All Stories

The term “ace” emerged in World War I to refer to an aviator who shot down five or more enemy aircraft.  

Many are familiar with Rosie the Riveter. However, women also played an important role in World War I, especially in regard to aviation.

In depth story of Jay Flanagan, a restoration specialist and master woodworker at the National Air and Space Museum, and his restoration of the Lincoln-Standard H.S. at the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

To manufacture thousands of airplanes for its World War I allies, the  Army formed the Spruce Production Division (SPD) to meet the demand.

The National Air and Space Museum’s World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation gallery will highlight the war's central role in defining the nature of military aviation and the remarkable experiences of World War I aviators.

A short history of early 20th-century drones.

When the K-III’s designer James Vernon Martin offered the diminutive aircraft to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum in 1924, he presented it as “the first aeroplane in the entire world to incorporate the retractable chassis.”  The aircraft is a one-of-kind, experimental World War I era single-seat scout biplane.

A small group of enthusiasts keeps World War I airplanes aloft.

The pigeon – ubiquitous bird, oft city-dweller, and… war hero? You might even consider the humble pigeon to be the first military aviator.

Today we cannot imagine war without the airplane, but there was a time when the airplane's military potential was not yet apparent.