The WORST episodes of Air Warriors

Every episode of Air Warriors ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst 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
Little Bird
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#1 - 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.

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Top Choppers
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#2 - Top Choppers

Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 12/13/2020

They're sleek and steadfast, high-tech and high-capacity, dynamic and deadly. No matter the mission, from attack to rescue to disaster relief, these military helicopters always rise to the challenge. Get an up-close, inside look at the AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, and V-22 Osprey as we examine the machines and their most memorable missions. Through rare footage and interviews with the pilots who flew these choppers into danger, we show what gives these air warriors the ability to get the job done time and again.

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Top Gunships
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#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.

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F-18
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#4 - 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.

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F-86 Sabre
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#5 - 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.

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B-29 Superfortress
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#6 - 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.

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Hawker Hurricane
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#7 - 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.

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Messerschmitt BF 109
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#8 - 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.

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B-24 Liberator
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#9 - 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.

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 Lancaster
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#10 - 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.

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Tornado
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#11 - 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.

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F-111
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#12 - 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.

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P-47
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#13 - 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.

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Top Dogfighters
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#14 - Top Dogfighters

Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 12/6/2020

There are few wartime conflicts as dramatic or as breathtaking as a dogfight. Two planes chasing and dodging each other at supersonic speeds. The stakes: life or death. Witness some of the most spectacular battles in the air, from World War II to Vietnam to Desert Storm. We celebrate both the remarkable aircraft involved, including the F-15 Eagle, the F-4 Phantom, the F6F Hellcat, and the P-38 Lightning, and give firsthand accounts from some of the bold fighter pilots who looked death in the face and won.

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Galaxy
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#15 - 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.

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F-14 Tomcat
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#16 - 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.

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PBY Catalina
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#17 - 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.

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B-17 Flying Fortress
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#18 - 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.

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Mosquito
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#19 - 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.

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F-100 Super Sabre
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#20 - 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.

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B-1 Lancer
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#21 - 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.

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#22 - 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.

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#23 - 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

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#24 - 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.

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#25 - 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.

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