MOST Insane Military Aircraft In The World From fifth-generation fighter jets to experimental
space planes, today we look at the MOST Insane Military Aircraft In The World. #9 Boeing EA-18G Growler
The most advanced modern method of airborne electronic attack, the EA-18G Growler is a
source of military support in the field. This plane safeguards strike aircrafts thanks
to its ability to tactically jam and protect electronics during hazardous missions. Thanks in part to powerful afterburners, the
maximum speed of the Growler is a whopping 1,190 miles per hour or Mach 1.8. The EA-18G typically isn’t weighed down
by heavy machinery as its normal payloads consist of external fuel tanks, jamming pods,
and some missiles. A larger jet, the Growler has room for a single
pilot and a weapons system officer, despite being equipped with minimal projectile weapons. Regardless of equipped self-defense capabilities,
though, pilots of this plane tend to be more concerned with matters of disruption and radar-tampering. #8 Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST
One of the latest projects of the United States X-planes, a category assigned to experimental
planes under development for the U.S. government, the X-59 Quiet Supersonic Transport, or QueSST
for short, was devised to test the potential for supersonic transport. Lockheed Martin won the design contract to
build this aircraft in 2016 with an extensive time table for building, testing and reporting
the results of scale models beforehand. Earlier this year, NASA awarded them with
a $247.5 million contract to continue with the project and go on to fully design, construct
and deliver the plane by 2021. The sharp-looking, needle-nosed aircraft is
meant to work as a low-boom flight demonstrator as its expected to have a ground noise of
about 60 decibels. That’s only one one-thousandth the volume
of a current supersonic plane. The QueSST’s long, narrow frame plays a
large part in this process as it keeps the shock waves generated by the supersonic speeds
from coalescing. Though still in its early stages of development,
the quest to create a speedy yet silent aircraft looks optimistic with the X-59!
#7 ESAero/Tecnam X-57 Maxwell Revealed by a NASA administrator in June of
2016, the X-57 Maxwell was the first X-plane project announced in nearly a decade. Part of an initiative to decrease reliance
on fossil fuels, improve performance and reduce aircraft noise, the X-57 is a fully electric
aircraft with 14 electric motors along its wings. Seating two, this relatively small aircraft
maximizes out at approximately 100 miles and 1 hour of flight time. However, thanks to its electric powered fuel
source, engineers believe they will be able to cut down on energy use five times over. As with all X-planes, the development of the
X-57 Maxwell is not funded in hopes of mass production but more simply for the ability
to experiment with specific technologies. Upon successful testing, the aerospace developments
made here could go on to be applied across the United States military and used in ways
we haven’t even conceived yet. #6 Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin
At the turn of the twenty first century, the Japanese government turned to the United States
military in hopes of upgrading an aging air force. They sought to purchase F-22 Raptors, the
top of the line stealth fighter jet at the time, but were rejected due to a restriction
on exporting the jet by the U.S. military. As a result, the Japanese were left to devise
their own stealth fighter. In 2006, researchers began by building a test
models of a fighter jet at about one fifth the size of the final product and by 2007
Japan had decided charge head-first into the 40-billion-yen project with full steam ahead. Construction of the first prototype began
in 2009 and was finally unveiled 7 years late in 2016. Later that year, the X-2 Shinshin would take
its first test flight after a 10-year journey to completion. One of the features of this new aircraft includes
a three-dimensional thrust vectoring option, allowing the pilot to manipulate the direction
of the vehicles thrust with excellent precision. Another interesting design highlight is the
inclusion of a fly-by-optics flight control system. This would let data transfer quicker and unhindered
by replacing wires with optical wires within the X-2. Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the
X-2, though, the jet also features what its engineers refer to as a “Self Repairing
Flight Control Capability.” This is a process by which the jet will automatically
calibrate corrections to compensate for minor damages or failures and keep the plane airborne. Despite all these features and the time put
into the project, Japan decided in 2018 to reach out to other countries to assist with
completing the project as development of Japan’s own fighter jet continues. #5 Eurofighter Typhoon
Originally entering development in 1983, the Eurofighter Typhoon was the project of conjoined
efforts in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain. France was originally involved in the project
as well, but left amidst disagreements and ended up developing the famed Dassault Rafale
independently. Spanning two decades in development, the Future
European Fighter Aircraft programme endured a slow, deliberate process to craft the agile
dogfighter that would be the Typhoon. In 1998, the first production contracts for
the fighter plane were signed and by 2003 the jet would enter operational service. As of 2016, the total number of Eurofighter
