Duel over Vietnam

These four digital renders depict the events of 10 May, 1972. Lt Randy Cunningham and his RIO Lt. Willie Driscoll shot down three enemy aircraft, the last being their fifth career kill thus becoming the only Navy aces of the Vietnam war. In this final duel, the two opponents found themselves in sheer vertical climbs in an effort to gain the advantage. In the final climb and with the Mig close on his tail, Cunningham idled back his Phantom and deployed his airbrake forcing the Mig to blast passed and give Cunningham his kill shot. On the way back to the carrier, the Navy Phantom was damaged by a surface to air missile and went into a death spiral. Cunningham deployed his drogue chute in a lost effort for control before both aviators ejected and parachuted safely into the sea where they were immediately rescued by a Navy destroyer.