Do jet dogfights still happen?

Yes they generally are trained in dogfighting – which is short ranged aerial combat but the primary focus is on what is known as BVR – Beyond Visual Range air-to-air combat That involves the use of longer ranged radar guided missile systems such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM. That is especially true with stealth aircraft.

Why did dive bombers have their canopies open?

It was common to keep the canopy open at takeoff and landing. This would make it easier to evacuate the airplane after an accident. It would also provide cooling when the weather was warm, like cruising at low speed over North Africa.

Did World War I Flying Aces really dogfight in epic dogfights?

The legends surrounding World War I flying aces engaged in epic dogfights have often overshadowed a grim reality: Many inexperienced pilots died in training accidents in challenging aircraft before they were ready to fly them in battle.

Why did so many Camel pilots die without training?

Arango also owned a reproduction Camel and his flights in it led him to believe that many of the deaths of Camel pilots were likely because of a lack of training as these men were rushed into battle. “It would be like having a few hours in a training airplane and then being put in an F-16 fighter and being expected to fly it in combat,” Jakab says.

How high did WWII planes fly in formation?

When in formation with bombers they had to stick with the heavies, so about 25,000 ft. WWII aircraft were so evenly matched that they would get tangled in an endless circle trying to pursue the enemy. To avoid this, pilots would fly as close to the ground as possible to outskill the pursuer.

How many planes were lost in WW2 in the US?

1 Most Americans who were not adults during WWII have no understanding of the magnitude of it. 2 276,000 aircraft manufactured in the US . 3 43,000 planes lost overseas, including 23,000 in combat. 4 14,000 lost in the continental U.S.