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Cactus Air Force to Build Museum

The Cactus Air Force received approval from the Carson City (Nev.) Airport Authority to build a military aircraft and vehicle museum at the Carson City Airport. The CAF’s Wings and Wheels Museum will be a nonprofit, public museum dedicated to celebrating aviation and military history through preserving, restoring, displaying and use of U.S. military aircraft and […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1848 – Otto Lilienthal, a key figure in the history of flying, is born in Germany. He became the first man to fly (glide) with both regularity and control. The Wright brothers regarded his 1899 book as their bible. 1928 – Umberto Nobile commands the Italian airship Italia on an ill-fated flight over the North Pole. The airship crashes on its way back, and explorer Roald Amundsen is killed […]

Soviet Military Aviation During World War II

For a look at the planes and people that fought for the Soviet Union in World War II, EnglishRussia.com, a Russian blog that covers a variety of subjects, yesterday posted a fascinating photo album. To see it, click here.

Solar Impulse Sets Record on Arizona-Texas Leg

Solar Impulse, the solar-powered airplane of Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, successfully landed in Dallas-Fort Worth early Thursday, completing its longest leg of the 2013 Across America mission and setting an absolute world distance record in solar aviation of 832 nautical miles. The previous distance record was also established in Solar Impulse when […]

U.S. Air Force Museum Announces New R&D Displays

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force’s planned fourth building will now include aircraft from the Research and Development (R&D) Gallery, along with a new Presidential Gallery, an expanded Space Gallery and select global reach planes. The addition of many of the R&D aircraft will allow visitors to see the popular North American XB-70 […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1888 – Birth of Jacques Victor Sabattier de Vignolle, French World War I flying ace. 1918 – First flight of the Handley Page V/1500, a British night-flying heavy bomber. 1957 – A U.S. Air Force Convair B-36J Peacemaker (shown above), ferrying a Mark 17 nuclear bomb from Biggs AFB, Texas to Kirtland AFB, N.M., accidentally drops it through […]

World’s Largest Airplane Visits Ireland

Shannon Airport welcomed the world’s largest aircraft on Tuesday as the Antonov An-225 Mriya (Dream) made a brief pit stop in Ireland en route from Bangor (Maine) International Airport to the Ukraine. The giant aircraft, which arrived in Shannon for a standard crew rest period, attracted large numbers of plane-spotters who learned of its arrival via […]

Boeing Tests 747-8 Engine, Fuel System Updates

Boeing has begun flight tests of a 747-8 passenger model powered by upgraded General Electric GEnx-2B engines, which are expected to improve fuel burn by a further 1.8 percent. The flight tests, using RC021, an aircraft formerly destined for Lufthansa, began on May 20 with a four-hour flight from Everett, Wash. The flight evaluated the […]

Solar Impulse Heads East to Texas Today

Solar Impulse, the solar-powered airplane of Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, departed Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport early Wednesday morning for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to complete the second leg of its historic, cross-country journey. Solar Impulse is set to arrive at DFW around 1 a.m. Thursday. After a successful first leg on May 3, […]

From the Same Zero?

Mr. Pilkington’s letter in the June issue reminded me that a souvenir I have may be from that same Zero (“Classics,” February 2013). My brother, Lt. (jg.) John R. Shinneman of VF-10 made a courier flight to Aslito Field on 26 June 44 from Enterprise (CV-6) and brought back a Zero throttle handle (shown below […]