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CAF Wildcat Heads to Hawaii

The Commemorative Air Force’s FM2 Wildcat is set to participate in the upcoming 75th Anniversary Commemoration of the End of World War II events, scheduled to take place in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, from August 29 to September 2, 2020. On Saturday, July 25, the aircraft and pilot Mike Polley will board a US Navy Ship […]

B-25 8-Gun Strafer Nose Restoration

The good folks at the B-25 History Project have a new restoration underway: a rare 8-gun “strafer” nose that only a few restored B-25s are outfitted with. Interestingly, this nose configuration was only a modification–no B-25s were originally outfitted with it–and these nose types were mainly used in the Pacific Theater, where pilots had an […]

The Last “Spooky” Retires

The U.S. Air Force has sent the last AC-130U “Spooky” gunship to the Boneyard, capping a career spanning three decades. The gunship, named “Gunslinger,” was sent to the Arizona desert for what is likely a one-way trip. Another of the heavily armed transport planes, “Big Daddy,” earned a coveted black letter for excellence and a […]

The U2’s New Mission

The U.S. Air Force is investing more than $50 million to keep one of its oldest types of airplanes flying indefinitely. The U-2, nicknamed the “Dragon Lady” after a CIA program, is the world’s best-known spy plane, easily recognizable from its gliderlike shape and stealthy black color scheme. The Air Force commissioned it from the Lockheed […]

Curtiss P-40E Gets Its Wings

In news from New Zealand, aircraft restoration company Pioneer Aero gave PE4E S#41-13570 back its wings! In a recent blog post, they shared these photos, writing, “Yesterday was a significant day in the restoration of P40E S#41-13570 with the wings and fuselage being mated. A great way to mark the end of our Covid 19 […]

From Recovery to Restoration [VIDEO]

In 2013, divers recovered the remains of a German Dornier 17 bomber that had lain underwater since it was shot down during the Battle of Britain in August 1940. This extremely rare aircraft is now being conserved at the RAF Museum in Cosford, United Kingdom. The National WWII Museum, meanwhile, displays a restored SBD-3 Dauntless […]

F6F Hellcat: Up Close & Personal [VIDEO]

Simple, rugged, and deadly, the Grumman F6F Hellcat dominated the skies over the Pacific during World War II. Explore the unique systems, history, and design that lead to its success in the Pacific in this walk-around with Jason Muszala, Flying Heritage & Combat Air Museum’s Senior Restoration & Maintenance Manager.

The Day I Shot Myself Down

Some days you just can’t win for losing, as F-14 test pilot, Pete Purvis found out much to his chagrin. Read how a test shot of a Sparrow missile went severely wrong and 39 seconds later, he and his RIO were hanging in their parachutes. Not a good day! Click here.

Record-Setting Transcontinental Glider Flight

After the Wright brothers’ first successful flights on December 17, 1903, it wasn’t long before adventurous souls of both sexes began attempting to set distance and speed records. It was truly the golden age of barnstorming and of stunt flying. In 1911, for instance, Calbraith Perry Rodgers piloted the Vin Fiz, the first airplane to […]

Video: Japanese Zero Start Up

This is a startup and short flight exhibiting absolutely the rarest of all the flyable warbirds in existence today: the Japanese A6M5 Zero! This is the example owned and flown by the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California, USA. It is the ONLY example of a WW II Japanese aircraft flying in the world […]