Nostr notes by AviationHistory

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Westland Welkin ...

2026-11-01T19:45:44Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Westland Welkin

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 84 years ago (November 1, 1942) ,the Westland Welkin took flight for the first time. Developed in Britain during WWII, the twin-engine fighter was designed to intercept German reconnaissance and bomber aircraft operating at extremely high altitudes. Its unusual design reflected the challenges of flying and fighting in the stratosphere. The Welkin originated from a 1940 Air Ministry requirement prompted by German Junkers Ju 86P reconnaissance aircraft operating at altitudes beyond the reach of conventional British fighters. Designed by W.E.W. Petter, the Welkin incorporated features of Westland’s earlier Whirlwind fighter, but with an enormous 70-foot wingspan, more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, and a pressurized cockpit. The aircraft was designed to operate at altitudes approaching 45,000 feet, where pilots would otherwise struggle with extreme cold and insufficient oxygen.
Welkin Westland Welkin NF Mk II PF370. | Source: SDASM Archives/Wikimedia Commons
Although the Welkin demonstrated impressive high-altitude capabilities, development was complicated by aerodynamic compressibility problems and the narrow range of safe operating speeds at extreme altitudes. Meanwhile, the threat of high-altitude German bombing diminished as specially modified Spitfires proved capable of intercepting reconnaissance aircraft. Only 77 complete Welkins were produced, and two were evaluated by the RAF’s Fighter Interception Unit in 1944. The aircraft never entered operational combat service. The Welkin Mk I measured 41 feet 6 inches in length with a wingspan of 70 feet and was powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin 76/77 engines producing approximately 1,233 horsepower each. It could reach a maximum speed of 385 mph, had a range of 1,480 miles, and a service ceiling of 44,000 feet. Its rate of climb was approximately 3,850 feet per minute, while its armament consisted of four 20 mm Hispano cannons mounted beneath the fuselage.
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force, 1939- 1945: Westland Welkin. Welkin Mark I, DX318, in flight. Two examples of this aircraft served with the Fighter Interception Unit for evaluation. | Source: IWM/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-westland-welkin.html

#aviationhistory #westlandwelkin #flight #aircraft #fighterinterception #wikimediacommons #interceptionunit #german #van #designed

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force to Host Talk on ...

2026-11-01T18:43:32Z

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force to Host Talk on WWII OSS Operative Peter Ortiz

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Pooler, GA, has announced that its monthly Mighty Talk series will continue Tuesday, November 3, with co-author Kaitlin Sanders discussing Ortiz’s War, a book about Peter J. Ortiz, a U.S. Marine and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) operative who conducted special operations in occupied France during WWII. The program begins at 11 a.m. and is free to the public, but registration is required.
“Ortiz’s War” book cover. | Source: Amazon.com
Ortiz’s War tells the story of Ortiz, a French Foreign Legionnaire and one of the most decorated Marines of WWII. His combat experience and language skills led to his recruitment for special operations behind enemy lines, where he worked with the French Resistance against German forces. During his missions in occupied France, Ortiz parachuted into enemy territory, trained and armed Resistance fighters, gathered intelligence and helped downed Allied airmen. His operations also involved clandestine missions against German forces. The book recounts his daring escapes and the difficult decisions he faced, including his decision to surrender rather than risk the destruction of a French village.
Portrait of U.S. Marine Colonel Peter Ortiz in his uniform. | Source: Warfare History Network
Sanders co-authored the book with historian Nicholas Reynolds. An award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience, she has written for publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, The Washington Post Magazine, Smithsonian, TIME, Vanity Fair and Glamour. Her reporting often explores stories of courage and resistance, particularly those connected to WWII and the Holocaust. The subject also has a personal connection to Sanders. In 1944, Ortiz rescued her grandfather and others from the Nazis in France. Researching the story took Sanders into the archives of the CIA and into the homes and reunions of WWII veterans and Holocaust survivors. Ortiz’s War is her first book, and she is also participating in the Jewish Book Council’s 2026–2027 author network and tour program.
Mighty Talk event poster for the book “Ortiz’s War.” | Source: National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
The Mighty Talk will take place at the museum on November 3 at 11 a.m. Admission to the program is free, but advance registration is required through the online registration form. Click HERE to register. For more information and to support the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, click on this link: www.mightyeighth.org.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/national-museum-of-the-mighty-eighth-air-force-to-host-talk-on-wwii-oss-operative-peter-ortiz.html

#eighthair #mightyeighth #airforce #nationalmuseum #peterortiz #talk #war #oss #book #colonelpeter

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Randy’s Vintage Profiles: de Havilland DH.89 Dragon ...

2026-11-01T18:06:25Z

Randy’s Vintage Profiles: de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide/Dominie

By Randy Malmstrom
de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide Dominie, s/n 6782, N683DH. This particular aircraft is part of the collection at Historic Flight Foundation in Spokane, Washington and is one of twelve surviving Rapides of the 731 manufactured. It was constructed under license at Brush Coachworks Ltd. at Loughborough, England, as a Domine military version. It began its British Royal Air Force service in July of 1944 as serial number NR683. In March of 1946, de Havilland converted it to a civilian DH-89 Mk. 3 for the Associated Airways Joint Committee, a government-controlled combine of eight airlines that served to transport military and government personnel as well as ferrying light cargo on domestic routes until post-WWII civilian air service could be restored. By August of 1946, it was registered to British European Airways Corporation for which if flew until 1953.
de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide N683DH marked as G-AHXW at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide (Dominie) N683DH marked as G-AHXW at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
In all, 327 Domines and Rapides were sold by the RAF and British Royal Navy to post-war airlines and commercial operators. In 1953, this aircraft was converted to a Mk. IV and had an extended career as an aerial survey platform, producing photogrammetric images for major infrastructure projects such as the M5, M42 and M62 Motorways, Seaforth Docks at Liverpool, and the Embsay Moor Reservoir. In 1971, it moved to the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where it remained on display until November of 1957, when it was acquired by William Field and John Reed. A comprehensive restoration began at Maury Rasmussen Field in San Andreas, California. HFF acquired the aircraft from the estate of Mr. Fields and had it restored. It is fitted with a pair of de Havilland Gipsy Queen 2 inverted inline 6-cylinder engines producing 210 horsepower with a maximum speed of 157 mph. While the Rapide can carry as many as ten in the cabin, HFF intended to operate this aircraft with six seats to maximize single-engine safety.
Designed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd. in 1933 as an all-wood biplane twin-engine airliner. The prototype Rapide first flew on April 17, 1934, and in all, 728 aircraft were produced for commercial and military use until 1946. It served as an airliner for Canada and as a transport for oil companies. During the 1930’s and ’40’s, Rapides made the trip from London to Cape Town in 10 days and could fly 600 miles between fuel stops. de Havilland of Canada adapted several for floatplane service using Edo floats. With the outbreak of World War II, the Rapide was pressed into military service by Commonwealth and Allied armed forces under the name “Dominie.” No. 9 MU (maintenance unit) of the Royal Air Force took its first deliveries of the Dominie in May 1940, with the remaining aircraft going to 782 Squadron, 781 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm of the British Royal Navy, and seven to the Belgian Air Force; three went to Spain in 1935 for police duty in Morocco. It served as a reconnaissance, transport, and liaison aircraft, air ambulance, and radio navigation trainer for bomber crews. At least one version (G-18/35) was fitted with a Vickers machine gun on the starboard side of the nose, one Lewis gun on a flexible mount on top of the fuselage, and a bomb bay for two 100-lb. and four 20-lb. bombs and was crewed by a pilot, radio operator/gunner, and navigator/bombardier. As de Havilland’s need for plant space to build its Mosquito grew, production of the Dominie was transferred to Brush Coachworks of Loughborough, Leicestershire. They were fitted with a pair of de Havilland Gypsy Queen inverted inline 6-cylinder engines, one on each lower wing. The main undercarriage was installed in the engine nacelles. My photos.
de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide (Dominie) N683DH at the Historic Flight Foundation, Paine Field, Everett, Washington. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Tail of de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide (Dominie) N683DH wearing the colors of British European Airways at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Editor’s notes: On August 11, 2018, DH.89 N683DH was participating in the Abbotsford International Airshow at Abbotsford Airport, British Columbia. After the main show had concluded, the aircraft was used to offer passengers short flights around the local area. At approximately 5:31 pm PST, N683DH began its takeoff roll on Runway 25 when the Dragon Rapide encountered strong crosswinds. The DH.89 managed to reach 30 feet off the ground before impacting the runway, prompting emergency services to rush to the scene. While there were no fatalities, the pilot and one passenger suffered serious injuries, while the other three passengers onboard had minor injuries. The incident also caused severe damage to the aircraft’s nose and right wing. As of 2026, the aircraft is now registered to James Harker of Minnesota, who is also restoring a North American F-82E Twin Mustang to flying condition.
About the author
Randy Malmstrom grew up in a family steeped in aviation culture. His father, Bob, was still a cadet in training with the USAAF at the end of WWII but did serve in Germany during the U.S. occupation in the immediate post-war period, where he had the opportunity to fly a wide variety of types that flew in WWII. After returning to the States, Bob became a multi-engine aircraft sales manager and, as such, flew a wide variety of aircraft; Randy frequently accompanied him on these flights. Furthermore, Randy’s cousin, Einar Axel Malmstrom, flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 356th FG from RAF Martlesham Heath. He was commanding this unit at the time he was shot down over France on April 24th, 1944, spending the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. Following his repatriation at war’s end, Einar continued his military service, attaining the rank of Colonel. He was serving as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls AFB, MT, at the time of his death in a T-33 training accident on August 21, 1954. The base was renamed in his honor in October 1955 and continues to serve in the present USAF as home to the 341st Missile Wing. Randy’s innate interest in history in general, and aviation history in particular, plus his educational background and passion for WWII warbirds, led him down his current path of capturing detailed aircraft walk-around photos and in-depth airframe histories, recording a precise description of a particular aircraft in all aspects.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/randys-vintage-profiles-de-havilland-dh-89-dragon-rapide-dominie.html

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

California Science Center and NASA JPL Collaboration to Debut at ...

2026-11-01T16:52:40Z

California Science Center and NASA JPL Collaboration to Debut at Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center on Nov. 13

The California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA, has announced a collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to bring the science of Earth observation and solar system exploration to visitors at the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, which opens to the public on November 13, 2026. The collaboration will feature artifacts, interactive exhibits and stories from Caltech and JPL experts, giving visitors a closer look at the science and technology behind robotic space exploration. The experience will be featured in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery, one of three major galleries in the new expansion. It will explore how NASA’s robotic missions have expanded scientific understanding of Earth, the Moon and the wider solar system, while showing how technologies developed for space exploration at Caltech and JPL contribute to scientific discovery. The gallery will also examine the machines used to explore the universe, from powerful telescopes that observe distant stars and galaxies to robots designed to travel across planets and to the far reaches of the solar system.
California Science Center, JPL, and Caltech leaders tour the Kent Kresa Space Gallery, which features artifacts and content representing 60 years of JPL robotic exploration. A model of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is visible in the foreground at right.
The exhibit includes a restored Ranger lunar probe and a collection of full-scale models and replicas representing six decades of JPL robotic exploration. These include the Mariner IV spacecraft, the Viking lander, the Sojourner Mars rover, the Mars Exploration Rover, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Full-scale models of the Explorer 1 satellite and the Cassini-Huygens space probe will hang in the gallery, while the snake-like EELS (Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor) robot will offer a look at potential future approaches to robotic exploration. Visitors will also be able to take part in hands-on activities designed to explain how space missions work. Interactive exhibits will let guests program the path of a miniature rover on Mars, build a robotic spacecraft for a planetary mission and explore the variety of objects in the solar system and the probes sent to study them. Other activities will introduce visitors to exoplanets and how scientists discover them, demonstrate how spacecraft use gravity assists to alter their trajectories, and provide access to interviews with JPL experts through interactive touchscreens.
NASA Perseverance and Ingenuity | Source: NASA
The partnership builds on four decades of collaboration between the California Science Center and JPL, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena and is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2026. “We are very grateful for our longstanding relationship with our neighbors and colleagues at Caltech and JPL,” said Jeffrey Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center. “At the Science Center, our mission is to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone. The discoveries and advances made by Caltech JPL do just that – expanding our knowledge of the universe and evoking a sense of wonder. The artifacts, hands-on exploration, and accounts from Caltech faculty and JPL staff will allow our guests to learn about current research and the future of space exploration, inspiring future generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers to reach for the stars.” Ray Jayawardhana, president of Caltech and professor of astronomy, said the partnership would give visitors of all ages an opportunity to learn about the discoveries made through decades of space exploration. “For 90 years, Caltech and JPL have turned that imagination into voyages of discovery, revealing new worlds we once knew only as distant points of light, and transforming our understanding of the universe and our place within it,” Jayawardhana said. “We are delighted to partner with the California Science Center to invite visitors of all ages into that cosmic quest, sharing the ingenuity that makes these daring feats of exploration possible and sparking the curiosity that may one day inspire humanity’s next giant leap.” Dave Gallagher, director of JPL and vice president of Caltech, also welcomed the collaboration, noting that the expansion presents the laboratory’s history, ongoing missions and future innovations to a wider audience.
From left, Dave Gallagher, JPL director and Caltech vice president; Jeffrey Rudolph, California Science Center president and CEO; Kent Kresa, vice chair and chair emeritus of the Caltech Board of Trustees; Lynn Booth, Caltech trustee; and Ray Jayawardhana, Caltech president, gather at the Kent Kresa Space Gallery at the California Science Center.
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is a 200,000-square-foot expansion that nearly doubles the California Science Center’s exhibition space. It will feature 100 artifacts, including rare and historic aerospace objects, alongside 100 hands-on exhibits focused on science, technology and engineering. The expansion comprises three multilevel galleries: the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery. At the heart of the new center, Space Shuttle Endeavour will be displayed vertically in a launch configuration with authentic solid rocket boosters and the last remaining flight-qualified external tank, ET-94. The display will provide visitors with an opportunity to see a complete space shuttle system assembled with authentic flight hardware.
Space Shuttle Endeavour on display at the California Science Center’s new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. | Source: Adam Estes
The opening of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center on Friday, November 13, will mark the third and final phase of the California Science Center’s three-decade master plan to develop one of the world’s leading science learning centers. Advance reservations are available through the California Science Center’s website or by calling 213-744-2019. Visitors can make up to 19 individual reservations per entry time, while groups of 20 or more must make a group reservation by phone. General admission to the California Science Center remains free, but reservations for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, including the Space Shuttle Endeavour display, are strongly encouraged due to anticipated demand. Entry may be limited for visitors without advance reservations. A $4 reservation service fee applies per person, although the fee is waived for California Science Center members. For more information and to support the California Science Center, click on this link: californiasciencecenter.org.
Space Shuttle Endeavour on display at the California Science Center’s new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. | Source: Adam Estes

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/california-science-center-and-nasa-jpl-collaboration-to-debut-at-samuel-oschin-air-and-space-center-on-nov-13.html

#oschinair #samueloschin #losangeles #propulsionlaboratory #jetpropulsion #sciencecenter #californiascience #spacecenter #jplcollaboration #debut

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Vulcan to the Sky Trust Promotes Guardian Membership to Support ...

2026-11-01T09:15:35Z

Vulcan to the Sky Trust Promotes Guardian Membership to Support Avro Vulcan XH558 Preservation

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust, Doncaster, England, is encouraging supporters to become Guardians of Avro Vulcan XH558, offering priority access to future events while helping fund the ongoing preservation of the iconic aircraft and its place in British aviation history. Throughout 2026, the Trust has welcomed thousands of visitors to events at its Doncaster home. Activities have included engine ground runs featuring XH558’s distinctive howl, intimate airside tours and special experiences giving visitors a closer look at the aircraft.
Vulcan XH558 when in service. | Source: Vulcan to the Sky Trust
With many events selling out quickly, Guardian membership provides supporters with priority access to future events before tickets go on general sale. The initiative aims to give more people the opportunity to experience XH558 up close, meet the volunteers responsible for her care and learn more about her history. Guardian membership starts at £3 per month. Click HERE to view and choose your membership. Contributions help fund the ongoing care of XH558, support the wider work of the Trust and enable it to share the aircraft’s story with future generations.
The Trust is encouraging supporters who want to remain involved with XH558 and access future events to consider joining the Guardian program. Monthly contributions of any size help sustain the work required to preserve the aircraft and keep its story alive. For more information and to support the Vulcan to the Sky, click on this link: vulcantothesky.org.
A magnificent shot of the mighty delta bomber showing her underside, where the names will be carefully and sympathetically placed. | Source: John Dibbs via Vulcan to the Sky Trust

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/vulcan-to-the-sky-trust-promotes-guardian-membership-to-support-avro-vulcan-xh558-preservation.html

#skytrust #avrovulcan #guardianmembership #preservation #doncaster #england #johndibbs

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Fairchild 71 ...

2026-11-01T08:37:00Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Fairchild 71

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 92 years ago (October 31, 1934), the Fairchild 71 took flight for the first time. Developed by Fairchild Aircraft, the high-wing monoplane was designed as a passenger and cargo transport and would become particularly well known as a rugged bush plane. Its combination of useful payload, reliability, and ability to operate in remote areas made the Fairchild 71 a familiar sight across North America. The Model 71 evolved from Fairchild’s FC-2 family of light transports. The aircraft used a fabric-covered welded steel-tube fuselage and empennage with strut-braced, fabric-covered wooden wings. The FC-2W incorporated provisions for aerial photography, including a camera bay for vertical photography and low-cut rear windows for oblique photography. This development was subsequently known as the Model 71, with American production running from 1928 through 1930.
Fairchild 71B. | Source: Canadian Forces/Wikimedia Commons
The Fairchild 71 found considerable success in both civil and military service. The U.S. Army acquired the aircraft for evaluation and photographic work, while the Royal Canadian Air Force eventually operated 34 examples for photographic survey, transport, anti-smuggling, and immigration patrol duties. Civil operators found the aircraft particularly valuable in remote areas, and Fairchild established a Canadian subsidiary that also manufactured the Model 71. One aircraft, named Virginia, even accompanied Richard E. Byrd’s 1928–29 Antarctic expedition. The Canadian-built Model 71C measured 35 feet 10 inches in length with a wingspan of 50 feet and was powered by a 420-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine. It could reach approximately 132 mph, cruise at 106 mph, and had a range of 817 miles. The aircraft had a service ceiling of 11,000 feet and could accommodate one pilot and up to eight passengers.
Fairchild YF-1. | Source: Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-fairchild-71.html

#aviationhistory #fairchild #flight #model #wikimediacommons #canadian #van #northamerica #royalcanadian #airforce

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Central Coast AirFest 2026: Warbirds and Military Aircraft ...

