Designed as a successor to the Grumman F4F Wildcat, the F6F Hellcat became America’s dominant fighter during the second half of the Pacific War. The highly successful Grumman F4F Wildcat had its first flight in September 1937 and began its service with the US Navy and British Royal Navy in December 1940. As early as [...]
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 [...]
Usually, a double “F” is a bad thing, but this Grumman FF fighter biplane was a winner if I ever saw one. Between its bulbous, tear drop-shaped body and its nickname “Fifi,” this plane is sure to capture your hearts—if it hasn’t already. Design and Development The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation was formed in late [...]
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 [...]
New Exhibit Takes Flight The Museum of Flight is kind of a big deal--in fact, it's the largest non-profit air and space museum in the world. Located in Seattle, Washington, the museum features over 175 different aircraft and spacecraft, tens of thousands of aviation artifacts, millions of rare photographs, dozens of exhibits, a world class [...]
Remembering the Roots of Modern Aviation In case you haven't already heard, Boeing is celebrating their centennial anniversary this year. Since July 15, 1916, Boeing has been shaping the history of aviation as we know it today. From the single wood and canvas airplanes of the past, to the space travel technologies of today, The [...]
