Top 10 War Planes

In the later years of World War I, almost every German air force pilot flew one of Fokker's famous series of fighter aircraft. They included Manfred von Richthofen, the legendary Red Baron, who created his legend in a Fokker DR.1 triplane that was painted bright red. Von Richthofen was the first person to test-fly the Fokker D.VII biplane, which is widely regarded as the best German aircraft of the First World War.

Never to be ranked among the sturdiest planes in history, Japan's premier long-range fighter, the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero", was built purely for speed and maneuverability. Its brittle aluminum body was very light and could dip and dive better than any other plane during World War II. The Zero would become the cornerstone of Japan's suicide "kamikaze" squadrons.

German aircraft-maker Messerschmitt was a warhorse of production during the heaviest fighting of the Second World War. Its super speedy Bf109 would become the Royal Air Force's most dreaded foe, outrunning the RAF's most widely used fighter, the Hawker Hurricane, during the Battle of Britain. The Bf109 was also the first fighter plane to incorporate modern, retractable landing gear.

More than for any superior technical capability, the Allies' Supermarine Spitfire is best known for its iconic status as the plane that won the Second World War. A close match for the Messerschmitt Bf109 in Battle of Britain combat, this small, good-lookin' fighter with a fiery personality was loved by pilots and saw action in every theatre of the conflict.

Despite arriving late on the World War II scene, the macho P-51D Mustang managed to become one of the war's elite planes. The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine -- like those fitted to Spitfires -- gave the P-51D amazing range and speed, allowing its American pilots to register more kills than they did with any other aircraft.

Few fighter aircraft are as recognizable as the U.S. Air Force's F-86 Sabre, with its gaping open front-end often compared to a shark's mouth ready to attack. Production of Sabres began shortly after WWII, using information gleaned from Germany's defunct Luftwaffe. It was just in time for the Korean War, where the plane performed so well that 25 other countries would later adopt its design.

For many who served in the U.S. Military, the MiG-21 is the definitive symbol of Communism and the Cold War. The USSR's powerful supersonic jet first saw action in the Vietnam War and became a favorite of Eastern Bloc countries due to its low production costs. Many developing nations still fly hand-me-down MiG-21 fighters.

If you've seen any military or action movie in recent years, you've probably seen an F-18 Hornet. Variants of the popular all-purpose jet have been the darlings of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps since the early 80s, seeing action in the First Gulf War and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pilots love its easy flick-of-a-switch versatility.

All odd angles and clunky appearance, the B-2A Spirit stealth bomber might not look good but it sure can do damage on the ground -- as can the two Lockheed Martin F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters seen behind this B-2. Stealth aircraft aren't completely invisible to radar, but are designed to deflect it enough to attack an opponent before being detected itself. The technology has been used for high-value target missions during the recent Middle Eastern wars.

The future of military aircraft might keep pilots out of harm's way altogether. Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles have been in the testing phases by the U.S. Military for years, and wide-scale use in wartime is likely not far off. Besides lives, researchers hope to eventually save production costs with these compact fliers, which have no need for a cockpit, canopy or control panels.