2026-11-01T07:18:55Z

Central Coast AirFest 2026: Warbirds and Military Aircraft Highlights

By Brent Mosbrook
The Central Coast Airfest returned Sept. 12–13 this year. Once again, Planes of Fame outdid themselves with an incredible lineup, family-friendly events, and a smoothly run operation from parking to seating, to flawless execution of the lineup! In contrast to many other shows this year, the weather also cooperated. The ocean led to the predictable morning fog, which was one of the factors in not hosting the photographers’ favorite “sunrise access” pass for the flightline. However, the fog lifted in plenty of time for the show, and the sun was shining with a mild breeze for a perfectly enjoyable day. To download or purchase prints of Brent Mosbrook’s photos, click HERE.
The NAVY flight | Source: Brent Mosbrook
While there didn’t appear to be a particular theme, Planes of Fame is known for its very strong warbird lineup, always bringing in some special surprises from around the country. If I had to anoint a theme, I would say it was “drop tanks”. Whether by design or due to flying in from other states, a good number of the aircraft featured drop tanks this year. In the days leading up to the show, I was fortunate to be able to complete several air-to-air photo sessions with some of the pilots.
The first such flight was quite unique. Mark Peterson was scheduled to fly his A-37 Dragonfly. This aircraft was designed to replace the A-1 Skyraider as the Vietnam War was beginning, performing FAC operations. This particular aircraft is itself a combat veteran – completing hundreds of missions during the war. As the flight briefing started, Jason Somes offered to fly his Mig-17 to make it a “Vietnam Flight”; who could refuse? We took off from Santa Mara and headed over to the coast for some stunning background scenery. What sticks in my mind is the incredible noise that the Dragonfly’s GE J85 turbojets generate. Communication via headset was nearly impossible due to the proximity of the jet.
The next day, after Kevin Eldridge completed his practice routine over the airport, he flew POF’s F-86 Sabre for a quick photo mission. My father was a 40-year North American Aviation employee, and I grew up watching Bob Hoover speak at various employee events and fly in airshows, so this aircraft has always been special to me. I have been on a quest to shoot the F7F Tigercat for many years, in awe of its power and grace, and of its performances at numerous previous POF shows. This year, my persistence paid off, and Jay Consalvi flew Lewis Air Legends’ F7F “Here Kitty, Kitty”. This Navy fighter looked perfectly at home over the Pacific Ocean. On Friday evening, POF held its evening reception for sponsors and VIPs, featuring a few performances at sunset. For more information about the Planes of Fame Air Museum, visit planesoffame.org. To learn more about the Central Coast Airfest, visit www.centralcoastairfest.com. To download or purchase prints of Brent Mosbrook’s photos, click HERE.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/central-coast-airfest-2026-warbirds-and-military-aircraft-highlights.html

#centralcoast #coastairfest #brentmosbrook #fame #planes #flight #pof #vietnam #dragonfly #kitty

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Heavy Attack Squadron 8: The Cold War To Vietnam Strike Legacy Of ...

2026-11-01T06:00:27Z

Heavy Attack Squadron 8: The Cold War To Vietnam Strike Legacy Of The Fireballers

Heavy Attack Squadron 8 (VAH-8), nicknamed Fireballers, was a US Navy squadron based at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. It was established on May 1, 1957, and primarily operated the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior. The squadron played an important role during the Navy’s expansion of carrier-based heavy attack aircraft. VAH-8 trained for missions involving carrier operations and long distances as part of the Pacific Fleet. Nine Heavy Attack Squadron 8 A3D-2 Skywarrior aircraft, operating from the USS Midway in the Western Pacific, March 13, 1960. The squadron traveled about 4,800 miles back to their home base at NAS Whidbey Island. During the flight, they stopped to refuel at NAS Barbers Point and NAS Alameda. The entire trip took 10.9 hours, and the planes arrived at Whidbey Island on March 15. Heavy Attack Squadron 8 showed that the Skywarrior could do more than just heavy attack missions. On March 13, 1962, during Exercise Potshot, the squadron’s A3D aircraft took off from the USS Midway carrying US Marine Corps paratroopers. The squadron transported the paratroopers and then dropped them over a target area at Camp Pendleton, California. The exercise demonstrated the Skywarrior’s flexibility and how carrier-based heavy attack aircraft could work alongside Marine forces.
VAH-8 squadron patch. (Image via Wikipedia)
Heavy Attack Squadron 8’s most important operational period was during the Vietnam War, when its Skywarriors deployed on aircraft carriers operating in the Yankee Station and Dixie Station areas. The squadron’s first recorded deployment to Vietnam started on March 6, 1965, when its A-3B planes boarded the USS Midway. These aircraft stayed with the carrier until November 23, 1965, while taking part in the growing US air campaign in Southeast Asia. Heavy Attack Squadron 8 returned to combat missions the next year. From May 12 to December 3, 1966, its A-3Bs operated on the USS Constellation. The deployment placed the squadron’s heavy attack aircraft in the challenging setting of ongoing carrier operations off Vietnam. For its last Vietnam deployment, VAH-8 again joined the Constellation, this time flying the KA-3B Skywarrior from April 29 to December 4, 1967. The aircraft could also refuel other carrier planes during long combat missions. By this time, the squadron’s Skywarriors were no longer used only for the heavy-attack missions Heavy Attack Squadron 8 was originally designed for. They had also become useful for many other carrier tasks, including combat support and aerial refueling. After more than ten years of service, VAH-8 was disbanded on January 17, 1968, at NAS Whidbey Island.
VAH-8 A-3B bombing North Vietnam in 1965. (Image via Wikipedia)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/squadron-histories/heavy-attack-squadron-8.html

#heavyattack #attacksquadron #whidbeyisland #naswhidbey #ussmidway #fireballers #war #march #nasalameda #nasbarbers

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Schweizer: The Journey of Early Seaplane and Helicopter Pioneer ...

2026-11-01T04:46:27Z

Schweizer: The Journey of Early Seaplane and Helicopter Pioneer

In 1939, three brothers, Paul, William, and Ernest Schweizer, founded Schweizer Aircraft Corporation to manufacture sailplanes, helicopters, and agricultural aircraft at Horseheads, New York. The company began with the Mercury Glider Club, which built the first two Schweizer gliders in the Schweizers’ barn. It was originally named the Schweizer Metal Aircraft Company. Lawyer Bob McDowell suggested that the Schweizers move their manufacturing from their father’s barn to the Elmira, New York area. The Schweizers liked the idea because they needed more space to produce gliders, but they didn’t have the money to make the move. McDowell helped the Schweizers by getting Elmira Industries Inc., the local business development group, to provide them space on the second floor of the Elmira Knitting Mill Building in exchange for company stock. This led Schweizer Metal Aircraft Company to change its name to Schweizer Aircraft Corporation. They sold shares to Elmira Industries, local businesspeople, and soaring pilots. Schweizer is best known for its gliders, also called sailplanes. The first model, the SGP 1-1, was made in 1930. Although few of these early gliders were built, later models became popular. The US Army Air Corps used the SGS 2-8 and 2-12 for training and renamed them the TG-2 and TG-3.
Schweizer S269C. (Image via Wikipedia)
The Schweizer SGS 1-23 was a top competition and record-setting glider from its first flight in 1948 until production ended in 1967. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Schweizer Aircraft Corporation designed and built the popular SGS 1-26 and SGS 2-33 gliders. In the 1970s, they introduced the single-seat SGS 1-34 and its retractable gear version, the SGS 1-34R. These gliders were easy to fly and build, rugged, and forgiving. Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, the company launched the higher-performance SGS 1-35 and SGS 1-36 Sprite. The United States Air Force Academy adopted the 2-33 as the TG-4 for introductory airmanship training. The Academy used over a dozen of these gliders until 2002, when more modern sailplanes replaced them. The Royal Canadian Air Cadets still operate a fleet of more than seventy 2-33As. Popular Schweizer gliders like the single-seat SGS 1-26, the two-seat 2-33, and the two- or three-seat SGS 2-32 are still found at many gliding clubs across the US. Schweizer also produced the Grumman G-164 Ag Cat, a single-engine biplane used for agriculture. Grumman developed this aircraft in the 1950s. Under a contract with Grumman, Schweizer built the Ag Cat nearly continuously from 1957 to 1981. During that time, the company manufactured 2,455 aircraft.
Schweizer SGS 1-26B. (Image via Wikipedia)
In 1981, Schweizer bought the rights to the Ag Cat design and continued its production, calling it the Schweizer Ag Cat. In 1995, Schweizer sold these rights to Ag-Cat Corp. in Malden, Texas. In February 2001, Allied Ag-Cat Productions Inc. in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, bought the design. Schweizer also produced light piston-powered helicopters for utility and flight training. One of its most popular models is the Schweizer 300CBi, which was originally designed by Hughes Aircraft as the Hughes 269 for the United States Army. In 1986, Schweizer gained all rights to this helicopter from McDonnell Douglas, which had acquired Hughes Helicopters in 1984. Schweizer received the FAA Type Certificate and called it the Schweizer-Hughes 300C for a short time before changing it to the Schweizer 300C. The helicopter’s basic design has not changed much over the years. Together, Hughes and Schweizer have built and flown nearly 3,000 Model 269/300 over the past 50 years. Schweizer improved the Model 300 by redesigning the body to produce the Schweizer 330, which led to the Schweizer 333. Schweizer was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in 2004 and became a diversified aerospace company. But in 2011 and 2012, Sikorsky Aircraft laid off all its workers and closed the plant. Production resumed in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2018. By 2021, the company was producing two helicopter models: the 300C and 300CBi. Read more Forgotten Factories articles HERE.
Schweizer SGS 1-23D sailplane. The 1-23 was first flown in 1948. (Image via Wikipedia)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-history/forgotten-factories-the-companies-behind-aviations-icons/schweizer.html

#schweizer #sgs #aircraftcorporation #newyork #metalaircraft #ernestschweizer #elmiraindustries #early #cat #air

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Friday Photo: Sunset at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum Friday ...

2026-10-30T22:46:59Z

Friday Photo: Sunset at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum

Friday Photo: Sunset at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum
Air Facts Journal
The view: A colorful sunset behind the trees at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
The pilot: James Gallagher
The airplane: 1960 M-35 Bonanza
The mission: After a formation flight with another V-tail Bonanza, head home to Cincinnati ahead of the approaching weather.
The memory: The sunset provided a beautiful backdrop to wrap up the day. With Hurricane Isaias approaching from the south, we headed back to Cincinnati later that night to keep the Bonanza out of the weather moving north.
Want to share your “Friday Photo?” Send your photo and description (using the format above) to: airfacts@sportys.com.
The post Friday Photo: Sunset at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum appeared first on Air Facts Journal.

https://airfactsjournal.com/2026/10/friday-photo-sunset-at-the-beechcraft-heritage-museum/

#beechcraftheritage #heritagemuseum #fridayphoto #sunset #airfacts #factsjournal #bonanza #jamesgallagher #cincinnati #hurricaneisaias

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Saving “The Mighty Hunter”: Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 XV232 ...

2026-10-30T18:11:14Z

Saving “The Mighty Hunter”: Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 XV232 Preservation Team Faces Major Engineering Challenges as Fundraising Continues

The effort to save historic Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 XV232 has entered a critical new phase, with volunteers preparing for the complex dismantling and relocation of the Falklands War veteran from Coventry Airport to the RAF Manston History Museum. Although fundraising efforts have attracted encouraging support, significant engineering, logistical, and financial challenges remain. The campaign to preserve Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 XV232, affectionately known as The Mighty Hunter, continues to make progress as the Nimrod Preservation Group prepares for one of the most demanding phases of the aircraft’s preservation: dismantling the large maritime patrol aircraft and transporting it to a new home at the RAF Manston History Museum in Kent, England. The volunteer-led organization has been working to secure the aircraft’s future following the closure of Coventry Airport, where XV232 has been maintained and displayed for more than a decade.
As previously reported by Vintage Aviation News in November 2025, “Nimrod Preservation Group Announces Urgent Plans for XV232 ‘The Mighty Hunter’”, the aircraft’s future became uncertain when the group received notice that operations at Coventry Airport would have to cease. The announcement prompted an urgent search for a suitable new location and a practical solution to preserve one of the few remaining examples of Britain’s iconic maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Since that initial announcement, the preservation effort has evolved considerably. Following detailed engineering assessments, the group abandoned the possibility of a one-time ferry flight and committed instead to a controlled relocation by road. In partnership with the RAF Manston History Museum, volunteers are now planning the careful removal of major aircraft components, including the Rolls-Royce Spey engines, tail assembly, and wings, before the airframe can be transported and eventually reassembled. The project has also entered a crucial fundraising period. In its latest appeal, the group thanked supporters for raising more than £2,300 while emphasizing that considerably more assistance is required to complete the relocation and secure the aircraft’s long-term future.
A Falklands War Veteran Worth Preserving
Built in 1969, XV232 is a Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2, a maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft developed from the de Havilland Comet jet airliner. Powered by four Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines, the Nimrod became a cornerstone of the Royal Air Force’s maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, and long-range reconnaissance capabilities during the Cold War and beyond. XV232 is particularly significant because of its operational service during the 1982 Falklands War. During the conflict, the aircraft completed an extraordinary long-range reconnaissance mission, covering 8,453 miles (13,609 kilometers) in 18 hours and 50 minutes while monitoring the South Atlantic for Argentine naval activity. Supported by aerial refueling, the flight established a remarkable endurance and distance record for a reconnaissance mission. Following its retirement from RAF service, XV232 arrived at Coventry Airport in 2010, where a dedicated team of volunteers worked to preserve the aircraft in running condition. Many members of the group brought firsthand experience from their years serving with or maintaining the Nimrod fleet. For years, the preservation team offered public visits and engine-running demonstrations, allowing enthusiasts to experience the sights and sounds of an aircraft type that had once played a central role in Britain’s maritime defense. However, the planned closure of Coventry Airport presented an immediate threat to the aircraft’s future. Without a suitable location and the resources to move it, XV232 faced the possibility of being dismantled for disposal rather than preservation.
Nimrod MR.2 XV232 at RAF Fairford, 9th July 2002; Courtesy of Thunder And Lightnings. | Source: Damien Burke
From an Emergency Appeal to a Relocation Plan
When the preservation group first announced the threat to XV232 in November 2025, several options remained under consideration. These included moving the aircraft by road, attempting a final ferry flight, or, if no practical alternative could be found, dismantling the aircraft for scrap while retaining historically significant components. The possibility of flying XV232 to its new home initially attracted considerable interest. However, returning a retired military aircraft to an airworthy condition, even for a single flight, would require extensive technical inspections, regulatory approvals, and substantial financial resources. By May 2026, detailed assessments had established that a ferry flight was not feasible. The group therefore redirected its efforts toward moving the aircraft by road, an approach that would require major disassembly but offered a more realistic path to preservation. Working with the RAF Manston History Museum, the organization developed a plan to relocate XV232 from Coventry to Kent, where the aircraft could eventually be reassembled and preserved for future generations. The first stage involved preparing to reposition the aircraft within Coventry Airport to provide better access for the engineering and dismantling work. However, a planned move was postponed in June following an incident involving an unrelated aircraft project at the airport. Although XV232 was not involved, the group decided to review the arrangements before proceeding. Despite the setback, volunteers continued preparing specialist equipment, reviewing technical documentation, and coordinating the engineering requirements for the eventual move.
Photo via Nimrod Preservation Group
The Engineering Challenge of Dismantling a Nimrod
In an August 18, 2026, update titled “Planning the Big Lifts – The Next Engineering Challenge for XV232”, the Nimrod Preservation Group outlined the complexity of preparing such a large aircraft for transportation. Unlike dismantling an aircraft destined for scrap, the project requires each major component to be removed in a controlled manner, preserving its structural integrity and allowing for eventual reassembly. One of the most immediate challenges involves removing the aircraft’s four Rolls-Royce Spey engines. According to the group, preliminary work on the No. 4 engine has already progressed, but several important tasks remain before the engine can be safely extracted. These include removing the constant-speed drive unit and generator, identifying and labeling large electrical connections, and preparing the equipment required to support and lower the engine. The operation is complicated by the geometry of the Nimrod’s engine installation. A Spey engine cannot simply be lowered vertically from the airframe. Instead, it must be carefully controlled and rotated during removal to clear the surrounding structure without causing damage. The preservation team has evaluated an available engine spreader bar and is investigating additional certified lifting equipment, including block-and-tackle arrangements, to provide greater control during the operation. Former Nimrod engineers and Rolls-Royce Spey specialists are also being consulted to provide technical knowledge and help identify suitable tooling. These preparations illustrate the challenges faced by volunteer preservation organizations when working with large, complex military aircraft. Even when the necessary expertise is available, specialized lifting equipment, structural supports, and professional contractors can represent substantial expenses.
Why the Order of Disassembly Matters
Beyond removing the engines, the preservation team must carefully determine the sequence in which the Nimrod’s other major structures can be detached. Particular attention is being given to the tail assembly, including the vertical fin, horizontal stabilizers, and associated fairings. Engineers are considering removing these components before detaching the wings. The reason is aircraft stability. Removing major structural components changes the airframe’s weight distribution and its response to external forces, particularly wind. If the wings were removed while the substantial tail assembly remained in place, the aircraft could become unstable, creating unnecessary risks for personnel and equipment. The team is therefore reviewing original Nimrod engineering drawings to establish suitable support arrangements for the fuselage during disassembly. Specially designed cradles will be required to support the aircraft once its major components have been removed and it can no longer rely on its conventional undercarriage configuration. The group is investigating whether existing Nimrod support cradles can be located or whether new structures will need to be manufactured. Work involving the elevated tail assembly will also require appropriately qualified contractors and specialized access equipment. While the preservation project relies heavily on volunteers, the group recognizes that certain operations must be undertaken by professionals with the necessary certifications and experience. These engineering decisions will influence not only the safety of the dismantling process but also the cost and timetable of the entire relocation. The preservation team has emphasized that the objective is not simply to take the aircraft apart, but to ensure that every major component can be safely transported, preserved, and ultimately reassembled at Manston. The longer-term ambition is to restore as much of the aircraft’s functionality as practicable once it reaches its new home.
By coordinating the two projects and sharing suitable resources and costs, we have been able to identify a substantially more affordable way forward. | Source: Nimrod Preservation Group
Fundraising Remains Essential to the Aircraft’s Future
While the engineering preparations continue, the financial requirements of the project remain considerable. In its latest fundraising update, titled “Thank You – Over £2,300 Raised, But XV232 Still Needs Your Help”, the Nimrod Preservation Group reported that supporters had contributed more than £2,300 toward the preservation effort. Although the amount represents encouraging support from the aviation community, the relocation of an aircraft as large and complex as the Nimrod requires substantial additional funding. Expenses include specialist lifting equipment, certified contractors, cranes, transport vehicles, fabricated support cradles, insurance, and the materials needed to protect aircraft components during dismantling and transportation. The project must also account for the work required after XV232 arrives at the RAF Manston History Museum, including unloading, reassembly, restoration, and preparations for eventual public display. Unlike an aircraft being dismantled for disposal, XV232 must be handled with particular care. Components that might otherwise be cut apart or discarded must instead be removed in a manner that preserves their condition and allows them to be reinstalled. The group continues to appeal for financial donations, practical assistance, and support from organizations that may be able to provide specialist equipment or services. For supporters wishing to contribute, information about the preservation campaign and donation opportunities is available through the group’s official website, www.xv232.com.
Volunteers and Specialist Knowledge
The preservation of XV232 has always depended upon the commitment of volunteers, many of whom have direct experience working with the Nimrod during its RAF service. As the project moves into the disassembly and relocation phase, that experience has become increasingly valuable. The group is seeking assistance from former Nimrod aircrew and groundcrew, aerospace engineers, technicians, and individuals with experience in aircraft structures, avionics, and propulsion systems. The specialized nature of the Nimrod means that original technical knowledge and maintenance experience can play an important role in avoiding damage during dismantling. The group is particularly interested in hearing from individuals familiar with the Rolls-Royce Spey engines, the aircraft’s structural systems, and the equipment traditionally used to support and maintain the Nimrod fleet. While some tasks can be undertaken by experienced volunteers, others will require professional contractors and equipment operators. The project represents a collaboration between the preservation group, the RAF Manston History Museum, aviation specialists, and supporters who share the goal of saving one of Britain’s surviving maritime patrol aircraft. Those interested in contributing technical expertise can find further information through the group’s volunteer opportunities page.
The Nimrod Preservation Group XV232 CIC is always interested in hearing from former Nimrod personnel, aerospace engineers, technicians and aviation enthusiasts who may be able to support the preservation and relocation of Nimrod XV232. | Source: Nimrod Preservation Group
A New Chapter at RAF Manston
The planned relocation to the RAF Manston History Museum offers XV232 the prospect of a permanent home where its operational history can continue to be shared with the public. Located in Kent, the museum preserves the aviation heritage of the former RAF Manston airfield and the wider history of British military aviation. The partnership with the Nimrod Preservation Group is intended to provide a long-term future for the aircraft, including restoration, educational activities, and opportunities for public engagement. Once the aircraft has been transported and reassembled, the preservation team hopes to restore as much functionality as practicable, although the precise scope of that work will depend on the aircraft’s condition, available resources, and the technical challenges encountered. For now, public access to XV232, onboard tours, and engine-running demonstrations remain suspended while preparations for the relocation continue. The group’s immediate priority is to complete the engineering planning, secure the necessary funding and equipment, and undertake the controlled disassembly required for transportation. The work ahead is considerable, but the progress made since the initial emergency announcement in November 2025 demonstrates the determination of the volunteers to protect the aircraft. XV232 is more than a surviving example of a Cold War maritime patrol aircraft. Its service during the Falklands War, including its record-setting reconnaissance mission, gives it a particularly important place in British aviation history. Preserving The Mighty Hunter will also help safeguard the knowledge and experiences of the generations of RAF personnel who operated and maintained the Nimrod throughout its service life. With engineering preparations advancing and fundraising continuing, the Nimrod Preservation Group faces one of its greatest challenges. Successfully dismantling, transporting, and reassembling XV232 will require considerable coordination and financial support, but it offers the opportunity to preserve a historically significant aircraft that might otherwise have been lost. For further information about the project or to support the preservation campaign, visit www.xv232.com.
Photo via Nimrod Preservation Group
Sources: Nimrod Preservation Group XV232 CIC, August 18, 2026 engineering update and subsequent fundraising appeal; Vintage Aviation News, “Nimrod Preservation Group Announces Urgent Plans for XV232 ‘The Mighty Hunter,’” November 25, 2025.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/saving-the-mighty-hunter-hawker-siddeley-nimrod-mr-2-xv232-preservation-team-faces-major-engineering-challenges-as-fundraising-continues.html

#hawkersiddeley #siddeleynimrod #mightyhunter #nimrodpreservation #manstonhistory #rafmanston #historymuseum #coventryairport #challenges #major

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the MÁVAG Héja ...

2026-10-30T16:49:35Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the MÁVAG Héja

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 84 years ago (October 30, 1942), the first production MÁVAG Héja II took flight for the first time. Developed and built in Hungary for the Royal Hungarian Air Force, the Héja II was based on the Italian Reggiane Re.2000 fighter but incorporated a number of Hungarian-designed modifications. Its name, Héja, translates to “Hawk” in English. Hungary had purchased 70 Re.2000 fighters from Italy in 1939, which entered Hungarian service as the Héja I. A decision was subsequently made to manufacture a modified version domestically. The resulting Héja II used a Hungarian-built airframe, engine, propeller, and armament, making it considerably more than a simple copy of the Italian fighter. A more powerful WM K-14B radial engine required changes to the forward fuselage and cowling, while the original wing fuel arrangement was replaced by 22 smaller fuel tanks.
An example of Héja I in 1942. | Source: FOTO:FORTEPAN / Konok Tamás id/Wikimedia Commons
The first production Héja II flew on October 30, 1942, and production continued through the remainder of WWII. The fighter was already becoming outdated compared with newer Soviet aircraft, and most Héja IIs were used for air defense and training duties within Hungary rather than frontline combat. Allied bombing increasingly disrupted production during 1944, and the last completed aircraft left the factory on August 1 of that year. Sources generally credit MÁVAG with building approximately 200 Héja IIs. The Héja II measured 27 feet 6 inches in length with a wingspan of approximately 36 feet and was powered by a 1,085-horsepower Manfred Weiss WM K-14B radial engine. It could reach approximately 301 mph at 13,780 feet and had an endurance of around two and a half hours. Armament consisted of two synchronized 12.7 mm Gebauer 1940.M GKM machine guns mounted above the engine, with 300 rounds provided for each gun.
Ferenc Kass’ damaged Héja II in combat. | Source: FOTO:FORTEPAN / Erky-Nagy Tibor/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-mavag-heja.html

#aviationhistory #mavagheja #flight #wikimediacommons #italianreggiane #royalhungarian #hungary #van #october #hungarianair

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams of the Nakajima G5N Shinzan Japanese Heavy Bomber ...

2026-10-30T15:28:40Z

Grounded Dreams of the Nakajima G5N Shinzan Japanese Heavy Bomber

In the late 1930s, the Imperial Japanese Navy sought to develop a long-range bomber capable of carrying heavy loads, including bombs or torpedoes, for at least 3,500 miles. To meet its needs, the Navy realized it needed a four-engine aircraft. Because Japanese manufacturers had little experience building such large, complex planes, the Navy looked for an existing foreign model to base its new design on. The service chose the American Douglas DC-4E airliner. In 1939, the Navy bought the only prototype of this airliner, which American airlines had previously rejected. The service secretly gave it to Nippon Koku K.K. (Japan Airlines Co.), which then handed it over to the Nakajima Aircraft Company for disassembly and inspection. The design from this study, designated Nakajima G5N Shinzan, was an all-metal, mid-wing monoplane.
Design of Nakajima G5N Shinzan
Nakajima G5N Shinzan. (Image via Wikipedia)
The Nakajima G5N Shinzan was powered by four 1,530-hp Mitsubishi MK4B Kasei 12 radial engines and had fabric-covered control surfaces. It had a long lower bomb bay, a fully glazed nose, and twin tail fins instead of the three rudders of the DC-4E. It retained the DC-4E’s original wing shape, engine arrangement, and retractable tricycle landing gear. For defense, it had two 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 autocannons, one in a power-operated turret on top and one in a tail turret. It also included hand-operated 7.7 mm Type 92 machine guns mounted in the nose, bottom, and side positions. The seven-crewed Nakajima G5N Shinzan was 101.9 feet long, 28.10 feet high, with a wingspan of 138.2 feet and a wing area of 2,172 square feet. It could carry 8,800 pounds of freight or bombs. Its empty weight was 44,313 pounds, its gross weight was 62,060 pounds, and its maximum takeoff weight was 70,548 pounds.
The Cancellation
Nakajima G5N Shinzan. (Image via Wikipedia)
The Nakajima G5N Shinzan was envisioned to attain a maximum speed of 260 mph, with a cruise speed of 173 mph, a range of 2,650 miles, and a service ceiling of 24,440 feet. The first prototype of the Nakajima G5N Shinzan made its first flight on April 8, 1941. However, its overall performance was disappointing. This was due to its heavy weight, the weak Kasei engines, and the complex design. To improve the project, four additional planes were made with 1,870 hp Nakajima NK7A Mamori 11 engines and renamed G5N2. Although these Nakajima engines were more powerful than the Kasei 12s, they were unreliable. Along with the increased weight of the aircraft, this led to the end of further development. Four out of six completed Shinzans were used as long-range Navy transports. They were given the name G5N2-L Shinzan-Kai Transport. The Allies called the aircraft “Liz” because they thought it would be used as a bomber. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
Nakajima G5N Shinzan. (Image via Wikipedia)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/nakajima-g5n-shinzan.html

#groundeddreams #navy #imperialjapanese #bomber #becausejapanese #kasei #cancellationnakajima #nakajimaaircraft #design #americandouglas

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

The Little Aviatrix: A Young Girl’s Dream Takes Flight at the ...

2026-10-30T14:05:49Z

The Little Aviatrix: A Young Girl’s Dream Takes Flight at the National Warplane Museum

Sometimes, all it takes is one airplane ride to inspire a lifelong passion for aviation. For young Riley McDonald, that unforgettable experience came at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York, where a flight aboard a vintage military aircraft helped turn a childhood dream into something much more. Now, Riley’s experience has become the inspiration for The Little Aviatrix, a new children’s book written and illustrated by the McDonald family, celebrating the wonder of flight and the importance of encouraging young aviators.
The McDonald family’s connection to the National Warplane Museum began several years ago when Thomas and Esther McDonald brought their two young daughters, Riley and Rori, to visit. What began as a family outing quickly blossomed into a shared love of aviation and the museum’s historic aircraft. Both Thomas and Esther are skydivers, and their enthusiasm for aviation has clearly rubbed off on their daughters. Riley has already expressed a strong desire to become a pilot, while her younger sister Rori is showing a similar interest in following in her family’s footsteps.
L-21 Riley. | Source: Esther McDonald
The inspiration for The Little Aviatrix came when Riley experienced her first airplane ride with National Warplane Museum pilot Don Nicholls aboard the museum’s Piper L-21 Grasshopper. The flight left a lasting impression on the young aviation enthusiast, providing a memory that her family would eventually transform into a beautifully illustrated children’s story. Through colorful, hand-drawn illustrations and a heartfelt narrative, The Little Aviatrix follows a young girl with an enormous love for aviation as she waits, wonders, dreams, and finally experiences the magic of flight. Based on Riley’s real-life adventure, the book captures the excitement and anticipation familiar to anyone who remembers their first airplane ride.
L-21 Riley. | Source: Esther McDonald
For the McDonald family, however, the book represents something even more meaningful: the friendships, memories, and experiences they have enjoyed together at the museum. “As a family, we have had many amazing trips to the NWM. The idea to put together a book followed an exceptionally magical day, one that hardly felt real,” the family shared. “Each page references an aviation-related experience or memory Riley has had, which made the process of creating this book so much fun.”
Esther Skydive. | Source: Esther McDonald
In a generous gesture of appreciation, the McDonald family has donated a limited batch of The Little Aviatrix to the National Warplane Museum, with proceeds from sales benefiting the museum’s ongoing preservation and educational efforts. Over the years, the family has become a familiar and welcome presence at the museum, developing friendships with volunteers and pilots while continuing to explore the aircraft that make the museum special. From the Piper Grasshopper to the museum’s Fairchild PT-26 Cornell and North American AT-6 Texan, Riley and Rori have had opportunities to discover aviation history firsthand.
The book also reflects one of the museum’s most important missions: introducing younger generations to aviation and inspiring them to pursue their own dreams. For children like Riley and Rori, historic aircraft are more than artifacts from another era. They represent possibilities, adventures, and perhaps even future careers in the cockpit. “Our hope is that families will read the book, be able to relate to Riley’s passion, and to help support our favorite place on earth!” the McDonald family added.
The Little Aviatrix is available for $10 through the National Warplane Museum’s gift shop, both in person in Geneseo and online. Each purchase helps support the museum while sharing a simple but powerful message with young readers: no dream is too big, and sometimes the journey toward becoming a pilot begins with a single unforgettable flight. Purchase The Little Aviatrix from the National Warplane Museum Gift Shop HERE.
McDonalds (Tom & Esther). | Source: Esther McDonald

https://vintageaviationnews.com/vintage-aviation/the-little-aviatrix-a-young-girls-dream-takes-flight-at-the-national-warplane-museum.html

#nationalwarplane #warplanemuseum #littleaviatrix #younggirl #riley #esthermcdonald #flight #newyork #rori

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

What Might Have Been What Might Have Been Air Facts Journal I’m ...

2026-10-29T22:20:54Z

What Might Have Been

What Might Have Been
Air Facts Journal
I’m still in a bit of a vacation hangover. Not the kind caused by too many drinks with little umbrellas, but the kind caused by returning from a great trip and finding that work has been patiently waiting for you—and apparently multiplying while you were gone.
My wife and I were fortunate enough to make our first trip to Alaska. Since returning, everyone asks the same question: “How was it?” I usually give two answers. The first is easy. It was amazing. Beautiful. More than I hoped it would be.
The second takes a little more explanation. Saying I “saw Alaska” after a week feels a bit like saying I spent a week in Australia and saw the country. Alaska is simply too big for that. I understood its size intellectually. I had looked at maps. I knew the statistics. But I didn’t truly understand its vastness until I stood there and realized how tiny a speck of it I was actually seeing.
As an aviator, Alaska left me seeking answers to questions no one asked me. I want to be careful here. I am not going to tell anyone what aviation means to Alaska or pretend that one week made me knowledgeable about Alaskan flying. There are pilots who have spent their entire lives flying there who know more about that subject than I ever will.
What I am pondering, as I try to avoid work, is the place the airplane seems to hold in Alaska. That is making me think about what aviation is—and what aviation could have been in the lower 48. I’m asking myself if aviation in Alaska provides a glimpse of what some of aviation’s early pioneers imagined airplanes becoming for all of us.
Landing in Anchorage, one of the first things I noticed was simply the amount of general aviation. We taxied past row after row of single-engine airplanes. Just how many tailwheel airplanes were parked at the Class Charlie airport? Single-engine tricycle-gear airplanes were too numerous to count. Working airplanes. Personal airplanes. More little airplanes in one place than I’m accustomed to seeing anywhere outside AirVenture or Sun’n Fun.
And that was just one airport. Right next door is Merrill Field, again covered with general aviation airplanes. Then squeezed between the two is Lake Hood, with more airplanes on floats than I had ever seen gathered in one place.
General aviation was not foreign here. It did not feel as though general aviation had been pushed off into some distant corner. It felt woven into the place. I knew aviation was big in Alaska, but much like the vastness of the state itself, seeing the aircraft on the ramps in Anchorage told me it was bigger than I had imagined.
Then there were the pilots. Everyone seemed to be a pilot. I’m being facetious, of course, but only a little. Mention aviation in a conversation and there was a surprisingly good chance someone nearby flew airplanes. Not necessarily professionally. They might simply be a private pilot who used an airplane out of necessity and enjoyment alike.
If you did not fly an airplane yourself, chances were you had flown in one to get somewhere. A ride in a “private” airplane did not seem reserved for the rich and famous. Small-airplane transportation seemed routine—something people had used more than once simply because they needed to.
The statistics back up my impressions. Air Facts readers know Alaska reports roughly six times as many pilots per capita and 16 times as many aircraft as the country overall. But a statistic on a website is one thing. Sitting in a room, mentioning airplanes, and having multiple people say, “Yeah, I fly,” or “I’ve been in one of those,” is something entirely different.
What also struck me was how utilitarian the airplane seemed to be.
I write a lot about flying for fun, because I fly for fun. I like going somewhere simply because the flight itself is worth taking. The Alaskan pilots I met clearly enjoyed flying too. They talked about the scenery, the places they could reach, and the simple pleasure of being above that landscape.
Still, the utility of GA seemed to reign supreme. The airplane seemed to be treated like a car or a truck. It was used because it served a purpose. Need mail or supplies? An airplane may be involved. Need to see family? Airplane. Need to get to a community that would otherwise require an all-day trip—or has no road at all? Airplane. Medical care, school activities, groceries, work, hunting, fishing, visiting friends. All normal daily activities, all frequently associated with an aircraft.
In the lower 48, it sometimes feels like you have to search for a justification to fly. In Alaska, flight needs little justification. Sometimes it is simply how you get there. It’s almost the antithesis of the proverbial $100 hamburger we talk about so often in the lower 48.
One Alaskan I spoke with keeps his Super Cub on skis. He flies it out of his yard. When he needs groceries, he can fly about 100 miles, land literally in the parking lot, shop, load up, and fly home.
The airplane isn’t being used because he’s a “pilot” looking for somewhere to fly. He’s using the airplane because he is a person who needs groceries. And he was not alone in this.
The attitudes I encountered toward aviation extended well beyond the professional in a white shirt and black pants flying a pressurized turbine. Often, the machine doing the work was a two- or four-seat piston airplane. The flyers were the same working people we meet in the lower 48 every day. In Alaska, an activity that in much of the lower 48 might be dismissed as a weekend hobby involving an expensive toy was considered routine. A plane did what airplanes were originally supposed to do: move ordinary people between ordinary places for ordinary tasks.
Of course, geography deserves much of the credit. Alaska did not choose aviation over a perfectly good interstate highway system. Much of the state simply does not have roads connecting one community to another. The Alaska Department of Transportation says 82 percent of its communities depend on aviation for year-round access.
Yes, necessity molds attitudes.
Still, necessity does not explain all the differences I perceived between Alaska and the lower 48. Obviously, a week in Alaska did not include a scientific survey of attitudes toward airplanes. There may be plenty of Alaskans who dislike aircraft noise, complain about airports, or would rather never see another Super Cub fly over the house.
Yet I didn’t sense the automatic suspicion of general aviation that we sometimes encounter in the lower 48: airplanes are too noisy, they pollute, they are dangerous, they are toys for rich people.
Instead, the airplane seemed to receive the respect—or maybe simply the lack of attention—we normally give other useful tools.
A pickup truck can be transportation, work equipment, recreation, or all three. Nobody finds that combination strange. In Alaska, the airplane seemed to occupy a similar place.
That ordinariness sent my mind wandering backward.
The original Air Facts, founded in 1938, was dedicated to “the development of private air transportation.”
Private air transportation.
Not merely flight training. Not aviation as a hobby.
Transportation. Utility.
For a brief period after World War II, aircraft manufacturers and much of the aviation world imagined a far larger role for the personal airplane. Companies expected returning military pilots to keep flying. Piper, Cessna, Beech and others built airplanes for private owners. Businesspeople would travel in their personal airplanes. Airplanes were even displayed and sold in department stores.
The idea of the “family airplane” was not science fiction. There was serious thought that aviation might become another layer of personal transportation.
Obviously, that future never arrived in the lower 48.
We built suburbs and sprawling highways to connect them. Many towns built community airports but watched as houses and roads spread, while the expected flood of personal airplanes never materialized. Some airports survived and prospered. Others became increasingly isolated from the communities around them. Still others eventually disappeared beneath the development they had once been built to serve.
Meanwhile, the automobile became the obvious choice for most trips. The airplane demanded training, maintenance, hangars, fuel, weather decisions, and an airport—or at least somewhere appropriate to land—at both ends.
In a race toward a transportation future, as America looked toward the neon lining Route 66 and the exits lining the interstates, the car won.
And let’s face it, for most people and most circumstances, it deserved to win. A car requires almost no planning. The weather rarely matters. You can leave whenever you want and usually arrive at the exact building you intended to visit.
The airplane was never going to replace that.
But I do wonder whether we gave up more than we had to.
I am not suggesting we tear up Interstate 40 and replace every entrance ramp with a grass strip. I don’t think anyone ever envisioned a future where someone in the Bronx commuted to Queens in a J-3 Cub. I’m not even sure I want millions of my fellow drivers suddenly becoming pilots.
But in the lower 48, the notion that general aviation could be ordinary largely disappeared. Somewhere along the way, general aviation stopped being viewed as having much utilitarian potential. It became categorized as recreation, training, business travel, or luxury.
Perhaps more importantly, the airplane became something for “pilots,” rather than a tool for ordinary people who happened to fly.
There is a subtle difference.
How many trips in the lower 48 still make sense in a light airplane? The three-hour drive to visit family that becomes a one-hour flight. The specialist whose office is in a city awkward to reach by road. The small town with a restaurant you like. The college football game. The weekend trip where the highway bends around mountains or lakes while the airplane simply crosses them.
Is there a role in the lower 48 for regular daily or weekly use of a lowly piston airplane?
No, not for everyone. Probably not even for most people.
But certainly for more people than take advantage of it now.
Some of us fly that way now. I’m sure many Air Facts readers do. But we operate within a culture that often regards us and our airplanes as a luxury rather than a useful form of transportation. Airports can become nuisances rather than assets. The airplane making noise overhead becomes an annoyance rather than a neighbor going somewhere. Even the idea of an airplane operating somewhere other than a conventional airport can seem unusual.
In Alaska, the airplane still appears to belong.
It is not remarkable that a person owns one, or that a small piston airplane has somewhere useful to go. An airport is not necessarily a fenced-off piece of property at the edge of town that most residents never visit. In many places, it is part of daily life in the same way a road, dock, or ferry terminal is part of daily life. And in some places, off-airport flying is simply part of what airplanes do.
I don’t think the lower 48 can become Alaska, and I wouldn’t want it to. Alaska’s aviation culture exists partly because of geography and necessity that we simply do not share.
But maybe we could preserve a little more of the early vision.
We could value the small airports we still have. We could make them easier to use rather than increasingly fencing them off. We could recognize their utility rather than their property tax value. We could build flying clubs, keep airplanes affordable where we can, welcome people onto airports, and remind our communities that a little airplane can be more than a noise complaint or an expensive hobby.
Maybe the goal is not an airplane in every garage.
Maybe it is simply keeping the airplane within the realm of the ordinary.
That is the thought I brought home from Alaska. I can imagine leaving home in a Super Cub, flying over countryside that would take hours to cross by road, landing on a dirt road, a field, or a grass strip near a small town where appropriate, walking to the store of my choosing, loading a few things in the back, and flying home.
Would it always be cheaper? No.
Would it always be faster? In many cases, yes. In others, no.
Would weather occasionally leave me sitting somewhere eating another meal while waiting for better conditions? Absolutely.
But on the days when it worked, the airplane would not be an indulgence added to the trip.
It would be transportation. It would be convenience. It would be routine.
It would be ordinary.
In Alaska, I do believe I experienced the vision of so many early aviators. Maybe aviation in the lower 48 was destined to become what it is today. But my time in Alaska has me wondering what might have been—and maybe, in a few places, what still could be.
The post What Might Have Been appeared first on Air Facts Journal.

https://airfactsjournal.com/2026/10/what-might-have-been/

#alaska #airfacts #factsjournal #anchorage

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Schumacher’s Ferrari Meets Italian Aviation History at Vigna di ...

2026-10-29T21:39:10Z

Schumacher’s Ferrari Meets Italian Aviation History at Vigna di Valle

A Formula One racing car has joined the historic aircraft at the Italian Air Force Museum in Vigna di Valle, Italy, as part of an exhibition exploring the pursuit of speed. Running through November 15, 2026, Rosso Corsa – Il Mito della Velocità brings together aviation, motor racing, and sport, with Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2003-GA among its principal attractions. Organized with the Ferrari Museum in Maranello and the Centro Studi Militari Aerospaziali, the exhibition opened on October 23. The Ferrari provides a connection to one of the most memorable encounters between motor racing and military aviation. On December 11, 2003, Schumacher brought an F2003-GA to Grosseto Air Base for an acceleration contest against a Eurofighter Typhoon. Test pilot and astronaut Maurizio Cheli flew the fighter, bringing two very different approaches to high performance together on the same airfield. The 2026 exhibition revisits that encounter through the presence of the Ferrari alongside the museum’s aviation collection.
For historic aviation enthusiasts, however, the exhibition’s opening date carries particular significance. On October 23, 1934, Francesco Agello flew the Macchi-Castoldi M.C.72 to an average speed of 709.202 kilometers per hour—approximately 440.68 mph—at Desenzano del Garda. Powered by a Fiat AS.6 engine producing approximately 3,000 horsepower, the Italian racing seaplane established a record that remains unbeaten for piston-powered seaplanes. Preserved at Vigna di Valle, the record-setting M.C.72 provides a direct link to that achievement. Its survival allows visitors to examine the machine behind the statistics: an aircraft developed during an era when international racing and record attempts pushed engine performance and airframe design forward. The museum celebrated the flight’s 90th anniversary during the first Rosso Corsa event in 2024. That edition featured a Ferrari associated with Gilles Villeneuve’s November 1981 contest against an Italian Air Force F-104 Starfighter at Istrana.
This year’s route extends across 14 stops within the museum. Aircraft and artifacts highlighted along the way include Schneider Trophy racing seaplanes, the Campini-Caproni CC.2, the Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero, the Aerfer Sagittario, the de Havilland Vampire, the F-104 Starfighter, and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Flying equipment and sporting memorabilia broaden the exhibition beyond the machines themselves. Ferrari’s place in this setting also reflects a connection that predates its Formula One success. The company’s prancing horse originated with Francesco Baracca, the Italian WWI fighter ace who carried the emblem on his aircraft. Baracca’s mother subsequently encouraged Enzo Ferrari to adopt it as a good-luck symbol, establishing an enduring link between Italian aviation and motor racing.
Education formed a central part of the opening program, which welcomed approximately 200 students. Activities included workshops conducted by the Ferrari Museum and the aviation museum’s maintenance and restoration staff. The latter presented an instructional Alfa Romeo 126 engine, a type used in the S.79, giving students an opportunity to explore the engineering behind the museum’s exhibits. Rosso Corsa – Il Mito della Velocità continues at the Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare, on Lake Bracciano near Rome, through November 15. A related static modeling exhibition, Dalla carta allo spazio, takes place at Magazzino 22 on October 31 and November 1, with free admission from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors should consult the Italian Air Force’s official website for museum access information.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/schumachers-ferrari-meets-italian-aviation-history-at-vigna-di-valle.html

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Interstate: The History of the Cadet S-1 Maker Interstate ...

2026-10-29T20:20:24Z

Interstate: The History of the Cadet S-1 Maker

Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation was a small American aircraft manufacturer. It operated from April 1937 to 1945 and was based in El Segundo, California. First called Interstate Engineering, the company changed its name to the Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation around July 1937. The company built a new aircraft plant next to Los Angeles Municipal Airport and began operations there that same month. In August 1938, Don P. Smith became the president, and by mid-1939, the company had 100 employees. In a 1940 court case, the National Labor Relations Board ruled against the company. It ordered the company to stop discriminating against employees who joined the United Automobile Workers union. A few months later, the company created the Cadet, a two-seat monoplane, with production starting in July. The Model S-1B was updated to the XO-63, later renamed the XL-6. The US Army Air Forces received a total of 259 XO-63/L-6/L-8 series aircraft. The company planned to produce 900 aircraft each year.
Interstate Cadet. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
The increase was partly due to the “Fabri-Clip” invention, which allowed workers to attach the fabric covering of airplanes much faster than before. The company also built a trainer for the US Navy, finishing it just nine months after starting with the first designs. Additionally, the company made bomb shackles, machine gun and cannon chargers, hydraulic actuators, and other aircraft parts. There were plans for a larger version of the Cadet with side-by-side seating and a small four-seat twin-engine airplane that was said to be the “world’s smallest.” By November 1941, the company employed 22 deaf and mute workers. In 1945, Interstate manufactured over 700 light aircraft. That year, it sold its aircraft line to the Harlow Aircraft Company because it decided to focus on making appliances. The next year, the company changed its name to Interstate Engineering to match its new business focus. However, in a few years, Interstate started making helicopter fuselages for United Helicopters, Inc. of Palo Alto, California. It also signed contracts with Douglas Aircraft Company, the US Navy, and the US Air Force. Interstate Engineering moved to Anaheim, California, in the mid-1950s.
Interstate BQ-4 assault drone prototype. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
Figgie International acquired the company in 1967, and then Engles Urso Capital Corporation bought it in 1996. In 1945, Harlow Aircraft sold the manufacturing rights for the Cadet aircraft to Call Aircraft Company in Afton, Wyoming. In the 1960s, Arctic Aircraft purchased these rights and now makes an upgraded version called the Arctic Tern. During its existence, Interstate made 574 Cadets and 195 TDRs. The Interstate Cadet was also known for its role in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Aviator Cornelia Fort was giving a training lesson in an Interstate Cadet near Honolulu. While flying, she spotted a Japanese military aircraft. Her Cadet came under fire, and she had to maneuver to avoid the incoming attack. It made her aircraft one of the first American planes attacked during the raid on Pearl Harbor. The Interstate TDR was an assault drone developed for the US Navy during WWII. It was a remotely controlled, twin-engine plane built to drop bombs or torpedoes on enemy targets. It used an early television link for remote guidance and was used in the Pacific Theater. It made it one of the first operational combat drones in military history. Read more Forgotten Factories articles HERE.
Artist’s concept of the Interstate XBDR-1 jet-powered assault drone in flight. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-history/forgotten-factories-the-companies-behind-aviations-icons/interstate.html

#interstate #aircraft #cadet #engineeringcorporation #maker #history #harlowaircraft #wikimediacommons #california #capitalcorporation

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308: The Cold War Skywarrior ...

2026-10-29T18:58:15Z

Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308: The Cold War Skywarrior Legacy Of The Griffins

Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308 (VAK-308), nicknamed Griffins, was a United States Navy Reserve unit located at Naval Air Station Alameda, California. It was established on May 2, 1970, as Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 308 (VAQ-308). It was part of a larger effort to improve the combat readiness of reserve forces. The squadron flew the KA-3B Skywarrior and provided electronic warfare, aerial refueling, pathfinding, and carrier support to the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. On October 1, 1979, it was renamed Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308 and became one of the Navy’s main units for tactical aerial refueling. The VAQ-308 was created as the first squadron of Carrier Air Group 30. It included both civilian Naval Reservists and active-duty personnel. On November 10, 1970, a VAQ-308 KA-3B made the first successful landing for Carrier Air Group 30. The landing took place on the USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14), about 100 miles southwest of San Clemente Island. Despite difficult conditions, including low clouds and 14-foot waves, the Skywarrior landed safely. The event proved that reserve aircrews could handle the demanding qualifications required for naval operations, day or night.
Insignia of the US Navy Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308 (VAK-308) “Griffins”, in 1981. (Image via Wikipedia)
Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308 is important because it was the first A-3 Skywarrior squadron assigned to the Naval Air Reserve and the first heavy-attack unit in the reserve force. It joined VAQ-208 to set a new standard by carrying out combat-support missions in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. The unit used civilian reservists who stayed in their regular jobs while taking brief leaves for military duties. The squadron did more than support carrier operations in the Pacific; it also backed peacetime activities and emergency deployments. The Navy relied more on its reserve forces for specialized aviation support. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308 supported operations in the Indian Ocean as tensions rose in South Asia. In 1973, the squadron also participated in the Yom Kippur War, helping move US aircraft toward Israel and demonstrating how a Naval Air Reserve squadron from the US West Coast could support operations far from the Pacific. The squadron also supported efforts during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, further demonstrating its role in overseas operations.
KA-3B of VAK-308 in flight with VC-12 TA-4J near Roosevelt Roads. (Image via Wikipedia)
Through these deployments, Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308 gave the Navy a backup capability to work alongside active-duty forces without being a full-time unit. The KA-3B’s role changed over time, leading to a new squadron name. On October 1, 1979, VAQ-308 officially became Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308 to adopt the role of an aerial refueling unit. VAK-308 and its sister squadron, VAK-208, were the only US Navy units with aerial refueling as their main mission under this new name. The aircraft was originally built as a heavy attack bomber, but its fuel capacity, range, and payload made it important for supporting other naval aircraft. Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308 thus continued to use the Skywarrior in a way that was different from its original purpose of nuclear strikes. After nearly twenty years of reserve operations, VAK-308 was disbanded at NAS Alameda on September 30, 1988.
A US Navy KA-3 Whale from the USS Bon Homme Richard’s VAH-4 (Detachment L), flies off the left wing of a USAF KC-135 while refueling an F-8 Crusader from VF-24, also from the “Bonnie Dick.” Photo by Matthew Scales

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/squadron-histories/tactical-aerial-refueling-squadron-308-the-cold-war-skywarrior-legacy-of-the-griffins.html

#aerialrefueling #tacticalaerial #refuelingsquadron #navalair #airgroup #reserve #carrierair #navy #war #airstation

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Antonov An-24 ...

2026-10-29T16:16:06Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Antonov An-24

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 67 years ago (October 29, 1959), the Antonov An-24 took flight for the first time. Known to NATO as the “Coke,” the twin-engine turboprop was developed in the Soviet Union as a rugged regional airliner capable of operating from remote and poorly prepared airfields. Designed beginning in 1957, the An-24 was intended to replace the aging piston-powered Ilyushin Il-14 on short- and medium-distance routes. Antonov developed a high-wing aircraft powered by two Ivchenko AI-24 turboprops. Its high-mounted engines helped protect the propellers from debris, while rugged construction and minimal ground-support requirements allowed the aircraft to operate from unprepared airstrips throughout the Soviet Union.
SAT Airlines’ Antonov An-24RV. | Source: Anton Bannikov/Wikimedia Commons
The An-24 entered passenger service in 1962 and proved highly successful. Its rugged airframe was adapted for numerous roles, including military transport, ice reconnaissance, and aerial surveying. The basic design also led to the An-26 tactical transport, An-30 survey aircraft, and more powerful An-32. A total of 1,367 An-24s were constructed in the Soviet Union, while the design was also developed and produced in China as the Xian Y-7 family. The An-24V measured 77 feet 1 inch in length with a wingspan of 95 feet 10 inches and was powered by two 2,820-horsepower Ivchenko AI-24A turboprops. It could reach approximately 310 mph, cruise at around 280 mph, and had a range of roughly 1,700 miles with maximum fuel. The aircraft had a service ceiling of approximately 27,600 feet and could accommodate around 50 passengers.
An An-24PB in Ukraine, 21 May 2005. | Source: Elke Wetzig (Elya)/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-antonov-an-24.html

#aviationhistory #sovietunion #flight #wikimediacommons #van #ivchenko #antonbannikov #october #elkewetzig #coke

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: Breguet G.111 – The Twin Rotor Pioneer ...

2026-10-29T15:35:27Z

Grounded Dreams: Breguet G.111 – The Twin Rotor Pioneer Defeated by the Economy

French aircraft designer Louis Breguet developed his first helicopter, the Breguet-Richet Gyroplane, in 1908. However, his 1935 design, the Gyroplane Laboratoire, was more successful. This helicopter had two main rotors turning in opposite directions, but no tail rotor. In 1947, the French Gyroplane Society asked Breguet to design a helicopter for carrying several passengers. He continued development of his earlier G.34 project with the two-seat Breguet G.11E, or Société Francaises du Gyroplane (SFG) G.11E. The G.11E was a bigger aircraft with the same three-blade twin-rotor layout as the Gyroplane Laboratoire. It was powered by a 240-horsepower Potez 9E nine-cylinder radial engine mounted in the middle of the aircraft, beneath the rotor shafts. The rotors had tapered tube spars and ribs. They were covered with dural on the leading edges and an alloy on the rest. The rotors were attached with flapping hinges and included dampers to reduce drag.
The G.11E
Breguet G.111 in flight. (Image via airwar.ru)
The pilot could change the pitch of the rotors through the control column with the aid of swashplates. The pedals helped the pilot adjust torque and control yaw by altering the collective pitch of each rotor. A mechanical governor prevented rapid rotor acceleration; in emergencies, the pilot could increase pitch only as far as the governor allowed. The G.11E had a tapered, oval fuselage. The front section used a light alloy and a monocoque design, with a well-designed cockpit and two sliding doors for access. The rear fuselage used a steel-tube structure covered in fabric and featured a tall T-tail. The tail had a one-piece moving tailplane that adjusted the cyclic pitch through the control column to prevent pitch oscillations that occur once per revolution. The undercarriage had a wide track, with main wheels attached to horizontal V-struts from the bottom of the fuselage, plus a single bracing strut on each side to the mid-fuselage.
The Breguet G.111
Breguet G.111 at the Museum of Air and Space in Paris. (Image via Wikipedia)
The first flight took place on May 21, 1949. Testing showed the G.11E didn’t have enough power, so the Potez engine was replaced with a larger nine-cylinder radial engine, the Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior, which produced 450 hp. The aircraft was redesignated Breguet G.111 and underwent some redesigns. The rotor diameter was increased by 3.3 feet, and the fuselage was lengthened by 1.7 feet to add two more seats, allowing it to carry four passengers. Both the empty weight and maximum weight increased to 3,254 lb. The Breguet G.111 began flight tests in 1951, but SFG did not finish them because it went bankrupt the following year, leading to the cancellation of the Breguet G.111. The Breguet G.111 could have been of use. But the struggling aviation economy wouldn’t let it prove itself. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
Breguet G.111 at the Museum of Air and Space in Paris. (Image via Wikipedia)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/breguet-g-111.html

#breguet #gyroplanelaboratoire #rotor #louisbreguet #twin #societefrancaises

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Old Rhinebeck’s Spirit of St. Louis to Fly to Florida for SUN ...

2026-10-29T11:35:06Z

Old Rhinebeck’s Spirit of St. Louis to Fly to Florida for SUN ’n FUN Centennial Tribute

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome plans to fly its Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis replica approximately 1,250 miles from New York to Lakeland, Florida, ahead of a SUN ’n FUN appearance commemorating the centennial of Charles Lindbergh’s 1927 solo nonstop transatlantic flight. The aircraft is scheduled to depart in early November 2026 and spend the winter at Lakeland Linder International Airport. It will participate in flying and static displays during the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, April 14–19, 2027, preceding the flight’s 100th anniversary on May 20–21. According to the Aerodrome, flying the replica south avoids the difficult disassembly and potential damage associated with transporting it by road.
The journey will bring an aircraft familiar to Old Rhinebeck’s airshow audiences well beyond its home field. It also provides an opportunity for visitors in Florida to see a flying recreation of the airplane Lindbergh piloted from Roosevelt Field on Long Island to Le Bourget, near Paris.
Charles Lindbergh’s arrival at Croydon Field, London, England, May 29, 1927
The replica’s story began with Aerodrome founder Cole Palen, who initiated the project before his death in 1993. Craftsman Ken Cassens subsequently brought it to completion, studying the original aircraft at the Smithsonian Institution through measurements, drawings and photographs. Cassens first flew the replica in December 2015. oldrhinebeck.org Vintage Aviation News previously explored the aircraft’s distinctive handling in “Flying a Legendary Airplane, the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis”. In that feature, Moreno Aguiari spoke with Old Rhinebeck’s Clay Hammond about operating an airplane whose design offers no conventional forward windshield. Hammond explained how the pilot uses peripheral vision through the side windows during takeoff, looks through the overhead skylight during turns, and employs a sideslip on approach to see the runway. Those characteristics offer a practical connection to the demands of Lindbergh’s original aircraft, allowing audiences to appreciate the design through its operation.
Lindbergh took off in the Spirit from Roosevelt Airfield in Garden City, New York, and landed 33 hours, 30 minutes later at Aéroport Le Bourget in Paris, a distance of approximately 3,600 miles (5,800 km). | Source: David Trost
The planned Florida appearance will extend that educational role during the centennial year, connecting the historic crossing with the craftsmanship and flying skills that keep its replica airborne. Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome will publish further information about the journey on its Spirit of St. Louis to SUN ’n FUN project page.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/old-rhinebecks-spirit-of-st-louis-to-fly-to-florida-for-sun-n-fun-centennial-tribute.html

#oldrhinebeck #centennialtribute #funcentennial #rhinebeckaerodrome #louis #sun #spirit #funaerospace #fly #lindbergh

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Randy’s Warbird Profiles: Ryan PT-22 Recruit s/n 41-15735 By ...

