The BEST episodes of Air Warriors

Every episode of Air Warriors ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Air Warriors!

A winged fighter that hasn’t lost a fight in 26 years, a lifesaver that’s part plane and part chopper, and an attack helicopter our enemies call the Black Death. These are America’s undisputed kings of the sky: the F-15 Eagle, the V-22 Osprey, and the AH-64 Apache. And their success stories are as remarkable as they are improbable. Witness their turbulent journeys, brought to life through rarely seen combat footage and the stories of the dedicated pilots and teams who fly and maintain these ultimate air warriors.

Last Updated: 4/23/2025Network: Smithsonian ChannelStatus: Continuing
F-15
star
10.00
28 votes

#1 - F-15

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/9/2014

Meet the undisputed king of winged fighters, the F-15 Eagle. For decades, it's been the U.S. Air Force's weapon of choice when there's any real chance of air-to-air combat, with an undefeated record since its first combat kill in 1979. We reveal how this sleek, powerful jet overcame its skeptics to dominate the skies. Then we explore how it revolutionized the aviation world through rare footage and captivating stories from the pilots who flew into danger aboard this remarkable and resilient aircraft.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Prowler/Growler
star
8.00
28 votes

#2 - Prowler/Growler

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 12/14/2014

What they do is untraceable and highly classified. Instead of utilizing bullets and bombs, they use force and frequency. This is the story of the Prowler, the U.S. Navy's electronic warrior, and its leading counterpart, the Growler. These aircraft are the first line of attack, able to locate, jam, and destroy enemy radar, giving fighter planes more time to complete their missions. With the capability to fight in the electromagnetic spectrum, these Air Warriors have an advantage in the new age of defense.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Top Gunships
star
0.00
0 votes

#3 - Top Gunships

Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 12/20/2020

Close air support planes are the guardian angels of American ground troops, pro-tecting soldiers with precision firepower. We look at the military's greatest fighters, bombers, and attack aircraft over the last 60 years, from the AV-8B Harrier, the world's most famous vertical/short takeoff and landing fighter jet, to the B-52 Stratofortress, the Air Force's go-to bomber, to the A-10 Thunderbolt, aka, the "Warthog." We also look back on some of the most thrilling gunship missions, saving lives and winning wars in hotspots across the globe.

Watch Now:Amazon
star
0.00
0 votes

#4 - AH-1 Cobra

Season 10 - Episode 10 - Aired 7/23/2023

Experts discuss the history of the AH-1 Cobra, an agile attack helicopter designed for combat in the Vietnam War and later used for dangerous ground support missions in the Iraq War.

Watch Now:Amazon
F-18
star
0.00
0 votes

#5 - F-18

Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/27/2020

The F-18 has been the backbone of U.S. Navy carrier operations since it was first introduced in the 1980s. It's built to pack a one-two punch as both a fighter and an attack aircraft, capable of dominating both the skies and the battlefield. We examine its origins, beginning in 1973, when the Navy looked to update its aging fighters, including the F-4 Phantom. We then follow the F-18 Hornet and Super Hornet on their most thrilling and perilous missions, from the baptism by fire in Desert Storm to recent bombing campaigns against ISIS.

Watch Now:Amazon
F-86 Sabre
star
0.00
0 votes

#6 - F-86 Sabre

Season 8 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/21/2021

The inside story of the F-86 Sabre, one of America's first fighter jets, and its epic battles against the Soviet MiG jet during the Korean War and beyond.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
B-29 Superfortress
star
0.00
0 votes

#7 - B-29 Superfortress

Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/28/2021

The B-29 Superfortress changed the face of war. It dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, but was also the first plane with a pressurised cabin and the first that could fly more than 3,000 miles.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Hawker Hurricane
star
0.00
0 votes

#8 - Hawker Hurricane

Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/7/2021

The Hawker Hurricane, regarded by some as the overlooked underdog of British fighter planes. Fast and versatile, the dogfighter doubled as a bomber and ground support aircraft in every theatre of the Second World War.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Messerschmitt BF 109
star
0.00
0 votes

#9 - Messerschmitt BF 109

Season 8 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/14/2021

Discover the story or the Nazi fighter that was loved by some, hated by others, but recognized by all as revolutionary.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
B-24 Liberator
star
0.00
0 votes

#10 - B-24 Liberator

Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/21/2021

The B-24 was America's go-to heavy bomber in the early years of World War II, able to go faster, farther, and carry a larger payload than its predecessor, the B-17. And as the most mass-produced bomber in history, it was able to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy and earning its name: the Liberator. Discover how the B-24 came into existence and answered the U.S. military's desperate need for a long-range bomber. Then witness some of its key missions, flying time and again into the mouth of hell to take on Axis forces.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
 Lancaster
star
0.00
0 votes

#11 - Lancaster

Season 9 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/8/2022

Learn how the British bomber Lancaster brought distinct power and strength against Nazi Germany and was pivotal to the Allied victory in World War II.

