These aircraft appear in notable works of fiction, including novels, stories, films, TV series, animation, video games, comics, and other works. They are either the subject of the work or an important element.
ACG-01 Chimera: A prototype aircraft with exceptional maneuverability and responsiveness, it can be equipped with the RDBM (Remote Detonation Burst Missile) and the EUFB (Experimental Uranium Freefall Bomb). From Project Wingman (2020).
ADF-01 FALKEN: a superfighter armed with an internal laser system, the ability to jam and disrupt HUDs, and backwards-fire capabilities, first featured in 2 (1997).
ADF-11F Raven: a modular superfighter that can optionally use a UCAV module in place of a manned cockpit, from 7: Skies Unknown (2019). This UCAV can detach and transform to fly on its own as the ADF-11. Unlike preceding ADF aircraft, the ADF-11F lacks forward-swept wings and rearward vertical stabilizers.
Angel Interceptor: a carrier-based fighter jet from the 1967 TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. The aircraft operates from an airborne aircraft carrier named Cloudbase. The craft is based on the World Air Force Viper, powered by twin turbo-jet compressors feeding a single ramjet. It is armed with a nose cannon and rockets.[1]
CS7 Thunderhawk: a single-engine fighter from Just Cause 3 armed with homing missiles and a machine gun for strafing, which also features partially-folding wings. Used both by the in-universe Medici Military and the opposing rebellion against the military's commander, Sebastiano Di Ravello.
Darkstar: a prototype hypersonic jet powered by a scramjet based on the SR-72, capable of reaching speeds over Mach 10. Test-flown by the title character in Top Gun: Maverick.[4]
Eurofighter Hailstorm: a main support fighter equipped with a laser cannon, used by the European Union Enforcer Corps in EndWar.
F-11X Apollo: a VTOL-equipped single-seater fighter jet equipped with autocannons used by the Allies in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (2008).
F-19 Ghostrider: based on the Have Blue project of the 1970s. The Testors Model Company released a conceptual model airplane in 1986, and Monogram followed with its own version in 1987. Earning massive media attention, the design became the shape of the mysterious "Stealth Fighter" in the public eye until the F-117 Nighthawk was unveiled in 1990. As it turned out, the sleek and low-profile design looked nothing like the highly angular, faceted F-117 it was meant to portray.[5][6] The aircraft was described as the F-19A Ghostrider in the Tom Clancy novel Red Storm Rising. The book described the aircraft as being nicknamed the "Frisbee" and having no corners, high-bypass turbofans, and appearing to mimic the shape of a cathedral bell when viewed from above.[7]
F-41 Broadsword: a UNSC exoatmospheric multirole strike fighter. It is capable of operating within an atmosphere or in a vacuum; the F-41E variant features energy shielding, as seen in Halo 4. This craft comes from the Halo video game series.[8]
F-22V Velociraptor: a delta wing version of the F-22 Raptor featured in the Jim DeFelice novel Cyclops One.[9]
F-302 Fighter-Interceptor: An exoatmospheric combat craft developed, and initially fielded by, the Stargate franchise's depiction of the United States of America. Developed as a response to the imminent threat posed by the Milky Way galaxy's dominant power, the Goa'uld System Lords, it was described as having made use of various alien-derived technologies that had been procured through the series' eponymous Stargate Program. Among the various alien-based materials and subsystems said to have been incorporated into the aircraft were its inertial dampening systems, a 'Naquadah'-based airframe composite, and even a short-range 'hyperspace-window generator' granting it limited superluminal propulsion.[10]
F/A-37 Talon: a single-seat fighter attack aircraft of the U.S. Navy, which appeared in the 2005 film Stealth. It is capable of Mach 3.5 and supercruise, and has a range of 4,000 miles. It is also accompanied by an AI-operated UAV, which assists in targeting and ISR for the Talon.[11][12]
F/A-181 Black Wasp II: A carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft used by NATO in ARMA 3. It is a combination of the F/A-18E Super Hornet and the F-22 Raptor.
Firehawk: a VTOL multi-role fighter jet that appears in Command & Conquer 3. The craft is a two-seat, forward-swept wing design with rearwards-swept winglets and canards. It can be outfitted with special boosters that enable it to go sub-orbital, allowing it to bypass anti-aircraft fire.[13]
GAF-1 Varcolac: an advanced fighter jet that features extreme maneuverability and a machine gun on the tail for defense against missiles. It was developed by the Golden Axe Plan from Ace Combat: Joint Assault. Its name is Romanian for "werewolf".
