Plane of the Week: Messerschmitt Me 262

The World's First Operational Jet Fighter   While the design for the Messerschmitt Me 262 began pre-World War II, it didn't reach operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. Even then, only small numbers of Me 262s actually appeared in combat. Design and Development Several years before the onset of WWII, Germans saw the potential for [...]

By |September 15th, 2017|Plane Of The Week|Comments Off on Plane of the Week: Messerschmitt Me 262

Plane of the Week: Boeing B-29 Superfortresses

When you think of Boeing, you might think of large commercial jets, like the retiring 747, rather than their strategic bomber. But the Boeing B-29 Superfortress played an important role in the U.S. forces during WWII and the Korean War. On April 7, 1945, the Superfortress made the first fighter escort mission against Japan. Today [...]

By |April 7th, 2017|Plane Of The Week|Comments Off on Plane of the Week: Boeing B-29 Superfortresses

Plane of the Week: North American P-51 Mustang

The P-51 Mustang was designed by North American Aviation in response to a British specification requirement to build a fighter under a Royal Air Force (RAF) license. They wanted a new design—not something from another company. So, North American Aviation created a more modern design and produced the first P-51 Mustang for test flights in [...]

By |December 9th, 2016|Plane Of The Week|Comments Off on Plane of the Week: North American P-51 Mustang