Playable Aircraft

There are five Playable Aircraft in Energy Airforce and three more in Energy Airforce: aimStrike!, including two secret aircraft in the former. Contrary to a certain extent of belief, the legendary aircraft listed on the back cover are not playable in either Energy Airforce or Energy Airforce: aimStrike!.

F-16 Fighting Falcon
The F-16 is the first playable aircraft in both games. It is a decent all-round aircraft during combat, but players can have a hard time landing this craft for the first few attempts, especially in License 1-F and, to a lesser extent, 2-F, where it is very easy to overshoot the gates near the end of the test. However, it is still reliable to use in every mission in the game, with the exception of Mission 10, where hostiles are just too deadly for this fighter to handle.

F-22 Raptor
The F-22 is an advanced air-to-air jet, and is very easy to land when directly compared to the F-16. It also has stealth, making it extremely deadly against hostile fighters.

X-35 Joint Strike Fighter
The X-35 is the first carrier-capable playable aircraft unlocked. It shares this position with the F/A-18E Hornet in aimStrike!.

F-16 Update
The F-16 Update is an upgraded version of the F-16, and the first of the two secret aircraft. It has JHMCS and is arguably easier to land than the regular F-16 due to its wider landing gear, which allows for a wider angle of attack.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
The F-35 is a similar aircraft to the X-35, except that the cockpit (both internally and in terms of the canopy) and paint pattern are very different, and the plane has STO/VL capabilities. However, their weapon bays are near identical.