Watch Now:Amazon
Tornado
star
0.00
0 votes

#12 - Tornado

Season 9 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/15/2022

Dive deep into the evolution and operational history of the Cold War-era Panavia Tornado bomber, developed collaboratively by Italy, the U.K., and West Germany.

Watch Now:Amazon
F-111
star
0.00
0 votes

#13 - F-111

Season 9 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/20/2022

Learn the history of the F-111 bomber jet, a Vietnam-era flop that turned that turned into an essential piece of U.S. military hardware in Libya and the Gulf War.

Watch Now:Amazon
P-47
star
0.00
0 votes

#14 - P-47

Season 9 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/29/2022

Learn how the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter jet played a pivotal role in carrying the Allies to victory in World War II and the Pacific War.

Watch Now:Amazon
Little Bird
star
0.00
0 votes

#15 - Little Bird

Season 9 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/5/2022

Go inside the cockpit of the nimble Little Bird, a small but mighty attack helicopter on the front lines of many U.S. military operations, including the Vietnam War, Iraq War and many more.

Watch Now:Amazon
Galaxy
star
0.00
0 votes

#16 - Galaxy

Season 9 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/12/2022

Lockheed's C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft stands out for its massive size and aid provided to the American military during war, but its peacetime contributions truly set it apart.

Watch Now:Amazon
F-14 Tomcat
star
0.00
0 votes

#17 - F-14 Tomcat

Season 10 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/21/2023

The true story of the F-14 Tomcat, the military aircraft made famous in “Top Gun,” and how it served as the Navy’s top carrier fighter for a generation.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
PBY Catalina
star
0.00
0 votes

#18 - PBY Catalina

Season 10 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/28/2023

A look at the amphibious aircraft Catalina and the many roles it served during WWII, from patrol bomber to search-and-rescue aircraft.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
B-17 Flying Fortress
star
0.00
0 votes

#19 - B-17 Flying Fortress

Season 10 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/4/2023

The history of the B-17 reveals how the aircraft evolved into the USAF’s most lethal bomber in World War II’s European and Pacific campaigns. The Women Airforce Service Pilots organization transported Flying Fortresses, which delivered food to the German-occupied Netherlands in Operation Chowhound in the last days of the war.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Mosquito
star
0.00
0 votes

#20 - Mosquito

Season 10 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/10/2023

The story of the de Havilland Mosquito, the wooden RAF aircraft that acted as a bomber, fighter, and reconnaissance plane during World War II.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
F-100 Super Sabre
star
0.00
0 votes

#21 - F-100 Super Sabre

Season 10 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/18/2023

Despite its early reputation for being unsafe, engineers evolved the F-100 Super Sabre into a supersonic powerhouse that carried out daily attack missions throughout the Vietnam War.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
B-1 Lancer
star
0.00
0 votes

#22 - B-1 Lancer

Season 10 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/25/2023

Military experts and veterans discuss the history of the Rockwell B-1 Lancer, first conceived as a nuclear bomber during the Cold War, and its evolving wartime roles in the 1990s and 2000s.

Watch Now:Amazon
star
0.00
0 votes

#23 - Hawker Hunter

Season 10 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/2/2023

The inside story of Britain's flagship super jet of the Cold War era, the Hawker Hunter, and its most thrilling flights during the late 20th century.

Watch Now:Amazon
star
0.00
0 votes

#24 - C-47 Skytrain

Season 10 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/9/2023

Originally designed as a civilian passenger airliner, the C-47 becomes a durable military workhorse, delivering paratroopers behind enemy lines on D-Day, rescuing injured soldiers and more

Watch Now:Amazon
star
0.00
0 votes

#25 - Stuka Dive Bomber

Season 10 - Episode 9 - Aired 7/16/2023

Aviation historians and veterans detail how the high-speed dives and pinpoint accuracy of the Junkers Ju-87 Stukas became a Nazi terror weapon and symbol of German power during World War II.

Watch Now:Amazon