All Stories
Showing 1 - 10 of 200
December 18, 2025
A Once-Shy Teenager Found His Salvation in Aviation
An interview with former U.S. Air Force pilot David Dale.
December 17, 2025
Resurrection of a Rare World War II Flight Jacket
How a WWII WASP pilot's flight jacket came to be part of the museum's collection.
September 17, 2025
After a Tragedy in 2002, Special Forces Soldiers Learned That Armed Drones Are a Combat Necessity
How the war in Afghanistan transformed both the MQ-1 Predator and the Night Stalkers from supporting roles to leading actors in 21st-century warfare.
September 16, 2025
Fred Whipple Figured Out How to Hide Airplanes From Enemy Radar
During World War II, astronomer Fred Whipple was central to the invention of radar-jamming chaff at Harvard University’s Radio Research Laboratory.
September 12, 2025
Remnants of a Legendary Battle
Two artifacts are to be on exhibit at the Modern Military Aviation gallery, which opens on July 1, 2026.
September 11, 2025
Flying the F-15 Propelled Cesar Rodriguez to a Remarkable Combat Career
Cesar Rodriguez flew the Museum’s newly acquired F-15C, which was in several Desert Storm engagements.
August 22, 2025
The Tadpole Clipper: A Fully Operational 3/8 Scale Aircraft
How many modelers have ever heard of, let alone built, a fully operational 3/8-scale aircraft capable of carrying an onboard pilot?
August 13, 2025
“That Little Extra Spark”: Cesar “Rico” Rodriguez and the F-15 Eagle
Over his whole career, Rodriguez destroyed three enemy aircraft in combat, making him one of only four Americans to get that close to achieving “ace” status (shooting down five aircraft) since 1972.
July 30, 2025
What Did It Mean to Be a Flying Ace?
The term “ace” emerged in World War I to refer to an aviator who shot down five or more enemy aircraft.
June 24, 2025
Air Crews Remember the Reliable KC-10 with Affection
After 44 years of excellence as a tanker, the U.S. Air Force retires the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender.