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.
65 Articles

Grounded Dreams: The Piper PA-48 Enforcer – The Final Evolution of a WWII Icon

The PA-48 Enforcer revived the P-51 Mustang as a turboprop COIN aircraft, but despite strong…

Kapil Kajal

WWII Combat P-40N Warhawk That Shot Down Japanese Aircraft Listed For Sale

A restored World War II P-40N Warhawk that survived a 1944 jungle crash in New…

Kapil Kajal

Grounded Dreams: Fisher P-75 Eagle – A Cadillac Heart in a Mismatched Body

The story of the P-75 Eagle, a World War II fighter built from mixed components…

Kapil Kajal

Flight Test Files: Douglas X-3 Stiletto – Taming the Inertia of the Needle Jet

The Douglas X-3 Stiletto fell short of Mach 2 but revealed roll coupling risks and…

Kapil Kajal

Aces of the Great War: Philip Fletcher Fullard – 40 Victories in the Name of the Empire

Profile of British World War I ace Philip Fletcher Fullard, who scored 40 victories flying…

Kapil Kajal

Grounded Dreams: Rockwell XFV-12 – The Supersonic Fighter That Couldn’t Hover

Why the Navy’s Mach 2 V/STOL XFV-12 fighter failed vertical lift tests and was canceled…

Kapil Kajal

Flight Test Files: Northrop HL-10 – Solving the Aerodynamics of Reentry

How NASA’s HL-10 lifting body proved wingless reentry and runway landings were possible, shaping future…

Kapil Kajal

Aces of the Great War: Wilfred Beaver – Mastering the Bristol Fighter’s Sting

Profile of Wilfred Beaver, a British-born ace with 19 World War I victories who later…

Kapil Kajal

Grounded Dreams: The Ilyushin Il-102 and the Last Stand of the Shturmovik

Why the Soviet Il-102 attack jet lost to the Su-25 despite strong test flights, heavy…

Kapil Kajal

Flight Test Files: Schweizer SGS 1-36 Sailplane – Evaluating the Leap to T-Tail Aerodynamics

How NASA used a modified Schweizer SGS 1-36 sailplane in the 1980s to study deep-stall…

Kapil Kajal