Roughly twice the weight of other World War II fighters, the Jug's cumbersome appearance belied its speed and firepower. As frontline fighters, escorts for heavy bombers, and fighter-bombers, the sturdy planes saw action in both Europe and the Pacific.

Designed in the 1940s, modified during the 1950s, in service in the 1960s, and state of the art in the 1970s, the B-57 evolved to fill the gap between fighter planes and bombers. This high-speed model also served with the airforces of Taiwan and Pakistan and, in both cases as with those in U.S service, saw combat with distinction.

So small and tubular that some called it the Flying Missile, the F-104 had wings so thin that the leading edge had to be protected by a cover when it was on the ground.