Typhoons procured by European and other nations totaled 599, bolstering a large percentage
of air-defence duties for the customer countries. #4 The Piasecki X-49 Speedhawk
With its large, vectored thrust propeller and lifting wings, this experimental helicopter
looks anything but standard. Another entry into the X-plane program, the
X-49 Speedhawk is a modified twin-engine, four-blade compound helicopter. In hopes of creating a much faster helicopter,
the United States Navy invested $26.1 million into this project by teaming with the Piasecki
Aircraft Corporation. Not necessarily meant to go into mass production
itself, the X-49 Speedhawk was developed to test the ability to integrate higher speed
technology into pre-existing helicopters. With hopes of reaching 200 knots or more,
the X-49 project was underway but transferred to the United States Army by 2004. Three years later, the Speedhawk would make
its first flight for only 15 minutes, but this would be the first of many. Since its first flight in 2007, the X-49 has
launched 80 flights with a total of 80 flight hours logged and it is currently considered
to be still in development. #3 Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
A quintessential fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-22 is a twin-engine tactical stealth
aircraft design for a single pilot. This plane combines elements such as improved
aerodynamic performance, stealth capabilities, and a streamlined design to assist with critical
decision-making. These features culminated in one of the best
multirole air superiority fighters ever due to its groundbreaking combat capabilities. It even has a radar cross section less than
one ten-thousandth of a square meter, meaning the F-22 appears smaller than a hummingbird
against radar detection. With a maximum speed of 1,500 miles per hour
and a climb rate of 62,000 feet per minute, the quick and quiet Raptor is as versatile
as it is stealthy thanks to its electronic warfare, ground attack, and signal intelligence
options. Because of this the F-22 is partially responsible
for retiring a number of specialized planes. But top-of-the-line always comes at a price. One of the pillars of the modern U.S. Air
Force, 187 total operational F-22 Raptors file the ranks. Though excellent in completion, the Air Force
ran into many hurdles during production. One major problem, among the various reasons
for the hold up, was the price. At $150 million per unit, the F-22 program
is estimated to have cost the U.S. Air Force a total of $66.7 billion by the end of production
in 2011. The development of a successor, in addition
to the high price per unit, was also to blame for phasing out of the F-22. #2 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
Moving in to replace the F-22, the F-35 Lightning II provides a lot of the same, if not more,
versatility as its predecessor. This single-engined plane resembles the Raptor,
but not quite as large and costly. Upgraded avionics, stealth, sensor, and flight
control technology make the Lightning II an upgrade in almost every way. In addition, the F-35 features advanced touchscreen
and voice-recognition cockpit tools, as well as a helmet-mounted display, making for a
more efficient and simplified time piloting. These complex flight systems contain more
than eight million lines of code, allowing the jet to utilize network attack abilities,
data streaming, advanced communications and radar jamming. Despite these advancements, the cost per unit
of the F-35 is $91 million dollars, less than two-thirds the price per unit for the F-22! That being said, there are still some areas
in which the F-22 still beats out the F-35. Though smaller in stature, the F-35 is not
as swift as the F-22 with a maximum speed of Mach 1.6 versus the F-22’s Mach 2. The top takeoff weight for both vehicles is
also not in the Lightning II’s favor as the F-22 can lift an additional thirteen and
a half thousand pounds. And lastly, though equipped for aerial refueling,
the F-35 loses out to the F-22 Raptor in terms of long distance travel capabilities, hitting
its limit 400 to 500 miles short of its big brother. Despite these factors, however, the U.S. has
made the switch to the Lightning II. Delays and high costs have held up the F-35
program for more than a decade, but the jet saw its first use in combat earlier this year
to much success. #1 Boeing X-37
More often referred to as the Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV for short, the Boeing X-37
is a large aircraft designed to be launched into space...and then reused after re-entering
Earth’s atmosphere and landing. The OTV has been used by the United States
Air Force since the project was transferred from NASA to the Department of Defense in
2004 with a total of five launches. Sporting a design more reminiscent of a shuttle
than a plane, the X-37 is currently in orbit around the Earth with a most recent launch
date in September of 2017! Each launch, the aircraft has remained in
orbit for longer and longer periods of time with its last trip lasting a total of 717
days and 20 hours! The OTV is an uncrewed vehicle and the majority
of its operations are kept under wraps by the U.S. government. The official word from the U.S. Air Force
is that the experimental plane is meant to test and demonstrate “technologies for a
reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform,” but specifics lack any further detail than
that. As a result, public speculation regarding
this $192 million project has run rampant regarding the X-37 in recent years.