MiG-37 Ferret: a fictional Soviet stealth model aircraft, produced by Testors as a counter to the American F-19. The craft combined a faceted airframe design with cooled exhausts and radar-absorbing skin. Purely conjectural, the design nonetheless turned out to be closer in shape to the actual F-117 Nighthawk.[21]
Night Raven SP3: an advanced air superiority fighter used by Cobra in the G.I. Joe comics and animated series in the 1980s. It closely resembles the SR-71 Blackbird.
Project Wingman Mark I (PW-Mk.I): an experimental fighter aircraft powered by cordium (an unstable material from the game's universe, used as extremely potent fuel and powerful explosives) Along with being armed with a railgun that fires plasma orbs, its main weapon is the BML-U (Burst Missile Launcher-Universal). The titular aircraft of Project Wingman (2020).
X-PF: A prototype aircraft of similar configuration, albeit with an opaque canopy.
QFA-44: a UCAV variant of the CFA-44 remotely operated by the "Butterfly Master", from Ace Combat Infinity (2014).
SP-34R (Icarus Experimental Ballistic Airframe "Spear"): a prototype test platform equipped only with cannons and railguns that lacks a fly-by-wire system. From Project Wingman (2020).
Su-38 Slamhound: a Russian Spetsnaz Guard Brigade support fighter in EndWar.[24]
To-201 Shikra: A multirole/air superiority fighter used by the CSAT in ARMA 3. It is a combination of the Sukhoi Su-57 and the Sukhoi Su-35S.
VF-0 Phoenix: A prototype "variable fighter" from the Macross Zerosci-fi anime series, which can transform into mecha. It was designed and manufactured in-universe by Northrop Grumman for use by the U.N. Spacy against the Anti-UN Alliance. [25]
VF-1A: Standard variant with one anti-aircraft laser cannon for armament. Dubbed "cannon fodder" due to its high loss rate during Space War I.[28]
VF-1D: Two-seater variant with two anti-aircraft laser cannons. Primarily deployed as trainers.[29]
VF-1J: Squadron leader's variant developed by Shinnakasu and Kyuusei Industries. Has two anti-aircraft laser cannons like the VF-1D and can be equipped with Shinnakasu GBP-1S "Armored" system.[30]
VF-1S: Squadron commander's (in-universe equivalent of US Navy CAGs) variant. Carries the heaviest load with four anti-aircraft laser cannons and firepower upgrades. Primarily used by the Skull Squadron stationed aboard SDF-1 Macross.[31]
Vic Viper: the protagonist jet fighter in the video game Gradius.
VX-23: A prototype aircraft based on the FB-22A Strike Raptor, a delta winged version of the F-22A Raptor. Featured in Project Wingman.
Willis JA-3: a rocket/jet-powered X-plane capable of 1,400 mph (2,300 km/h), from the 1950 film Chain Lightning, piloted by Humphrey Bogart's character.[32]
X-02 Wyvern: An advanced fighter aircraft developed by the fictional nation of Erusea, with 3D thrust vectoring nozzles and variable-geometry tail fins and wings that can switch between a forward- and backward-swept configuration. First featured in Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
A two-seat variant known as the X-02S Strike Wyvern, which added an internally mounted electromagnetic launcher (EML) appears in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
X-49 Night Raven: An advanced experimental fighter aircraft with a closedflying wing design. It is equipped with a laser cannon, and requires its pilot to undergo artificial nerve surgery in order to operate it. First featured in Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere.
XA-20 Razorback: a main support fighter in the United States Joint Strike Force in EndWar. Also appears in H.A.W.X as a reward for completing the game, revealing it to have stealth capabilities.[33]
XFA-24A Apalis: an experimental multirole fighter developed in the 2010s, first featured in Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (2006).
XFA-27: a multirole fighter aircraft with variable geometry wings, boasting high maneuverability and the ability to fire off four missiles simultaneously (being the first aircraft in an Ace Combat game to do so). First featured in Ace Combat 2 (1997).
