Great Planes

- Season 3

(2012)

It's all vertical for this aircraft - the Harrier. Known as the world's first vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing aircraft - this is the first jet to have hovering capabilities.

Explore the history and service of B29 Superfortress, a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War.

The C130 Hercules has found uses in a variety of roles including airborne assault, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refueling, maritime patrol and aerial firefighting.

Small in size but what a big influence. The Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighters defy current trends in fighter aircraft - while other planes were becoming bigger and more complex, the F-5's were agile, easy-maintenance, and low-cost.

Considered the biggest single engine fighter of its day, it became known as the one-man Air Force. When it was first produced, the F-105 was the biggest single-engine, single-seat fighter aircraft ever built.

Ahead of its time - the XB-70 Valkyrie could travel at three times the speed of sound. Over more than a half century after its first flight, the XB-70 is still one of aviation's most interesting achievements.

The A-10 Thunderbolt is the most lethal Close Air Support fixed wing aircraft ever flown. The Warthog, or tankbuster, may be slow and ugly but it's been called the best friend to boots on the ground.

Not just any helicopter, the AH-64 was something truly new. A computerized, fully-armed gunship, it could fly where no fixed-wing aircraft could ever go. Modern warfare demands modern equipment and the Apache fit the bill.

The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a world record holder for speed, payload, and distance. This swing-wing bomber has a colorful past that helped pave America's future.

This is the world's first swing-wing production aircraft, the F-111. Unofficially called the Aardvark, the early F-111 was grounded - almost forever. The F-111 was employed from Vietnam through Operation Desert Storm and beyond.