Lockheed D-21: Cold War Spy Drone

In October 1962, the C.I.A. and the U.S.A.F. requested that Lockheed study a high-speed, high-altitude drone concept for reconnaissance flights over particularly hostile territories to avoid endangering aircrews. Created during the height of the Cold War and following the shootdown of a U-2 spy p...

By Friedrich Seiltgen

POTD: Eject, Survive, Stay Silent - The S&W Model 41

Specialized equipment often reflects very specific mission requirements, and few examples are as niche as the modified Smith & Wesson Model 41 pistols issued for the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird pilot survival kits.

By Eric B

Mikoyan MiG-29: The Reactive Fulcrum?

Military aircraft design of the Cold War era could be described as akin to physics, or, more specifically, to Newton’s Third Law of motion, which states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” From lessons learned in the Vietnam War, the United States Air Force determi...

By Peter Suciu

Garmin inReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator

There is a certain clarity that comes with getting deep into the backcountry. Cell service fades, outside noise disappears, and your focus narrows to terrain, weather, time, and decision-making. That is a big part of why many of us seek it out in the first place. That clarity also comes with resp...

By Scott Conditt