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.
419 Articles

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 Zealand’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…

Grounded Dreams: Saunders-Roe SR.45 Princess – The Last Great Flying Boat

The Saunders-Roe SR.45 Princess was the largest all-metal flying boat ever built, but jets and…

Grounded Dreams: XB-41 Liberator – The Flying Fortress of 14 Guns

The XB-41 Liberator tried to turn a B-24 bomber into a heavily armed escort gunship,…

Flight Test Files: Lockheed YF-12 – The Mach 3 Interceptor That Almost Was

How the YF-12 set Mach 3 records and powered NASA research that shaped the SR-71…

The King of the Observers: Charles George Gass and the 39 Victories of the Bristol Fighter

Charles George Gass was World War I’s highest-scoring observer ace, credited with 39 victories while…

Grounded Dreams: The RF-4X Phantom – The Mach 3 Legend That Never Flew

The story of the RF-4X Phantom “Peace Jack” project, an attempt to build a Mach-3…

WWII Veteran Fairchild 24 Listed For Sale by Platinum Fighter Sales

A rare Fairchild 24 utility aircraft from World War II, later restored and an Oshkosh…