2026-10-28T17:25:44Z

Randy’s Warbird Profiles: Ryan PT-22 Recruit s/n 41-15735

By Randy Malmstrom
Ryan PT-22 Recruit, USAAC s/n 41-15735. This particular aircraft was built in 1942 by Ryan Aeronautical Company. I have not determined the history of this aircraft. A military version of the Ryan ST3KR (standard trainer with Kinner radial engine), the PT-22 was a primary trainer aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps and its immediate successor, the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first purpose-built monoplane that the U.S. Army used for primary pilot training, as all previous such aircraft were biplanes. Powerplant: a Kinner R-540-1. My photos at Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum.
Ryan PT-22 Recruit 41-15735/N57026 on display at the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum, Hood River, Oregon. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Detail of the forward fuselage of Ryan PT-22 Recruit, USAAC serial number 41-15735, at the WAAAM. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Editor’s notes: Developed from the Ryan ST (ST for “Sport Trainer”) and the subsequent YPT-16, PT-20, and PT-21 trainers ordered by the U.S. Army Air Corps, the PT-22 Recruit was built by the Ryan Aeronautical Company of San Diego, California, as a primary trainer by the USAAC. While the fuselage, wing ribs, and leading edges of the wings were made of aluminum, the wing spars were made of spruce, and the flight control surfaces and trailing edges of the wings were covered in doped fabric. One of the main distinctions between the ST series and the PT-22 is the swept-back design of the wings, and the fairings over the landing gear were removed for better ease of maintenance.
Ryan PT-22 Recruit 41-15735/N57026 at the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Over the course of production, Ryan Aeronautical built 1,048 examples of the PT-22, with the vast majority being flown by the U.S. Army Air Force and were the first low-wing monoplane trainers in the USAAF for introductory flight lessons (primary training), involving first flights with instructors and first solo flights before moving on to more advanced training aircraft. Following the end of WWII, the Ryan PT-22 Recruits were stricken from the USAAF’s inventory and placed for sale on the civilian market, where they have been popular with private pilots ever since.
Profile of the tail of Ryan PT-22 Recruit 41-15735/N57026 at the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
The Ryan PT-22 Recruit displayed and maintained at the WAAAM was constructed as construction number 1764, flown by the USAAF as serial number 41-15735, and by 1956, the aircraft was officially registered as N57026. In 1981, it was acquired by Terry Brandt, who would later go on to found the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in 2007.
About the author
Randy Malmstrom grew up in a family steeped in aviation culture. His father, Bob, was still a cadet in training with the USAAF at the end of WWII but did serve in Germany during the U.S. occupation in the immediate post-war period, where he had the opportunity to fly a wide variety of types that flew in WWII. After returning to the States, Bob became a multi-engine aircraft sales manager and, as such, flew a wide variety of aircraft; Randy frequently accompanied him on these flights. Furthermore, Randy’s cousin, Einar Axel Malmstrom, flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 356th FG from RAF Martlesham Heath. He was commanding this unit at the time he was shot down over France on April 24th, 1944, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. Following his repatriation at war’s end, Einar continued his military service, attaining the rank of Colonel. He was serving as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls AFB, MT, at the time of his death in a T-33 training accident on August 21, 1954. The base was renamed in his honor in October 1955 and continues to serve in the present USAF as home to the 341st Missile Wing. Randy’s innate interest in history in general, and aviation history in particular, plus his educational background and passion for WWII warbirds, led him down his current path of capturing detailed aircraft walk-around photos and in-depth airframe histories, recording a precise description of a particular aircraft in all aspects.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/randys-warbird-profiles-ryan-pt-22-recruit-s-n-41-15735.html

#warbirdprofiles #ryan #westernantique #antiqueaeroplane #automobilemuseum #randymalmstrom #recruit #armyair #ryanaeronautical #statesarmy

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: Kawasaki Ki-66 – The Heavy Gun Dive Bomber ...

2026-10-28T15:41:26Z

Grounded Dreams: Kawasaki Ki-66 – The Heavy Gun Dive Bomber Canceled In Flight Testing

In September 1941, Kawasaki Aircraft started designing the Kawasaki Ki-66 to meet the Japanese Army’s requirements for a new dive bomber. After the German Stukas performed well in Poland and France, the Japanese Army wanted a similar bomber. The service specified that the new aircraft should have two engines and be armed with two forward-firing 12.7mm machine guns and one rear-firing 7.7mm machine gun. The bomber needed to carry 661 pounds of bombs as a norm or up to 1,102 pounds in overload situations. Kawasaki designer Takeo Doi began work on a new aircraft in October. The aircraft used two Nakajima Ha-115 engines, each producing 1,130 horsepower, and included a movable ventral gun. It was a two-seater, with a pilot and a radio operator/gunner. Because of this setup, only one of the two rear-firing guns could be used at a time.
Design of Kawasaki Ki-66
Kawasaki Ki-66. (Image via airwar.ru)
The Kawasaki Ki-66 resembled the more successful Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu heavy fighter and the Kawasaki Ki-48 light bomber. All three were mid-wing, twin-engine monoplanes with a single vertical tail. They shared long cockpits, with glass sections at the front and back. The Ki-66 was larger than the Ki-45 but smaller than the Ki-48. Its fuselage was smoother than the Ki-45 and less bulky than the Ki-48. Unlike the Ki-48, which had a glass nose, the Kawasaki Ki-66 featured a solid nose that housed the fixed forward-firing guns. The first of six prototypes was finished in October 1942, and the last one was completed in April 1943. Flight testing started in February 1943. The aircraft performed well overall, but it was only about 25 mph faster than the Ki-48 light bomber. Because of this, the Army ordered the development of the Ki-66-II, an upgraded version focused on increasing speed.
The Cancellation
Kawasaki Ki-66. (Image via airwar.ru)
The Ki-66-II was meant to use the Ha-315 engine, which produced 1,360 horsepower, and reach a maximum speed of 373 mph. However, Kawasaki Aircraft couldn’t develop it in time. Around the same period, a version of the Ki-48 twin-engine light bomber was completed with dive brakes, allowing it to do some dive bombing. It led some in the Army to believe the Ki-48 was good enough for dive bombing, and the Kawasaki Ki-66 was canceled. In total, the Japanese built six aircraft. Two additional dive-bomber versions were proposed but not built. The Ki-66-Ic would have a more powerful 2,100hp Nakajima Ha-39 engine, and the Ki-66-Id would have a 1,900hp Nakajima Ha-45 engine. A heavy fighter version, the Ki-66-II, was also designed but never built. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
Kawasaki Ki-66. (Image via airwar.ru)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/kawasaki-ki-66.html

#flighttesting #kawasaki #groundeddreams #divebomber #japanesearmy #aircraft #canceled #gun #cancellationkawasaki #two

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum Constructs New Hangar and ...

2026-10-28T14:31:42Z

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum Constructs New Hangar and Restores More Aircraft

It has been a year since our last update on the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum of Irvine, California, which is building a new hangar from the ground up while restoring dozens of airplanes and helicopters that are part of the United States Marine Corps’ legacy of aviation history in anticipation of the museum’s public opening in 2028 at the Orange County Great Park, once the site of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.
On October 21, 2026, the FLAM held a topping-out ceremony, where the final steel girder was permanently fitted to the steel framework that had risen from the ground up during the summer after the first truckload of steel was brought on site on May 6. The ceremony was attended by the leadership of the FLAM, including President/CEO Brigadier General Michael Aguilar, USMC (Ret.), the locally-based construction firm Snyder Langston, Irvine Mayor Larry Agran, members of the City Council of Irvine, and the construction team that labored through unseasonal heat to get the building ready for this momentous occasion.
The interior of the framework of the new Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum building under construction. | Source: Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
The foundation is being poured for the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum’s new hangar, with the current location at Hangar 297 in the background, July 2026. | Source: Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
The new Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum hangar sits just off Skyhawk Road, about one hundred yards from the museum’s current restoration/storage facility, Hangar 297, which was previously used to maintain countless aircraft that served at MCAS El Toro from WWII up to the installation’s deactivation in 1999. Today, the hangar’s two wings and maintenance bays are actively being used to prepare the museum’s collections for display in the new building currently under restoration, while also providing an office space for board meetings and for official visits.
Banner for the topping-out ceremony for the new Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum building, October 21, 2026. | Source: Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
Inside Hangar 297, the museum has been using the north wing as a storage facility, both for aircraft in need of restoration and for aircraft that have been restored and are awaiting their turn to go on public display in the new hangar. In the south wing of Hangar 297, FLAM’s restoration team is hard at work restoring and refurbishing a variety of aircraft, such as the museum’s North American B-25J Mitchell (USAAF s/n 44-86727/Mitchell Mk. III RCAF s/n 5230), Vought F-8J Crusader BuNo 150920, Stinson OY-1 (built from the wrecks of two L-5s 42-14893 (N63487) and 42-14918 (N63098), and Grumman A-6E Intruder BuNo 154170.
Vought F-8J Crusader BuNo 150920 under restoration at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, Irvine, California. | Source: Adam Estes
Among these, though, is the latest addition to the FLAM’s collection, Northrop F-5E Freedom Fighter 73-0932 (construction number T.1030), a former Royal Saudi Air Force F-5E trucked from Fort Worth, Texas by the Nebraska-based aircraft moving firm Worldwide Aircraft Recovery, which was previously hired to move the entire aircraft collection of the FLAM from MCAS Miramar to the old El Toro site at the OC Great Park.
The F-5E was delivered on May 14, 2026, and since then it has been going through a repainting process to wear the colors of a Marine F-5 used for aggressor training as part of Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401) based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. Previously, when the museum was still located at MCAS Miramar, they had another F-5E, USAF s/n 74-1564/USN BuNo 741564 on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, but when Miramar was closed to the public in 2021, F-5E 741564 was transferred to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, where it remains on display today.
Northrop F-5E BuNo 741564 at the Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona. | Source: Pima Air and Space Museum
Northrop F-5E 73-0932, formerly flown by the Royal Saudi Air Force, being repainted as a USMC F-5 of VMFT-401, October 2026. | Source: Adam Estes
The museum volunteers have also completed the restoration of other aircraft to be installed in the new building, namely the museum’s Lockheed TV-1/TO-1 Shooting Star BuNo 33840, which had once been among the first jet aircraft flown by Marine aviators at MCAS El Toro during the late 1940s, and Boeing-Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight BuNo 154803 “Lady Ace 09”, the very helicopter used to evacuate US ambassador Graham A. Martin from Saigon during the fall of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975.
Meanwhile, following the restoration of their Bell UH-1N Twin Huey, BuNo 159198, the Flying Leathernecks have selected a stripped-out UH-1 Huey fuselage to become part of a unique display inside the planned gift shop of the new museum building, where the retired Huey will be fitted with merchandise racks. In the center of Hangar 297, aerospace engineering students from the University of California, Irvine continue to work on rebuilding the museum’s Curtiss JN–4D Jenny WWI trainer, which is intended to be suspended from the ceiling of the new building’s rotunda.
Curtiss OX-5 V8 engine and propeller for the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum’s Curtiss JN-4D Jenny. | Source: Adam Estes
As for the new museum building for the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, it will have around 130,600 square feet of space for museum facilities and will be able to display more than 40 historic Marine Corps aircraft dating back to WWI and WWII, all the way through the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf Wars, up to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The new hangar will also provide a venue for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) educational experiences for students and visitors of all ages. In a statement made regarding the topping-out ceremony, the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum has stated: “As the only museum dedicated entirely to Marine Corps Aviation, FLAM will honor the Marines who flew, maintained, and supported these aircraft in peace and war—while inspiring future generations through education, innovation, and patriotism.”
Architectural model of the planned museum building for the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum set to open in spring 2027. The models are 1/72 scale. | Source: Adam Estes
While the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is certainly set to become one of the most extensive military aviation museums on the West Coast, and will honor the legacy of the former MCAS El Toro, it will also be a key part in the future of the former El Toro base as a part of the Orange County Great Park’s Cultural Terrace, a 35-acre campus which will host a number of museums and cultural and artistic centers, including a new Asian American History Museum, the new home of the Pretend City Children’s Museum (in fact, the FLAM is currently storing a Cessna 172 on behalf of Pretend City), and the former MCAS El Toro Building 369 (currently being repurposed as a new event venue called Aviator Hall). Furthermore, the Cultural Terrace will be connected to the Great Park’s existing Sports Complex by the Championship Bridge, a pedestrian walkway over Skyhawk Road. For more information about the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, visit www.flyingleathernecks.org.
Plan for the Cultural Terrace at the Orange County Great Park, which prominently features the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. | Source: Adam Estes
The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum will continue to develop the new building over the next year, while continuing to restore more aircraft and catalog its archival collections, all of which will make the short trip from Hangar 297 to the new building once it is ready to receive them. For more information, visit the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum’s website HERE.
Rendering of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum building when it will be opened in 2028. | Source: Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/flying-leatherneck-aviation-museum-constructs-new-hangar-and-restores-more-aircraft.html

#leatherneckaviation #flyingleatherneck #aviationmuseum #newhangar #aircraft #statesmarine #irvine #flam #greatpark #airstation

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Dornier Do 19 ...

2026-10-28T13:55:02Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Dornier Do 19

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 90 years ago (October 28, 1936), the Dornier Do 19 took flight for the first time. Developed as a four-engine heavy bomber for Germany’s Luftwaffe, the Do 19 was created as part of the “Ural Bomber” program, an effort to develop a long-range strategic bomber capable of striking targets deep within enemy territory. The program was strongly supported by Generalleutnant Walther Wever, the Luftwaffe’s first Chief of Staff. Dornier and Junkers were selected to develop competing designs, resulting in the Do 19 and Ju 89. Dornier’s aircraft was a large, mostly metal, mid-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear and twin vertical tails. Three Do 19 prototypes were ordered, with the V1 becoming the only example to fly.
The Dornier Do 19 in flight. | Source: The Flight magazine archive from Flightglobal/Wikimedia Commons
The Ural Bomber concept lost its strongest supporter when Wever was killed in an aircraft accident in June 1936. Germany increasingly shifted its attention toward tactical bombers, while the Do 19’s relatively slow speed, modest bomb load, and limited range worked against it. The program was cancelled in 1937, and the incomplete V2 and V3 prototypes were scrapped. The sole flying Do 19 was converted into a transport in 1938. The planned Do 19 V2 measured 83 feet 6 inches in length with a wingspan of 114 feet 10 inches and was to be powered by four 715-horsepower Bramo 322H-2 radial engines. It had an estimated maximum speed of 196 mph, a range of approximately 990 miles, and a service ceiling of 18,400 feet. Planned armament included two 7.92 mm machine guns, two 20 mm cannons, and up to 3,500 pounds of bombs.
The Dornier Do 19 V-1 with four BMW 132 engines. | Source: Ray Wagner Collection - SDASM Archives/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-dornier-do-19.html

#aviationhistory #dornier #flight #uralbomber #wikimediacommons #van #waltherwever #generalleutnantwalther #germany #october

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Supports Upcoming ...

2026-10-28T12:11:17Z

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Supports Upcoming Jimmy Stewart Film “JIMMY”

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Pooler, GA, has announced its role as a historical resource for JIMMY, an upcoming film starring KJ Apa as actor and WWII combat pilot James M. “Jimmy” Stewart. The museum provided archival photographs, historical records, firsthand accounts and staff expertise to help the production team portray Stewart’s wartime service with the Eighth Air Force.
KJ Apa as Captain Jimmy Stewart and Julian Works as Lieutenant Martinez in the upcoming major motion picture JIMMY. | Source: Burns & Co., © 2026 JIMMY The Movie LLC, All Rights Reserved
Stewart served in the Eighth Air Force’s 2nd Air Division, flying B-24 Liberator combat missions over Europe. The museum’s contributions helped the filmmakers explore the people, places and experiences that shaped his military service, connecting the preservation of wartime history with efforts to introduce it to new audiences. “It has been an honor and a privilege for the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force to provide its historical collections and subject expertise to JIMMY,” stated Scott W. Loehr, the museum’s president and CEO. “James M. Stewart embodied the very best of the Greatest Generation. May present and future generations continue to find inspiration from his selfless service.”
KJ Apa as U.S. Army Air Corps pilot Jimmy Stewart alongside director Aaron Burns on the set of JIMMY. | Source: Andrew McPherson, Courtesy of Burns & Co., © 2026 JIMMY The Movie LLC, All Rights Reserved
Director Aaron Burns also acknowledged the museum’s contributions, which helped the production recreate Stewart’s world through historical photographs and other materials, alongside flight logs and handwritten family notes. “The team that came together on JIMMY each had a part in telling Jimmy’s story. From his flight logs and handwritten notes from the family to photos and historical detail provided by the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, we were able to recreate the world that Jimmy lived in — for which we are eternally grateful and look forward to sharing his story with audiences across the nation,” Burns said.
KJ Apa as Hollywood icon Jimmy Stewart and Rob Riggle as Colonel Terrill in JIMMY. | Source: Burns & Co., © 2026 JIMMY The Movie LLC, All Rights Reserved
The film explores Stewart’s transition from Hollywood to military service and the experiences that shaped his return to civilian life. Apa, who portrays Stewart, said the actor’s willingness to leave his career and personal life behind to serve his country was central to the story. “Jimmy Stewart, along with millions of others, were willing to leave their families, careers and passions behind because they felt a deep sense of duty to their country. That is why I have so much admiration for him. It is his values that make JIMMY so special,” Apa said. JIMMY will open exclusively in theaters on November 6, 2026. More information about the museum’s involvement is available at mightyeighth.org/jimmy-movie. To support the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, click on this link: www.mightyeighth.org.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/national-museum-of-the-mighty-eighth-air-force-supports-upcoming-jimmy-stewart-film-jimmy.html

#eighthair #airforce #mightyeighth #jimmystewart #nationalmuseum #moviellc #rightsreserved #burns #apa #film

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Caldwell Collection Celebrates First Anniversary With Major ...