XFA-33 Fenrir: a multirole aircraft possessing a massive airframe and equipped with optical camouflage, a microwave radiation gun, VTOL capabilities, thrust-vectoring engines, wingtips, delta wing configuration, canards and V-tail. First featured in Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (2006)
XP-14F Skystriker: the primary air-superiority fighter used by G.I. Joe in the comics and animated series in the early 1980s, sold as a toy from 1983 to 1986. It closely resembles the real-life U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat.[26][34]
ADA-01A/01B ADLER: two attacker variants of the ADF-01 FALKEN fighter. As the first aircraft in the ADA series developed by Gründer Industries, it was designed to complement the FALKEN and defend it from surface-to-air attacks. It was also designed to test the experimental "SDBM" weapon. It was planned to appear in Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, but the idea was scrapped. The B model, which replaces the SDBM from the ADA-01A with the MPBM (Multi-Purpose Burst Missile), appears in Ace Combat Infinity as a playable aircraft.
Banshee: a bomber made by the Brotherhood of Nod from reverse-engineered technology obtained through an extraterrestrial matrix called the Tacitus. It is outfitted with two rapid-fire plasma cannons, and appears in Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun.
B-19+1⁄2: an enormous heavy bomber used by the pigs in propaganda cartoon Blitz Wolf to deploy the "Scream Bomb" on Adolf Wolf. It has at least 16 piston engines, and has 5 guns fitted to the bottom of the fuselage and a cannon fitted to the top.
B-6+7⁄8: a tiny single-engined bomber used by the pigs to drop an incendiary bomb on Adolf Wolf, which lights his foot on fire. It is fitted with a lever to the right side of the cockpit, which lifts up the wings and deploys bombs.
B-39 Peacemaker: a fictional Cold War-era nuclear-powered USAF bomber in the Charles Stross novelette A Colder War.[37]
EB-52 Megafortress: The Megafortress first appears in Dale Brown's novel Flight of the Old Dog and is expanded upon and upgraded in his later books. The design contains a long SST nose, with a stealth shape and twin V-tails. Its eight engines are later replaced by four larger turbofans.[38]
EB-1C Vampire: first appearing in Dale Brown's novel Battle Born, the EB-1C is an advanced variant of the real-life B-1 Lancer. It differs from the real B-1 in that its wings are always swept all the way back, the tail is smaller and lacks the horizontal stabilizer, and it utilizes "Mission Adaptive Skin" that uses micro-hydraulics to affect the shape of its wings in-flight.[39]
P-U "Stinka Bomber": a low-speed, shoddily built bomber used by Adolf Wolf in Blitz Wolf. It is detected by the pigs using their listening detector, and is promptly shot down by their huge, multi-cannon gun, simply named Secret Weapon.
SuperCOIL: a secretly developed radar-invisible B-2 variant, which carries an airborne "COIL" chemical laser powerful enough to shoot down missiles in mid-flight, featured in the thriller novel SuperCOIL by Robert Ari.[40][better source needed]
Vindicator: A fictitious supersonic bomber based on the Convair B-58 Hustler. In the 1964 film Fail Safe, the attack on Moscow is made by a squadron of Vindicators. While exterior shots of the plane relied on footage of B-58s, interior shots depicted a three-man crew similar to that of a conventional airliner and distinct from the tandem seating on a real B-58. The fictional Vindicator bomber was again represented by the B-58 Hustler in Fail Safe, a 2000 made-for-TV remake starring George Clooney.
Valkyrie: Appears in the 1985 video game Rescue on Fractalus!. A variant of the (also fictional) F-27 Firedrake, the Valkyrie is a bomber and attack aircraft capable of line-of-sight dogfighting using an antimatter bubble torpedo projector and defended by "Dirac Mirror Shields", which can redirect any form of energy attack and some physical attacks. The Valkyrie is a primarily air-breathing/aerodynamic-lift aircraft, but is capable of exoatmospheric flight and operations from space-based carrier ships. It is a single-seat aircraft, but the Valkyrie variant, named after the choosers of the slain from Norse mythology, has been modified for search and rescue and can transport up to 20 recovered personnel in a separate section of the aircraft.
AT-99 Scorpion: a VTOL gunship which uses two transverseducted rotors for lift. It has a crew of one. The aircraft appears in the 2009 film Avatar.[41]
Anura-class air cruiser: The smallest type of airship for civilian and military use. Equipped with standard anti-aircraft armament.
Arcion-class air heavy cruiser: Similar to the Anura, but equipped with railguns and more advanced weaponry.
