World War II

USAF accepts first Boeing T-7 Red Hawk advanced trainer

USAF accepts first Boeing T-7 Red Hawk advanced trainer

The US Air Force (USAF) accepted the first of five T-7A Red Hawk aircraft from Boeing on Sep. 14, 2023.… Read More

3 days 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

1 week 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

2 weeks ago

The story of when a RAF Sunderland and a German U-boat destroyed each other

Sometimes, both the hunter and the hunted were destroyed, with one such encounter occurring on Aug. 1, 1943 when a… Read More

3 weeks ago

The story of the Horten Ho 229 WWII German low-drag Bomber, the first Stealth Aircraft that never was

The Horten Ho 229 was built and flown on several occasions but development was held back by numerous factors and… Read More

1 month ago

Legendary Stuka pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel recalls what it’s like to fly the Ju 87G, the tank busting Ju 87 fitted with 37 mm Cannons that allowed him to destroy 12 T-34s in one day

‘Because of the cannons the Ju 87 manoeuvrability is disadvantageously reduced and its landing speed is increased considerably. But now… Read More

1 month 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

2 months ago

The California Parachute, the tail assembly that acted as (non-textile) parachute to retard the descent of both Little Boy and Fat Man atomic bombs

Both Little Boy and Fat Man (and subsequent bombs of that type) did have, in effect, a parachute. Not a… Read More

2 months ago

On the night of Nov. 14, 1940 Conventry was flattened by 552 Luftwaffe aircraft that dropped 535 tons of bombs. Yet, Coventrians morale recovered quickly.

Goebbels’ Propaganda Ministry falsely attributed a new verb, Coventriert (to ‘Coventrate’), to the British public. The Blitz - the German… Read More

2 months ago

Iconic Catalina Amphibious Flying Boat production to restart

Iconic Catalina amphibious flying boat to be resurrected as new production transport category turboprop. Catalina Aircraft, holder of the Type… Read More

2 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

2 months ago

Watch the Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe WW II jet fighter displaying for the first time in the UK

Filmed at RAF Fairford during Royal International Air Tattoo 2023, the video in this post shows Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe… Read More

2 months ago

The Luftwaffe Me 262 pilot who might have gone supersonic two years earlier than Chuck Yeager: the story of Hans-Guido Mutke

Hans-Guido Mutke mentioned his experiences of Apr. 9, 1945 during a conference to mark the 50th anniversary of jet powered… Read More

2 months ago

The Me 163 that intercepted a Spitfire PR XI but failed to engage because the rocket powered fighter ran out of fuel just as its pilot was about to commence his attack

Although the Me 163 rocket powered fighter had a frighteningly high-top speed and rate of climb, its endurance was very… Read More

3 months ago

VMFA-214 Black Sheep F-35B Lightning II strike fighters visit hometown of fighter ace Gregory “Pappy” Boyington

Four USMC F-35Bs from VMFA-214 made a quick stop at Coeur d’Alene Airport. Coeur d’Alene is the hometown of World… Read More

3 months ago