Up in The Air Trivia Quiz

The F-14 Tomcat was designed by the Grumman Aerospace Corporation and it was classified as an interceptor, an air superiority fighter and a multi-role fighter as well. The F-14 was first flown on December 21, 1970 and would become part if the United States Navy's carrier-borne fighter fleet from 1974-2006.

The F-14 was known for its variable-sweep wings. These wings were usually extended out to 20° for takeoff and landings and could be retracted to an angle of up to 68° when the aircraft was flying at high speed. The F-14 Tomcat was famously depicted in the 1986 film "Top Gun" starring Tom Cruise.

The F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet is a multi-role carrier-borne fighter that was designed by both McDonnell Douglas and Northrop Grumman. The F/A-18 Hornet made its first flight on November 18, 1978 and entered service in 1983.

The aircraft shown in the photograph is the F/A-18E Super Hornet variant, a larger updated model introduced in 1995. The classic F/A-18 Hornet variants (A-D) have already been retired, however the Super Hornet variants are expected to remain in service until the 2030's. The F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet has been used by the United States Navy's famous aerobatics demonstration team, the Blue Angels, since 1986.

The F-35 Lightning II is a multi-role strike fighter designed by Lockheed Martin. The F-35 was first flown on December 15, 2006 and it entered official military service in 2015. There are several variants of the F-35 that are capable of VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) much like the older AV-8B Harrier.

The F-35 is the second Lockheed designed fighter aircraft to be named the Lightning. The first one was the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, which was a twin piston-engine fighter/bomber that was used during World War II (1941-1945).

The F-86 Sabre was a fighter jet designed by North American Aviation, who went out of business in 1967. The F-86 was first flown on October 1, 1947 and was active in the United States Air Force from 1949-1958. The F-86 was heavily relied on during the Korean War (1950-1953).

On May 18, 1953, American pilot Jacqueline Cochran became the first female aviator to break the sound barrier. She accomplished this feat using a Canadian variant of the F-86 Sabre (Canadair CL-13 Sabre). Jacqueline Cochran had wanted to attempt to break the sound barrier with an American built F-86, but the U.S. Air Force refused her request.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an air superiority/multi-role fighter that was designed by General Dynamics. The Fighting Falcon is said to have first flown on January 20, 1974, though it was accidental. The prototype aircraft was conducting a high-speed taxi text when its test pilot was forced to go airborne to prevent a crash.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon began service for the U.S. Air Force in 1978. The Air Force was expected to being phasing the F-16 out beginning in 2025, but this has been pushed back due to delays with the F-35's production. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is the aircraft that has been used by the USAF's Thunderbirds aerobatic demonstration team since 1983.

The F-4 Phantom II was an interceptor/fighter-bomber aircraft that was designed by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. The F-4 was first flown on May 27, 1958. It would be operated by the United States Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps from 1960-1996 and was heavily utilized during the Vietnam War.

The F-4 was the second McDonnell built aircraft to feature the name Phantom. Its predecessor was the McDonnell FH Phantom, a fighter jet with a short operational history. The FH Phantom was first flown in 1945 and would be retired from the US Navy and Marine Corps in 1949.

The F-22 Raptor is an air superiority / stealth fighter that was designed by Lockheed Martin. An early prototype of the F-22 (YF-22) was first flown on September 7, 1997. The F-22 would enter service for the United States Air Force in 2005.

The F-22 was originally supposed to be given the name Lightning II by Lockheed, but the name would be used for the F-35 instead. The F-22 Raptor has enjoyed some Hollywood stardom as it was used as the vehicle mode of the villain named Starscream in the first three live-action "Transformers" movies.

The F-104 Starfighter was an air superiority fighter / fighter-bomber that was designed by the Lockheed Corporation. The F-104 completed its first flight on March 4, 1954 and was placed into service by the U.S. Air Force in 1958. The F-104 Starfighter was in operation for a little over a decade.

Although the F-104 sports twin side-mounted intakes, it was powered by a single engine. The F-104 Starfighter was marred with technical issues in its early years, but it would later be used extensively during the early part of the Vietnam War. The F-104 would eventually be phased out in 1969 in favor of the F-4 Phantom II.

The F-15 Eagle / Strike Eagle is an air superiority fighter jet that was designed by McDonnell Douglas. The F-15 made its inaugural flight on July 27, 1972 and entered service for the United States Air Force in 1976. While the F-15 has ceased being manufactured, the F-15E Strike Eagle variant is expected to remain in active service until the 2030s.

The F-15 Eagle has had a strong influence in pop culture. The aircraft was used as the vehicle design for Leader-1 in the "Gobots" toy franchise, as well as the original Decepticon jets of "The Transformers" franchise. It has also been featured in a few movies such as "Air Force One" (1997).

The F-111 Aardvark was a multi-role fighter jet designed by the General Dynamics Corporation and was first flown on December 21, 1964. The F-111 would serve in the United States Air Force from 1967-1998.

The F-111 Aardvark with its variable-sweep wing design, looks very similar to the F-14 Tomcat, whose design was heavily influenced by the F-111's. One good way to tell the difference between the two jets is that the F-111 Aardvark has only one vertical stabilizer on its tail, while the F-14 Tomcat has two.