Controller.com’s Turbine Military Aircraft category contains jet fighters, trainers, and gas turbine-powered helicopters from around the globe. Some “warbirds” are even demilitarized and legal for private civilians and groups to own and fly.
Read More (About Turbine Military Aircraft)There are high expectations and even higher standards for vehicles, airplanes, and other equipment intended for military use. In fact, what makes turbine military aircraft different from other planes with turbine engines is that they are specifically designed for use in military applications, whether that be for transport, reconnaissance, or even combat.
The airplanes and helicopters you’ll find in this category on Controller.com were built tough from the very beginning and designed for maximum resilience and reliability. They are intended for military use in a wide range of potential environments. Some “warbirds” are even demilitarized and legal for private civilians and groups to own and fly (with the proper training).
The cost of a turbine military craft can range from less than $150,000 to more than $6 million depending on condition, demand, historical significance, rarity, provenance, and other factors. The levels of originality, restoration, or upgrades can also affect the prices of these pieces of history.
Nearly all jet fighters have 1 or 2 seats, whereas turbine-powered helicopters such as the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk may seat 13 including crew. Maximum speeds, ranges, and payload capacity vary considerably, with some vintage fighters having been upgraded to more modern jet engines or components.
Interestingly, the gas-turbine engine was invented several decades before the Wright Brothers’ first (piston-powered) aircraft flight in 1903. A German engineer named Franz Stolze came up with the gas turbine in 1872, although engine design and materials science had a lifetime’s worth of improvement ahead of them in order to reach a practical state for aircraft propulsion. It wasn’t until August 27, 1939 that Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain’s Heinkel He 178 made the world’s first successful turbojet-powered flight with Erich Warsitz in the pilot’s seat.
The world’s first military jet aircraft, Ernst Heinkel’s He 280, first flew under its own power on March 30, 1941, but the plane never entered service in the German Luftwaffe. Germany’s Messerschmitt Me 262 became the first operational jet fighter for any nation on July 18, 1942. The advanced Me 262 did participate in combat, but dwindling resources and ever-changing priorities in the High Command kept its numbers few and its impact on the war slight.
America’s first jet fighter, the Bell P-59A, made its first flight on October 2, 1942, but its lackluster performance kept it out of combat. Later, Lockheed’s P-80A Shooting Star was the first to support American forces in the Korean War, where they were surprised to meet the Soviet Union’s better-performing Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15. American Charles Kaman’s K-225 became the world’s first gas-turbine helicopter in December 1951.
Look for new and used turbine military aircraft for sale on Controller.com. Model series in this category include the Aero L-39 Albatros, North American F-86 Sabre, Lockheed T-33, Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, SIAI Marchetti SM1019, and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
Controller.com also features piston military aircraft for sale from around the world.
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