Fast forward to the 20 th century, when the group known as the Flying Tigers painted the front of one of the top WWII fighter aircraft, the Curtiss P-40, to look like a shark with a gaping mouth.

Sadly, the first Flying Tiger was lost in action. Hank Gilbert, of the 2nd Squadron, a close friend of Bacon’s, was shot down and died in the line of duty, showing how dangerous their missions were.

Key Points and Summary: China’s J-15 “Flying Shark,” its first operational carrier-based fighter, was developed by reverse-engineering an unfinished Su-33 (the carrier version of the Su-27 ...