Alex Hollings

1 week ago | 19fortyfive.com | Alex Hollings

Summary and Key Points: Lockheed Martin’s secretive hypersonic aircraft, the SR-72—successor to the legendary SR-71 Blackbird—appears closer to reality despite recent budget overruns totaling $335 million. -Intended as a Mach 6+ reconnaissance and strike aircraft, the SR-72 utilizes advanced turbine-based combined cycle engines, allowing unprecedented speed and global reach within minutes. -However, rising development costs and broader Air Force budgetary constraints pose significant hurdles.

1 week ago | sandboxx.us | Alex Hollings

On Friday, Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin posted a new Air Force recruiting commercial to X/Twitter that includes a brief clip of an unusual new stealth fighter taxiing on a dark runway, offering what may be the world’s first glimpse of one of the technology demonstrators involved in the development of America’s new stealth fighter, designated the F-47.

1 week ago | 19fortyfive.com | Alex Hollings

When the F-14 Tomcat first entered service, it was powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney TF30 engines that had been designed for the F-111B, which was more multi-role bomber than a fighter. These engines were powerful, but incredibly problematic, ultimately leading to the loss of as many as 40 Tomcats over the years.

2 weeks ago | t.ly | Alex Hollings

America’s F-22 is the most powerful fighter in the world, thanks to its pair of groundbreaking Pratt & Whitney F119 afterburning turbofan engines. However, we sometimes tend to forget just how powerful this fifth-generation fighter is. Each of the Raptor’s engines is capable of pumping out 26,000 pounds of thrust dry, and a mind-boggling 35,000 pounds of thrust under afterburner.

2 weeks ago | 19fortyfive.com | Alex Hollings

Summary and Key Points: In the 1990s, two stealth fighter prototypes, the Lockheed YF-22 and Northrop YF-23, competed to become America’s premier air superiority fighter. -While both aircraft met the Air Force’s demanding stealth, speed, and maneuverability criteria, Lockheed’s YF-22 ultimately won due to perceived greater maneuverability and dynamic demonstrations. -Northrop’s YF-23, although stealthier with superior range, lacked thrust vectoring, impacting its perceived agility.