Military Aircraft Reviews

Aircraft Review: Viggen SF-37 by DeltaWing Simulations By Alan Ashforth Introduction Hello and welcome to my review of the DeltaWing Simulations Saab Viggen, using the latest stable release of X-Plane 12, as of 10 July 2025. The Saab Viggen (Thunderbolt or Tufted Duck) SF-37 is a Swedish, jet-propelled, single-seat reconnaissance aircraft based on the JA-37 fighter bomber. This version dispenses with the onboard radar and instead features a revised nose cone housing forward-facing cameras. Additional camera pods are also carried under the wings. First introduced in 1971, a total of 28 aircraft of this variant were built. The Viggen became well known for its delta wi…

Aircraft Review - V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor XP12 Is it a helicopter or an aircraft? that is usually the first question asked about the V-22 Osprey. It's formal title is "Tiltrotor", so you would say helicopter with those massive three blades per side, but the machine can also convert to a forward flying aerodynamic winged aircraft, and then flies in that same configuration as a normal aircraft. It doesn't fly like a helicopter either with no collective to bite the air or cyclic... it is a strange machine. The failure of Operation Eagle Claw in 1980 during the Iran hostage crisis underscored that there were military roles for which neither conventional helicopters nor fix…

Aircraft Review: F-15C Eagle by FACO Simulations By Nick Garlick Introduction After our last escapade in Paro, Bhutan, today I switch gears and take to the skies in a bird of prey—none other than the iconic F-15C Eagle by FACO Simulations. This Eagle isn't just any raptor; it's a legendary combat aircraft that made its mark as a direct response to the Russian MiG-25 Foxbat, which took the Western world by surprise when it entered service in 1967. The F-15 Eagle was envisioned as a cutting-edge, single-seat fighter with unparalleled visibility from the cockpit and stellar dogfighting capabilities. It was designed to dominate the skies with a thru…

Aircraft Review: AOASimulations-T6A Texan II X-Plane 12 By Stuart McGregor Introduction The release of the AOA T-6A Texan ll was done in the change over twilight zone of a legacy version with its ground-breaking advancements that was achieved with X-Plane 11, which essentially is at the end of its commercial run, and the eagerly awaited X-Plane 12, which still had some way to go until it is in its final release state in December 2023. For us armchair pilots this can be a little frustrating in our 365, 24/7 on-the-go world, where patience isn’t a commodity you see a lot of these days, so I can only imagine the dilemma this gives commercial develop…

Military Aircraft Review : North American T-6G Texan by Khamsin Studios & Philip Ubben The extent of the full impression of the effects of the North American T-6G Texan are hidden behind the diversity of the models and the different variations of the original aircraft. Not only for the American Air Force and Naval services "SNJ". But the British Commonwealth versions under the "Harvard" moniker, and localised variations of the Australian CAC Wirraway and Canada's Noorduyn, and it was even developed later into the North American P-64, altogether there has been 15,495 aircraft built, and it had an operational life of 60 Years (1935 to 1995). No small feat fo…

Aircraft Review : BAe Systems Hawk T1/A Trainer by JustFlight - Thranda Design The Folland Gnat T.1 was the mainstay of RAF jet training onwards from 1959. The aircraft was a nimble and extremely good training aircraft for pilots moving into military jet aircraft and then moving on upwards to the heavier Hawker Hunters and English Electric Lightings. But in the early 70's the RAF realised that the next generation of jet fighters would require a more advanced trainer and a two-seater to accommodate the Sepecat Jaguar and the Panavia Tornado. The result was the Hawker Siddeley Hawk T1 (Trainer Mk1). In reality the relationship of the Hawk to it's predecesso…

Aircraft Review : Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 AJT by Deltawing Simulations This is the excellent Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 AJT "Advanced Jet Trainer". The Aermacchi M-346 Master is a family of military twin-engine transonic advanced jet trainers and light combat aircraft. Originally co-developed with Yakovlev as the Yak/AEM-130, the partnership was dissolved in 2000 and then Alenia Aermacchi proceeded to separately develop the M-346 Master, while Yakolev continued work on the Yakovlev Yak-130. The first flight of the M-346 was performed in 2004. The type is currently operated by the air forces of Italy, Israel, Singapore, Greece, Turkmenistan and Poland. Since 2016 the manu…

Aircraft Review: SR-71-TB Project by VSKYLABS for X-PLane 12 By Michael Hayward Introduction The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a mainstay in the US Air Force for three decades, was renowned for its high-speed, long-distance reconnaissance capabilities. Constructed by Lockheed Martin in the 1960s, it initially took shape as the YF-12, then the A-12, serving as a successor to the older and slower U-2. The Blackbird was created under the stringent secrecy of Lockheed Martin’s Clarence “Kelly” Johnson as part of the “Skunk Works” programme. It was publicly unveiled by President Johnson during his 1964 election campaign. In this review, we delve into the…

