Surprising Story of the Forgotten Soviet Space Shuttle
The Buran spaceplane never lived up to its potential after it was overcome by political and economic forces beyond its designers’ control.
Why Convair’s Speedy 990 Lost Out to the Boeing 707
Convair’s 880 and 990 airliners demonstrated that faster wasn’t always better when it came to passenger transport.
Building Wildcat Wade’s Spitfire Vb
As the Battle of Britain raged, Reichsmarchall Hermann Göring reportedly asked Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland if there was anything he needed to make the Nazi campaign go more smoothly. Major Galland is said to have responded, “Give me a squadron of Spitfires.”
The P-47 “Jug” Hit the Germans Hard in the Air and on the Ground
World War II saw three U.S. Army Air Forces fighters of consequence: everybody’s favorite, the North American P-51; the remarkable Lockheed P-38; and the absurdly large Republic P-47.
Sabre Ace Race: Deadly Contest in Korea’s Skies
A dangerous contest developed over Korea to determine who would emerge from the war as America’s top fighter pilot.
Create Your Own M*A*S*H Chopper
To faithful viewers, the helicopter that swooped in with wounded GIs in Korea was known as a M*A*S*H chopper.
Operation Linebacker II: The 11-Day War
The so-called Christmas Bombings in 1972 brought the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table, but at a high cost
Gulf War: The Corsair’s Last Hurrah
During Operation Desert Storm, launched early in the morning of January 17, 1991, the United States deployed a variety of cutting-edge military aircraft as main actors in the air stage, including the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.
How Freddie Laker Took On the Big Airlines and Won
To the aviation world Sir Freddie Laker was truly a legend in his own time. A tycoon of working-class origins who built up his business empire from nothing, Laker makes the entrepreneurs on “Dragons’ Den” and “Shark Tank” seem like amateurs.
Chuck Yeager: The Voice of Experience
Few, if any, individuals are as well-known in the annals of aviation history as Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager.
Aviation History Book Review: The Flying Tigers
The American Volunteer Group (AVG) that helped China fend off Japanese invaders in the first seven months after Pearl Harbor has probably been detailed in books and assorted media more extensively than any other combat flying organization,
