Military Archives - Page 2 of 180

A Tale of Two Mules

It has been said that an Army travels on its stomach—and depends on its ammo. This is another way of saying that, although the Quartermaster Corps is probably the most mundane and unheralded segment of any military, it should share top billing with the most elite of the frontline combat troops. If the Quartermaster Corps […]

Mustang Ace of Aces

P-40s in the Pacific When the U.S. entered WW II after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, George Preddy was completing his flying training with the USAAF at Elgin Field, Florida. He graduated as a qualified pilot five days later. He was assigned to the 9th Pursuit Squadron of the 49th Pursuit […]

North American Aviation X-15 Space Age Pioneer

The experimental X-15 carried the first human into the weightless realm above. Devoid of the oxygen essential to life, space is defined as beginning at an altitude of 62 miles. Many of the 199 missions (each was brief) penetrated the inky black boundary of outer space. Eight of the dozen X-15 pilots were ultimately awarded […]

Inner Workings of a P-51D

If you’ve ever wondered about the inner workings of a warbird, this is must-see TV! Take an in-depth look inside a WW II P-51D fighter with Jake O’Neal, owner and CEO of Animagraffs. From prop to tail, you’ll see the inner workings of one of the most historic fighters in amazing 3D graphics. If you […]

Going Supersonic with the Thunderbirds!

If you’ve ever dreamed of flying with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds–and going supersonic!–this video is a must-watch!

Robin Olds was born to be a fighter pilot and his career began in the P-38, where he made good use of the firepower concentrated in the nose. (Photo by John Dibbs/facebook.
com/theplanepicture)

Lightning Ace! P-38 legend Robin Olds

I knew about Muroc Dry Lake because my father had been involved with building a bombing target there in the late 1930s. It was still there. Considering the ongoing rivalry at that time with the admirals in the surface navy, it didn’t surprise me that the target turned out to be a large wooden replica […]

A US Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II, Minnesota ANG 66-647, cruises in the wild blue yonder.

Trolling for SAMs

It was another humid day, with the smells of Thailand heavy in the morning air as I walked into the Triple Nickel Fighter Squadron building at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB) in northeast Thailand. The 555th was the top MiG-killer squadron, but hunting had been scarce since I joined them earlier in the […]

Burma Banshees

The 90th Fighter Squadron in the CBI In the beginning of June 1944, while the 90th Fighter Squadron was based at Moran in India, the unit started to receive brand-new P-47s to replace its tired and obsolescent P-40Ns decorated with a painted skull on their hoods. On June 8, Lt. Col. Albert L. Evans Jr. […]

P-39 Airacobra: Up Close and Personal [VIDEO]

For over 20 years, Pioneer Aero Limited, based at Armore Aerodrome in Auckland, have been one of New Zealand’s (and the world’s), foremost restorers of Second World War aircraft. In this video, director Paul McSweeny discusses the Bell P-39 Airacobra restoration that Pioneer is on the verge of completing for Jerry Yagen’s Warbirds Aviation Museum […]

Grumman Avenger Quiz

5 things you might not know about Grumman’s famous Torpedo Bomber. The Grumman TBF Avenger, (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors), is an American torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval aviation services around the world. The Avenger entered U.S. […]