was Bong who was the highest scoring US Ace of the war in a P-38.

O'Hare flew F4F Wildcats and F6F Hellcats. And yes, O'Hare Airport was named after him.

Oh gosh, I was just reciting what I remembered, and I didn't verify it. I suffer from Old Timers every so often. 

[TheZookie007]

Anything that can get us back to commercial supersonic flight, I'm all for it.

So, thank you NASA!

Cleo Abram, 12 December 2023: "NASA Is Bringing Supersonic Planes BACK"

[solvegas]

An aircraft designed and first flown in 1945 after the end of World War 2 and the last piston engine in the US Navy/Marine Corps and Air Force when finally retired in 1981, the A-1 Skyraider (Sandy) was used in the Korean War (1950-1953) and the USA direct involvement in the Vietnam War (1959-1973) and it was used an attack bomber and search and rescue aircraft as an escort for the rescue helicopters. It's eventual replacement was the A-10 warthog. I tend to name aircraft that were still in use when I was on active duty in the Navy. (1975-1995)

[solvegas]

This photo was taken onboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on 11 April, 2018 when the last flight of a F-18A Hornet landed after 33 years of service and all F-18As were replaced by F/A-18 Super hornets which are about 20% larger overall with much more capabilities. The Super Hornet itself is being replaced by the F-35C steal fighter/bomber.

[TheZookie007]

If you like long-haul flights that are comfortable and luxurious, have I got a plane for you!

CNBC, 13 December 2023: "Why The Airbus A380 Is Making An Unlikely Comeback"

[solvegas]

Another possible comeback thanks to advanced modern engine technology could be the two engine 747, the queen of the skies, according to this YouTube channel.