The Truth About the World’s Most Fascinating Military Machines
– Letter to The Editor, 1984– Popular Mechanics article entitled Irresistible Force, February, 1992
Military machines have always fascinated us. Maybe it’s because they represent the apex of technological advancement. Or because of their speed, power, and potential for destruction. Maybe it’s because they’re intricate, complex, and eye-wateringly expensive. Or maybe it’s because there’s inevitably more to know.
Whatever the reason, at Pop Mech, we’ve been intrigued since our very first issues.
Take the airplane. In 1909, we reported that flying machines might have military purposes when Wilbur Wright suggested the future of airplanes lay not in commercial flights, but in the military.
“[Airplanes’] greatest held of usefulness,” we quoted Wright as saying, “will be in replacing, largely or entirely, the present horse troops. This winged cavalry of the air will be able to do most things possible to present mounted forces, and many they cannot perform.”
Wright may have underestimated the potential for commercial air travel, but his expectations for military aviation were spot on. Though he probably never imagined the incredible plethora of fighters, bombers, and even unmanned combat aerial vehicles to come.
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Since those early days, we’ve watched (and reported) carefully over the decades while planes—along with naval vessels, weapons, and other military machines—have gotten bigger, better, and more badass than ever.
The technology may change, but our curiosity does not. We’re still asking:
How fast could a plane possibly fly?
If the world’s most dangerous planes were used in battle, just how destructive could they be?
How does our technology stack up, and what could give us the edge?
What ultimate machines could be possible (with the right money)?
What is the military still keeping secret?
Here’s what we know today.
How fast could a plane possibly fly?
In 1922, the Air Service went all-in on speed.
“Realizing that the fast pursuit plane controls the air in time of war,” we wrote at the time, “the U.S. Army Air Service called for construction of planes that would be speedier than others in the world.”
The result?
“Four distinctly different models were delivered, all of which have a speed of over 200 miles per hour,” we reported. “One is of all-metal construction; one has its radiators built into the wings; one has a folding chassis, thus reducing wind resistance, and one has its wings under the fuselage, and open landing gear with no axels.”
Today, speed might be more important than ever. While stealth usurped speed as a leading priority in recent decades, that’s changing. With hypersonic missiles entering service in Russia and China, speed is seeing a resurgence.
Excitingly, an absurdly fast Mach 10 bomber could be on its way. (For the record, that’s about 38 times faster than those initial 1922 models.) The near-mythical, hypersonic Lockheed Martin SR-72 would be a replacement for the fastest air-breathing piloted aircraft ever built, the SR-71.
Just how fast (and how destructive) could this bomber be? Learn all the details: Everything We Know About the Air Force's Secret Plan to Develop a Hypersonic Bomber
If the world’s most dangerous planes were used in battle, just how destructive could they be?
When it comes to the world’s scariest military machines, we hope we won’t have to use them. But we can’t help but to wonder: what would happen if we did? (In a grim example, in a 1945 issue we considered the atomic bomb’s potential for war, noting that it presented an equivalent bomb load of 2000 Superfort bombers.)
Today, we speculate: what would happen if the F-35 fighter jet were used against the Russian forces?
Pilot Billie Flynn, one of the most accomplished test pilots around, has done it all in an F-35. He contends that while nobody wants NATO dragged into the war, if it was, F-35s could “completely destroy the Russian forces.”
Flynn’s thinking is this: the F-35 is completely different, and much more technologically sophisticated, than the Soviet-era fighters Russian pilots are used to. Further, Flynn believes the F-35 would dominate in the air war over Ukraine, because it is exactly the environment the jet was built to excel in.
Learn exactly why this plane could bring down Russia: F-35 Pilot: NATO Could ‘Completely Destroy The Russian Forces’.
How does our technology stack up (and what could give us the edge?)
As long as Pop Mech has been reporting on military technology, we’ve been sneaking peeks at the “other guys” to see how we stack up. (Case in point: In 1910 we made note of a high speed Japanese military aeroplane that attained a speed of 68 miles per hour—the fastest time on record for aerial navigation back then.)
These days, our eyes are on the hypersonic arms race. And compared to Russia and China, the Air Force is undeniably lagging.
But that doesn’t mean they’re giving up. Last year, we reported that the United States has more than 70 hypersonic weapons programs in development, with $3.8 billion earmarked for the effort in 2022 alone.
Can the Air Force catch up? Get the whole story: How Russia Beat America to the Hypersonic Missile.
Meanwhile, the Navy has found itself outmatched against China’s latest weapons. In an attempt to keep up (and keep its ships afloat), the Navy has invested heavily in laser technology.
The term “investment” is an understatement. America’s newest carrier—The USS Gerald R. Ford—underwent two decades of development and delays, and cost billions more than initial estimates.
Discover why this U.S. AirCraft Carrier has been a debacle: America’s Newest Carrier Is a Fiasco. The Navy Just Admitted Why.)
Still, we can understand why the Navy has been so committed to laser tech. The potential benefits are tantalizing: lasers fire at the speed of light, negating the speed of hypersonic weapons; they can reload quickly to fend off swarms of drones; and they don’t require stores of ammunition, giving ships nearly unlimited firing opportunities. A reliable laser with enough power to stymie hypersonic missiles could be a game-changer.
Is this technology realistic, or just a pipe dream? Find out: The U.S. is Losing the Hypersonic Arms Race to China—But Its New High Powered Lasers are Changing The Game.
Meantime, ever wonder how the rest of the world’s aircraft carriers compare with our own? Here’s Every Single Aircraft Carrier In the World.
What ultimate machines could be possible (with enough money)?
Back in 1909, the Army purchased the world's first military airplane for $30,000. Even in today’s dollars (which would be about $1,000,000), that still sounds like a bargain.
As the years went on, we noted the growing costs of military machinery with headlines like this one from 1989: “The $530 million B-2 Stealth Bomber joins the B-52 and the B-1 in forming a Strategic Air Command capable of defeating diverse threats. But the American public must decide if the price is just too high.”
But today, the potential—and the financial investment—is on a whole other level.
The highly anticipated Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter could be the most expensive fighter jet of all time. With a possible per-unit crewed cost of $200 or $300 million, it would be staggeringly capable… and easily the most expensive fighter ever built.
Exactly what could this sixth-generation fighter do (and why might it be worth the cost?) Learn everything we know: The Air Force’s Secret New Fighter Jet Will Be Wildly Expensive.
However, not all developments are as shudderingly expensive. On the other end of the financial spectrum is the F-36 Kingsnake.
The U.S. Air Force has expressed interest in a new, non-stealthy fighter jet to replace the F-16 Viper. In stark contrast to the NGAD fighter, the guiding principles behind the F-36 are speed of development, the ability to incorporate new tech at a later date—and affordability.
Get all the details about this multi-role fighter jet: This Is the F-36 Kingsnake. It Could Be the Air Force's Next Fighter Jet.
What is the military still keeping secret?
With all that we know, there’s so much that we don’t. After all, military technology and secrecy go hand-in-hand.
These days, we’re wondering exactly what’s going on with the mysterious objects spotted over Area 51. Satellite imagery revealed an aircraft flying above Area 51. The aircraft, about the size of a fighter jet, broadly lines up with what we know about sixth-generation fighter jets. But why would a secret aircraft fly in full view of imaging satellites?
Read the full report: Umm ... Did the Air Force’s Secret New Fighter Jet Just Fly Over Area 51?)
Of course, there’s many more secrets yet to be revealed. What’s yet to be developed among the world’s greatest military machines?
We’ll be watching, and reporting—just as we have for well over a century.
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