It was a Christmas miracle in the making. The American B-17 bomber was damaged and defenseless, and the Bf 109 of…
B-17 Flying Fortress
-
Aviation HistoryLosses and Aviation SafetyMilitary Aviation
-
Aviation HistoryMilitary AviationWarbirds
The story of James Howard, the P-51 Mustang pilot who fought alone, for 30 minutes against Luftwaffe fighters to protect B-17 bombers egressing from skies over Germany
by Dario LeoneHoward engaged the enemy for 30 minutes while flying above the target area, downing three and damaging a fourth to become…
-
Aviation HistoryMilitary AviationWarbirds
Project Castor: the story of B-17 and B-24 bombers converted into flying bombs and aimed to destroy Luftwaffe’s V-1 sites
by Dario LeoneThe idea of converting existing aircraft into power-driven controlled bombs began in January 1944 at the Special Weapons Branch of the…
-
Aviation HistoryLosses and Aviation SafetyMilitary Aviation
The story behind the horrific photo of the B-17 Flying Fortress with one wing blown off, plummeting to its doom
by Dario LeoneTaken on Apr. 8, 1945 the horrific, main image of this post is one of the iconic pictures of the American…
-
Aviation HistoryMilitary AviationWarbirds
Norden Bombsight, Formation Bombing and Lead Crews: How American B-17 Bombers Hoped to Achieve Air Superiority during Long-Range Daylight Precision Bombings over Germany
by Dario LeoneIn 1943, the Eighth Air Force’s top priority was to destroy the Luftwaffe and its factories, and their B-17s were specialist…
-
Military Aviation
173rd Fighter Wing unveils new F-15C flagship (Painted in the Color Scheme of a B-17 flown by a MOH Recipient)
by Dario LeoneSome of the other design aspects included using B-17 bomber black and white invasion stripes, the P-51 style star and bars…
-
Losses and Aviation SafetyMilitary AviationWarbirds
The story of B-17 “Patches:” the Fortress that RTB from a combat mission with one propeller embedded in the wing
by Dario LeoneAfter B-17 “Patches” had been hit by flak, one of the props flew off, took the tip off another one and…
-
Aviation HistoryMilitary Aviation
The Me 410 and the Colossal Five-Centimetre BK 5 Cannon: the Story of ‘The Backbone of Reich Defence’
by Dario LeoneWhen, in November 1943, Hitler watched a demonstration of an Me 410 equipped with a BK 5 cannon, he enthused that…
-
Losses and Aviation SafetyMilitary AviationWarbirds
Listen to Collings Foundation B-25 Crew Giving an Emotional Salute to their Fallen B-17 Nine-O-Nine Brothers
by Dario Leone“We gotta leave behind two of our friend: Mac and Mike, and our brothers – our brothers and fellow crew. Also…
-
Losses and Aviation SafetyMilitary AviationWarbirds
[Updated] Seven Dead After Collings Foundation B-17 Nine-O-Nine Crash
by Dario LeoneThere were 13 people on board Collings Foundation B-17 Nine-O-Nine Crash, two pilots, one attendant, and 10 passengers. Another person on…