Aircraft Review: X-Hangar Lockheed C-130 Hercules By David York Introduction The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, an iconic American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft, was designed and built by Lockheed, and is renowned for being the longest continuously produced military aircraft for over 60 years. I recall initially mistaking the Air America movie's aircraft for the Hercules, with Mel Gibson seemingly playing a supporting role to the airplane. The confusion was understandable, given the quick shots and my incorrect engine count. The C-130, with its four engines, shares a resemblance to the Fairchild C-123 Provider, which is a derivativ…

Aircraft Review : T-7A Red Hawk X-Plane 12 by Angle of Attack In March 2024, Angle of Attack Simulations released for the X-Plane 11 Simulator the T-7A Red Hawk. The Boeing/SAAB T-7A Red Hawk is the US Air Force’s newest fast jet training aircraft. It was designed to replace the more than 50 year old Northrup T-38 Talon, and to better prepare new military pilots for the future advanced aircraft they will fly later. The first T-X aircraft flew on 20 December 2016 via the T-X program. The Boeing-Saab team then submitted their entry after the Air Force opened the T-X program to bids in December 2016. In September 2018, Air Force officials announced th…

Aircraft Review : F-104 FXP Starfighter by Colimata This is the first operational fighter aircraft to fly a sustained twice the speed of sound. It is of course the Lockheed F-104 "Starfighter", or otherwise known as a "Missile with a man in it". The F-104 is a pure machine built for pure speed, it looks fast... Supersonic fast, just a long pointy fuselage, with those small straight, mid-mounted, trapezoidal wings, and a high stabilator (fully moving horizontal stabilizer) which was mounted atop the fin to reduce inertia coupling, it was the ultimate interceptor aircraft. Of course NASA loved it, the USAF not so much. But an iconic airc…

Aircraft Review: Aero L-29 Delfín XP12 by MLADG By Stéphane Tolédo-Paul Introduction Aero Vodochody, a Czechoslovak automobile and aircraft manufacturing company, was established in 1919 in Prague by Vladimir Kabes. Originally specialising in aircraft repair and maintenance, the company eventually began designing its own aircraft, such as the Aero A.01 and A.14. It later manufactured reconnaissance and bomber aircraft like the Aero A.11. After the war, the company produced MiG-15s, MiG-19s, and MiG-21s under license. In 1959, in response to a request from Soviet authorities, it introduced the Aero L-29 Delfín, which is the subject of this review. After t…

Aircraft Update Review: AOA F-22 Raptor for X-Plane 12 By Alan Ashforth Aircraft Review/Tutorial: Lockheed Martin F22A Raptor Version 1.0 by AOA Simulations Hello and welcome to my flight review/tutorial of the AOA F-22A Version 1.0 for X-Plane 12.06. I previously reviewed this aircraft for X-Plane 11, and in this article, you’ll discover how it has been enhanced for X-Plane 12. For a comprehensive overview and initial impressions of the F-22A, I recommend checking out Stephen Dutton's excellent write-up, which can be found here. In this review, I'll approach the model from a general user's perspective, covering both start-up options: engines running and "cold and da…

Aircraft Review : P-51D Mustang XP11 by Skunkcrafts Khamsin Studio's released their version of the P-51D Mustang fighter only over just two years ago. Strangely though it seems this iconic aircraft has to have been around in X-Plane for far longer than that, but no it was only released in April 2016. Now here comes the X-Plane11 version of the aircraft. If you are expecting a straight conversion to X-Plane11 of the S'tang from the original then you will be surprised to hear that, that this is not what has actually happened in this case... It looks exactly the same, it flies almost the same, but this is also a very different aircraft from the one y…

Aircraft Review: He-162 Project - VSKYLABS 'Test-Pilot' By Stéphane Tolédo-Paul Introduction Heinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by Ernst Heinkel in 1922. The company was responsible for a number of famous aircraft, such as the He 178, the first jet-powered aircraft to fly, the twin-engine bomber He 111, which was the backbone of German bombing during World War II, the four-engine bomber He 177, the He 100, which was an unsuccessful competitor to the Messerschmitt Bf 109, as well as the highly effective He 219 Uhu night fighter and, of course, the He 162 "Salamander" or Volksjäger (People's Fighter) which we wi…

Aircraft Review: MLADG Messerschmitt Bf 109 Peter Allnutt Introduction The Me-109, designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser, first flew in 1935 while they were working at Bayerische Flugzeugwerke. It quickly gained recognition as one of the most advanced fighters of the time as it featured an all-metal monocoque, closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. The Me-109 remained in production throughout World War II and nearly 47,000 variants were produced. In fact, it became the second-most-produced fighter aircraft in history, second only to the Soviet Il2-Shturmovik. The Me-109, which was not the official German designation, was the …

