Famous Fighters
World history is often defined by wars. During the 20th and 21st centuries, aircraft came to play increasingly important roles in determining the outcome of battles as well as being deterrents to aggression. Military aircraft came of age during World War II, and their utility for both military and nonmilitary purposes expanded during the Cold War era and beyond. A list of some of these great planes is given below.
Famous Fighters Names
Hawker Hurricane (Great Britain)
The Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft manufactured by Hawker Aircraft, Ltd., in the 1930s and ’40s. The Hurricane was numerically the most important British fighter during the critical early stages of World War II, sharing victory laurels with the Supermarine Spitfire in the Battle of Britain (1940–41) and the defense of Malta (1941–42). Hurricanes served in all theaters of war where British forces were engaged.
The Hurricane emerged from efforts by Sydney Camm, Hawker’s chief designer, to develop a high-performance monoplane fighter and from a March 1935 Air Ministry requirement calling for an unprecedented heavy armament of eight wing-mounted 0.303-inch (7.7-mm) machine guns. Designed around a 1,200-horsepower, 12-cylinder in-line Rolls-Royce engine soon to be dubbed the Merlin, the Hurricane was an evolutionary development of earlier Camm designs, notably the Fury biplane fighter. A low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear, the Hurricane, aside from its clean lines and heavy armament, was a conventional design. Its wings, rear fuselage, and tail surfaces were covered by fabric, though the fabric wing covering soon gave way to aluminum.U-2 spy plane (United States)
The U-2 is a single-seat high-altitude jet aircraft flown by the United States for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Perhaps the most famous spy plane ever built, the U-2, also known as the Dragon Lady, has been in service since 1956. A prototype flew in 1955, and the last plane in the series was built in 1989.
On May 1, 1960, a U-2 was shot down over the Soviet Union, precipitating the U-2 Affair, and in 1962, during the Cuban missile crisis, a U-2 took photographs that confirmed the presence of Soviet nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba. Strategic intelligence-gathering missions have continued, but the U-2 also has been used for battlefield reconnaissance and surveillance in numerous conflicts and tension spots where the United States has been engaged since the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
Although many of its functions were adopted by high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, several U-2s are still in service. Since the 1980s the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has operated modified U-2s, designated ER-2 (for “Earth resources”), for the collection of data on the atmosphere, Earth, and celestial phenomena.B-52 Stratofortress (United States)
The B-52, also called Stratofortress, is a U.S. long-range heavy bomber designed by the Boeing Company in 1948, first flown in 1952, and first delivered for military service in 1955. Though originally intended to be an atomic-bomb carrier capable of reaching the Soviet Union, it has proved adaptable to a number of missions, and some B-52s are expected to remain in service well into the 21st century. The B-52 has a wingspan of 185 feet (56 meters) and a length of 160 feet 10.9 inches (49 meters). It is powered by eight jet engines mounted under the wings in four twin pods. The plane’s maximum speed at 55,000 feet (17,000 meters) is Mach 0.9 (595 miles per hour, or 960 km/hr); at only a few hundred feet above the ground, it can fly at Mach 0.5 (375 miles per hour, or 600 km/hr). It originally carried a crew of six, its sole defensive armament being a remotely controlled gun turret in the tail. In 1991 the gun was eliminated and the crew reduced to five.
The huge airframe of the B-52 earned it the nickname “Big Ugly Fat Fellow” (BUFF), but it also allowed the plane to be retrofitted with highly sophisticated navigational, weapons-control, and electronic countermeasures systems. More than 70 B-52s remain in service in the United States Air Force.F-16 Fighting Falcon (United States)
The F-16, also called Fighting Falcon, is a single-seat single-engine jet fighter built by the General Dynamics Corporation (now part of the Lockheed Martin Corporation) for the United States and more than a dozen other countries. The F-16 originated in an order placed in 1972 for a lightweight cost-effective air-to-air fighter; current models are also all-weather capable, and it is effective for ground attack as well. The U.S. Air Force took first delivery in 1978.
