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 twentiethโ€‘century conflict, from both World Wars through the Cold War and Vietnam, as well as the ways these histories inform contemporary security and technology.
385 Articles

Flight Test Files: The X-2 Starbuster – A Pioneer of Aerodynamic Heating

The Bell X-2 Starbuster pushed flight beyond Mach 3 and 126,000 feet, advancing research on…

Grounded Dreams: Saab 210 Lilldraken – The 70% Scale Proof of Concept

Saab 210 Lilldraken tested the double-delta wing, leading to the Mach 2 Saab 35 Draken…

Boneyard Files: KC-97 Stratofreighter – Behind the Scenes of a Forgotten Giant

The KC-97 Stratofreighter, an aerial refueling tanker based on the B-29, served the US Air…

Grounded Dreams: Curtiss XF15C – The Mixed Power Mismatch

The Curtiss XF15C mixed-propulsion fighter combined piston and jet engines but was cancelled as pure…

Flight Test Files: F-4 Phantom II – Exploring the Limits of Aerodynamics and Sonic Boom

How NASA used the F-4 Phantom II for unusual research, from biomedical monitoring flights and…

Aces of the Great War: Reginald Hoidge – The Sharpshooter of Fifty Six Squadron

Canadian WWI ace Reginald Hoidge rose from artillery service to become one of No. 56…

Grounded Dreams: Kawasaki Ki-64 – Harnessing the Complexity of the Wing Surface Radiator

The Kawasaki Ki-64 twin-engine fighter used a unique tandem engine and vapor cooling system but…

Grounded Dreams: PL-11 Airtruck – The Flying Hopper That Defied Conventions

New Zealandโ€™s unusual PL-11 Airtruck agricultural aircraft showed promise but failed amid crashes, delays and…

Flight Test Files: MD-11 – Pioneering Safe Landings with Propulsion Controlled Aircraft

How NASA tested Propulsion Controlled Aircraft (PCA) on an F-15 and MD-11, proving an airplane…

Aces of the Great War: Harold Albert Kullberg – The Short-Stature Giant of the S.E.5

Harold Albert Kullberg, rejected by the US Air Service, became a World War I ace…