Modern Classic
1973-2000
The last analog era. Digital fly-by-wire was coming, but these aircraft were still designed with slide rules and built with analog instruments. The F-14, F-15, and Space Shuttle defined the period.
Historical context
After Apollo, NASA pivoted to the Space Shuttle — reusable spacecraft that flew for thirty years. Military aviation produced iconic aircraft like the F-14 Tomcat and F-15 Eagle. The analog era was ending; digital flight controls and computer-aided design were arriving. These aircraft represent the peak of what human hands and analog minds could create.
Defining characteristics
- • Fourth-generation fighters
- • Fly-by-wire transition begins
- • Space Shuttle era
- • Stealth becomes operational
- • Glass cockpits emerge
Aircraft from the Modern Classic
AH-64 Apache
The Apache is the world's most lethal attack helicopter. In Desert Storm, Apaches fired the opening ...
F-14 Tomcat
The F-14 Tomcat was the Navy's ultimate interceptor — designed to protect carrier groups from Soviet...
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was supposed to make spaceflight routine. In some ways it did — 135 missions, the ...
UH-60 Black Hawk
The Black Hawk replaced the legendary Huey as the U.S. Army's primary utility helicopter. Where the ...