Combat Aircraft Journal

01/11/2025

NASA X-59 supersonic research aircraft flies https://www.key.aero/article/nasa-x-59-supersonic-research-aircraft-flies?utm_source=Facebook

Image credit: Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and NASA successfully completed the first flight of the X-59 research aircraft on October 28, 2025.

30/10/2025

Turkish deal details for Eurofighter Typhoons https://www.key.aero/article/turkey-signs-typhoons?utm_source=Facebook

Image credit: BAE Systems

Turkey has signed a deal to purchase 20 Eurofighter Typhoons.

28/10/2025

The Maryland Air National Guard (ANG) has officially retired its last A-10C Thunderbolt II https://www.key.aero/article/maryland-ang-retires-10s?utm_source=Facebook

Image credit: USAF

The Maryland Air National Guard (ANG) has officially retired its last A-10C Thunderbolt II.

28/10/2025

Attrition Report including the investigation findings on a B-2A Spirit accident https://www.key.aero/article/attrition-report-including-b-2a-spirit-accident-findings?utm_source=Facebook

Image credit: USAF

Attrition Report including the investigation findings on a B-2A Spirit accident

28/10/2025

🛩️ PISTONS, PASSENGERS AND PAYLOADS – The Golden Age of British Air Transport

Step back into the remarkable era when Britain’s piston-engine aircraft carried a nation — and its ambitions — across the skies.

From the end of the Great War to the dawn of the jet age, Pistons, Passengers and Payloads charts the development of British commercial and passenger aircraft during one of aviation’s most transformative periods.

Author Roger Staker reveals the story of 17 pioneering manufacturers whose designs shaped global air travel — through innovation, adversity, and the constant pursuit of progress.

✈️ The rise, fall, and merger of Britain’s early air transport companies
⚙️ How wartime innovation accelerated civilian aviation
📷 Featuring many previously unseen photographs
📚 A detailed chronicle of an often-overlooked chapter in British aviation history

⚠️ Limited print run – pre-order now to secure your copy before release.
Expected delivery: 30 November 2025

📘 Pistons, Passengers and Payloads — a captivating tribute to the machines and minds that paved the way for modern air travel.

👉 Pre-order today: https://shop.keypublishing.com/products/pistons-passengers-and-payloads?utm_source=Facebook

ISBN: 978 1 83632 139 2 | Paperback | 128 pages

28/10/2025

🚀 MACH BUSTERS – The Untold Story of Those Who Broke the Limits of Speed

Introducing Mach Busters — a breathtaking tribute to the pilots who broke every barrier of speed and courage.

From Group Captain “Willie” Wilson’s trailblazing 1945 flight in the Gloster Meteor F.4 to Major General Eldon Joersz’s record-shattering 2,193 mph run in the SR-71 Blackbird, Mach Busters chronicles the lives of 21 extraordinary aviators who dared to redefine the limits of flight.

Written by Bart Vandamme, this definitive 512-page hardback combines meticulous research, first-hand accounts, and over 450 rare and unpublished photographs to bring the golden age of speed to life.

✨ Each record officially documented by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)
🔥 An epic journey through the Cold War race for supremacy in the sky

📘 Mach Busters is a powerful celebration of the courage, skill, and spirit of those who flew faster than fear itself.

⚠️ Only 400 copies will be printed — once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Don’t miss your chance to own this limited-edition volume — a collector’s piece for aviation and military history enthusiasts alike.

👉 Secure your copy now: https://shop.keypublishing.com/products/mach-busters?utm_source=Facebook

ISBN: 978 1 83632 121 7

28/10/2025

Ukraine has formally announced an intention to purchase up to 150 Saab JAS 39 Gripen E fighters https://www.key.aero/article/ukraine-signs-loi-large-saab-gripen-e-order?utm_source=Facebook

Image credit: Ninni Andersson/Government Offices of Sweden

Ukraine has formally announced an intention to purchase up to 150 Saab JAS 39 Gripen E fighters.

27/10/2025

🚀 Celebrating 60 Years of US Naval Aviation Excellence

US NAVAIR – Naval Air Systems Command: 60th Anniversary

For six decades, the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has stood at the forefront of innovation, engineering, and operational excellence — supporting the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) and ensuring that the US Navy remains at the tip of the spear.

📘 This special 116-page anniversary volume charts NAVAIR’s incredible evolution — from its establishment in 1966 as the successor to the Bureau of Naval Weapons to its modern-day role as the Navy’s principal aviation systems provider.

🌍 Headquartered in Lexington Park, Maryland, and operating across eight major US locations and one overseas, NAVAIR continues to advance the future of naval air power.

🔍 Inside this commemorative edition:

A deep dive into NAVAIR’s six-decade legacy

Profiles of key bases, centres, squadrons, and aircraft

Rare archival insights and stunning imagery

📦 Expected Delivery: 20th November 2025
💷 Price: £9.99
🛒 Pre-order now: shop.keypublishing.com/products/us-navair-naval-air-systems-command-60th-anniversary?utm_source=Facebook

27/10/2025

FREE MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ: How good is your knowledge of USAF air bases? https://www.key.aero/article/usaf-air-base-quiz-do-you-know-which-us-state-base?utm_source=Facebook

Image credit: USAF/Airman 1st Class Trust Tate

How good is your knowledge of USAF air bases?

24/10/2025

The Swedish Air Force has accepted its initial example of the Saab JAS 39E Gripen into service https://www.key.aero/article/gripen-e-enters-swedish-air-force-service?utm_source=Facebook

Image credit: Annika Beijbom/Försvarsmakten

The Swedish Air Force has accepted its initial example of the Saab JAS 39E Gripen into service.

23/10/2025

Babak Taghvaee takes us inside the world’s only active Il-76MF fleet and the shadowy fate of the prototype https://www.key.aero/article/egypts-rare-ilyushin-il-76mfs?utm_source=Facebook

Image credit: Babak Taghvaee

Babak Taghvaee takes us inside the world’s only active Il-76MF fleet and the shadowy fate of the prototype

22/10/2025

Air Combat Command has just arrived in our warehouse!

Buy your own copy today - only £9.99!

Air Combat Command stands at the forefront of U.S. airpower — providing the combat air forces that protect and project America’s strength around the world.
From legendary fighters like the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-22 Raptor to cutting-edge intelligence aircraft like the U-2, ACC delivers dominance in the skies.
Home to the USAF Warfare Center, Weapons School, and Exercise Red Flag at Nellis AFB — the cradle of American combat airpower — this 116-page special edition takes you inside the tip of the spear.

Don't miss out! 👇
https://shop.keypublishing.com/products/air-combat-command?utm_source=Facebook

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