Darrick Leiker

Darrick Leiker is based out of Goodland, Kansas and is a contributor to TheAviationist. Coming from a military/law enforcement background in the United States Air Force, he graduated Electronics Technology at Northwest Kansas Technical College, is an amateur astronomer, avid scale modeler, and also collects classic automobiles. Darrick has experience in the world of Cryptocurrency, cybersecurity research/intelligence, and also built and managed his own business. An avid reader and history buff, Darrick’s passion is to insure those who went before us and those currently serving are not forgotten. Darrick curates a small private museum of scale models, artifacts, and memorabilia, while working in the wine and spirits industry.
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Packing a Deadly Bite, the P-61 Black Widow was a Nocturnal Nemesis to Axis Aircraft

Northrop’s night fighter was large, heavily armed, and fast for its size;…

The Soviet Union’s First Jet Bomber: The Ilyushin Il-28 ‘Beagle’

Making a flyover appearance at the 1950 Soviet May Day parade, the…

Germany’s Renaissance Fighter: The Heinkel He 51

Kept under a veil of civilian airlines, glider clubs, and civil aviation…

Ford’s Trimotor ‘Tin Goose’: The Story of the 4-AT and 5-AT

Henry Ford claimed the all-metal, three-engine airliner was “the safest airliner around”,…

The Avia S-199: Israel’s Unlikely Deliverer

The newly formed State of Israel made use of the only thing…

Sweden’s Flying Dragon: The Saab J 35 Draken

One of the most aesthetically pleasing and most recognizable aircraft to the…