Littoria-class air battlecruiser: Larger airship used by both civilian and military forces. More advanced variants can be equipped with railguns.
205-class air battleship: The largest known class of airship. Bristling with CIWS turrets, railguns, and SAM batteries. Civilian and military use known.
C-21 Dragon: a VTOL four-post ducted-fan transport and gunship, which appears in the film Avatar.[42]
SA-2 Samson: a ducted-fan transverse rotor utility assault transport from the film Avatar.[43]
XH9 Warbird: a VTOL ducted-fan twin-rotor utility aircraft that is used by the United States Air Force and the Atlas Corporation. It is equipped with machine guns, rockets, and a cloaking device. It appears in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
Orca: a family of VTOL gunships used by the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) from the Command & Conquer video game series.
Vertibird : a VTOL gunship similar to the V-22 Osprey in the Fallout (series) video game series. It was developed before the apocalypse and used by the U.S military on many fronts. In the games, the aircraft is used by several factions, including the Enclave and the Brotherhood of Steel, both remnants of the army in this uchronia[44]
MQ-99: A UCAV developed by Gründer Industries and used by Erusea to intercept enemy aircraft that cross the boundary lines of a "drone interceptor network". MQ-99s will launch if any pilot in the area does not identify themselves as friendly after a certain amount of time, and are also capable of being launched from shipping containers. From Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (2019).
UCAV Wyvern: A UCAV seen in the game War Thunder that was featured in the 2021 April Fools event. The Wyvern featured anti-air missiles, cruise missiles, and anti-ground missiles. The Wyvern has significantly superior metals and alloys that allowed it to achieve extremely high wing overload rates compared to planes that are regularly seen in the game. The Wyvern was removed from the game on the 5th of April 2021 when the April Fools event concluded.
Wraith: A tactical strike UCAV used by the Nile River Coalition and the 54 Immortals. It features VTOL and stealth capabilities, along with optical camouflage. It also has a flak drone that escorts it and protects it. From Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015).
Special operations
Aerowing: an aircraft that the story says was built by villain Lex Luthor. It has two fuselages, six engines and undernose guns, and was flown from the mid-Atlantic Ocean to the Amazon rainforest in the DC Comics book Elseworld's Finest #2.[46]
Airwolf: an attack helicopter from the 1984 TV series of the same name. It was capable of supersonic flight and carried retractable weapons. The helicopter used was a modified Bell 222.[47]
Arkbird: a long-range low-orbiting lifting body spacecraft conceived by the nation of Osea. Its laser cannon was originally meant to neutralize space debris, but was repurposed to shoot down ground targets and ordnance alike. Further tampering with the design gave it the ability to deploy UCAVs and ballistic cannons for self-defense. From Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (2005).
Blue Thunder: a fictional police helicopter from the film and television series of the same name. The aircraft incorporated an optically tracked rotary gun, a "whisper mode" for quiet flight, surveillance equipment, and an infrared camera. The helicopter used in the film was a modified Aérospatiale Gazelle.[52]
Bubble ship: an aircraft that resembles a dragonfly combined with the canopy of a Bell 47 helicopter. The machine features rotating VTOL engines and a cockpit that swivels along with the upper and lower guns fixed to it. The craft was flown by Tom Cruise's character Jack Harper in the sci-fi film Oblivion.[53]
D79-TC Pelican: An extremely versatile dropship used by the UNSC, mainly for the transportation of personnel, vehicles and equipment. Occasionally used as a support gunship in the Halo video game franchise[56][57]
Cobra F.A.N.G.: a short range one-man light-attack gyrocopter, equipped with air-to-air heat-seeking rockets. This craft appeared in the comics and the first season of the G.I. Joe animated series, as well in the 1985 computer game.[58]
Condor/Vulture: A main element of the first chapter of Wolfenstein: The New Order and appearing in Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, the Condor is the supposed result of the modification of an Avro Lancaster using American-built parts. It is equipped with four quad autocannon turrets, with one mounted above the protruding cockpit, two mounted at the top and bottom of the tail end, and one turret chin-mounted below the cockpit. The autocannons appear to fire HVAP rounds exclusively, as enemy aircraft can take multiple hits without catching fire, while armored ground units are affected much more by these rounds. Although the official name for this type of aircraft is "Condor", the call sign for troop transport variants is Vulture, with the "Condor" call sign only being used to refer to the troop support variants.
