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An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The formation displays three generations of Air Force aircraft

At one time, just before the opening of World War II, there were two types of fighters. Smaller single-engine planes were used as interceptors and day fighters, sometimes referred to as pursuit, while larger twin-engine designs were used as heavy fighters. The latter role proved to be unworkable, or at least not enough effort was put into them to remain useful. They then found themselves being converted to an ever-growing list of secondary roles, including strike fighters, bomber destroyers and night fighters, where their two engines gave them the increased payload needed to fill these roles.

As the performance of aircraft engines improved, notably with the jet engineA jet engine is a type of air-breathing turbine engine, often used on aircraft. The principle of all jet engines is essentially the same. The engine draws air in at the front and compresses it. The air is combined with fuel, typically ignited by flame in in the 1960s, the need for different designs gradually disappeared. First the interceptor, bomber destroyer and night fighter designs merged into a single aircraft class. Later advances in targeting systems and the ever-increasing payloads meant that modern fighters can carry a load as large as the biggest WWII bombers, eliminating many of the bomber and Ground attack aircraftA ground attack aircraft is an aircraft that is designed to operate very close to the ground, supporting infantry and tanks directly in battle. They are used essentially as mobile machine guns and anti-tank guns against single targets, as opposed to bombe roles as well. Today there are typically only two general fighter designs, smaller planes which make up the backbone of most air forceAn air force is a military organization that primarily operates in air-based war. They typically use a combination of fighters, bombers, helicopters and other aircraft. Most (but not all) armed forces make considerable organizational distinction between ts, and larger designs that operate at longer distances, sometimes referred to as interdictorAn interdictor is a type of attack aircraft that operates far behind enemy lines, with the express intent of interdicting the enemy logistics effort. The term has generally fallen from use. The "classic" interdictor is the F-111, an aircraft able to operas.

Fighter aircraft were developed during World War IWorld War I (also known as the First World War , the Great War the War of the Nations and the "War to End All Wars") was a world conflict occurring from 1914 to 1918. No previous conflict had mobilized so many soldiers, or involved so many in the field of, when they were tasked with hunting down enemy reconnaissanceReconnaissance is the military term for methods of gathering information about an enemy. It is often referred to as recce (British) or recon (American). The associated verb is reconnoiter reconnoitre in British English). Examples of reconnaissance include aircraft and ballooncards or flowers. A balloon is a flexible bag normally filled with air or gas. Some balloons are purely decorative, while others are used for specific purposes. Early balloons were made of dried animal bladders. Balloons as flying machines Large balloonss. Engine power was so limited that they were barely able to lift themselves, but by the end of the war they had become one of the primary designs in the inventory.

An early fighter: the Boeing P-26 PeashooterThe Boeing P-26 nicknamed the "Peashooter", was the first all-metal production fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane used by the United States Army Air Corps. The prototype first flew in 1932, and were used as late as 1941 in the Philippines. which first flew in 1932

By the time of World War II fighter aircraft were extremely important. Control of the sky, or air superiority, had become a vital part of military doctrine, notably in the case of the blitzkrieg. The Luftwaffe's inability to destroy the British fighter squadrons during the Battle of Britain made the seaborne invasion of Britain infeasible. As engine power grew, existing designs were increasingly used in other roles, with aircraft like the Republic P-47 and Hawker Typhoon becoming celebrated attack aircraft.

In the 1950s, jet-engined fighter planes capable of supersonic flight were developed. Power remained low, and the designs were dedicated to specific roles. Any particular air force might deploy three or four designs, day fighters, night fighters, attack planes, etc.

These distinctions continued to erode during the 1960s, not always with good results. The McDonnell F-4 Phantom II was designed as a pure interceptor for the US Navy, but became a highly successful multi-role aircraft for the US Air Force and US Marine Corps as well as many other nations. Only a few years later, however, the General Dynamics F-111, intended as a multi-role, multi-service fighter, proved to be a near-disaster, so ineffectual as a fighter that the Navy version was abandoned, and the type eventually matured as bomber. Budgetary and political realities have increasingly forced the development of multi-role rather than specialized aircraft, but with some notable exceptions (like the F/A-18 Hornet), the demands of a good attack aircraft and a good air combat fighter remain somewhat mutually exclusive.

Current developments include reducing the radar visibility of fighters--techniques known as stealth--as well as increased range at supersonic speeds ( supercruise) and better maneuverability.