Showing 11 - 20 of 48

Story A “Wonder Weapon” Against Japan? The American V-1 Posted on Aug 19, 2020

The V-1 cruise missile was not the war-changing weapon Nazi leaders hoped it would be but the American military set out to copy it for use against Japan prior to an invasion.

Topics: Military aviation Missiles War and Conflict World War II
Story Curtiss SB2C Helldiver: The “Big-Tailed Beast” Posted on Aug 17, 2020

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver could have been the U.S. Navy’s frontline carrier-based dive bomber for much of World War II, but problems with its development delayed its introduction and saddled it with a bad reputation.

Topics: Aviation Aircraft Weapons World War II
Story Beneath the Surface: Audrey Flack’s Photorealism Posted on Aug 14, 2020

Viewing the painting Spitfire, 1973, by photorealist painter Audrey Flack is like looking at a plane spotting puzzle.

Topics: Art World War II
Story Building the U.S. Air Force: The Legacy of World War II Aces Posted on Aug 13, 2020

Curator of U.S. Air Force History Mike Hankins looks at the post-World War II careers of three Air Force aces.

Topics: Military aviation People World War II
Story Defending the Superbomber: The B-29’s Central Fire Control System Posted on Aug 12, 2020

Aeronautics curator Christophere Moore explores one important advancement on the B-29 Superfortress: its central fire control system.

Topics: Aviation Aircraft War and Conflict Weapons World War II
Story Japanese Wonder Weapons Posted on Aug 11, 2020

Aeronautics curator Bob van der Linden discusses the last-minute "wonder weapons" planned by Japan in the final days of World War II.

Topics: Aircraft War and Conflict Weapons World War II
Story 75 Years Ago: The Flight of the Enola Gay Posted on Aug 05, 2020

On August 6, 1945, the crew of a modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress named Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb used in warfare, called “Little Boy,” on the city of Hiroshima, Japan.

Topics: Aviation Aircraft War and Conflict World War II
Story Felice Figus, Regia Aeronautica Pilot Posted on Jul 30, 2020

Curator Alex Spencer tells the story of Felice Figus.

Topics: Aviation People World War II
Story Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden Kai GEORGE Posted on Jul 27, 2020

Curator Russ Lee discusses the lesser-known Japanese fighter aircraft Shiden Kai.

Topics: Aviation Aircraft Military aviation World War II
Story Better Propellers for “The Few”: Desmond Cooke’s Legacy in the Battle of Britain Posted on Jul 10, 2020

Curator Jeremy Kinney explores the contribution of Royal Air Force leader Desmond Cooke to the improvement of Supermarine Spitfires prior to the Battle of Britain.

Topics: Aviation Military aviation Technology and Engineering War and Conflict World War II