All Stories

How a WWII WASP pilot's flight jacket came to be part of the museum's collection.

A small group of Americans, many of them women, joined pliots from 25 other countries in England's Air Transport Auxilliary, where they ferried hundreds of thousands of planes across the British Isles.

During World War II, astronomer Fred Whipple was central to the invention of radar-jamming chaff at Harvard University’s Radio Research Laboratory.

Spotting U-Boats, search and rescue, medical flights, and dropping the occasional bomb - the Civil Air Patrol was busy during World War II. 

We talk to a real-life "Rosie the Riveter" and hear the story of how World War II transformed American aviation, manufacturing, and labor.

Before and during World War II, the Civilian Pilot Training Program trained thousands of licensed pilots and increased "airmindedness" nationwide. 

The Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were a huge part of civilian aviation during WWII. Ahead of our new limited series, Home Front, we've brought back our season four episode where we highlighted the heroic service and enduring legacy of WASP. 

Some Smithsonian artifacts that memorialize these achievements might be closer to you than you realize. Through collaborations with affiliate organizations, the Smithsonian sponsors traveling exhibitions and loans artifacts to museums throughout the United States and abroad. 

The National Air and Space Museum's in-depth look at the world’s only surviving example of the Japanese Aichi M6A1 Seiran. 

Charles Alfred Anderson most accomplished aviators in the country and a ground-breaking advocate for Black pilots.