The F-16 is 49 feet (15 meters) long and has a wingspan of 31 feet (9.45 meters). It is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney or General Electric turbofan engine, which, with afterburning, can generate 23,000 to 29,000 pounds (102 to 130 kilonewtons) of thrust, accelerating the aircraft to more than twice the speed of sound. Weaponry includes an 0.8-inch (20-millimeter) rotary cannon as well as attachments under the wings and fuselage for a wide variety of bombs and missiles. With a typical combat load, the F-16 weighs approximately 23,000 pounds (10,000 kg).
It has been sold to U.S. allies in the Middle East, where it proved very effective in air-to-air combat and ground attack in the Israeli-Syrian conflict of 1982 and in the Persian Gulf War of 1990–91. In terms of international sales, the F-16 is the fighter in greatest demand, and it is currently in the air forces of more than 20 countries.MiG-21 fighter (Soviet Union)
The Russian aerospace design bureau’s MiG-21, a lightweight single-engine interceptor capable of flying at twice the speed of sound, was introduced in 1955. The basic version, which entered service in 1958, was a simple low-cost day fighter that was highly maneuverable, easy to maintain, and able to operate from unimproved airfields. The design bureau produced more than 9,000 MiG-21s in as many as 32 versions for the air forces of the Soviet Union and more than 40 other countries and licensed a version for production in China. It became the principal high-altitude interceptor used by North Vietnam, and improved versions formed the backbone of Arab air forces through the 1970s.
Tupolev Tu-95 bomber (Soviet Union/Russia)
After adapting jet propulsion to several piston-engine airframes, Tupolev in 1952 introduced the Tu-16 (“Badger”), a medium-range bomber that featured swept wings and light alloy construction. A team under Aleksandr A. Arkhangelsky, longtime associate of company cofounder Andrey Tupolev, designed the Tu-95 (“Bear”), a huge turboprop bomber that first flew in 1954 and became one of the most durable military aircraft ever built and one of the longest-lived aircraft in the Soviet strategic arsenal. Russia still operates more than 50 Tu-95 aircraft as cruise-missile carriers.
Bf 109 fighter (Germany)
The Bayerische Flugzeugwerke 109, also called Me 109, was Nazi Germany’s most important fighter aircraft, both in operational importance and in numbers produced. It was commonly referred to as the Me 109 after its designer, Willy Messerschmitt. The Jumo-powered Bf 109B, armed with four 0.3-inch (7.92-mm) machine guns, entered service in 1937 and was immediately tested in combat in the Spanish Civil War. There it fought with success against Soviet I-16 monoplanes and I-15 biplane fighters, in part because of the Luftwaffe’s pioneering use of interplane radio to control formations in air-to-air combat.
During that period, fuel-injected Daimler-Benz DB601 engines in the 1,000-horsepower range had become available, resulting in the Bf 109E, which was armed with two wing-mounted 0.8-inch (20-mm) automatic cannons and two machine guns in the engine cowling. (An additional cannon was to fire through the propeller hub, but this was not immediately successful.) The Bf 109E, the principal German fighter from the invasion of Poland in 1939 through the Battle of Britain (1940–41), had a top speed of 350 miles (570 km) per hour and a ceiling of 36,000 feet (11,000 meters). It was superior to anything the Allies could muster at low and medium altitudes, but it was outperformed by the British Spitfire at altitudes above 15,000 feet (4,600 meters).P-51 Mustang (United States)
The P-51, also called Mustang, is a single-seat single-engine fighter aircraft originally designed and produced by North American Aviation for the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and later adopted by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF). The P-51 is widely regarded as the finest all-around piston-engined fighter of World War II to have been produced in significant numbers.
Approximately 1,500 Merlin-powered Mustangs were used by the RAF for daylight duties over Europe, and the plane was produced under license in Australia toward the end of the war. A few were delivered to Nationalist China. The most widely produced version was the P-51D. Fitted with a Plexiglas “bubble” canopy for all-around vision, it flew to a maximum speed of about 440 miles (700 km) per hour, reached an operating ceiling of almost 42,000 feet (12,800 meters), and was armed with six wing-mounted 0.5-inch (12.7-mm) machine guns.Dassault-Breguet Mirage (France)
Mirage is the name for any member of a family of combat aircraft produced by the Dassault-Breguet aeronautics firm of France. These relatively inexpensive simple, durable aircraft were adopted by many of the world’s smaller air forces from the 1960s. The first Mirage aircraft was the single-engine delta-wing Mirage III. This craft was first flown in 1956 but subsequently underwent significant development. One variant of it became a basic interceptor, another a fighter-bomber, and a third a reconnaissance aircraft. During the 1960s the Mirage III was the basic air superiority fighter of the Israeli air force, and it performed spectacularly in the Six-Day War of 1967. Other countries whose air forces adopted the Mirage III included Brazil, Lebanon, South Africa, Argentina, Pakistan, Spain, Australia, and Switzerland.
Mitsubishi Zero (Empire of Japan)
The Zero, also called Mitsubishi A6M or Navy Type 0, is a single-seat low-wing monoplane used with great effect by the Japanese during World War II. It was designed by Horikoshi Jiro and was the first carrier-based fighter capable of besting its land-based opponents. It was designed to specifications written in 1937, was first tested in 1939, and was placed in production and in operation in China in 1940. Although Allied forces code-named the aircraft “Zeke,” it was generally known as the Zero, a term derived from one of its Japanese names—Reisen Kanjikisen (Type Zero Carrier-Based Fighter Airplane), abbreviated Reisen. The year its production began, 1940, was the 2,600th anniversary of the ascension to the throne of Japan’s legendary first emperor, Jimmu, hence the “zero” designation.
A-10 Thunderbolt II (United States)
The Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II, a two-seat twin-engine aircraft first flown in 1972, became in the mid-1970s the principal close-support attack aircraft of the U.S. Air Force. Its primary armament is a nose-mounted seven-barreled 1.2-inch (30-millimeter) cannon that is an extremely effective “tank killer.” The aircraft has seen service in the Persian Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the Afghanistan War, as well as the war against ISIL.
Humans have always been confronted with the issue of certain humans being oppressed due to various different social factors. Such oppression and cruel behavior on the part of humans makes a big question mark in our minds. Are they really “humans” who try to destroy humanity? In such cases, some righteous and courageous people fight for rights. They are themselves oppressed and beaten up for their freedom fight. But eventual success find its way for their relentless and righteous efforts. History notes down their name as the greatest freedom fighters ever like in the following rundown:
11-Bhagat Singh
His revolutionary activities and heroism established during the opposition of the subcontinent against British Rule and the British-found, East India Company. Shaheed Bhagat Singh belonged to a Sikh family. He was a diligent person who didn’t simply go to war. He first studied several different revolutionists biographies then tactically applied it to his own struggle. His part in the Indian Independence Movement started by his revenge for killing of Lala Rajpat Rai. Bhagat played an important role in assassinating a British Police officer. He gave himself under custody for the murder of the police officer. Remarkably, his freedom fight didn’t even end while he was in jail.
Famous Fighters
Rocco Francis Marchegiano (September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969), best known as Rocky Marciano , was an American professional boxer who competed from. This is a list of military aircraft that are primarily designed for air-to-air combat and thus does not include aircraft intended for other roles where they have some secondary air-to-air capability, such as with many ground attack aircraft. The list does not include projects that were cancelled before an aircraft was built or fictional aircraft. 1 Bruce Lee Bruce Lee was a Hong Kong American martial artist, action film actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, filmmaker, and the founder of Jeet Kune Do. Most knows realistically Ali could never beat bruce. But it's fashionable to suggest Ali beats Bruce as Ali displayed his bravery to the world and sacrificed his health in the end. Che Guevara a very famous freedom fighter, was born in 1928 in Argentina. He grew up with the interest in medicine and therefore pursued his education in this field. During this journey of gaining medical education, he got shocked with the extreme hardships of hunger and poverty he witnessed. Famous MMA Fighters including Josh Brueckner, Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jon Jones and many more.
He started a hunger strike that lasted 116 days. During this strike, he raised the awareness of the dire need for Indian prisoners to be treated equally well as European prisoners. However, he was put under trial for the assassination. With the proofs of the assassination being undoubtedly clear, he was executed at a very young age. He lived for just 23 years, but played an important role in The Independence Movement. Bhagat Singh is one of the most prominent patriot in the list of Indian freedom fighters.
10-Frederick Douglass
Frederic Douglass started the journey of his life in an environment of oppression and captivity. He was born in 1818 in Maryland. As he grew up and gained maturity, he was confronted by the slavery and oppression of his masters. He strives hard even under such circumstances. He used every possible way to get the knowledge of writing and reading. After being successful in the escape from slavery, he continued his quest of writing and reading. Frederick Douglass took the way of writing as his voice and began outsourcing to many government and local dignitaries. He emphasized on topics like opposition to slavery, equal rights, saying no to racism and women’s rights. This popularity and keen interest led him to publish some autobiographies and narratives like “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave“.
He became a famous anti-oppression instructor. He gained huge fame to the point of even advising presidential authorities regarding abolition of slavery. His opposition to the 15th amendment which banned suffrage discrimination based on race while upholding sex-based restrictions is a proof of his support for women. Moreover, he stood up firmly against casting his vote if women weren’t given equal rights for voting. For this he was even mocked and beaten up by angry mobs. However, eventual success followed his way when in 1847, he returned to USA as an independent and massively celebrated personality.
9-Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr was a Baptist priest and social dissident. He assumed a key part in the American social liberties development from the mid-1950s until his death in 1968. Despite being born in an area full of racist opposition, King found his way. He gained a PhD degree from Boston University in systematic theology. Motivated by supporters of peacefulness, King dreamt for social balance for African Americans. He eagerly took up this challenge with great zeal. During this journey of righteousness, he was imprisoned 30 times! He was the main thrust behind notable occasions. Enraged by the imprisonment of an African-American girl over racism in public transport, he mobilized a vast number of people.
They all boycotted public transport system unless equal rights were granted for all races. This helped to finally bring about a change and a landmark enactment such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was another landmark achieved due to his remarkable efforts. His renowned speech “I have a dream” is till this date celebrated as one of the most astounding speeches ever. He was recompensed the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
8-Che Guevara
Che Guevara a very famous freedom fighter, was born in 1928 in Argentina. He grew up with the interest in medicine and therefore pursued his education in this field. During this journey of gaining medical education, he got shocked with the extreme hardships of hunger and poverty he witnessed. It was this point where his freedom fight for Cuban Revolution started. Due to his keen interest in freedom fighting, he abandoned the field of medicine.
He went on long voyages across South America to gain popularity amongst the oppressed. They supported him eagerly to overthrow the “Batista Government”. After his marriage, he traveled to Mexico, where he grouped up with Fidel Castro. They made joint strategic plans to overthrow Batista’s government to bring justice for South Americans. They attacked Cuba several times to crumble the Batista regime. By 1959, they succeeded in overthrowing the oppressive government. He was later appointed as president of the national bank and minister of industry. His assistance in the country’s transformation into a communist state can not be forgotten.
His speech in the United Nations condemning US foreign policy was a huge landmark achieved. He went on to explore more states where oppression existed. It was during one of these conquests that he found himself in the hands of the Bolivian army. He was eventually executed by the Bolivian army in 1967. Indeed, one of the greatest freedom fighters in the world!
7-Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle was a military personnel by profession. He is renowned as a notable figure in French history and politics. His struggle of freedom established during the Cold War. He worked as a military officer during the First World War and Second World War and was wounded several times. He himself found in trouble when he was arrested during 1st World War. At the end of the war he was released. He was a commander of tank regime. Due to his accomplishments and diligence, he was appointed as the Under Secretary for War by the French Government.
A turning point in his life was the moment when France surrendered to Germany in 1940. He couldn’t accept this defeat and escaped to England. There he established a Free French Movement, which was the real start of his freedom struggle. With the help of England’s Prime Minister, he started voicing his ideas publicly about gaining freedom. He urged upon the need to act as one nation and gain back the occupied areas under German control. Not only just voicing his ideas, but also he simultaneously started gathering troops to fight the oppression. Eventually he became president of France’s provisional government.
However, at the end of 1950’s, the crumbling French system became a serious worry and so he returned to France. He aided in the formation of a new government, thus taking over from the oppression of Germany. He became the President of France in 1959 and established an intelligent approach by keeping France away from super-powers. Thus, he proved to be a vital personality in the recovery of France and its people for freedom.