Aircraft Review: MLADG Me 262 By Nick Garlick Introduction Previously on “Garlick Reviews”, we looked at the wonderful Grumman Tigercat by Virtavia, and in today’s piece, my adventure with vintage aircraft designs continues, as I have been given the keys to both a “Swallow” and a “Storm Bird”. For those of us who are fluent in German, that’s a Schwalbe and Sturmvogel, however, to me and you, it’s the Messerschmitt Me 262 (fighter and fighter bomber) from MLADG. Developed during the Second World War, the Messerschmitt Me 262 served with the Luftwaffe, both as a fighter and a fighter bomber. It had a climb rate of almost 4,000 ft/min, a …

Aircraft Review: Grumman F7F Tigercat by Virtavia By Nick Garlick Introduction Today I am pleased to share my thoughts on a classic warbird from the late 1940s, the Grumman F7 Tigercat from Virtavia, perhaps one of the least well-known of the "Grumman felines”. Designed and conceived in the latter stages of World War 2, the Grumman Aircraft Company delivered the F7F Tigercat in response to a request from the United States Navy for a fast well-armed convoy fighter. Grumman’s Tigercat would eventually go on to serve with both the United States Navy (USN) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) until 1954. The Tigercat had a …

Aircraft Review: MiG-15 by MLADG By Stéphane Tolédo-Paul Mikoyan-Gurevitch, (MiG) founded in 1939, is renowned for its production of famous fighter aircraft, such as the MiG-1 and 3, MiG-21 "Lancer", MiG-23 "Flogger", MiG-29 "Fulcrum", and of course the MiG-15bis "Fagot" and MiG-17 "Fresco" which is the focus of this review. The MiG-15 was one of the first mass-produced swept-wing jets, making its maiden flight on 30th December 1947, and was introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1949. More than 13,000 airframes were produced, with another 4,200 manufactured under license. More than forty countries have (at one time or another) operated t…

Aircraft Review: VSKYLABS F-19 Stealth Fighter for X-Plane 12 By Alan Ashforth This is a review of the new VSKYLABS F-19, which along with X-Plane 12, is rapidly receiving updates. As such, this article will offer a snapshot of the F-19 in its current state (version 1.5 at the time of writing), and X-Plane 12 Beta 9, as of 29th October 2022. Introduction The actual F-19 story can be traced back to the 1980s when numerous news articles began circulating about a supposedly secret stealth aircraft called the “F-19”. At the time, the USAF had taken delivery of the F-117 Stealth Fighter, and when one of these highly secretive aircraft crashed in California in 1986, it onl…

Aircraft Review/Tutorial: Lockheed Martin F22A Raptor Version 1.3 by AOA Simulations Hello and welcome to my flight review/tutorial of the AOA F-22A Version 1.3 for X-Plane 11.55. For an overall view and first look of the F-22A, please check out Stephen Dutton’s excellent write-up found here. In this article, I will be looking at the model from a general user perspective, covering both start options, from engines running and from “cold and dark”. The F-22 Raptor entered service with the USAF in December 2005 as the F-22A, with the program producing 187 operational production aircraft, the last F-22 being delivered in 2012. The current …

Aircraft Review : Lockheed Martin F22A Raptor by AOA Simulations The USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, was a demonstration and validation program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters that were under development in the 1980s. Lockheed and Northrop were selected in 1986 to develop the YF-22 and the YF-23 technology demonstrator aircraft. These aircraft were evaluated in 1991 and the Lockheed YF-22 was selected and later developed into the F-22 Raptor. Personally I thought the sensational Northrop…

Aircraft Profile : C-17 Globemaster III by Virtavia and Dawson Designs World armed services are not anymore defined by their firepower or size. There is now a new equation to fighting conflicts that are on a global scale... Logistics. How quickly and how many personnel and equipment can be moved can make the difference between success and failure in a war zone. The old background areas of the services are now the front line in advance and retreat. Putting "Boots on the ground" or quickly removing them to safety is paramount and can deem a mission a success or failure. Your front line weapons are huge transporters with older C5-A Galaxy's and An-12…

Aircraft Update : T-7A Red Hawk v1.1 by AOA Simulations X-PlaneReviews covered the initial release of the Angle of Attack (AOA) Simulations Boeing/Saab T-7 Red Hawk multi-purpose new generation trainer, the aircraft came out of the winner of the T-X program requirements. Overall it was a great effort in developing an aircraft that is not actually in service yet, but that is the X-Plane experience. Overall though there was a few areas that X-PlaneReviews found a little wanting (you could say rushed to market) that hid the more well done development in recreating the T-7 Red Hawk. So here is the v1.1 update and quick in the response it is to cover t…

Aircraft Review : Avro Vulcan B Mk.2, K.2 and MRR by JustFlight The Avro Vulcan (officially Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963), is a four-engined jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. The Vulcan B.1 was first delivered to the RAF in 1956; deliveries of the improved Vulcan B.2 started in 1960. The B.2 featured more powerful engines, a larger wing, an improved electrical system and electronic countermeasures (ECM); many were modified to accept the Blue Steel missile. As a part of the V-force, the Vulcan was the backbone of the United Kingdom’s airborne nuclear deterrent during much of t…