Top 10: Amazing American Warplanes from the 1960s

Close

News

10 mins read

6 November 2025

The 1960s was the age of charismatic high-speed warplanes, and the United States created many of the best of this time.

Sleek, characterful, thunderously loud and often very dangerous, these were some of the most exciting warplanes ever created. Here are 10 of the most Charismatic American Warplanes of the Sixties.

10: Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

Hard lessons learned in the Korean War suggested that high performance was everything for fighter aircraft. So, with this in mind, the famous aircraft designer Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson at Lockheed created a fighter to out-fly the Soviet MiG-15. It was made extremely fast, at the cost of turning performance, and had tiny wings. It was marketed as 'the missile with a man in it'.

The F-104 entered service in 1958, equipped with a 20-mm M61 Vulcan cannon and wingtip-mounted AIM-9B missile, and was in action that year in the Second Taiwan Crisis. It was exported to Belgium, Canada, Denmark, West Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Jordan, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey.

10: Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

The F-104 was optimised for performance above Mach 1.2 at altitude, and if used for surprise 'hit and run' attacks, it could be a formidable opponent, but dragged into a turning fight, it was vulnerable. At low level, it could reach a remarkable 690mph. It was a very stable platform and, as such, a useful nuclear delivery vehicle.

Despite its startling interceptor performance and an AN/ASG-14T1 radar (fitted to early models) with 20-mile ranging and 10-mile tracking, the F-104s suffered from short range, obsolete avionics and an occasionally unreliable early J79-GE-3B afterburner. Even worse, early versions had the Stanley C-1 downward firing ejector seat, and after several lives were lost, the C-2 upward firing version was fitted.

9: Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne

Though the Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne was not a 'warplane' as such, and did not enter operational service, it was so charismatic we couldn't resist including it. Fast, formidable and sophisticated, the Cheyenne was an awe-inspiring machine. Its timing, however, was terrible.

The Cheyenne was a radical attack helicopter with wings and a 'pusher propeller'. It was capable of 244 mph, astonishingly fast for a helicopter and was formidably armed. It was compatible with guns, grenade launchers, unguided rockets and guided missiles.

9: Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne

It came at a time when the USAF was trying to justify the A-10 in the Close Air Support role, and President Nixon was attempting to undermine the decisions of his predecessor. The Cheyenne's aeroplane-like performance trod on the toes of the US Air Force, and its complexity intimidated the US Army, who would have operated it.

A deadly crash of a prototype and cost schedule overruns were the final nails in its coffin. Its performance figures and weapons capability remain impressive today, over 50 years after it was cancelled.

8: North American F-100 Super Sabre

Conceived as a 'son of' the legendary F-86 Sabre, the F-100A series introduced to the USAF in 1954 was conceptually smart with advanced aerodynamics. It was a high-speed interceptor that could fight its way out of trouble, but it was very unforgiving and had to be 'flown' constantly in manoeuvre.

Back to top

It had a poor thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.55 and a moderate wing loading but could fly "Severely supersonic". On introduction in the 1950s, it could intercept the B-47 state-of-the-art strategic bomber at altitude – much to Strategic Air Command's displeasure. Despite its exciting performance and four 20-mm cannon with 200 rounds per gun, it was a handful for the average squadron pilot, as many accidents proved.

8: North American F-100 Super Sabre

There was a more benign and better-armed C model (pictured), which performed in the fighter bomber and secondary fighter role in Vietnam from 1961, supplemented by the 'D' model, which had itself suffered development issues with the constant speed drive, electrical generation, undercarriage and brake parachute.

A few victories against MiG-17s were recorded early on, but fighter bomber operations became the norm, and the superior MiG-21 was to be avoided at all costs. Overall, it was a considerable, if challenging, step-up in the capabilities of the USAF fighter inventory. It was an attractive aeroplane, especially in its role with the USAF Thunderbirds display team.

7: McDonnell F-101 Voodoo

Originally designed to fulfil the bomber escort role for Strategic Air Command, which was cancelled as the Korean war ended and the jet-powered B-52 emerged, the elegant-looking single-seat 'A' model was rapidly re-invented as a long-range nuclear-capable fighter bomber for Tactical Air Command and introduced to service in 1957 with two J57-P-13 engines.

The Voodoo was incredibly sleek in form, boasting uncluttered lines, elegant air intakes and a distinctive tail. It had a decent thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.74 and was quick at altitude with a Mach 1.52 speed. A large internal fuel capacity enabled four hours of flight, and it was fitted with four 20-mm M39 revolver-type cannon.

7: McDonnell F-101 Voodoo

It was described as a 'superlative' aircraft by its pilots, who lovingly dubbed it the 'One-Oh-Wonder'. General Robin Olds (a fighter ace with 17 kills) created an F-101C display team of five aircraft at RAF Bentwaters in 1964, although it gained him a grounding for 'not going through channels'.

Back to top

Production of the 'A' variant was limited to 77, with a further 35 built as the sensibly two-seat RF-101A reconnaissance version. From 1961, some 'B' models could carry the AIR-2 Genie nuclear missile. The Voodoo was fast, all-weather capable, heavily armed, and a quantum leap forward in fighter capability.

6: Convair F-106A Delta Dart

The F-106 was one of the best-looking US fighters of the 1960s. Its pure delta wing, curvaceous fuselage and handsome form belied its awesome destructive potential, as it was (along with F-89 and F-101) one of the few interceptors that could use the Genie nuclear-tipped air-to-air missile to destroy incoming bomber formations.

The fuselage was 'area ruled' for aerodynamic efficiency (giving the distinctive 'Cola bottle' shape), and with a J75-P-17 engine, speeds well in excess of Mach 2 at altitude were achieved. 'Supercruise' (supersonic cruise without afterburner) was also achievable. The F-106 was larger, faster and more powerful than the F-102 from which it was developed.

6: Convair F-106A Delta Dart

National air defence competed with Strategic Air Command nuclear deterrence for budget and influence throughout the 50s, but the all-weather bomber interceptor kept rising to the top of the procurement chain, and the frequent 'failures' along the line were relegated to the fighter bomber role with NATO, the Military Aid Program or politically expedient allies.

So, when the F-106 entered service in 1959 as a development of the F-102, there were sceptics, especially as engine and avionic performance were poor in development. But Convair had done their research, thanks to a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.71 and a low wing loading, and it was quick and manoeuvrable, with good agility at low and medium speed. It soldiered on with the Air National Guard service until 1988.

5: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

When it comes to aesthetics and excitement, the Blackbird is in a league of its own. It was sinister, with superlative performance, operating faster and higher than almost anything else. Its unmistakable shape was exciting in the extreme, a fierce combination of radical angles, seductive curves and exotic technologies painted jet black.

Back to top

When we asked former SR-71 Blackbird pilot BC Thomas to explain why the SR-71 was so important, he noted, "The SR-71 has the deserved reputation of being the most unique air-breathing aircraft ever built. No other could fly as fast, as high, or carry thousands of pounds of equipment above 80,000 feet.”

5: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

It was the primary strategic reconnaissance asset for the West during the latter 25 years of the Cold War. The SR-71 could sustain continuous Mach 3+ flight for over an hour while obtaining the highest quality reconnaissance information from multiple sensors, and with aerial refuelling, the aircraft could have circumnavigated the Earth in one flight.

The aircraft was one of the first to employ stealth technology, thereby ensuring that the airplane was almost invisible to radar. Its speed and altitude also cloaked its presence. During this time of sparse reconnaissance satellite coverage over potential enemy targets, the SR-71 could sneak up, gather vital information, and leave the area without warning, and often without notice.

4: North American A-5 Vigilante

Despite first flying in 1958, the gorgeously futuristic Vigilante looked more like the generation of aircraft that arrived 10 or 15 years later than it did its contemporaries. Though weighing more than 21,000 kg (46,000 lb), it operated from aircraft carriers and was twice as fast as the aircraft it replaced.

When we asked former Vigilante Reconnaissance Attack Navigator (RAN) Richard Affeld about the aircraft, he noted, "There is a feeling of pride in being associated with such a sleek machine with so many features that were different than most other aircraft. It was a perfect airframe for the mission in that the Vigilante was steady, vibration-free, and responsive at speed."

4: North American A-5 Vigilante

But the Vigilante was also a challenging beast, "The Vigilante could kill you. It was big, with a fast approach speed and a landing weight that didn't provide much fuel for a "go around." It was sensitive to nose and throttle movements close to the carrier. Some of the groundbreaking design features could go stark raving mad and shake the aircraft to pieces."

Back to top

This wasn't all. "There was no fire detection capability in the bomb bay, where the flight controls ran past 6000 pounds of fuel positioned over the side, looking at radar with its high electrical power and flammable hydraulic fluid. The ejection seat needed airspeed, altitude or at least a positive climb rate. On the runway or with a negative sink rate, the user was probably not going to survive.”

3: Vought F-8 Crusader

Good looks and danger combined to give the Crusader naval fighter a charisma all its own. The Crusader was a handful, which was painfully apparent when it came to landing, a terrible quality in a carrier aircraft. There is an entire online page devoted to Crusader crashes. A terrifying total of 493 Crusader pilots had to exit the aircraft by ejection seat.

The high approach speed of 169mph was a big issue on smaller carriers such as the Essex class. Consistent speed was also important. An autothrottle (Approach Power Compensator) was added in 1964, but even this caused problems as over-reliance on the APC was equally dangerous.

3: Vought F-8 Crusader

Another peculiarity of the F-8 was its odd relationship between nose attitude and sink rate caused by its oddest design feature: on landing, the wing stayed at the same angle of attack as the fuselage tilted (the wing was mounted on a mechanism). Things were particularly counter-intuitive for the pilot in the final approach stages, which again required attention. The Crusader, fine in many ways, was an extremely dangerous aeroplane.

Overall, 517 of the 1261 Crusaders built were lost. This loss rate of 41% is clearly atrocious, though it should be mentioned it endured both life on an aircraft carrier and combat in the Vietnam War. Aside from its poor safety record, it had many good qualities; it was fast, manoeuvrable and had a decent range.

2: Republic F-105 Thunderchief

The stand-out feature among many striking visual aspects of the F-105 Thunderchief was the utterly exciting razor-like swept-forward air intakes, and the man behind them had an equally exciting life. Antonio Ferri was an Italian aero engineer. Three days after the Germans occupied Rome in 1943, Ferri snuck his way back into his facility, destroyed vital equipment, took research and disappeared 'underground'.

Back to top

In October 1943, he organised the partisan force, orchestrating attacks by the region's anti-fascist bands. After the liberation of Italy by the Allies, he went to Rome, contacted an OSS agent, and gave him important research documents. Post-war, he patented the forward swept 'Ferri scoop' jet engine inlet, used on the cancelled XF-103, XF8U-3, and SSM-N-9 Regulus II cruise missile, and the fabulous F-105.

2: Republic F-105 Thunderchief

Developed as a follow-on to the F-100 series, the F-105 was a Mach 2 nuclear-capable fighter bomber, introduced into service in 1958 equipped with a 20mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon and AIM-9 missiles carrying a nuclear weapon internally for high-speed low-altitude visual penetration.

Conventional (meaning non-nuclear) fighter bomber interdiction operations were an option from the outset. The F-105 could carry several tonnes of weapons externally on up to four underwing pylons and multi-carriers, plus a centreline tank. The swept wing and powerful J75 engine concept were complemented by an area rule fuselage. It was very fast but not an aircraft to take into a turning fight.

1: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was the most versatile Cold War fighter and one of the most potent. Fast, powerful, well-armed, and tough, the Phantom was impressive in many ways. It was conceived as a fighter to operate from aircraft carriers but proved so excellent that the US Air Force soon wanted its own land-based Phantoms.

In designing the Phantom, the McDonnell aircraft company incorporated many lessons from their earlier and dangerously flawed F3H Demon fighter. McDonnell aircraft are named with a supernatural theme, and other, rather brilliantly named aircraft included the Banshee, Goblin and Voodoo.

1: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

The Phantom was powered by two impressive J79 turbojet engines, each generating up to 17,845 lbf (79.38 kN) of thrust with afterburner engaged. This made it almost nine times more powerful than the first US jet aircraft, the Bell P-59 Airacomet.

Back to top

Though not graceful in appearance, the Phantom had (or rather has, as it remains in limited service today with the air forces of Greece, Iran and Turkey) a brutal, impressive appearance. Its large size also adds to its imposing looks; the F-4 is a massive machine, weighing around five times more than a wartime P-51 Mustang. And let's not forget its ear-splitting howl!

Follow Hush-Kit's incredible aviation stories on Substack and X

If you enjoyed this story, please click the Follow button above to see more like it from Autocar

Photo Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en