Stories of daring, stories of technological feats, stories of prevailing against the odds ... these are the stories we tell at the National Air and Space Museum. Dive in to the stories below to discover, learn, and be inspired. 

Showing 51 - 60 of 181

Close-up of a Phantom II flying over the ocean.

March 22, 2023

The MiG Hunters

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Navy pilots recall the final, frenetic days of the air war over Vietnam.

A Heinkel He 162 single-engine jet fighter manufactured in Germany late in World War II. The aircraft is photographed from the right at an angle, showing the rounded nose and a Plexiglas canopy over the single-seat cockpit. The outboard sections of the wings have been removed to facilitate storage. Painted in white on the right side of the fuselage is the number 23.

March 13, 2023

Broken Sparrow

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Late in World War Two the German's developed the Heinkel He 162 Spatz, an early jet fighter part of the Volksjäger (People’s Fighter) project.

Black and white portrait of Jesse Leroy Brown in uniform.

February 21, 2023

Jesse Leroy Brown: Ushering in a New Era of Naval Aviation

Story

During World War II, the U.S. Navy did not have a program that allowed African Americans to train and fly as naval aviators. Jesse Leroy Brown, however, fought through many hurdles to become the first African American to complete Navy flight training. Discover his story.

A man floats through two space suits aboard the Space Shuttle.

February 16, 2023

Charles Bolden: Pilot, Astronaut, and NASA Administrator

Story

Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden was NASA's first African American Administrator. He also served in the military and logged over 680 hours in space.

Black and white image of a mirror on a carrier ship with an aircraft in its reflection

October 28, 2022

Landings are Mandatory: Lt. Don Engen and the Mirror Landing System

Story

For more than 30 years this partnership between LSO and naval aviators remained crucial to aircraft carrier landing operations. Almost overnight this partnership changed when jet aircraft altered the calculus of a carrier landing. Soon after, the Mirror Landing System (MLS) was born.

The futuristic-looking Vought F7U Cutlass was the U.S. Navy’s first jet with swept wings and the first designed with afterburners.

September 21, 2022

40 Years Building a Dream

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Al Casby is not only working to restore a Vought F7U Cutlass, but its reputation as well.

A digital art rendering of the Jay I. Kislak World War II in the Air gallery, which will feature fighter aircraft, as well as stories of workers from all walks of life.

September 21, 2022

World War II in the Air

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

The new gallery seeks to better frame the story of World War II around the idea that aviation was central to victory, and the exhibition will highlight key areas of wartime aeronautical innovation that changed the nature and experience of warfare. 

Northrop P-61C Black Widow aircraft in a museum setting and photographed from the side

August 04, 2022

Northrop P-61 Black Widow: First American Airplane Designed and Built to Fight at Night, Part I

Story

Getting all the components of a complex aircraft to fit and function satisfactorily required more than a year of careful design work, however on January 30, 1942, the Army Air Corps awarded Northrop a contract to build two XP-61 prototypes. Rediscover the Black Widow on the 80th anniversary year of its first flight.

A fighter-style jet in a completely vertical position in the air. The nose of the aircraft points toward the top of the photograph and the tail toward the bottom.

July 07, 2022

Speed and the Cold War

Story

Learn about the integral role speed played during the Cold War.

A restored IL-2 flies above the clouds, with a Soviet red star prominently painted on its side.

June 22, 2022

The Flying Tank

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

German forces pushing into the Soviet Union felt nearly invincible—until they met the Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik.