One of the largest worldwide aerospace manufacturers is Boeing, a company founded in 1916 that produces commercial jetliners that are widely used around the world, space systems used by a multitude of countries, and as the third-largest defense company in the world, construct some of the most exciting aircraft for militaries throughout the globe. Boeing’s fighter aircraft and bombers have played instrumental roles on the battlefield for roughly a century now, many gaining iconic status in the process. (These are 26 iconic aircraft built by Lockheed Martin.)
Perhaps one of the most significant events in military history, the dropping of the atomic bomb, was carried out by one of Boeing’s aircraft, a modified B-29 Superfortress known as the Silverplate B-29. Ever since, Boeing has received expansive contracts from the U.S. military to develop and manufacture bomber and fighter aircraft. Out of all the combat aircraft Boeing produced over the years, many have gone on to gain iconic status.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of Boeing aircraft from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles, and aircraft used by militaries worldwide to identify Boeing’s most iconic combat aircraft. We ordered these aircraft chronologically and included supplemental information regarding the type of aircraft, total units produced, top speed, and armament.
One of Boeing’s most iconic fourth-generation fighter jets is the F/A-18 Super Hornet. It originally entered service in 1999 and still makes up a sizable portion of the U.S. Air Force’s combat aircraft. The Super Hornet can hit a top speed of nearly 1,200 mph, making it ideal for reconnaissance and interception. However, it plays several other roles as a result of its high modularity for its armament.
While the Super Hornet is impressive in its own right, perhaps the most famous aircraft produced by Boeing is the B-29 because it ushered in the atomic age. The dropping of the atomic bomb irrevocably changed geopolitical relations, shifted the balance of power, and guaranteed Boeing aircraft would find a place in the U.S. military for many years to come. (These companies built World War II’s iconic planes, guns, tanks and ships.)
Here’s a look at Boeing’s most iconic combat aircraft:
PW-9 (FB-5 / Model 15)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Single-engine biplane fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1924
- Total units produced: 157
- Top speed: 159 mph
- Armament:.55 caliber machine gun, .30 caliber machine guns, 122lb conventional drop bombs
F2B (Model 69)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Carrierborne fighter biplane
- Year introduced: 1928
- Total units produced: 33
- Top speed: 158 mph
- Armament:12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine guns, .30 caliber Browning M1919 medium machine guns, conventional drop bombs
F4B / P-12
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Carrierborne pursuit fighter biplane
- Year introduced: 1929
- Total units produced: 586
- Top speed: 189 mph
- Armament:.30 Browning M1919 medium machine guns, .50 caliber Browning heavy machine gun, conventional drop bombs
B-17 Flying Fortress
Source: GNeesam / iStock via Getty Images
- Type: Heavy bomber aircraft
- Year introduced: 1937
- Total units produced: 12,731
- Top speed: 287 mph
- Armament:12.7mm Browning heavy machine guns, conventional drop bombs
B-29 Superfortress
- Type: High-altitude long-range strategic heavy bomber
- Year introduced: 1943
- Total units produced: 3,970
- Top speed: 358 mph
- Armament:12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine guns, 20mm M2 automatic cannon, conventional drop bombs, nuclear bombs
B-50 Superfortress
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Heavy bomber / long-range reconnaissance aircraft
- Year introduced: 1948
- Total units produced: 370
- Top speed: 380 mph
- Armament:20mm cannon 12.7mm machine guns, conventional drop bombs
Washington (B-29)
- Type: High-altitude long-range strategic heavy bomber
- Year introduced: 1950
- Total units produced: 83
- Top speed: 224 mph
- Armament:12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine guns, conventional drop bombs, nuclear bombs
B-47 Stratojet
- Type: Strategic medium / heavy bomber aircraft
- Year introduced: 1951
- Total units produced: 2,039
- Top speed: 600 mph
- Armament:20mm cannons, conventional drop bombs, nuclear boms
B-52 Stratofortress
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: High-altitude long-range strategic heavy bomber
- Year introduced: 1955
- Total units produced: 744
- Top speed: 595 mph
- Armament: Air-launched cruise missiles, free-fall nuclear bombs, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, joint direct-attack munitions
AC-130H Spectre / AC-130U Spooky
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Type: Close air-support force protection gunship
- Year introduced: 1972
- Total units produced: 21
- Top speed: 300 mph
- Armament:20mm Gatling-style automatic cannons, 40mm automatic cannon, 105mm field gun
F-15 Eagle
- Type: Air superiority / multirole fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1976
- Total units produced: 1,500
- Top speed: 1,875 mph
- Armament:20mm M61A1 automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, Sparrow missiles, Maverick missiles, HARM missiles, laser-guided bombs, cluster bombs
F-15J (Peace Eagle)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Air superiority fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1981
- Total units produced: 223
- Top speed: 1,656 mph
- Armament:20mm M61 Vulcan Gatling-style cannon, Sidewinder missiles, Sparrow missiles, conventional drop bombs, CBU cluster bombs
F/A-18 Hornet
Source: Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
- Type: Multirole carrier-borne strike fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1983
- Total units produced: 1,480
- Top speed: 1,190 mph
- Armament:20mm M61 Vulcan Gatling-style cannon, Sidewinder missiles, Sparrow missiles, Maverick missiles, Harpoon missiles, HARM missiles, laser-guided bombs
CF-18 Hornet
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Multirole jet-powered fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1983
- Total units produced: 138
- Top speed: 1,128 mph
- Armament:20mm M61A1 Vulcan Gatling-style cannon, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, Sparrow missiles, Maverick missiles, rocket pods, laser-guided bombs, conventional drop bombs
AV-8B Harrier II
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Short take-off and vertical landing strike aircraft
- Year introduced: 1985
- Total units produced: 500
- Top speed: 665 mph
- Armament:25mm GAU-12U Equalizer cannon, laser-guided bombs, Maverick missiles, Harpoon missiles, Sidewinder missiles, Napalm
B-1 Lancer
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Long-range strategic heavy bomber aircraft
- Year introduced: 1986
- Total units produced: 104
- Top speed: 833 mph
- Armament: General purpose bombs, CBU cluster munitions, freefall nuclear bombs, air-launched cruise missiles
F-15E Strike Eagle
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Strike fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1988
- Total units produced: 420
- Top speed: 1,653 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61A1 internal Gatling-style cannon, Sparrow missiles, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, Maverick missiles, laser-guided bombs
F/A-18 Super Hornet
- Type: Carrierborne strike fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1999
- Total units produced: 615
- Top speed: 1,187 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61A1 Vulcan automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, Harpoon missiles, Maverick missiles, Rockeye II cluster bombs, laser-guided bombs
F-22 Raptor
- Type: Air dominance fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 2005
- Total units produced: 195
- Top speed: 1,599 mph
- Armament: 20mm internal automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, GBU-32 joint direct munitions, air-launched cruise missiles
F-15EX Eagle II
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Air superiority / multirole fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 2021
- Total units produced: 144
- Top speed: 1,864 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61A1 Vulcan Gatling gun/cannon, Sidewinder missiles, various air-to-air missiles
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