In the aftermath of World War 2, as the dust settled on its ruins, France emerged from the shadows of occupation. The nation was eager to reestablish its military prowess following a dark period in its history.

A new era was dawning, and with it came a revolutionary aircraft: the Sud-Ouest Vautour.

This sleek machine was a force to be reckoned with, with some design similarities to the Soviet Yakovlev Yak-28 but a soul entirely of its own.

As the crown jewel of France's Cold War arsenal, the Vautour instilled fear in the hearts of Soviet strategists. Its seemingly portly appearance belied its raw power, and it served the French Air Force with distinction for an impressive 15 years.

But although the Vautour had its share of shortcomings, another Air Force eventually transformed the aircraft into a lethal night fighter and a fearsome attack aircraft, securing its rightful place in aviation history…

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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.