Gallery: Climb Into the Cockpits of History's Greatest Warplanes, From WWI to Today
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It's not as well known as the Sopwith Camel, but Britain's Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 may have been the better fighter, despite an unreliable engine. More than 5,000 copies of the plane saw service in World War I, at the command of British and American pilots on the western front.
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The Bristol F.2B flew like a single-seater, but was armed like an aircraft twice its size. The pilot and gunner sat back-to-back in what one pilot called the "big, complex bi-plane." The Brits built and flew 5,329 F.2B's, and kept some in service into the 1930s.
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By the time of the Second World War, air power had beefed up considerably. The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt—aka the "Jug"—was a complicated but spacious long-range single-seater. One pilot said "if you got tired of flying, you could go for a walk around the stick."
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The P-51 Mustang was, in a sense, America's entry into WWII: North American Aviation (part of General Motors) designed the fighter to serve the British starting in 1940. When America joined the fray, the Mustang escorted bombers deep into German territory. One pilot called the instrument layout "a bit messy" and the head room inadequate, but said the plane was "delightfully easy to handle."
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Of course Japan had its fighters, too. The Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu, aka the Dragon Slayer, entered combat over Burma (now Myanmar) in the fall of 1942. It was a fierce enemy of both American PT boats and B-29 bombers, which it attacked from below.
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After the Brits successfully used radar to send the Luftwaffe back east, the Americans built the emerging technology into the Northrop P-61 Black Widow. The twin-boomed nighttime specialist wasn't pretty, and the crowded instrument panel was too far for at least one pilot's reach. The P-61 served in the European and Pacific theaters, leaving service just before the start of the Korean War.
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When the most famous American WWII plane entered service, the B-17 Flying Fortress was the world's fastest, highest-flying bomber. It served the RAF starting in 1941 and later led some of the first attacks deep into German territory. B-17 pilot Ray Fowler calls the cockpit "totally different" from any other aircraft, with a throttle you held from underneath.
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The United States spent more money developing the B-29 Superfortress than creating the atomic bomb. Between June 1944 and August 1945, the plane dropped 170,000 tons of bombs and 12,000 aerial mines—and then the B-29 *Enola Gay* attacked Hiroshima. With adjustable seats and relatively simple controls, "It feels like you're commanding a big ship," says pilot David Oliver. "You just kind of sit there, call out commands, and fly the airplane."
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Boeing's B-52 Stratofortress, a champion of longevity, entered service in 1955 and is [fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria](https://stag-komodo.wired.com/2016/04/gods-green-earth-b-52-still-service/). The strategic bomber's eight engines make for a complicated instrument cluster, and pilots with small hands can have trouble moving all eight throttles simultaneously.
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The F-15 Eagle is a triumph of late 20th century airplane design. Fast and maneuverable, with great visibility and a fearsome arsenal, the fighter jet's got 101 aerial victories—and not a single loss. Pilot Cory Bower says the cockpit is "naturally spacious," and the plane is so quiet you can hear how airflow changes over the wings, a potentially vital cue during a dogfight.
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The brutish A-10 Thunderbolt—aka the Warthog—is [little more than a steel tub with wings](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/2015/07/a-10-thunderbolt/), and that's what makes it so wonderful. Like the B-52, it's a Cold War creation that's still in service, and likely will be until the long-awaited F-35 enters service. Pilot Jack Hudson says the guns are powerful enough to take a few miles per hour off the speed of this "honest airplane."
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Capable of Mach 2.25 and carrying air-to-air missiles, the Soviet Mikoyan MiG-29 quickly proved itself a threat to America's F-15, F-16, and F/A-18 fighters. According to pilot Peter Steiniger, the MiG was "great to fly," thanks to good visibility and understandable controls.
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The F-35 Lighting II is both [incredibly sophisticated](https://stag-komodo.wired.com/2016/05/israel-can-customize-americas-f-35-least-now/) and incredibly expensive ([even the helmet costs $400,000](https://stag-komodo.wired.com/2016/06/course-f-35-comes-400000-augmented-reality-helmet/)). After 15 years in development, it's finally clawing its way into service, arriving in three versions, including one with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. Air Force instructor pilot Daniel Toftness says the minimal switches and big touchscreens make for a simple cockpit and a plane that's rather easy to fly.
