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The Wings of Warfare

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1942: The B-17 Flying Fortress (below) is first used by the Allies in World War II. The heavily armed bomber features an analog computer that provides unprecedented bombing accuracy.

1944: The B-29 is the first pressurized warplane to see active service. It allows the United States to reach Japan via China by flying over the Himalayas.

1947: Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier in a Bell X-1.

1949: The F-86 (below) is introduced. It soon confronts Soviet MiGs in the skies over Korea.

1966: The first SR-71 Blackbird, which can reach Mach 3 speeds, enters service.

1975: The F-16 becomes the first fly-by-wire plane to enter military service. The computerized system frees up the pilot from the routine task of keeping the plane aloft.

1983: Built in a faceted shape to reduce its radar echo, and covered with radar absorbing paint, the F-117 (left) becomes the first stealth fighter.

2001: The Global Hawk, an unmanned aerial vehicle, is used in combat for the first time over Afghanistan.

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