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 31 - 40 of 150

November 12, 2020 AirSpace Season 3|Ep.9
Fly Girl
Story | AirSpace Podcast

On this episode of AirSpace we’re spotlighting the heroic service and enduring legacy of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP. More than 1000 of these fearless women flew as civilians for the Army Air Forces during World War II. And we’ll hear firsthand from three women connected to the WASP legacy, including a WASP herself, Nell “Mickey” Bright.

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September 24, 2020 AirSpace Season 3|Ep.6
The Long Way Home
Story | AirSpace Podcast

About 82,000 American service members are listed as Missing in Action – 72,000 from World War II alone. Recent technologies like robotic submersibles, advanced sonar, and DNA matching are making it easier for recovery operations to find the downed airplanes, and identify the remains of service members.

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August 27, 2020 The Cactus Air Force’s Forgotten Spine: The Royal New Zealand Air Force at Guadalcanal Story | 75th Anniversary of World War II

Often overlooked in the histories of the battle is the Cactus Air Forces’ forgotten spine, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) that fought a desperate battle over the skies of the Solomon Islands.

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August 24, 2020 World War II in Color, Part II Story | 75th Anniversary of World War II

For the Museum’s aviation perspective on the war, we are looking at the nation’s participation in the air war through three lenses – aircrew, ground crew, and the war workers that built the aircraft.

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August 20, 2020 World War II in Color Story | 75th Anniversary of World War II

World War II is one of the best documented conflicts in history. Millions of photos and miles of motion picture film stock provide a rich visual documentation of the conflict in both its brutal violence and celebration of martial purpose.

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August 19, 2020 A “Wonder Weapon” Against Japan? The American V-1 Story | 75th Anniversary of World War II

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.

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August 12, 2020 Defending the Superbomber: The B-29’s Central Fire Control System Story | 75th Anniversary of World War II

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

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August 11, 2020 Japanese Wonder Weapons Story | 75th Anniversary of World War II

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

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August 05, 2020 75 Years Ago: The Flight of the Enola Gay Story | 75th Anniversary of World War II

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.

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July 10, 2020 Better Propellers for “The Few”: Desmond Cooke’s Legacy in the Battle of Britain Story | 75th Anniversary of World War II

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.

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