Kapil Kajal

Kapil is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience. Reported across a wide range of beats with a particular focus on air warfare and military affairs, his work is shaped by a deep interest in twentieth‑century conflict, from both World Wars through the Cold War and Vietnam, as well as the ways these histories inform contemporary security and technology.
456 Articles

Patrol Squadron 29: The Fifteen-Year Evolution From Flying Boats To Landplane Privateers

Patrol Squadron 29 served from 1935 to 1950, flying Catalinas and Privateers on neutrality patrols,…

Pioneers of Aeronautical Engineering: Bruce Aikenhead and Canada’s Rise in Space

Bruce Aikenhead helped shape Canada's space program by contributing to the Avro Arrow, NASA's Mercury…

Grounded Dreams: Dassault MD 410 Spirale – A Colonial COIN Prototype Left Behind

The Dassault MD 410 Spirale was a French twin-engine ground-attack aircraft designed for Algeria but…

Grounded Dreams: Lockheed XV-4 Hummingbird – Why Early VTOL Aircraft Failed

The Lockheed XV-4 Hummingbird was an experimental VTOL aircraft that tested jet-powered vertical flight but…

Attack Squadron 212: The Vietnam War Journey Of The Rampant Raiders

Attack Squadron 212 “Rampant Raiders” flew from the Taiwan Strait to Vietnam, pioneering the AGM-12…

Curtiss: The Tale of the Largest US WWI Aircraft Manufacturer

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company helped shape American aviation with the JN-4 Jenny, HS flying…

Attack Squadron 133: The Brief Cold War Service Of The Blue Knights

VA-133 “Blue Knights” was a short-lived US Navy attack squadron formed during the Berlin Crisis,…

Grounded Dreams: Mitsubishi RP-1 – The Rotary Rotor Testbed Concept Stalled

Mitsubishi RP-1 testbed helped develop Japan’s MH2000 helicopter, but the commercial program was canceled after…

Republic Aviation: Why the manufacturer of P-47, F-84 disappeared

Republic Aviation built legendary aircraft from the P-47 Thunderbolt and F-84 Thunderjet to the F-105…

Grounded Dreams: Dornier Do 29 – The Deflected Thrust STOL Concept Halved

Dornier Do 29 tested tilting propellers for STOL flight, but the innovative aircraft never advanced…