U.S. Army Air Forces

Here’s why the B-29 remote controlled turrets were worse than B-17 and B-24 manned turrets in protecting the aircraft from enemy fighters

Here’s why the B-29 remote controlled turrets were worse than B-17 and B-24 manned turrets in protecting the aircraft from enemy fighters

B-29 Superfortress remote controlled turrets. Designed in 1940 as an eventual replacement for the B-17 and B-24, the first B-29… Read More

1 week ago

Meet the B-17 All American: the Flying Fortress that made it home after being sliced by the wing of a Luftwaffe Me 109

The B-17 Flying Fortress Although the B-17 Flying Fortress prototype flew in 1935, only a relatively small number of B-17s… Read More

2 months ago

America’s Top Ace Richard Bong nailed a crocodile With a burst of 20mm cannon fire from his P-38 to protect his comrades trying to rescue a fellow pilot who had been missing in the jungle

America’s Top Ace Richard Bong After schooling in his hometown, Richard “Dick” Bong enlisted as a flying cadet at nearby… Read More

2 months ago

‘Masters of the Air,’ the New Apple TV+ Series About ‘Mighty Eighth’ Air Force in WWII, to premiere globally Friday, Jan. 26, 2024

Masters of the Air On Oct. 5, 2023 Apple TV+ unveiled the first images from its upcoming World War II… Read More

2 months ago

The story of Walter Beckham, the P-47 Thunderbolt pilot and Eighth Air Force’s Leading Ace shot down while pioneering Airfield Strafing Tactics against Luftwaffe Aircraft

The fighter groups – especially the P-47 Thunderbolt-equipped units – took the war to the enemy by “beating them up… Read More

2 months ago

The day Luftwaffe Bf 109s attacked USAAF P-38s escorting 72 B-25s and failed to shoot down a single bomber thanks to the determined defense mounted by the Lightning pilots

On Sep 2, 1943 the 82nd FG (95th, 96th and 97th FSs) P-38 Lightnings suffered their heaviest losses of the… Read More

2 months ago

“The Flying Fortress looked like a roof collapsing upon me:” the Zero pilot that during an attack on a B-17 got scared by the bomber size and erroneously collided with it

Zero-sen pilots were particularly vexed by the four-engined Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. In fact the B-17 would prove hard… Read More

2 months ago

The story of the P-47 that safely RTB after it had a wing sheared off against a chimney during a strafing run and its tail damaged by Spitfires that mistook it for a German fighter

Lt. Raymundo da Costa Canário, Brazilian Air Force P-47 pilot, was able to RTB after the right wing of his… Read More

3 months ago

The story of Alan E. Magee, the B-17 belly gunner who survived a 20,000-foot fall without parachute from his damaged Flying Fortress

Only three crew members of B-17F Flying Fortress "Snap! Crackle! Pop!” managed to bail out, one without a parachute. That… Read More

3 months ago

The story of the Japanese Naval Aviator who became the only Axis Pilot to bomb US Mainland during World War II

Nobuo Fujita was a Japanese naval aviator who flew a seaplane from a submarine and dropped incendiary bombs on the… Read More

3 months ago

Mustang Vs Mustang: here’s why Pilots Preferred the P-51B/C “Razorback” while the Brass Preferred the P-51D “Bubbletop”

Between the P-51B/C ”Razorback” or the long-ranged P-51D, the P-51B Razorback was faster and flew straighter/smoother with the smooth-back fuselage… Read More

4 months ago

The day a B-25 Mitchell WWII medium bomber crashed into the Empire State Building

On Jul. 28, 1945 Lieutenant Colonel William F. Smith lost his way while flying a B-25 Mitchell bomber. Emerging from… Read More

4 months ago

During the Battle of Midway a USAAF B-26 Marauder pilot buzzed the flight deck of Japanese Aircraft Carrier Akagi to save his crew

Jun. 4, 1942, 7:10 a.m., 150 miles northwest of Midway Atoll . . . Moments after releasing a torpedo at… Read More

6 months ago

The Flying Fortress Designer Error: 400 early B-17s crashed on landing because the controls for the Wing Flaps and Landing Gear looked the same And were positioned close to each other.

The Flying Fortress is one of the most famous airplanes ever built, but before the aircraft could form the backbone… Read More

7 months ago

The story of Owen J. Baggett, the B-24 Copilot who shot down a Japanese Zero with his Colt .45 while hanging from his open parachute after he bailed out from his stricken Liberator

At just the right moment, Owen J. Baggett drew his service pistol, a Colt .45, and fired four shots, hitting… Read More

7 months ago

B-17F “Hell’s Angels” was the first bomber to complete 25 missions in the European Theater. But B-17F “Memphis Belle” was the first to complete 25 missions and RETURN to the US. Here’s why.

On May 13, 1943 the B-17F “Hell’s Angels” returned successfully from its 25th mission. A week later, on May 19,… Read More

7 months ago

This B-17 was hit by an 88mm shell, remained in formation and gave the chance to those who survived to bail out safely. The story of the headless Flying Fortress.

As seen from the right waist of an accompanying B-17, this 463rd Bomb Group Flying Fortress received a direct hit… Read More

9 months ago
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