Military Archives - Page 16 of 180

Douglas C-47: A Gooney by any Other Name is Still a Gooney

Supreme Commander-Europe, General Dwight Eisenhower, didnít hesitate when ask to list the Allied weapons that most helped end the war. In no particular order he said, ìThe bazooka, the jeep, the atom bomb and the C-47. The bazooka made the lowly GI into a feared tank killer. The Jeep gave his commanders incredible flexibility to […]

Historic A-7E Corsair II — A Reminder of Desert Storm

For many Americans, the first news of Operation Desert Storm 27 years ago came through the excited voices of CNN reporters broadcasting over the sights and sounds of tracer fire and bombs exploding as they struck targets in Baghdad. It was an event that was months in the making, beginning in August 1990, when Iraqi […]

During a January 4, 2018 media event at the restoration hangar, curators at the United States Air Force Museum showcased progress in restoring the Memphis Belle, flown by the aircrew to complete a 25-mission combat tour over Europe.

Memphis Belle Restoration Nears Completion

The world’s most iconic B-17 Flying Fortress is nearly ready for her long-awaited unveiling, just in time for the 75th anniversary of her final mission. Memphis Belle, an early-model B-17F, was flown by the first 8th Air Force crew to complete 25 missions, earning pilot Robert Morgan and his crew the honor of returning stateside […]

Drones: Technology Changes the Face of Combat

Drones are not, as is often assumed, a 21st-century development. Far from it. Their history goes back more than 100 years, but the rate at which they are changing our everyday life continues to accelerate. So we thought it is worth looking back and seeing where the concept came from, how it developed, and where […]

Pearl Harbor: the Sleeping Giant Awakens

War was coming to the ocean called “Pacific.” Imperial Japan, in need of oil to feed its growing ambition, squirmed under the stricture of an American embargo (implemented because of Japan’s aggression toward China). Japan would not be denied its self-proclaimed destiny, so Tokyo’s warlords cast covetous eyes southward to the petroleum-rich Dutch East Indies, […]

USAF Grounds T-6A Texan II Aircraft

The Air Force grounded T-6A Texan II flying operations Nov. 15 after pilots reported oxygen problems — the fourth incident since Nov. 1. According to officials of the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, four instructor pilots and one student pilot reported physiological incidents while flying. “Vance Air Force Base is […]

The Last Doolittle Raider is Still Going Strong – Aviation History News

At 101 years of age, Lt. Col. Richard Cole (USAF, retired) is still a man with a mission. The last survivor of the 80 officers and enlisted men who followed then Col. Jimmy Doolittle off the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet for the first air raid against Japan on April 18, 1942, Cole’s […]

Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker: 1929’s Heavy Hauler

We only have roads into town three months of the year, while all the lakes and rivers are frozen. Otherwise the only way into Norman Wells and many of the other communities around us is by airplane. Usually float planes. That’s why I had the Bellanca CH-300 restored. In the 1930s it was one of […]

Sen-toku: Japan’s Underwater Aircraft Carriers

Sneaking Up On America … Again Pearl Harbor was the first. The American West Coast was to be next for a sneak bacteriological attack. Then, bomb New York City and obliterate the Panama Canal. According to the Japanese High Command, that was all to be accomplished early in the conflict—and they were deadly serious about […]

Bob Hoover, Flying Legend, Goes West at 94

News of the death of legendary test pilot and aerobatics pioneer Bob Hoover this morning has brought grief to the aviation community. Hoover, known among his many fans as the “pilot’s pilot,” died at about 2 a.m. Pacific Time, according to reports. He was 94 years old. Hoover’s flying career began when he was a […]