When the Third Reich invaded Russia on June 22, 1941, they brought with them more than 3 million soldiers in a matter of hours. The Germans were expecting an easy victory against the Untermensch— the Russian people they believed were inferior. However, what the Germans faced was a ferocious army not just of strong men [...]
How the first cat got to cross the Atlantic Cats are no strangers to notoriety. Ancient Egyptians worshipped a cat Goddess and held felines in the highest esteem. Today, there is no shortage of internet-famous cats, to the point where we are essentially worshipping them on social media. Given cats’ status ranging from our ancient [...]
Some people do little. But this Doolittle did a lot. James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle was born on December 14, 1896, in Alameda, California. However, he spent much of his childhood in Nome, Alaska, where his father was a gold prospector and carpenter. While living in Alaska, Jimmy learned how to fight and pilot a [...]
Not every fighter pilot was considered an ace during World War I, let alone the ace of aces. But for Eddie Rickenbacker, that’s precisely what he was. An Early Life (With a Purpose) Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was born on October 8, 1890 in Columbus, Ohio. His parents were German-speaking Swiss immigrants and he was the [...]
A Pioneering American Aviator As one of America's Early aviators, Katherine Stinson set numerous flying records, including ones for distance, endurance, and aerobatic maneuvers. In July 1912, she became the fourth woman in the United States to obtain a pilot’s certificate. Katherine Stinson was born in Fort Payne, Alabama, on February 14, 1891. It would be twelve [...]
Papua New Guinea has seen its share of plane crashes, as well as its share of war buffs hunting for “warbird” wrecks. But of all the downed planes scattered throughout the mountainous rainforests and jungle terrain, the fabled “Swamp Ghost” remains the most legendary. For 64 years, this downed B-17 Flying Fortress rested intact among [...]
Did a killer unintentionally change the course of aviation history as we know it? In 2015, famed historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough released a new book, “The Wright Brothers.” Early in his text, he recounts an event that ultimately changed the course of Wilbur’s life—and arguably the history of aviation as we know [...]
Based on the Waco 9, the Waco 10 was designed to make something that was already good, bigger. Both had three seats and a single engine, but a larger wing area, bigger cockpit, and additional features made this model even more popular that the last. Design and Development Just like the Waco 9, the Waco [...]
The Douglas DC-3 is one of the most revolutionary transport aircraft of the 1930s and 40s… or perhaps of all time. The Propeller driven DC-3 is a twin-engine monoplane, powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3G Twin Wasp piston engines. The DC-3, Then known as the DST or Douglas Sleeper Transport took its [...]
The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation Keeps the Spirit Alive In 1988, one pilot founded The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation with the goal of preserving the memory and legacy of "the greatest humanitarian and aviation event in history": The Berlin Airlift. At the end of WWII, a defeated Germany was divided into four sectors [...]
