April 2026 Articles

• When the big three British-built “V-Force” bombers—the Vickers Valiant, Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan—came on line during the early stages of the Cold War, they were all designed for one purpose—to drop a nuclear bomb on the Soviet Union’s doorstep. Thankfully, the 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, NATO strategic nuclear deterrent was a huge success as the delta-winged Avro Vulcan acted as the tip of the spear and stood guard, ready to launch at a moment’s notice during the darkest of the Cold War days. But, as technology advanced and communist walls were torn down […]

  

  Operation Black Buck – A Vulcan and the Falklands … a long day

  When the big three British-built “V-Force” bombers—the Vickers Valiant, Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan—came on line during the early stages of the Cold War, they were all designed for one purpose—to drop a nuclear bomb on the Soviet Union’s doorstep. Thankfully, the 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, NATO strategic nuclear deterrent was a huge success as the delta-winged Avro Vulcan acted as the tip of the spear and stood guard, ready to launch at a moment’s notice during the darkest of the Cold War days. But, as technology advanced and communist walls were torn down […]
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• September 29, 1943: pilot J/Lt. I.I. Mikailov anxiously scanned the Russian tundra below for familiar landmarks. He had just survived a battle with four JGS Bf 109s, but as the fuel gauge edged toward empty, it was obvious he was still going to lose his aircraft. Resigned to his fate, he bellied his P-40 into the soft turf, and the war was over for Curtiss Warhawk 42-10256. Mikailov was unscathed, but 10256 would sit for another 50 years before its badly brutalized remains would be rescued. P-40 42-10256 was a “K” model, which was a continuation of the P-40E line […]

  

  P-40K – An old Soldier Rescued

  September 29, 1943: pilot J/Lt. I.I. Mikailov anxiously scanned the Russian tundra below for familiar landmarks. He had just survived a battle with four JGS Bf 109s, but as the fuel gauge edged toward empty, it was obvious he was still going to lose his aircraft. Resigned to his fate, he bellied his P-40 into the soft turf, and the war was over for Curtiss Warhawk 42-10256. Mikailov was unscathed, but 10256 would sit for another 50 years before its badly brutalized remains would be rescued. P-40 42-10256 was a “K” model, which was a continuation of the P-40E line […]
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• On January 17, 1991, Attack Squadron 35, as part of Carrier Air Wing 17, was embarked aboard USS Saratoga (CV-60) in the Red Sea, having been underway since August 7, 1990, when the carrier departed Naval Station Mayport at the start of Operation Desert Shield. VA-35’s A-6E Intruders launched from the carrier at 1:10 a.m. and headed for key targets near Baghdad. Over the next 43 days and nights, the squadron would fly more than 400 combat sorties and deliver over 1.7 million pounds of ordnance, helping pave the way for the liberation of Kuwait. In January 2026, the men […]

  

  The Night the War Began VA-35 remembers the opening strike of Desert Storm

  On January 17, 1991, Attack Squadron 35, as part of Carrier Air Wing 17, was embarked aboard USS Saratoga (CV-60) in the Red Sea, having been underway since August 7, 1990, when the carrier departed Naval Station Mayport at the start of Operation Desert Shield. VA-35’s A-6E Intruders launched from the carrier at 1:10 a.m. and headed for key targets near Baghdad. Over the next 43 days and nights, the squadron would fly more than 400 combat sorties and deliver over 1.7 million pounds of ordnance, helping pave the way for the liberation of Kuwait. In January 2026, the men […]
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• Some stories stay with you not because they are flawless triumphs, but because they are exercises in stubborn resolve. Written by longtime “Flight Journal” contributor James Busha, as told to him by RAF Squadron Leader Martin Withers, “Operation Black Buck” is one of those stories. It is not a tale of perfect planning or elegant execution. Rather, it is a reminder that history is often shaped in moments when nothing goes right, when plans unravel one by one and people choose to press on anyway. The Black Buck mission came at exactly the wrong time. The Avro Vulcan was nearing […]

  

  On Empty Tanks and Full Resolve

  Some stories stay with you not because they are flawless triumphs, but because they are exercises in stubborn resolve. Written by longtime “Flight Journal” contributor James Busha, as told to him by RAF Squadron Leader Martin Withers, “Operation Black Buck” is one of those stories. It is not a tale of perfect planning or elegant execution. Rather, it is a reminder that history is often shaped in moments when nothing goes right, when plans unravel one by one and people choose to press on anyway. The Black Buck mission came at exactly the wrong time. The Avro Vulcan was nearing […]
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• The stories of daring raids flown against Japan in the Pacific and Germany in the European theater of operations would fill volumes. Many brave aviators never came home, and their fate remains a mystery. The night missions were fewer in number, however, and more hazardous because they added a very dangerous element—total darkness. The British and Germans were responsible for perfecting radar early on, and by the time the Marines had landed on Guadalcanal in August 1942, it was evident that they needed a specialized fighter to protect them from the nightly attacks by Japanese bombers. Unfortunately for the U.S., […]

  

  P-70 Night Fighter mission – Single-ship night attack on the Japanese fortress at Rabaul

  The stories of daring raids flown against Japan in the Pacific and Germany in the European theater of operations would fill volumes. Many brave aviators never came home, and their fate remains a mystery. The night missions were fewer in number, however, and more hazardous because they added a very dangerous element—total darkness. The British and Germans were responsible for perfecting radar early on, and by the time the Marines had landed on Guadalcanal in August 1942, it was evident that they needed a specialized fighter to protect them from the nightly attacks by Japanese bombers. Unfortunately for the U.S., […]
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