2026-10-28T08:45:53Z

Caldwell Collection Celebrates First Anniversary With Major Expansion at Historic Mustang Field

One year after opening at El Reno Regional Airport in Oklahoma, the Caldwell Collection has grown from 24 to 36 aircraft, welcomed approximately 5,000 visitors, and announced plans to expand its facilities to more than 50,000 square feet while preserving another historic WWII-era hangar. The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field in El Reno, Oklahoma, is celebrating its first anniversary with significant growth in its aircraft collection, increasing visitor numbers, and ambitious plans to expand its facilities. In an October 22, 2026, update titled “One Year at Mustang Field”, Tony Caldwell, Founder and Chairman of the Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field, reflected on the museum’s first year, highlighting the development of its collection, the enthusiasm of its growing volunteer community, and plans to preserve another historic hangar at El Reno Regional Airport. As previously reported by Vintage Aviation News in our article, “The Caldwell Collection Opens at Mustang Field in El Reno, Oklahoma”, the museum was established to preserve and celebrate aircraft from aviation’s Golden Age while creating a welcoming environment where visitors could experience historic aviation firsthand. Just one year later, the Caldwell Collection has built upon that vision, expanding its fleet, attracting thousands of visitors, and embarking on an ambitious project to preserve additional historic airport infrastructure. Since opening, the museum has welcomed approximately 5,000 visitors and expanded its collection from 24 to 36 aircraft. Plans are now underway to increase the museum’s exhibition space from approximately 30,000 square feet to more than 50,000 square feet, providing room for additional historic aircraft and related exhibits.
The grand opening of the collection and museum | Source: The Caldwell Collection
From a Private Collection to a Living Aviation Museum
The origins of the Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field can be traced to October 2024, when Caldwell met with El Reno Regional Airport manager Scott Law and then-city manager Matt Sandidge to discuss the possibility of constructing a hangar for his growing collection of antique aircraft. At the time, Caldwell was restoring a 1929 Travel Air equipped with 30-by-5-inch wheels and was concerned about operating the aircraft from paved runways, particularly given Oklahoma’s unpredictable winds. He was looking for a suitable location where his historic airplanes could be housed and operated safely. During the meeting, Sandidge mentioned that the city was preparing to demolish two historic airport structures, Hangars 1 and 3. Caldwell immediately recognized the historical significance of the buildings and expressed interest in preserving one of them. Although Hangar 1 was in better condition, it would not be available for several years. Hangar 3, meanwhile, required extensive rehabilitation. After consulting with contractor David French, his family, and financial advisers, Caldwell decided to undertake the restoration. What initially began as a practical solution for housing his airplanes gradually evolved into a broader vision: creating a museum where visitors could experience historic aircraft up close, observe restoration work, and watch vintage airplanes take to the skies. Unlike his previous airport, where security gates and restricted access had limited public opportunities to see the collection, El Reno offered a more welcoming environment. Caldwell envisioned a place where visitors could stop by whenever the hangar doors were open and discover the aircraft for themselves. That approach has become one of the museum’s defining characteristics. Initially accessible by appointment, the Caldwell Collection is now open five days a week, with visitors regularly stopping in for informal conversations about aviation history, aircraft restoration, and flying.
The Caldwell Collection Volunteers polishing the 1938 Ryan SCW | Source: The Caldwell Collection
A Growing Collection of Golden Age Aircraft
One of the most notable developments during the museum’s first year has been the rapid expansion of its aircraft collection. When the Caldwell Collection opened, approximately 24 airplanes were on display, along with several historic ground vehicles. Over the following year, Caldwell continued acquiring aircraft, increasing the collection to 36 examples, an average of roughly one addition per month. The museum focuses primarily on aircraft representing aviation’s Golden Age, particularly the period between 1918 and 1942, when aviation experienced remarkable technological and commercial development. Rather than presenting aircraft solely as static exhibits, the Caldwell Collection emphasizes their continued operation whenever practical. Flying demonstrations allow visitors to experience the sights and sounds of historic aviation, including the distinctive engines and handling characteristics of aircraft built nearly a century ago. The museum’s location at El Reno Regional Airport is particularly well suited to this approach. Its grass runway provides an appropriate operating environment for many vintage aircraft originally designed to use unimproved airfields. On flying days, volunteer pilots prepare the aircraft and conduct demonstrations that visitors can observe from the museum’s dedicated viewing deck. The museum has also begun developing a collection of historic ground transportation associated with the airport’s WWII history. Inspired by Caldwell’s curiosity about how personnel traveled to the airfield during wartime gasoline rationing, the collection now includes automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, and other forms of transportation representative of the period. These additions are intended to provide a broader understanding of everyday life at Mustang Field when it served as a military training facility during WWII.
Waco ZPF-7 NC32018
Aircraft Restoration at the Heart of the Museum
Aircraft restoration has been a central part of the Caldwell Collection’s mission from its earliest planning stages. Recognizing that many rare antique aircraft can only be preserved through extensive rebuilding, Caldwell incorporated a dedicated restoration workshop into the museum’s original design. To lead this effort, he recruited Rob Lock of Waldo Wright’s Flying Service, an organization specializing in the maintenance and restoration of vintage aircraft. Lock relocated his restoration operation to El Reno, where the workshop now supports projects involving aircraft from the Caldwell Collection as well as those belonging to outside clients. According to Caldwell, the shop typically has between three and five aircraft undergoing restoration or maintenance at any given time. The workshop also provides visitors with an opportunity to observe traditional aircraft construction and restoration techniques, particularly the specialized skills involved in working with wood-and-fabric aircraft. By making restoration work visible to the public, the museum hopes to demonstrate the craftsmanship required to preserve early aviation technology and encourage greater appreciation for the people who maintain these historic machines. The workshop is an important component of the museum’s broader objective of keeping Golden Age aircraft operational rather than simply preserving them as static artifacts.
Building an Aviation Community
Beyond the aircraft themselves, Caldwell considers the development of a welcoming aviation community one of the museum’s most important accomplishments. Each Saturday, volunteers gather at Mustang Field to maintain aircraft, assist visitors, and share their enthusiasm for aviation. The volunteers range in age from 14 to 85, bringing together people with different backgrounds and levels of experience. The group has grown to several dozen participants, including longtime airport regulars who have found a new gathering place at the museum. Caldwell’s vision extends beyond the conventional museum experience. He wanted to create a location where pilots, mechanics, enthusiasts, and visitors could spend time together, exchange stories, and develop friendships around their shared interest in aviation. To support that atmosphere, the museum incorporated Wiley and Will’s Hangar Flying Cafe, a gathering space designed to encourage the informal conversations traditionally associated with airport hangars. The facility also includes an aviation library containing more than 2,000 books, along with magazines dating back to the earliest years of powered flight. The library reflects Caldwell’s own childhood interest in aviation, which developed through reading aviation books and magazines at his local library. Together, these facilities have helped transform the museum into a community destination rather than simply an exhibition space.
Preserving Another Historic WWII Hangar
Perhaps the most significant development announced during the museum’s first anniversary is the planned expansion involving the preservation of Hangar 1. The building was originally scheduled for demolition as part of the city’s airport development plans. However, as the Caldwell Collection expanded, the need for additional exhibition space became increasingly apparent. The museum’s existing 30,000-square-foot facility, once considered more than sufficient, was approaching its practical capacity. During 2026, Caldwell and city officials began discussing an alternative to demolishing Hangar 1. Rather than losing another historic airport structure, the proposal called for relocating the building and reconstructing it as two separate hangars while retaining its architectural character. Following several months of discussions, the city agreed to proceed with the preservation and redevelopment project. Under the plan, Hangar 1 will be dismantled and reconstructed across from the existing museum facility, creating two additional exhibition hangars. The expansion is expected to accommodate another 20 to 25 aircraft, providing substantial room for the collection’s continued growth. As of Caldwell’s October 22 update, dismantling of Hangar 1 was underway, with construction of the new facilities expected to begin soon. The project represents an important preservation achievement in its own right. In addition to expanding the museum, it will save elements of another historic airport building that might otherwise have been lost.
Looking Ahead to the Second Year
With its first year completed, the Caldwell Collection is preparing for further growth. The planned expansion will increase the museum’s total space to more than 50,000 square feet, while the aircraft collection is expected to exceed 40 examples. For Caldwell, the success of the first year has reinforced the importance of making historic aviation accessible to the public. The approximately 5,000 visitors who have passed through the museum’s doors represent a promising beginning for an institution that hopes to remain relevant for generations. Equally important has been the enthusiasm of the volunteers, pilots, restorers, and aviation enthusiasts who have embraced the project. The Caldwell Collection’s approach offers an interesting model for aviation preservation: combining historic aircraft, active flying demonstrations, restoration workshops, educational resources, and community engagement within a working airport environment. Its rapid development also illustrates how preserving historic airport infrastructure can create opportunities for aviation education and tourism while strengthening the connection between an airport and its surrounding community. As Mustang Field enters its second year as the home of the Caldwell Collection, the museum is positioning itself as an increasingly important destination for enthusiasts of Golden Age aviation. For those interested in experiencing historic aircraft in an environment where they can still be maintained, restored, and flown, the Caldwell Collection offers an opportunity to see aviation history as something more than a static display.
The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field is located at El Reno Regional Airport in El Reno, Oklahoma. Admission is free, and the museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For additional information, visit thecaldwellcollection.org.
The Caldwell Collection is a non profit corporation that exists to share not only the wonder of flight with visitors but to share the inspirational stories of the entrepreneurs and adventurers who created master works of aviation technology, based upon their times, and took to their skies during the golden years of aviation between the two World Wars. Photo by Nigel Hitchman | Source: The Caldwell Collection
Source: Tony Caldwell, Founder and Chairman, The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field, “One Year at Mustang Field,” October 22, 2026. Vintage Aviation News acknowledges the Caldwell Collection for providing information about its first anniversary, collection growth, and expansion plans.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/vintage-aviation/caldwell-collection-celebrates-first-anniversary-with-major-expansion-at-historic-mustang-field.html

#caldwellcollection #mustangfield #firstanniversary #renoregional #regionalairport #oklahoma #museum #privatecollection #aviation #hangar

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Myasishchev M-50 ...

2026-10-28T07:37:22Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Myasishchev M-50

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 67 years ago (October 27, 1959), the Myasishchev M-50 took flight for the first time. Known to NATO as the “Bounder,” the enormous four-engine aircraft was developed in the Soviet Union as a supersonic strategic bomber. Only one flightworthy M-50 was completed, becoming one of the most distinctive experimental bombers of the Cold War. Development began during the 1950s as the Soviet Union explored increasingly ambitious methods of delivering nuclear weapons. Myasishchev developed a large, shoulder-wing aircraft with a slender fuselage and four turbojet engines. Two engines were mounted beneath the wings, while another pair was unusually positioned at the wingtips. The bomber was intended to fly supersonically, but development of the powerful engines required to achieve its design performance fell behind schedule.
Myasischev M-50 “Bounder” at the Monino Central Air Force Museum, Moscow. | Source: Wikimedia Commons
The M-50 therefore began flight testing with less powerful substitute engines and never achieved its intended supersonic performance. Only a limited number of test flights were completed before the Soviet government cancelled the program in 1960 as ballistic missiles increasingly displaced manned bombers as the country’s strategic priority. The M-50 made its final public appearance at the 1961 Tushino air show and survives today at the Central Air Force Museum at Monino. The M-50 measured approximately 190 feet 7 inches in length with a wingspan of 115 feet 6 inches and had a maximum takeoff weight approaching 440,000 pounds. Power came from four Dobrynin VD-7 turbojets, with afterburning engines eventually fitted to the inner positions. The aircraft was intended to exceed Mach 1, but the prototype remained subsonic during testing. Its planned combat configuration called for a crew of two and the carriage of nuclear weapons.
Rear 3/4th view of the M-50. | Source: Alex Beltyukov - RuSpotters Team/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-myasishchev-m-50.html

#aviationhistory #sovietunion #myasishchev #flight #forcemuseum #airforce #centralair #wikimediacommons #van #coldwar

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Keeping an Icon Running: Roush Aviation Recruits Merlin Engine ...

2026-10-28T07:02:40Z

Keeping an Icon Running: Roush Aviation Recruits Merlin Engine Builders

Roush Aviation is seeking additional engine builders at its Livonia, Michigan, facility as increased demand expands its work on Rolls-Royce and Packard Merlin engines. The company says the recruitment follows its purchase of Jack Hovey’s inventory last year. The hiring announcement offers mechanics an opportunity to apply their skills to historic aircraft engines, supporting the specialized work required to maintain and overhaul these powerplants. Roush Aviation said it is looking to add a couple of skilled individuals to its team.
A Rolls-Royce Merlin on display. | Source: Nick Chismar
The company’s advertised Engine Builder I – Aviation position involves assembling engines and subassemblies, performing overhauls and repairs, and maintaining detailed component records. Responsibilities include measuring components to close tolerances, setting and verifying clearances, and documenting component histories throughout the build process. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent and at least one year of engine-building or mechanical experience. Required skills include diagnosing mechanical problems, operating standard shop equipment, and using precision measuring instruments such as calipers, gauges, and micrometers. The position also calls for attention to detail, organizational ability, basic computer proficiency, and effective written and verbal communication.
Rolls-Royce War Record 1943, Rolls-Royce Garden Street Nottingham Merlin Overhaul, May 1943, Rolls-Royce, whilst retaining some overhaul/repair capacity at Derby, set up a dedicated operation at the Hollins Mill at Garden Street, off Ilkeston Road, Nottingham; its first repair being tested in November 1940. | Source: Rolls-Royce Heritage Collection
Aviation-related education and an FAA Airframe and/or Powerplant certificate are listed as preferred qualifications. Additional desirable capabilities include engine teardown and assembly experience, basic fabrication skills, and availability for overtime, including weekends. Full-time benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage; life and disability insurance; a 401(k) plan; tuition reimbursement; earned sick time; paid vacation; and paid holidays. Roush provides engineering, testing, prototype, and manufacturing services across several industries, including transportation, aerospace, and defense. Within its aviation operation, the additional engine-building positions reflect a growing need for the hands-on skills involved in servicing historic powerplants. Interested applicants can review the requirements and apply through the Engine Builder I – Aviation listing. Further information about the company is available at roush.com.
View of the Rolls-Royce Merlin inside the nose of the FHCAM’s P-51D Mustang “Upapa epops”. | Source: Randy Malmstrom

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/keeping-an-icon-running-roush-aviation-recruits-merlin-engine-builders.html

#roushaviation #enginebuilders #packardmerlin #nottinghammerlin #gardenstreet #merlinoverhaul #jackhovey #nickchismar

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: SNCASO SO.9000 Trident – The Anhedral Wing ...

2026-10-28T05:54:45Z

Grounded Dreams: SNCASO SO.9000 Trident – The Anhedral Wing Rocket Hybrid Discarded

After WWII, France wanted to rebuild its military, especially the French Air Force, with a main focus on developing advanced military aircraft, particularly rocket-powered technology. In 1944, France established a new company, Société d’Etudes pour la Propulsion par Réaction (SEPR), to develop rocket engines. In 1948, the Air Staff asked SNCASO to start studying the design of rocket-powered interceptors with additional turbojet engines. By October, SNCASO began its design studies. One design by aircraft designer Lucien Servanty was particularly liked, designated SNCASO SO.9000 Trident. It featured a shoulder-wing monoplane that could reach supersonic speeds using a single SEPR rocket engine in the fuselage, along with wingtip-mounted turbojets. The setup used both engine types for fast climbs and high-altitude interception, while the turbojets alone would be used for returning to base. Servanty convinced the Air Force to support a design study and create a mockup on July 7, 1950. The aircraft was first tested without the rocket engine, using just the turbojet engines to check its low-speed handling. The second prototype Trident I made its first flight on September 1, 1953. But the plane couldn’t gain altitude and crashed shortly after takeoff, hitting a utility pole. Test flights for the Trident I prototype resumed on January 16, 1954, with Charles Goujon as pilot. During its sixth rocket-powered flight on October 26, the rocket failed during takeoff, but the plane managed to return safely to the runway. The incident showed that the Trident needed more power from its turbojets. As a result, the aircraft was grounded until it received more powerful 1,654 lbf Dassault MD.30 Viper engines, which are a licensed version of the British Armstrong Siddeley Viper. The aircraft flew for the first time with these new engines in March 1955. With these engines, it could exceed Mach 1 during a shallow dive, even without the added thrust from the rocket motor.
The SNCASO SO.9000 Trident
SNCASO SO.9000 Trident. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru
In April 1956, the decision was made to stop flight testing the remaining Trident I aircraft. Over an 18-month flight test program, the Trident I completed more than 100 flights. It reached a top speed of Mach 1.8 and an altitude of 65,000 feet. During this time, 24 of the flights used the rocket engine. The French Air Force was impressed by the Trident’s performance and wanted to use an improved model in their operations. In 1954, the French ordered two prototype SO.9050 Trident IIs. These prototypes mainly differed from earlier models by using a stronger rocket. The new two-chamber SEPR 631 rocket provided 6,600 lbf of thrust, replacing the older SEPR 431. Other changes included removing the ailerons, reducing the wings, enlarging the cockpit, moving the speed brakes from the wings to the fuselage, and lengthening the landing gear to fit a large air-to-air missile beneath the fuselage. The first aircraft flew for the first time on July 19, 1955, but only with its turbojets. It made its first rocket-powered flight on December 21. The second prototype took to the skies on January 4, 1956, but was destroyed three days later when the turbojet fuel pump failed and the engines lost power. SNCASO built a third prototype to develop a surface-to-air missile based on the Trident. However, the Air Force purchased this prototype to replace the destroyed aircraft, and it made its first flight on March 30. On February 16, 1956, the first prototype reached a speed of Mach 1.7 while carrying a model of the Matra 052 missile. It later achieved a speed of Mach 1.96 without the missile at an altitude of 62,664 feet. On May 21, 1957, the aircraft exploded in mid-air during a practice flight for the Paris Air Show. It was likely due to a dangerous mix of Furaline and nitric acid, which exploded and killed the pilot. The third prototype continued to fly until it belly-landed on September 19.
The Cancellation
SNCASO SO.9000 Trident. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru
In May 1956, the French Air Force ordered six pre-production Trident II aircraft. The service later signed a second contract for four more, but cancelled it on October 24, 1957, due to budget cuts. The pre-production aircraft were different from the first three prototypes. It replaced the original MD.30 engines with two Turbomeca Gabizo turbojets, each producing 2,430 lbf of thrust. The pre-production models also had a redesigned nose for fire-control radar and a hardpoint under the fuselage for a Matra R.511 air-to-air missile. The first pre-production aircraft flew for the first time on May 3, 1957. To prevent the program’s cancellation, SNACSO tried to set new records in 1958. On April 4, the first pre-production aircraft set a record for reaching 49,213 feet in 2 minutes and 37 seconds. On January 17, the third pre-production aircraft unofficially reached 74,800 feet, then set an official altitude record of 79,452 feet on May 2, just before the program ended on April 26. The Air Force scrapped the last three incomplete airframes, but continued flight testing until late in the year. This testing allowed the Trident II to achieve various unofficial records. It reached a maximum speed of Mach 1.97 on July 23, flew to 85,302 feet on October 6, which was the highest altitude for a turbojet, and climbed to 49,000 feet in 2 minutes and 15 seconds on July 8. The Air Force did not publicise these achievements to avoid upsetting anyone after choosing the Dassault Mirage III as its new interceptor. In the Grounded Dreams series, France cancelled the SNCASO SO.9050 Trident II project because it had many problems, including high fuel consumption, complex mechanics, and deadly prototype accidents compared to the Mirage III. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
SNCASO SO.9000 Trident. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/sncaso-so-9000-trident.html

#trident #sncaso #airforce #frenchair #sepr #wing #airstaff #october

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: IST XL-15 Tagak – The Sidelined Light Utility ...

