The Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXc is an iconic World War II British fighter. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 series engine, it was famously designed as an emergency response to counter the Luftwaffe’s Fw 190. The “c” designation indicates its wing armament configuration. This Spitfire is performing at the 2026 Spirit of St. Louis AirContinue reading “Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXc”
Tag Archives: air show
The “Warthog”
The A-10C Thunderbolt II is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces. They are simple, effective and survivable twin-engine jet aircraft that can be used against light maritime attack aircraft and all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles. Click here for the all photos from theContinue reading “The “Warthog””
Blue Angels at the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels currently fly the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (specifically the single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F). They transitioned from the older “Legacy” Hornet to the larger, more powerful Super Hornet to showcase the maximum capabilities of modern naval aviation. These are spectaculr to watch. Phots were taken at the 2026 SpiritContinue reading “Blue Angels at the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show”
23 Skidoo
Old and new
North American P-51 Mustang flying with Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The Mustang was introduced in 1941 and has a top speed of 441 mph. The Raptor was introduced in 2005 and has a top speed of 1,500 mph (well, maybe). The extreme maneuverability of the Raptor is demonstrated here, where it is easily flying inContinue reading “Old and new”
Hornet
The business end of a F/A-18 Hornet. Designed and built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Missouri. This aircraft serves both on land and aircraft carrier. If you drive near Lambert Field (Lambert International Airport) you might see the Hornet’s doing test flights. A friend was a manger for the development of F/A-18. When askedContinue reading “Hornet”
P-51 Mustang
Air shows give you a unique opportunity to photograph unique aircraft. One of the great opportunities is the daredevil pilots will fly very low to the ground to give you a shot that looks like you are up there with them. This photo was taken at the Scott Air Force Base air show. The P-51Continue reading “P-51 Mustang”
MIG-17 at Scott AFB Air Show
Every few years the nearby Scott Air Force Base holds an open house and a nice air show with a wide variety of military aircraft. This MIG-17 was the most unique thing flying that day. It looked like a cockpit mounted on a jet engine. However, this was a very deadly aircraft against an adversary.Continue reading “MIG-17 at Scott AFB Air Show”
TBM-3E “Avenger”
The Avenger is part of the Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force stationed in St. Charles County. This photograph is from their Open House held in September 2016. For free you visit the St. Charles Smartt Airport, walk around to see the planes and watch them fly. See more photos: https://greatrivers.smugmug.com/Events/Pumpkin-Drop/