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 [...]
Long before Neil Armstrong made one giant leap for mankind (or, you know, didn’t, if that’s your belief), NASA’s work was a lot closer to home. In fact, it had nothing to do with aerospace at all. At least, not technically. The NASA we know and love today grew out of a federal agency founded [...]
Not all vampires suck, you know. Not all vampires can fly, either. In both American and European folklore, only some can. But Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Little Vampire, and The Lost Boys all could fly. So could this de Havilland Vampire. And fly it did. Britain’s Second Jet-Powered Aircraft Post-WWII In 1941, the de Havilland [...]
When the United States Army Air Forces wanted an operational jet fighter of their own, the War Department's wish was Kelly Johnson's command. They sure wished upon this shooting star. The Lockheed P-80 was the first jet fighter used operationally by the USAAF. The aircraft was designed and built by Lockheed in [...]
When going up in the air, we all hope that, in the end, we reach our destinations safely. We cross our fingers for "textbook" takeoffs and landings. Most of the time, we get our wish--flying is easy peasy. But sometimes our finger crossing isn't enough and things don't go by the book. In the event that [...]
If not for Poppy Houston, the Battle of Britain might have ended very differently. Fanny Lucy Radmall was born on April 8, 1857, to Thomas Radmall, a woolen warehouseman and draper, and Maria Isabella Clark. The 9th of 10 children, "Poppy," as she was affectionately known, was nothing short of inquisitive, vivacious, and adventurous. At 16, Poppy became [...]
March 8 is International Women’s Day—a day marked by celebrating all the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. As a woman, I would like to emphasize the importance of recognizing women for their achievements and contributions to history and the general betterment of society. Women have pretty much always been involved in aviation, [...]
Grumman Avengers assemble! While it was no bombshell in terms of its beauty, don't let that fool you: despite its rather homely looks, this torpedo bomber saw some major wins. During its operational use during WWII, nearly 10,000 of them were produced. Who's the beauty queen now? Design and Development At a brief point in aviation history, the Douglas [...]
Franklin D. Roosevelt has the distinction of being the first US president to ever fly in an aircraft, while Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to travel in an airplane with the designation Air Force One. It was Theodore Roosevelt, however, who was the first [former] president to ever fly in an aircraft in October [...]
The bearcat, also known as the binturong, is a viverrine mammal from Southeast Asia—it is closely related to neither bears nor cats. The Grumman F8F Bearcat, on the other hand, is a single-engine carrier-based fighter aircraft that was introduced late into WWII. The Bearcat aircraft concept was conceived when Battle of Midway veteran F4F Wildcat [...]