2026-10-28T05:19:57Z

Grounded Dreams: IST XL-15 Tagak – The Sidelined Light Utility Prototype

The Philippine Institute of Science and Technology (ISL) developed at least three aircraft prototypes in the early 1950s. The institute sought to explore the possibility of local design and production of aircraft, as well as to experiment with the use of local materials in the construction of such aircraft. One material they focused on was Wobex, which was a type of reinforced woven bamboo. One of those aircraft was the ISL XL-15 Tagak, developed with the Philippine Air Force. It was a single-engine, high-wing plane with a twin-boom design and tricycle landing gear. It allowed easy access to the fuselage through rear doors. The inner sections of the wings had slotted flaps along the trailing edges and maintained a constant width. Towards the tips, the wings tapered and included slotted ailerons. A single lift strut on each side connected the wing to the lower fuselage and had an airfoil shape to increase wing lift.
Design of IST XL-15 Tagak
IST XL-15 Tagak. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru
The IST XL-15 Tagak’s fuselage was made from wood and plywood, framed in a semi-monocoque design and covered with Wobex and plywood. Behind the 185 hp Lycoming flat-six engine, the cabin measured 10 feet 6 inches long toward the back of the pod. It had two front seats under the wing’s leading edge and two more seats behind them. There was also space for stacked stretcher cases. The cabin had two windows on each side, and the rear of the pod, as it projected beyond the trailing edge of the wing, was largely glazed. The two tail booms were made entirely of plywood and were part of the center section of the wing. The booms also included fins with long-chord underside fillets. It had a rectangular tailplane that extended beyond the fins and featured a horn-balanced elevator. The fixed surfaces were made of wood and plywood with Wobex covering, while the control surfaces were covered in fabric.
The Cancellation
IST XL-15 Tagak. (Image via airdejavu.ru) | Source: airdejavu.ru
The IST XL-15 Tagak was 30 feet long, 9.2 feet high, with a wingspan of 39.4 feet and a wing area of 219.5 square feet. The empty weight of the aircraft was 1,720 pounds, and the gross weight was 2,756 pounds. Its maximum speed was envisioned at 120 mph, with a cruise speed of 98 mph, a range of 419 miles, and a service ceiling of 13,000 feet. Flight testing of the IST XL-15 Tagak started in October 1954. By 1956, the team made some small changes. They increased the size of the rudder and added a shimmy damper to the nosewheel. However, the plan to mass-produce or further develop the IST XL-15 Tagak was canceled due to insufficient demand and a lack of interest and support from the services and the government. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
IST XL-15 Tagak. (Image via airdejavu.ru) | Source: airdejavu.ru

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/ist-xl-15-tagak.html

#groundeddreams #tagak #ist #cancellationist #wobex #philippineinstitute #isl #airforce

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Heavy Attack Squadron 123: The Master Training Lineage of the ...

2026-10-28T04:12:20Z

Heavy Attack Squadron 123: The Master Training Lineage of the Professionals

Heavy Attack Squadron 123 (VAH-123), called the “Professionals,” was a US Navy squadron formed on June 15, 1957, at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington. The squadron was formed to train personnel for the A-3 Skywarrior, the Navy’s largest and heaviest carrier aircraft. Rather than going straight into combat, Heavy Attack Squadron 123 provided a link between new naval aviators and active heavy attack squadrons. Its instructors taught pilots and aircrew how to handle, operate, and maintain the large twin-engine aircraft before they joined fleet units. VAH-123 operated various A-3 aircraft types during its time, including the A3D-1, A3D-2, EA-3B, TA-3B, and EKA-3B. The A-3 started as a heavy attack aircraft, but its size, long range, and large payload made it suitable for many specialized roles. Therefore, VAH-123 had to prepare crews not only for heavy attack missions but also for the diverse missions of later Skywarrior models. In the 1960s, Heavy Attack Squadron 123 added electronic warfare training for the EKA-3B, a Skywarrior variant designed for electronic countermeasures.
A US Navy Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior (BuNo 146452) from Fleet Reconnaissance Squadron VQ-1 Det.64 World Watchers in flight over the South China Sea. VQ-1 Det.64 was assigned to Attack Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9) aboard the aircraft carrrier USS Constellation (CVA-64) for a deployment to the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean from 21 June to 23 December 1974. (Image via Wikipedia) | Source: Wikipedia
The squadron also focused on safety. Early Skywarrior incidents provided lessons that improved emergency procedures and crew training. As a Fleet Replacement Squadron, Heavy Attack Squadron 123 trained crews to manage the challenges of operating a large, complex carrier aircraft before they joined operational units. During the Vietnam War, the squadron’s training mission became increasingly important as the United States expanded its naval air operations. Operational A-3 units needed a steady supply of pilots, aircrew, and maintenance staff, all of whom had to be trained on the aircraft’s different configurations. Heavy Attack Squadron 123 at NAS Whidbey Island provided this training, preparing personnel for heavy attack and specialized Skywarrior units working with the fleet. Although VAH-123 did not directly participate in combat, it supported naval aviation by supplying trained personnel and aircraft. By the end of the 1960s, the Navy’s heavy attack force was changing. The A-3 aircraft was moving away from its original role on aircraft carriers, while other planes took over many of the missions that the Skywarrior had once handled. After more than ten years of training naval aviation personnel, Heavy Attack Squadron 123 was disbanded on February 1, 1971.
The EA-3B Skywarrior was the largest and heaviest aircraft to regularly operate from an aircraft carrier, earning the nickname “Whale.” Photo by Moreno Aguiari

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/squadron-histories/heavy-attack-squadron-123.html

#heavyattack #attacksquadron #skywarrior #navy #whidbeyisland #naval #fleet #reconnaissancesquadron #replacementsquadron #stationwhidbey

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Enstrom: The Story of One of America’s Piston Helicopter ...

2026-10-28T03:35:55Z

Enstrom: The Story of One of America’s Piston Helicopter Pioneers

In the 1940s, Mining engineer Rudolph J. “Rudy” Enstrom began trying to design his own helicopter. Since he had no training in this area, his first attempts were not very good. However, local businessmen in the Upper Peninsula noticed his efforts and decided to support him. They brought in several experienced aeronautical engineers, and together they formed the R.J. Enstrom Co. in 1959. The company’s first product was the F-28, a piston-engine aircraft developed in 1965. Enstrom, however, had already left the company before it sold this product, even though it still used his name. In October 1968, Purex Industries purchased a controlling interest in Enstrom, aiming to develop a turbine-powered helicopter. The project took more than 20 years to finish. Because the venture failed, the piston-engine models fell behind. In January 1971, F. Lee Bailey, a well-known criminal defense attorney, bought Purex’s stake and renamed the company. Bailey was an eager entrepreneur and quickly increased production to over a hundred helicopters per year. He also led the development and certification of the 280 Shark, which launched in 1974 and sold well.
Enstrom 280FX Shark, an aerodynamically restyled Enstrom F-28 for the corporate market. (Image via Wikipedia)
Encouraged by this success, Bailey started designing a four-passenger version of the Shark, called the 280L Hawk. However, technical difficulties and a slowing economy drained the company’s funds, and Bailey sold the company in 1979. Since then, it has changed owners several times, including Victor Kiam and Dean Kamen, who created the Segway PT. Kamen focused on improving the company’s products and developed the turbine-powered 480 in response to a bid for a military training helicopter. In 2000, a Swiss investor bought the company, and Kamen continued as an advisor. In January 2013, China’s Chongqing Helicopter Investment Corporation bought the company. By then, Enstrom had been making helicopters since it received Federal Aviation Administration approval for the F-28 model in April 1965. By July 2011, the company had produced over 1,100 helicopters. However, the Great Recession reduced production, and the company had just 60 employees. In 2010, it made just six helicopters. By early 2013, after receiving investment from China, Enstrom grew again, increasing its workforce to 200 employees and planning to expand its facilities due to rising sales, mostly in Asia. In 2013, the company built 26 helicopters, including the F-28, the more aerodynamic 280, and the turbine-engined 480.
1999 model Enstrom 480. (Image via Wikipedia)
A feature of Enstrom’s helicopter designs is that the main rotor’s pitch change links are not exposed. Instead, these mechanisms are inside the hollow main rotor shaft, which reduces aerodynamic drag. In 2014, Enstrom signed a contract with the Venezuelan government to supply 16 training versions of the Enstrom 480 helicopter to its armed forces. It was the first time in ten years that Venezuela bought a helicopter from a US manufacturer. The deal also included spare parts and technical support. The first helicopters were delivered in October 2015. Enstrom was the third-highest seller of piston helicopters, with 22 helicopters delivered in 2018 and 16 in 2019. In January 2022, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after facing several financial problems. Technical support for Enstrom customers stopped on January 19, 2022, and the Menominee factory closed on January 21, 2022. At the time of the closure, the company had 30 employees. Several companies showed interest in buying the company. One of them was MidTex Aviation, which planned to buy Enstrom’s assets in March 2022. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan approved this purchase as part of a Chapter 7 liquidation.
BMG Consult OÜ, ES-HEL, Enstrom 480B. (Image via Wikipedia)
MidTex aimed to make parts for the existing Enstrom aircraft and to build new planes by creating a new company called Enstrom Aerospace Industries. The company was to operate in the old Enstrom plant in Menominee, Michigan. However, MidTex did not secure financing, and the purchase did not go through. In May 2022, Surack Enterprises bought Enstrom. The company wanted to restart parts production, then move on to helicopter production and create new products to improve the Enstrom fleet. In December 2022, the FAA issued the company a production certificate, allowing it to make parts under its own quality control. The first new helicopter, an Enstrom 480B, flew in January 2023. In April 2023, the company announced they sold two 480Bs to the Zambian Air Force. As of July 2026, Enstrom delivered a new 480B turbine helicopter to Safomar Aviation and displayed a 280FX and a 480B at its booth at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 in August 2026. Read more Forgotten Factories articles HERE.
Enstrom 480B. (Image via Wikipedia)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-history/forgotten-factories-the-companies-behind-aviations-icons/enstrom.html

#enstrom #helicopterpioneers #pistonhelicopter #america #story #bailey #shark #however #kamen #upperpeninsula

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Behind the B-17 Behind the B-17 Air Facts Journal My Daughter’s ...

2026-10-26T22:56:24Z

Behind the B-17

Behind the B-17
Air Facts Journal
My Daughter’s First Cross-Country—and a Decision to Fly Around a Convective SIGMET
Approach put me on a long downwind at Erie, which seemed strange since I was still outside the Class D airspace and flying VFR. Then came the expected instruction to call the tower, and as I switched frequencies, I understood why.
Tower: “Turn left base, cleared to land runway 24, behind the B-17 and a Cessna 150.”
And there, off my left wing, was a magnificent B-17 Flying Fortress on final, its four radial engines turning, gear down, about to land on the same runway I was headed for. I pointed it out to my six-year-old daughter in the right seat, and she asked, “Papa, is that from the war?”
It was. A B-17 and a B-25 were on a tour stop at Erie (KERI) for the Fourth of July weekend, and we ended up landing a couple of airplanes behind the B-17 in the rented Piper Warrior I flew out of my home field in Butler, Pennsylvania.
We weren’t supposed to be at Erie at all. The plan, hatched weeks earlier, was Niagara Falls. My daughter’s first real cross-country, with a spectacular aerial view of the falls. I’d built the whole trip around her: a new headset, a route with two rest stops, and a chance for her to take the controls now and then. I was excited, but also nervous, as it was going to be my longest flight with her, and a 150-hour pilot is still a low-time pilot.
Then the forecast changed: scattered thunderstorms were expected around the falls during the hours we had planned to be there. Niagara would have to wait. While scrolling Facebook that morning, I saw that the warbird tour had stopped at Erie, about 45 minutes from Butler. This wasn’t just a static display. The B-17 was giving multiple flying tours that morning. The trade was obvious! I might get lucky and even get to brag about landing behind the B-17!
We spent some time on the ramp at Erie, taking pictures and watching the bomber taxi out for another lap, then retreated to the FBO’s air conditioning. It was 100 degrees out. From there, we flew southeast to Jamestown, New York (KJHW), for lunch at a new diner right on the field. My daughter demolished the cold lemonade, chicken tenders, and fries while eyeing my onion rings, with a view of the runway. Judging by her smile, it was maybe the best lunch of her life.
While she finished her fries, I checked the weather for our last leg home. That’s when I saw it: a red convective SIGMET polygon sitting directly on our course between Jamestown and Butler.
My stomach sank a little. Our pilot training drills it into our heads: thunderstorms present the biggest danger in aviation, and even the airlines avoid them. Now I was sitting at an airport I barely knew, with my daughter beside me, watching a red polygon sit between us and home. I had no idea whether the storms responsible for it would drift away in twenty minutes or grow and linger through the afternoon.
I called my wife to say we might be late. My daughter, another TaleSpin fan, sensed the shift in mood and had questions of her own: “Are we going to fly in a thunderstorm like Baloo?”
We paid for fuel and sat down in the FBO to plan. A commercial student working at the desk suggested routing west along the Lake Erie shoreline, then turning south after the cell moved farther east. Until then, I had been thinking of the flight as a choice between going directly home and not going at all. His suggestion revealed a third option: I could go around the storm. I had just never done it before.
I planned a route in ForeFlight, going west, behind the weather, then south to Butler. I pulled a full weather briefing and reviewed my options. If conditions deteriorated, I would turn back to Jamestown. Erie remained available as an alternate to my east. If the cell held its position, I could continue farther west to Youngstown, Ohio, before turning toward Butler. Each option offered a way to remain clear of the active weather, and the storm continued moving east as we sat there.
We departed into a 20-knot wind, straight down the runway. The climb was bumpy enough that I found myself gripping the yoke tighter than I liked. My daughter was asleep before we even leveled off.
After departure, I contacted Buffalo Approach and told them my plan. They acknowledged it and asked me to maintain VFR. Twenty minutes after departure, I glanced down and saw that a second convective SIGMET had popped up, covering the airport we’d just left. Turning back to Jamestown was no longer an easy choice. But Erie was still clear and visible off my right, and Youngstown remained an option.
Flying west with cumulus clouds to my left, a 20- to 25-knot headwind, and my course line running just above the edge of the red polygon on the iPad, I was handed off to Youngstown Approach. I’d been checking METARs the whole way. Meadville and Grove City, both south of me, were reporting VFR with light winds. I asked the approach controller how the weather looked between my position and Butler.
“From my scope, sir, it looks like VFR with no precipitation all the way to Butler. The weather’s moving over Franklin now. You’re clear to proceed on course. If you need to deviate, I’ll work with you.”
His words brought real relief. If I turned now, I would still be inside the SIGMET boundary, but the storm itself had moved farther east, as predicted. I wasn’t flying through the weather but behind it, as planned, even though I was still inside a Convective SIGMET boundary. This lined up with the METARs I’d seen. The controller had just given me one more piece of the picture. I knew ATC radar had limitations, and I was ultimately the PIC. But more importantly, his calm voice and willingness to work with me mattered. I thanked him and began heading south toward Butler.
A few minutes later, I saw a towering cumulus cloud on my left. Worried that I might be too close to it, I turned west again to go around it. Approach checked in, and I told the controller I was maneuvering around some clouds and would proceed on course once clear. I thanked him again, grateful that he was watching me like a hawk.
The rest of the flight was uneventful. My daughter woke up about ten minutes before landing. The familiar pattern calls at Butler sounded like music in my ears. We landed, and I was relieved to have my feet back on the ground.
Much of pilot training is built around procedures and maneuvers. Those matter, of course. But that day reminded me that the harder test often begins after the checkride is over, when you’re at an unfamiliar airport and the weather between you and home is no longer theoretical. As PIC, you must make the go/no-go decision.
If a DPE had asked me what I would do with a convective SIGMET sitting on my route, my answer would have been simple: don’t fly through it. But real life was messier than the oral exam. I had an airplane to return and a tired little girl asking when we were leaving. Those weren’t reasons to depart, but they made departure easier to justify. Is this real-world “get-there-itis”?
I believe I managed the risk well. I planned my route thoroughly, bought extra fuel, planned alternates, watched the trend, asked for another input, got a full weather briefing, and used ATC as much as I could. I flew behind the weather, not through it. When something didn’t look right, I deviated. Those were perhaps good decisions.
Yet the decision I revisit most often in my head is departing at all, knowing there was a convective SIGMET on the route. I may have managed the risk properly, but was I too willing to accept it in the first place?
The flight ended safely, and my daughter remembers flying around thunderstorms with her dad. What stays with me is the harder question: Was I making a good decision, or merely finding good reasons to support the one I already wanted to make?
The post Behind the B-17 appeared first on Air Facts Journal.

https://airfactsjournal.com/2026/10/behind-the-b-17/

#erie #daughter #factsjournal #butler #sigmetapproach #convectivesigmet #falls #airfacts #piperwarrior #jamestown

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Yorkshire Air Museum Welcomes Descendants of WWII RAF 77 Squadron ...

2026-10-26T16:04:06Z

Yorkshire Air Museum Welcomes Descendants of WWII RAF 77 Squadron Veterans

The Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, England, has announced that more than 40 descendants of WWII veterans gathered at the museum on Saturday, October 3, to remember family members who served with RAF 77 Squadron when it was based at the site between 1942 and 1944. RAF 77 Squadron flew Halifax bombers from Elvington before moving to RAF Full Sutton, a few miles away. The squadron suffered heavy losses during the war, with many aircrew members killed in action or taken prisoner. The gathering, organized by the 77 Squadron Association, included a service in the museum’s chapel and a ceremony at the squadron memorial. The visit also gave descendants the chance to learn more about their relatives’ wartime service and the aircraft they flew.
Aerial view of the Yorkshire Air Museum in May 2025. | Source: Yorkshire Air Museum
Some attendees climbed inside the museum’s Halifax bomber to see where their family members had carried out their missions. Others joined a special behind-the-scenes tour led by Sarah Maultby, the museum’s collections manager. She showed visitors items from the museum’s collection, including hundreds of logbooks, photographs, memoirs and uniforms. Neil Bosher, the 77 Squadron Association’s honorary treasurer, traveled from Devon for the gathering. He emphasized the importance of remembering the young men who served with the squadron, which included personnel from across the Allied nations. “The Squadron, which comprised young men from all the Allied nations Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders, as well as UK volunteers, suffered horrific losses at that time. And it’s important to remember them,” Bosher said. For more information and to support the Yorkshire Air Museum, click on this link: yorkshireairmuseum.org.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/yorkshire-air-museum-welcomes-descendants-of-wwii-raf-77-squadron-veterans.html

#yorkshireair #airmuseum #raf #squadronassociation #descendants #raffull #veterans #fullsutton #elvington #halifax

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: Microjet 200 – The Micro Jet Trainer Left ...

2026-10-26T15:29:25Z

Grounded Dreams: Microjet 200 – The Micro Jet Trainer Left Behind

In the late 1970s, Microjet SA developed the Microjet 200 as a lightweight two-seat jet trainer. It was designed to use the small gas turbine engines made by Microturbo. The Microjet 200 was a low-wing aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear and a V-tail. It was powered by two Microturbo TRS 18-1 turbojet engines, each producing 293 lbf of thrust. The cockpit had side-by-side seats for an instructor and a student. The all-wood prototype first flew on June 24, 1980. The company advertised the 200B as a low-cost, high-performance jet trainer designed for training military pilots.
Design of Microjet 200
Microjet 200B. (Image via Wikimedia Commons) | Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Microjet 200 was 21.10 feet long, 7.11 feet high, with a wingspan of 24.9 feet and a wing area of 65.9 square feet. The empty weight was 1,719 pounds, and the gross weight was 2,866 pounds. The maximum speed of the aircraft was 287 mph, with a cruise speed of 241 mph, an endurance of two hours, and a service ceiling of 30,000 feet. The first pre-production aircraft, designated 200B, made its maiden flight on May 19, 1983. Production was expected to start by mid-1984.
The Cancellation
200B. (Image via Wikimedia Commons) | Source: Wikimedia Commons
A total of three 200B models were built. These production models had more powerful TRS 18-2 engines and better equipment. However, the aircraft did not perform well enough, and no customers were found. As a result, the program was canceled. The Microjet 200 was a good project, but it couldn’t meet the criteria for a capable trainer. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
200B. (Image via Wikimedia Commons) | Source: Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/microjet-200.html

#groundeddreams #jettrainer #wikimediacommons #microturbotrs

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

CIA Restores Historic Mi-17 Helicopter That Carried First ...

