From WWI to the modern day, bombers have dominated the battlefield and led the path to victory. These are the best of the best. They are the top ten bombers of all time.

10. Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

In 1937 the Boeing Aircraft Company built America’s first all-metal, four-engine heavy bomber, the legendary B-17 Flying Fortress.

9. Handley Page 0/100

Powered by two Rolls Royce engines with a speed of 79 mph, these 100-foot wingspan aircraft were able to deliver their 2,000 pounds of bombs with remarkable accuracy.

8. Junkers Ju-88

Believed by many to be the most important German bomber of World War II, the Ju-88 was in front-line service throughout the 1939-45 conflict. Its versatile design enabled it to be used as a bomber, dive bomber, torpedo bomber, heavy fighter and night fighter.

7. Tupelov Tu-95

This huge Soviet long-range bomber, nicknamed the Bear, was designed to carry up to four nuclear bombs to the U.S. mainland from bases in Russia.

6. Boeing B-47 Stratojet

The B-47 used swept-wing technology captured from Nazi Germany and an unusual tricycle undercarriage, which led many to think it would serve as no more than a research plane.

5. Avro Lancaster

The Lancaster was Britain’s most famous heavy bomber of World War II. Capable of carrying a bomb load of up to 22,000 pounds, Lancasters, which flew at night, pounded German cities and factories.

4. De Havilland Mosquito

Nicknamed the “Wooden Wonder,” the Mosquito was perhaps the most versatile aircraft to see action during World War II. As a bomber, it was also the fastest.

3. Boeing B-29 Super Fortress
The B-29 had a range of over 3,500 miles, an operational ceiling of 31,850 feet and a top speed of 358 mph. It could carry a huge payload of 20,000 pounds of bombs and was armed with 12 .50-caliber machine guns and a 20-mm cannon.

2. Northrop Grumman B-2 Stealth Bomber

The flying-wing concept was brought into the world of advanced stealth technology by Northrop with the B-2 Bomber.

1. Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

With a maximum speed of 650 mph, a range of over 8,000 miles and the capability to drop 70,000 pounds of bombs, the B-52 is the most lethal bomber in the world. It can also deliver nuclear weapons, cruise missiles and precision bombs.

***resource: http://military.discovery.com

WASHINGTON – The political savvy dafense secretary scored big legislative wins when the Senate voted convincingly to end production of the high-priced F-22 jet fighter and killed an aircraft engine project that he says isn’t needed.

House lawmakers want to spend hundreds of millions of dollars for equipment Gates doesn’t want, including more than $400 million for the VH-71 presidential helicopter that the Pentagon wants canceled for being behind schedule and vastly over budget.

Lockheed Martin, the large and influential defense contractor that makes the F-22, didn’t lobby to keep the production line open. That’s perhaps because the company also builds the F-35, an aircraft built for ground attack missions that Gates says is better suited for the uncertainties of unconventional warfare.

The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps plan to buy more than 2,400 F-35s.

The new unmanned vertical-takeoff aircraft could wing its way to the battlefield and land with the precision of a helicopter. Aurora Excalibur VTOL AUV has a maximum speed of 460 mph, or but also have the ability to loiter overhead at just 115 mph. The unmanned aerial system (UAS) could pack a 400-pound payload of four Hellfire missiles, and also deliver weapons or other supplies to warfighters deep in rough territory.

The 13ft-long UAV is powered by a tilting jet engine and three battery-powered lift fans. The aircraft made its first hover flight on June 24, lasting just under 2min, at Aberdeen Proving Gorund, Maryland. Excalibur is a proof-of-principle testbed for a 400kt VTOL unmanned combat aircraft.

“It was a flawless first flight with a crisp takeoff and perfect landing,” reported John Langford, president of Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation. “In flight, the hover stability and heading control performance were excellent.”

***Want to have a custom made Exculibur model aircraft? Visit Warplanes.com for more details***

Place your orders here: F-22 Raptor American Fighter Model Airplane