USAF Aircraft! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Northrop T-38 Talon

A fun, maneuverable, quick and small aircraft, it has been deemed this, now its most widely used nickname. The T-38's design dates back to the early 60s, and is still in prolific use with the USAF and NASA. The fighter variants, the Northrop F-5 and F-20 are cheap, popular fighters with allied countries, too old for the fight in the US's frontline arsenal.

The AT-38 (attack-trainer) aircraft is painted with a blue camouflage scheme and are dubbed the 'smurf' jets.

Answer: Convair B-36 Peacemaker

The B-36 was a 6 engine pusher-prop (propellers behind the wing, later with 4 more jet engines, two near each wingtip), designed as a long range nuclear bomber. It was designed in the 40s, flew in the 60s under SAC, and was retired all too soon as world technology of course surpassed it. The B-36's wing out spans the C-5 by about 10 feet.

Answer: Rockwell B-1B Lancer

B-1B = 125,000lbs. With four GE F-101 afterburning engines, the B-1B can haul the big iron. Designed in the late 70s as a supersonic, high altitute 'swing wing' bomber, it has been forced to fill a low-level bombing role with the advancement in USSR SAM technology.

The agile Lancer fills both roles today admirably. B-36H = 85,000+lbs. With such a huge wing and airframe altogether, the Peacemaker outweighs even the big, 8-jet B-52. B-52H = 50,000+lbs. This magnificent airplane is 50 years old, and still jets the job done efficently. One of the most enduring military aircraft, the B-52 carries a deterring load of 50,000 pounds, and is not scheduled to retire for more than another decade. B-2A = 40,000lbs.

Answer: Convair B-58A Hustler

Designed in the '50s with the Whitcomb Area Rule for efficient supersonic flight, the Hustler was concieved to facilitate very fast nuclear attack on Russia, one in which the USSR could scarcely defend against. The B-58 was a badass, with 4 J79 GE hoss engines to propel it faster than Mach 2 at altitude.

The B-1 is advertised at less than Mach 1.5 at altitude, due mainly to its size and variable-geometry wings that are not designed for flat out speed.

Answer: Due to the inadequate performance of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom in Vietnam.

Let's hear it for choosing the most complicated answer! Although the F-16 has proven itself as great for multiple roles, it was the F-4's poor performance in Vietnam that made the AF bigwigs require a smaller, more maneuverable figher. It was too heavy and unmaneuverable to efficiently compete with the smaller (lighter) more maneuverable MiGs of the day. (LWF = light weight fighter, a low-cost, small and cheap figher prototype program to augment the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter program.)

For the other 2 answers, we did have other jet fighters; the Convair F-106 Delta Dart, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom and F-15 Eagle, the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, the Vought A-7 Corsair II, and more. And, the Shooting Star had been out dated since 1960.)

Answer: Lockheed C-5A/B Galaxy

The Galaxy's maximum takeoff weight is a whopping 837,000 lbs. This airframe is the heaviest of any USAF production model in history, the only aircraft to out-lift it now is the An-124 Condor and the monstrous Antonov An-225 Miyra 'Cossack,' MTOW over 1 million pounds. At the time of the C-5's rollout, and until the mid-nineties, the Galaxy was the heaviest airplane to date.

Answer: McDonnell Douglas C-9 Nightingale

The old DC-9 is being phased out as the AF's medivac airframe, and has served the role well for over 30 years. The Gulfstream mentioned is a VIP jet based off of the highly successful and expensive business jets. The E-8 JSTARS is a modified 707 for Joint Surveillance Target Acquisition Reporting System.

The OC-135 open skies is a modified C-135 for airborne reconnaissance in support of the Open Skies Treaty of 1992. It collects aircraft data over all U.S. territories and 26 participating countries.

Answer: HH-60G

The '-60' should give it away as a version of the 'Hawk'. The codename for the USAF's is the 'Pave Hawk'. This helo is a highly adaptable and effective helicopter, fairly new, but has had its share of mechanical problems. More than a few unfortunate deaths have occurred in them, but things are looking up as the days go by.

The CH-3E is an aging cargo helo from the '50s, the MH-53 is the CH-2's state-of-the-art replacement. The HH-1H is the AF designation of the even more famous UH-1 Iroquois, or 'Huey' as it is universally know.

Answer: Lockheed F-16C Fighting Falcon

This multi-talented bird is easily the most prolific, with about 1,500 total planes in the force. Not only is significant quantity met with the Falcon, but quality as well. The F-16 has proven itself as very successful, (try my F-16 quiz for more info and fun.) This aircraft is also the most widely exported jet fighter by a long shot, with over 20 different countries on the buyer list.

Answer: Lockheed F-35 (JSF)

The Pentagon's contract awarded to Lockheed in September of 2002 marked the largest in U.S. military history. The intention was that the F-35 (AKA Lightning II) would replace the A-10s and F-16s in the USAF by around 2020, but in the event the numbers ordered were slashed considerably, and the A-10 and F-16 were still in service in the early 2020s. Technological advances mean that advanced drone weapons may make the F-35 obsolete before it fully enters service.

P.S. Thanks a lot for playing! Hope you had fun and learned something about the mighty USAF. Questions, comments and corrections are welcomed and appreciated. -Jeff