F-117X Remora: an experimental F-117 variant used in the film Executive Decision. It is modified to transport personnel with an in-flight docking probe designed to dock with other aircraft in midair. Originally designed to relieve fatigued bomber crews at altitude, this aircraft was used to transport a special operations unit to a commercial airliner which had been hijacked by terrorists.[citation needed]
Flying Sub FS-1: Introduced in the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV series, this hybrid submersible is capable of flight, as well as conducting underwater operations. The design resembles that of a stingray, with twin tail fins on the back, and has room for a crew of two.[59]
Quinjet: a craft featured in the Avengers comic books and films. It is a multirole jet aircraft used by S.H.I.E.L.D, with VTOL capabilities and a tilted cockpit to provide pilots with better visibility during landings.[64]
Spider's Wing: a flying wing aircraft used by the leader of the Spider Gang to terrorize citizens in the Dick Tracy comics.[65]
Thunderbird 2: from Thunderbirds. It is a bulbous VTOL cargo carrier that comes equipped with a variety of service modules.[67]
UH-144 Falcon: a tiltrotor troop transport used by the UNSC in the Halo franchise.[68]
XB-0 Hresvelgr: a huge airborne twin-boom "command cruiser" with six jet engines and a wingspan of 503 m (1,650 ft), from Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War (2006). It was purportedly able to carry and deploy up to 50 fighter planes.
P-1113 Kottos: An airborne Electronic Support Measures to the Aigaion. Originally featured in Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (2007).
X-Jet Blackbird: featured in the X-Men films, it is a modified SR-71 Blackbird with forward-swept wings and VTOL capabilities. The craft has room for a dozen personnel.[69]
YF-12A X-Jet Prototype: the predecessor to the X-Jet and the SR-71, the aircraft was designed and flown by Hank McCoy. The prototype incorporates VTOL capabilities and an internal cargo hold for personnel. The plane appeared in the 2011 film X-Men: First Class.[70]
Arsenal Bird: a large unmanned aircraft carrier designed to hold up to 80 MQ-101 UCAVs, featured in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. It is a flying wing powered by numerous contra-rotating propeller engines and armed with three laser defense systems, air-to-air missile launchers, and a force field referred to as the Active Protection System (APS). Originally built by Osea to protect the International Space Elevator, the two Arsenal Birds in operation were later hijacked by Erusea before the events of the game. It also deploys beyond-visual-range "Helios" airburst missiles.
AAC-03 Banshee III: a massive airborne aircraft carrier that is used as a base of operations. Two Banshees, the other being designated the AAC-04 Banshee IV, were built to allow the Fairy Air Force to coordinate their operations anywhere over the surface of the continent. It appears in both the Yukikaze anime and novel adaptations.
P-1112 Aigaion: An airborne closed flying wing carrier armed with airburst cruise missiles (delegating terminal guidance to UAVs for long-range strikes) similar to the Helios missiles used by the Arsenal Bird. It also serves as a base for the infamous Estovakian elite squadron "Strigon Team". Originally featured in Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (2007).
Pandora: an airship used by Nathan Zachary and his air pirate gang the Fortune Hunters in the Crimson Skies game franchise.[77]
Fortress-1 and Fortress-2: a successive pair of massive Helicarrier-like vehicles employed by the fictional Cyberbiotics Corporation in the Disney animated series Gargoyles, commissioned by the firm's founder, the disabled CEO Halcyon Renard.[85]
Jeremy the Jet Plane: an anthropomorphic jet airliner who lives in the Sodor Airport. He is based on the BAC One-Eleven and is featured in the Thomas & Friends TV series.
Skyfleet S570: a prototype airplane that appeared in the 2006 film Casino Royale, which was actually a Boeing 747-200 originally owned by British Airways. It was refitted with two mock-up engines on each inner pylon and external fuel tanks on the outer pylons, somewhat anachronistically resembling a B-52 Stratofortress.[90]
^Bentley, Chris (2017). Hearn, Marcus (ed.). Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: The Vault. Cambridge, UK: Signum Books/Flashpoint Media. ISBN978-0-995519-12-1.
^"Mecha Data". The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Liner Notes. AnimEigo. 2001-12-21. Archived from the original on 2008-12-30. Retrieved 2009-07-01. Kawamori Shoji named his Valkyrie after the North American XB-70 Valkyrie experimental bomber.
