Image: Shutterstock
About This Quiz
Military aircraft have evolved over the ages into efficient flying machines. They are now sleek, fast and agile, perfect for military missions! Do you think you know military planes? Take this quiz and find out!
What military aircraft is the fastest plane in the world?
Sukhoi Su-24
SR-71 Blackbird
The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird set the official record of 2,193 mph in 1976.
F-18 Hornet
What is notable about the Harrier Jump Jet?
Using directed thrust, it can take off and land vertically.
The Harrier Jump Jet was developed to take off and land in small spaces, without a long runway.
The weight of its maximum bomb payload is greater than the unloaded weight of the plane itself.
It is the world's first combat glider.
What kind of engine was originally going to be used in the experimental XB-70 Valkyrie?
a heavily modified Dodge Hemi
a nuclear reactor
The idea of powering the XB-70 with a nuclear reactor was abandoned when it became clear how costly and potentially disastrous it would be.
a compressed air thrust system
Advertisement
What is the largest airplane in the world?
C-5 Galaxy
Antonov An-225 Mriya
The An-225 is larger and heavier than any other plane in the world. Only one was built, although it's currently in commercial service and no longer a military plane.
C-17 Globemaster III
What plane did Britain produce in greater numbers than any other during World War II?
De Havilland Hornet
Supermarine Spitfire
More than 20,000 Supermarine Spitfires were produced. The plane was instrumental in the Battle of Britain.
Vickers Valiant
What is the maximum payload of the B-52 Stratofortress?
20,000 pounds
40,000 pounds
70,000 pounds
The B-52s 70,000-pound capacity, performance and upgradability have allowed it to remain in service for more than 60 years.
Advertisement
What U.S. World War II fighter plane had a distinctive twin-tail shape?
P-36 Hawk
P-38 Lightning
The P-38's twin-tails gave it very stable aerodynamics, but it was not the most agile plane. It excelled as a heavy fighter and in fighter/bomber missions.
P-66 Vanguard
The Yak-3 was a fighter plane used by what nation during World War II?
Russia
The Yakovlev Yak-3 was a small, light but extremely agile fighter deployed by Soviet forces in World War II.
Britain
China
The P-40 Warhawk was the primary aircraft of what famous American fighter group, known for their toothy nose art?
the Flying Tigers
The Flying Tigers were a volunteer group of U.S. pilots that fought in China against Japan.
the Spooky Squadron
the Devilfish
Advertisement
What was the name of the B-29 Superfortress that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima?
Enola Gay
The pilot named the Enola Gay for his mother.
Hellfire Special
Jenny Come Home
What World War II bomber was featured in the movie "Memphis Belle?"
B-24 Liberator
B-25 Mitchell
B-17 Flying Fortress
Ones of the B-17s used in the movie is still flown today with the Memphis Belle name. The real Memphis Belle that inspired the movie is undergoing restoration.
What primary role does the AH-64 Apache helicopter play?
heavy transport
attack gunship
With its 30 mm chain gun and Hellfire missiles, the Apache is a formidable attack helicopter.
scouting and observation
Advertisement
During what war were aerial balloons first used on a large scale for military purposes?
the American Civil War
The Union had a balloon corps that performed mapping and observation duties in the Civil War.
the War of 1812
the Franco-Prussian War
The Waco CG-4A differed from almost every other combat aircraft in World War II because it was missing what?
windows
a tail rudder
an engine
The Waco was a combat glider, towed behind a C-47. It had no engine of its own.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II is commonly known by what nickname?
Smokey
Turkey Vulture
Warthog
Its ungainly appearance earned the A-10 the Warthog nickname.
Advertisement
The Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik fighter is a good example of Soviet industrial capacity during World War II. How many did the Russians produce?
more than 12,000
about 25,000
more than 36,000
The Soviets put over 36,000 Sturmoviks in the air during the war.
Near the end of World War II, the U.S. captured a German Ho 229 V3. What was it?
a submarine-launched rocket plane
a prototype spaceplane that could have bombed U.S. cities
the world's first operational jet-powered flying wing
The Ho 229 was a flying wing, a plane with no fuselage.
Which plane was the first jet to be used in combat?
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 was probably the most advanced plane of World War II, but being at the cutting edge of technology made it complicated and difficult to maintain.
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Kawasaki Ki-100 Goshikisen
Advertisement
The planes widely known as "Zeroes" were used by what nation in World War II?
Italy
Germany
Japan
Allied forces developed codenames for Japanese aircraft because the Japanese designations were complicated and hard to differentiate. The official codename for the Zero was Zeke.
What was the only jet fighter used by the Allies in World War II?
Gloster Meteor
Nearly 4,000 Gloster Meteors were built, entering service in 1944.
P-51 Mustang
Curtiss Helldiver
The Sopwith Camel was a successful British fighter plane from what war?
the Boer War
World War I
When Snoopy pretends to be a World War I flying ace, he flies an imaginary Sopwith Camel.
World War II
Advertisement
The Fokker Dr.I was a tri-wing World War I fighter plane commonly associated with what legendary German pilot?
Johann Mueller, the Iron Duke
Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron
Manfred von Richthofen flew several different types of aircraft during World War I, but the distinctive look of the Dr.I's three wings made it more notorious than the others.
Karl Lindmarst, the Berlin Butcher
Reduced radar signature and lowered thermal emissions are key aspects of what kind of military aircraft technology?
smart bomb technology
stealth technology
Stealth aircraft are designed to have radar signatures far smaller than their actual size and to diffuse and mask the thermal output of the engines.
ultra-long range technology
What was the first stealth fighter ever used in combat?
Sukhoi PAK FA
F-117 Nighthawk
The F-117 Nighthawk first saw action in Panama in 1989. As of 2016, the U.S. is the only nation to have used stealth aircraft in combat.
A-12 Avenger
Advertisement
The Avro Vulcan bomber accidentally achieved what characteristic due to its design?
extremely low radar signature
Stealth technology wasn't really a consideration when the Vulcan was designed in the 1950s, but its sleek design with enclosed engines and a low-profile fuselage made it more difficult to detect on radar than almost any other aircraft of its era.
ultra-long range fuel efficiency
the ability to fly to the upper edge of the atmosphere
What U.S. jet fighter, in use from the 1970s through the early 2000s, was featured in the movie "Top Gun?"
F-20 Tigershark
F-15 Strike Eagle
F-14 Tomcat
Goose, Maverick and Iceman flew F-14 Tomcats.
The Bell UH-1 helicopter, used heavily by U.S. troops in Vietnam, was known by what nickname?
Hangtime
Huey
Hueys played a number of roles in Vietnam, including assault missions and medical evacuation of troops.
Bulldog
Advertisement
What powerful U.S. fighter jet was discontinued partly because there were simply no other planes in the world that could challenge it, reducing the need to produce more?
F-15 Strike Eagle
F-22 Raptor
The F-22 Raptor was literally too good. The more versatile F-35 will be the primary fighter for the U.S. military instead.
AV-8B Harrier II
What is the name of the jet fighter currently in use with five different European nations?
EU-77 Citadel
IG-4 EuroJet
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon was designed and built via a multi-nation effort. Several Middle Eastern nations are also using it.
What two jet fighters were the most advanced and most likely to face each other over Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s?
B-58 Hustler and Yak-28
F-111B and Tu-28
F-4 Phantom II and MiG-21
F-4 Phantom IIs and MiG-21s engaged in many duels in the skies of Vietnam.
Advertisement
You Got:
/30
Shutterstock