Turbine Military Aircraft For Sale

About Turbine Military Aircraft

There are high expectations and even higher standards for vehicles, airplanes, and other equipment intended for military use. In fact, what makes turbine military aircraft different from other planes with turbine engines is that they are specifically designed for use in military applications, whether that be for transport, reconnaissance, or even combat.

In Australia, such organizations as the Australian Warbirds Association Ltd. work to promote the historical relevance of vintage military aircraft of all types by bringing together historians, owners, operators, restorers, and enthusiasts in general.

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Aero L-39C Albatros

Built To Serve

The airplanes and helicopters you’ll find in this category on AviationTrader.com.au were built tough from the very beginning and designed for maximum resilience and reliability. They were designed for military use in a wide range of potential environments. Some “warbirds” are even demilitarized and legal for private civilians and groups to own and fly (with the proper training).

The cost of a turbine military craft can range from less than A$200,000 to more than A$7.9 million depending on condition, demand, historical significance, rarity, provenance, and other factors. The levels of originality, restoration, or upgrades can also affect the prices of these pieces of aviation history.

Nearly all jet fighters have one or two seats, whereas turbine-powered helicopters such as the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk may seat 13 including crew. Maximum speeds, ranges, and payload capacity vary considerably, with some vintage fighters having been upgraded to more modern jet engines or components.

History

Interestingly, the gas-turbine engine was invented several decades before the Wright Brothers’ first (piston-powered) aircraft flight in 1903. A German engineer named Franz Stolze came up with the gas turbine in 1872, although engine design and materials science had a lifetime’s worth of improvement ahead of them in order to reach a practical state for aircraft propulsion. It wasn’t until 27 August 1939 that Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain’s Heinkel He 178 made the world’s first successful turbojet-powered flight with Erich Warsitz in the pilot’s seat.

The world’s first military jet aircraft, Ernst Heinkel’s He 280, first flew under its own power on 30 March 1941, but the plane never entered service in the German Luftwaffe. Germany’s Messerschmitt Me 262 became the first operational jet fighter for any nation on 18 July 1942. The advanced Me 262 did participate in combat, but dwindling resources and ever-changing priorities in the High Command kept its numbers few and its impact on the war slight.

America’s first jet fighter, the Bell P-59A, made its first flight on 2 October 1942, but its lackluster performance kept it out of combat. Later, Lockheed’s P-80A Shooting Star was the first to support American forces in the Korean War, where they were surprised to meet the Soviet Union’s better-performing Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15. American Charles Kaman’s K-225 became the world’s first gas-turbine helicopter in December 1951.

Find The Right Turbine Military Aircraft

Look to AviationTrader.com.au for an ever-changing selection of new and used turbine military aircraft, including the Aero L-39 Albatros, Chance Vought F8U Crusader, Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, North American F-86 Sabre, and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter among others.

AviationTrader.com.au also features piston military aircraft for sale from around the world.