Military Archives - Page 5 of 180

Restoring an F4F Wildcat [VIDEO]

Salvagers recovered a World War II-era Grumman Wildcat that crashed into Lake Michigan. Now, a team of specialists at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan are restoring the plane. Great video by Discover UK with a surprise “bonus” ending that details how to make a cigar box banjo!

Gen. Chuck Yeager on Flying P-51 Mustangs

As we mourn the passing of an aviation legend, we share this article Gen. Chuck Yeager wrote for Flight Journal. I shot down my first Bf 109 during the first daylight raid on Berlin by American B-17s on March 4, 1944. I was flying a P-51B with the birdcage canopy. The weather was extremely bad, […]

Last Dogfight of WW I

Did you know that on April 11, 1945 the last aerial combat of WW II was fought between a U.S. L-4 Grasshopper and Luftwaffe Fieseler Storch over Vesbeck, Germany? Here’s the story, in the words of the Grasshopper pilot, Lt. Merritt Duane Francies, U.S. Army, Retired, 5th Armored Division, 71st Field Artillery, 9th Army. “I […]

One Lucky Bastard!

I grew up during an exciting time for aviation. My first recollection of flying was at about 10 years old when I shook Lucky Lindbergh’s hand. In fourth grade I won a model airplane contest, and the prize was my first ride in an open cockpit plane. I had no goggles. When I raised my […]

Veterans Day and Me: A Personal Essay

Although Veterans Day has the stated purpose of remembering the vets and those in uniform, in reality it means different things to different people. For some it is the half-off sales that surround us. For me, it reminds me of one of those could-of-should-ofs that will always haunt me: I never served in the armed […]

Veteran’s Day–Their warrior spirit lives on

The mechanical warriors of WW II will always be with us in one way or another, but the day is coming when those brave young men who sat at the controls and gambled their lives for freedom will be gone. They may be much older now and moving more slowly, but if you corner them […]

Grasshopper Roundup

In the summer of 1941, with a world war knocking at America’s door, the U.S. Army was itching for a “low and slow” observation plane. The Army wanted one that could loiter near and over the hidden enemy and, when spotted, could then coordinate with artillery units to rain destruction down upon the foe. During […]

Flying Tigers P-40 Recovery

A Chinese group plans to try to recover a fighter plane from the legendary Flying Tigers group of American pilots that crashed in a lake in China during World War II. The Flying Tigers, who were sent to China in 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt before Washington joined the war, have long been one […]

[VIDEO] In the Cockpit of an F-117 Nighthawk

In this video from the Palm Springs Air Museum, get the inside scoop on the Nighthawk from Capt. Ken Dwelle, an Air Force pilot who flew it.The F-117A was the first operational aircraft to be designed around stealth technology. Its maiden flight took place in 1981 at Groom Lake, Nevada, and the aircraft achieve operating […]

[VIDEO] Korean KF-X Prototype Assembly

Scheduled for its first flights in 2022, the KAI KF-X Korean Fighter prototype is starting its final assembly process, where electronics, radar, and various other subsystems will be installed until the aircraft is officially rolled out in April, 2021. KF-X is a 4.5th generation fighter and will replace the fleet of aging F-4s, F-5s, and […]