Best Fighter Ever
Famous Fighters
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6-William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight. He gained fame as one of the pioneers amid the Wars of Scottish Independence. Despite knowing the consequences of standing up against the English men, he kept on working hard for the Scottish. Wallace defeated an English armed force at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. He worked together with Andrew Moray. He was designated Guardian of Scotland and served until his demise at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298.
English king offered a large sum of money to anyone who killed or captured him. Wallace was seized in August 1305, and transported to London. He was charged and tried with treason. William denied all charges. He was executed in 1305. His body was cut off after execution and the head was placed on London Bridge. His limbs were put on display in Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling and Perth. Since his death, Wallace has acquired a famous status all around the UK specifically Scotland.
5-Vladimir Lenin
A Russian communist by nature, he developed his revolutionist nature after seeing the execution of his brother in 1887. He studied law and eventually moved to St. Petersburg. This led him to meet many oppressed, exiled Russians. He grouped up with some revolutionists and began a campaign. The campaign included the spreading of communist ideas by paper to even going openly against the government physically. He leaded the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
This led to the formation of Russia and afterward the more extensive Soviet Union turned into a one-party comrade state represented by the Russian Communist Party. Lenin is regarded by many as the most significant political leader of the century. Not only in the former Soviet Union but also among many non-Communist states, he has been noted as a greatest revolutionary leader, thinker and indeed one of the greatest freedom fighters of all time.
4-Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro was one of the pioneers to lead the Cuban Revolution and was the head of Cuba’s government until 2008. Starting in 1958, Castro started a crusade of guerrilla fighting to effectively topple Cuban despot Fulgencio Batista. Castro turned into the nation’s new pioneer. His comrade household arrangements and military and monetary relations with the Soviet Union prompted strained relations with the United States.
Under Castro, changes were made to social policies and health and education were established with great attention. In January 1966, Castro established the Organization for Solidarity with the Peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This helped promote revolution and communists ideas. In 1967, he therefore framed the Latin American Solidarity Organization to encourage revolutions for the oppression in several Latin American nations.
3-Mao Zedong
Famous Fighters Nicknames
Mao Zedong was born on December 26, 1893, in Shaoshan, Hunan Province, China. He established his ideas for communism in China by watching the success of the Russian Revolution. Mao therefore joined as one of the first members of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. He established an alliance with the Chinese leader Sun Yat-sen. However, Sun Yat-Sen’s successor proved to be against communism so he broke the alliance. So Mao Zedong led a small army of farmers for the sake of freedom and communism in China.
However, they got easily defeated. Upon several small uprisings by the communists, they realized that it was time to act wisely. Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, in a short period of time, almost 10 small states were established influenced by communism. This enraged the government and they decided to attack. At this time Mao Zedong led a Long March to retreat from the government’s attacks. It was here when he gained popularity from the Long March. He emerged as the Communist Leader. He led the Chinese against war with Japan and introduced revolutionary steps to build a modern China. Due to leading such a large nation with diligence, he is 3rd on the list of the top 10 greatest freedom fighters of the world.
2-Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi is the one of the greatest Indian freedom fighter of 20th century. Gandhi united the whole India in the struggle of independence of the country. His most famous non-violence methods really works and at the end British handed over the sub-continent to its people. Indian movement for independence was managed and spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi. He laid various civil rights movements for his country freedom. Gandhi stood firm in every hardness leading his nation from the front. He inspired the whole world with his strong determination and the non-violence approach.
See Also: Top 10 Famous Trials That Changed History
1-Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela spent his young life battling for the flexibility of South Africa’s dark and hued populace from mistreatment forced by the minority government. Not long after discharge, he turned into the supreme president of South Africa in which all the general population could vote regardless of race, nationality or any other social factors. For 20 years, he coordinated a peaceful rebellion against the South African government for its bigot strategies. In 1993, Mandela and South African President F.W. de Klerk were together granted the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to disassemble the nation’s racial framework.
He was detained for a long span of 27 years in prison. In 1994, Mandela was appointed as South Africa’s first dark president.He always urged upon the need to work in cooperation and peace, no matter what race an individual belonged to. He was a symbol of forgiveness and peace. He came out with no bitterness, forgiving his enemies despite the extreme and excruciating hardships he was confronted with. No doubt he is the best freedom fighter of the world!
The list is incomplete without mentioned some of the other greatest freedom fighters across the world.