2026-10-26T14:20:45Z

CIA Restores Historic Mi-17 Helicopter That Carried First American Team Into Afghanistan After 9/11

Twenty-five years after carrying a CIA team into Afghanistan in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks, a Soviet-designed Mil Mi-17 helicopter has undergone a new restoration at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. The aircraft, which subsequently flew hundreds of missions in Afghanistan, has been returned to its original 2001 appearance. Twenty-five years after undertaking one of the most significant helicopter missions in modern American intelligence history, a Soviet-designed Mil Mi-17 has received a new restoration at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia. The aircraft carried the first American team into Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, helping initiate the United States’ response against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The restoration, completed in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the mission, returned the helicopter to the camouflage scheme it carried during its historic September 26, 2001 flight. The work included repairing areas of deterioration, sealing openings in the fuselage, and repainting the aircraft to recreate its operational appearance. The helicopter has been displayed at CIA Headquarters since 2019, where it serves as a memorial to Operation JAWBREAKER, the covert mission that established the first American presence in Afghanistan following the attacks.
A Historic Flight Into Afghanistan
On September 26, 2001, just 15 days after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, a CIA team departed aboard a Russian-built helicopter bound for Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley. The mission, codenamed JAWBREAKER, was led by veteran CIA officer Gary Schroen, who had postponed his retirement to lead the operation. The team consisted of seven CIA officers, accompanied by three aircrew members and two Afghan partners. Their objective was to establish contact with the Northern Alliance, an Afghan resistance movement opposing the Taliban, and begin coordinating operations against al-Qaeda and its supporters. The mission took place under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain, high elevations, and unpredictable weather presented significant challenges for helicopter operations. The flight required the heavily loaded aircraft to cross the Anjuman Pass in the Hindu Kush mountains at approximately 14,500 feet. The helicopter carried personnel, weapons, ammunition, fuel, equipment, and substantial amounts of cash intended to support Afghan resistance forces. Operating at such high altitude with a heavy payload pushed the aircraft toward the limits of its capabilities. During the helicopter’s original dedication ceremony in 2019, Schroen recalled the aircraft struggling as it climbed toward the pass. Despite the danger, the passengers remained focused on their mission. The successful arrival of the JAWBREAKER team established the foundation for subsequent American operations in Afghanistan, including coordination with Northern Alliance forces ahead of the broader U.S. military campaign.
Why the CIA Chose a Soviet-Designed Helicopter
The choice of aircraft was deliberate. Rather than employing an American-built helicopter, the CIA selected a Soviet-designed Mil Mi-17, a rugged medium transport helicopter developed from the successful Mi-8 family. The type was already widely operated throughout Afghanistan, including by both the Northern Alliance and Taliban forces. Its familiar appearance helped reduce the likelihood that the helicopter would attract unwanted attention. The CIA had acquired the aircraft during the 1990s and modified it for specialized operations. The Mi-8/Mi-17 family had earned a reputation for reliability in demanding environments, particularly where conventional infrastructure and maintenance support were limited. Its twin-engine configuration, substantial lifting capacity, and ability to operate from unimproved landing areas made it well suited to Afghanistan’s rugged geography. Although the CIA officially identifies the aircraft as an Mi-17, a former CIA paramilitary officer, Ronald Moeller, publicly noted that its more precise designation is Mi-8MTV. The distinction reflects the closely related variants within the helicopter family, with the Mi-17 designation commonly associated with export versions. For the JAWBREAKER mission, the helicopter’s practical capabilities mattered far more than its appearance. The aircraft had to transport a heavily equipped team across some of the world’s most challenging terrain while operating in an environment where mechanical reliability was essential. Schroen emphasized this characteristic during the 2019 dedication ceremony, describing the helicopter as a machine built for utility and capable of withstanding demanding service. The aircraft’s performance during the September 2001 mission demonstrated why the CIA had selected the type for its operations in Afghanistan.
An Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopter. | Source: U.S. Air Force
More Than 300 Missions Before Retirement
The helicopter’s historic September 26 flight was only the beginning of its operational career in Afghanistan. According to the CIA, the aircraft subsequently completed more than 300 missions in the country, supporting intelligence and operational activities over the following decade. Its final operational flight took place in 2012, bringing to an end a career that had begun during the opening stages of America’s post-9/11 campaign. Recognizing the aircraft’s historical importance, the CIA Museum began efforts to preserve it as a permanent artifact representing the agency’s early response to the terrorist attacks. The museum had already collected numerous objects associated with Operation JAWBREAKER, including photographs, maps, personal equipment, flight-related artifacts, and a cockpit instrument from the helicopter itself. In 2018, the helicopter was transported to CIA Headquarters, reuniting the previously preserved instrument with the aircraft from which it had been removed. The helicopter underwent restoration and preparation for permanent display before its formal dedication on September 26, 2019, exactly 18 years after the JAWBREAKER team arrived in Afghanistan. The ceremony brought together CIA personnel and veterans of the operation, including Schroen, who spoke about the mission’s challenges and the extensive planning that had made it possible. The aircraft was positioned in a landscaped area northeast of the CIA’s Original Headquarters Building. Rocks and surrounding terrain were arranged to evoke the Afghan landscape in which the helicopter had operated. The display also incorporated the tail number 9-11-01, commemorating the date of the terrorist attacks that led to the mission.
Restoring an Aircraft Exposed to the Elements
Although the helicopter had been restored for its original installation, years of outdoor exposure eventually created new preservation challenges. Like many historic aircraft displayed outside, the Mi-17 was subjected to sunlight, precipitation, temperature fluctuations, and environmental deterioration. Over time, its paint faded considerably, while openings in the fuselage allowed animals to enter the aircraft. CIA Museum Director Robert Byer described these problems in comments reported by CBS News and subsequently referenced by Defence Blog. The latest restoration concentrated on correcting the deterioration while returning the helicopter to an appearance representative of its September 2001 mission. During the project, restorers sealed holes and openings in the fuselage to prevent further intrusion and protect the aircraft’s interior. The helicopter was also repainted in the camouflage scheme associated with its original deployment into Afghanistan. Particular attention was given to restoring the number “607,” which was associated with the Afghan pilot who operated the helicopter during the JAWBREAKER mission. The work was carried out over approximately a year leading up to the September 2026 anniversary. For the CIA Museum, the project presented a familiar challenge in historic aircraft preservation: balancing the need for long-term protection with the importance of maintaining an artifact’s historical appearance. Unlike an aircraft preserved inside a climate-controlled museum, an outdoor exhibit must withstand continuing exposure to weather and environmental conditions. Protective coatings, sealed openings, and periodic maintenance are therefore essential to ensuring the long-term survival of the aircraft. The latest work represents a further stage in the helicopter’s preservation rather than its first restoration, building upon the efforts that prepared it for display in 2019.
Preserving the Legacy of Operation JAWBREAKER
The Mi-17 occupies a distinctive place in the CIA Museum’s collection. While the agency preserves numerous documents, equipment, and artifacts associated with intelligence operations, relatively few surviving aircraft are directly connected to such consequential historical events. The helicopter’s importance lies not in its technological sophistication but in its operational history. A Soviet-designed transport helicopter, originally developed for military and civilian service, became the aircraft that carried the first American team into Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks. Its continued service over more than 300 missions further illustrates the demanding operational environment in which it was employed. During the September 2019 dedication, then-CIA Director Gina Haspel described the aircraft as a tribute to the personnel who participated in the mission and those who supported it from behind the scenes. The ceremony also highlighted the extensive logistical and organizational effort required to launch the operation just two weeks after the attacks. Schroen credited not only the members of his team but also the CIA personnel who arranged the mission, as well as the relationships established with Afghan partners before September 2001. For the museum, the helicopter provides a tangible connection to those events, complementing other artifacts associated with the agency’s response to 9/11. Its latest restoration ensures that the aircraft will continue to serve as a historical landmark at CIA Headquarters, preserving the story of the crew, passengers, and support personnel who participated in the mission. Twenty-five years after crossing the Hindu Kush into Afghanistan, the helicopter has returned to the appearance it carried during one of the defining missions of its operational career. As an aviation artifact, it stands as a reminder that historic aircraft are not always remembered for their speed, technological achievements, or combat capabilities. Sometimes their significance comes from a single mission and the people they carried. The CIA’s restored Mi-17 is one such aircraft.
Sources: Central Intelligence Agency, “CIA’s Mi-17 Helicopter Comes Home,” September 26, 2019; Defence Blog, “CIA Restores Helicopter That Took First Americans to Afghanistan,” September 28, 2026.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/cia-restores-historic-mi-17-helicopter-that-carried-first-american-team-into-afghanistan-after-9-11.html

#firstamerican #afghanistan #americanteam #cia #ciaheadquarters #september #historic #virginia #mil

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Dornier Do 335 ...

2026-10-26T13:43:41Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Dornier Do 335 Pfeil

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 83 years ago (October 26, 1943), the Dornier Do 335 took flight for the first time. Test pilot Hans Dieterle was at the controls of prototype Do 335 V1, CP+UA. Known as the Pfeil, or “Arrow,” the unusual German aircraft used two powerful piston engines arranged in a distinctive push-pull configuration, with one propeller at the nose and another behind the tail. The Do 335’s configuration traced its origins to Claude Dornier’s earlier work with tandem-engine aircraft. Placing both engines along the aircraft’s centerline reduced aerodynamic drag compared with conventional twin-engine fighters and eliminated asymmetric thrust following an engine failure. The concept was tested with the smaller Göppingen Gö 9 before Dornier developed what eventually became the Do 335 as a high-speed bomber and heavy fighter.
Do-335s on the apron at Oberpfaffenhofen at the war’s end, including unfinished two-seat versions. | Source: 7th Photo Reconnaisance Group USAAF/Wikimedia Commons
The V1 demonstrated impressive performance, although early testing revealed problems with the landing gear and wheel-well doors. Development nevertheless continued, and the Do 335 became one of the fastest piston-engine aircraft of WWII. Ten pre-production A-0 aircraft were constructed, but delays and the deteriorating German war situation prevented large-scale production. Only 37 Do 335s were completed before the end of the war, and the aircraft never saw confirmed combat. A single Do 335 A-0 survives today, on display at the Udvar-Hazy location of the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. The Do 335 measured 45 feet 5 inches in length with a wingspan of 45 feet 3 inches. Later versions were powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 603E inverted V-12 engines producing approximately 1,800 horsepower each. The aircraft could approach 475 mph and carried a 30 mm MK 103 cannon firing through the forward propeller hub along with two 20 mm MG 151 cannons. Its rear propeller and dorsal fin could be jettisoned with explosive charges before the pilot used the aircraft’s ejection seat.
A Dornier Do 335 on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. | Source: Guinnog/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-dornier-do-335-pfeil.html

#aviationhistory #dornier #pfeil #flight #claudedornier #wikimediacommons #hansdieterle #van #german #virginia

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Doug Matthews to Join International Air & Space Hall of Fame ...

2026-10-26T10:18:19Z

Doug Matthews to Join International Air & Space Hall of Fame

Aviation entrepreneur, veteran naval aviator, and record-setting pilot Douglas G. “Doug” Matthews will be inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame on November 21, 2026. Hosted by the San Diego Air & Space Museum, the Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose achievements have shaped aviation and space exploration. Matthews will join more than 200 honorees, including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, and fellow naval aviators and astronauts Wally Schirra, Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, and Alan Shepard.
Doug Matthews in the cockpit of the F-86 Sabre ” Skyblazers” | Source: Doug Matthews
With 28,000 flight hours, Matthews has built a career spanning military aviation, commercial aircraft leasing, contract air services, and record-setting flights. A decorated Vietnam veteran, he served as a U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom instructor before pursuing business ventures that helped expand the role of civilian contractors in military aviation. Matthews founded Flight International, which pioneered contract air services and established an early contractor-operated adversary aircraft program for the U.S. Navy. That work helped lay the foundation for today’s multibillion-dollar industry providing contracted adversary support to military aircrews. He also founded an airliner leasing company that grew to more than $1 billion in assets.
According to the induction announcement, Matthews has set more than 100 U.S. and world aviation records, including an altitude record for propeller-driven aircraft. His previous honors include induction into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame and receipt of the Brewer Trophy. Alongside his flying and business accomplishments, the announcement recognizes his contributions to aviation through philanthropy.
Doug Matthews Inducted into Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame | Source: Doug Matthews
For information about the induction, contact David Neville at dneville@sdasm.org or (619) 234-8291, extension 140. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, contact Michelle Wiseman at mwiseman@sdasm.org or extension 109 at the same number.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/doug-matthews-to-join-international-air-space-hall-of-fame.html

#dougmatthews #spacehall #internationalair #fame #aviationhall #join #spacemuseum #diegoair #georgiaaviation #matthewsinducted

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: Hanna Reitsch Sets World Record for ...

2026-10-26T09:09:25Z

Today In Aviation History: Hanna Reitsch Sets World Record for Helicopter Distance Flown

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 89 years ago (October 25, 1937), German aviator Hanna Reitsch established a world distance record flying the Focke-Wulf Fw 61 helicopter. Covering approximately 67 miles between Berlin and Stendal, Reitsch demonstrated the rapidly advancing capabilities of an aircraft widely regarded as the first practical helicopter. The Fw 61 had first flown in 1936 and was developed under the direction of Heinrich Focke. Although its fuselage closely resembled that of a conventional Focke-Wulf Fw 44 biplane trainer, lift was provided by two large three-bladed rotors mounted on outriggers extending from either side of the fuselage. A single radial engine drove both rotors through a system of shafts and gears, while the small propeller mounted on the nose primarily provided cooling airflow for the engine.
A photo of Captain Hanna Reitsch’s reception in her hometown of Hirschberg in the Riesen Mountains of Silesia. Hanna Reitsch is shown thanking the people of the town for her reception. | Source: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-B02092 / Schwahn / CC-BY-SA 3.0
The Fw 61 quickly established several helicopter records. In June 1937, test pilot Ewald Rohlfs set records for altitude, endurance, speed, and distance. Reitsch subsequently extended the straight-line distance record on October 25, covering approximately 109 kilometers. She became even more closely associated with the Fw 61 the following year when she famously flew it inside Berlin’s Deutschlandhalle during public demonstrations, dramatically displaying the controllability of the new type of aircraft. The Fw 61 measured approximately 24 feet 3 inches in length and had two rotors measuring 23 feet 7 inches in diameter. It was powered by a 160-horsepower Bramo Sh 14A radial engine and could reach approximately 76 mph. The aircraft had a range of around 140 miles and could climb to more than 11,000 feet. Only two Fw 61 prototypes were constructed, but their record-setting flights helped demonstrate the practical potential of rotary-wing flight.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-hanna-reitsch-sets-world-record-for-helicopter-distance-flown.html

#aviationhistory #hannareitsch #flown #captainhanna #record #van #heinrichfocke #october #berlin #riesenmountains

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Bruce Peterson and the Real Story Behind The Six Million Dollar ...

2026-10-26T08:01:29Z

Bruce Peterson and the Real Story Behind The Six Million Dollar Man

For viewers who grew up watching The Six Million Dollar Man, the opening sequence was unforgettable: an experimental aircraft crashed, a test pilot lay critically injured, and advanced technology offered the promise of rebuilding him with extraordinary abilities. The television drama was fiction, but the accident footage was real. Behind those images was NASA research pilot Bruce Peterson, whose career extended far beyond the crash that made him familiar to millions. Lee Majors portrayed Col. Steve Austin, a test pilot and astronaut fitted with bionic limbs and an enhanced eye after a devastating accident. Working as a secret agent, Austin used his superhuman strength, speed, and vision to carry out dangerous missions. The show became a fixture of 1970s television, with its opening sequence linking the fictional character to a real chapter in experimental aviation.
NASA research pilot Bruce Peterson after completing his first flight in the HL-10 lifting body. | Source: NASA
The aircraft seen crashing was the Northrop M2-F2, a heavyweight lifting body developed from research at NASA’s Ames and Langley research centers. Unlike a conventional airplane, a lifting body relied on the shape of its fuselage to generate lift. The program explored how a wingless vehicle could be controlled and landed, contributing to research into the return of spacecraft from orbit.
The M2-F2 Lifting Body is seen here on the ramp at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.
| Source: NASA
On May 10, 1967, Peterson was at the controls of the M2-F2 during a glide flight at Edwards Air Force Base, California. As he approached Rogers Dry Lake, the vehicle began rolling from side to side. He regained control, but a rescue helicopter that appeared to pose a collision threat distracted him. The M2-F2 drifted away from the marked landing area, making its height above the lakebed difficult to judge. Peterson fired the landing rockets, but the aircraft struck the surface before its landing gear was fully down and locked. NASA estimated its speed at approximately 250 mph. The M2-F2 tumbled six times and came to rest upside down. Rescue crews pulled Peterson from the wreckage, and he underwent extensive treatment for his injuries. Although he survived and recovered, Peterson lost vision in his right eye because of a secondary infection contracted during his hospitalization. Years later, footage of the accident appeared in the opening credits of The Six Million Dollar Man, bringing the crash to an audience far larger than the flight research community.
The wreckage of the M2-F2 following Bruce Peterson’s May 10, 1967, crash at Edwards Air Force Base, California. | Source: NASA
Peterson was born on May 23, 1933, in Washburn, North Dakota. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1950 to 1953, working as an aircraft assembler for Douglas Aircraft Company while studying. He entered naval aviation training in 1953 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in November 1954. After leaving active duty in 1957, he continued his education at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, earning a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering. In August 1960, he joined NASA as an engineer at its Flight Research Center at Edwards, later named the Dryden Flight Research Center and now known as the Armstrong Flight Research Center.
Bruce Peterson with actor James Doohan (left), who portrayed chief engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, discussing the M2-F2 Lifting Body in 1967 | Source: NASA
Peterson transferred to flight operations in March 1962 and was assigned to the Rogallo Paraglider Research Vehicle, or Paresev, program. The unusual craft was used to investigate flexible wings as a possible means of recovering crewed spacecraft. He also graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards as a member of Class 62C. As a NASA research pilot, Peterson flew aircraft ranging from the F5D-1 and F-100 to the F-104, F-111A, B-52, and NT-33A variable-stability trainer. His experience also included general aviation airplanes, helicopters, sailplanes, and the experimental lifting bodies that would become closely associated with his name. Peterson flew the lightweight M2-F1 and the heavier M2-F2, as well as the Northrop HL-10. On December 22, 1966, he piloted the HL-10’s maiden flight. The flight revealed serious lateral-control problems, but he brought the vehicle safely back to the lakebed. The findings led to modifications before the HL-10 continued its research program.
Bruce A. Peterson standing beside the M2-F2 lifting body on Rogers Dry Lake. | Source: NASA
The May 1967 accident did not end Peterson’s flying career. He returned to NASA support missions and occasional research flights, continuing to fly for the agency until 1971. He also remained active in Marine Corps Reserve aviation. Over his career, he accumulated more than 6,000 flight hours in nearly 70 types of aircraft. His engineering work continued alongside his flying. Peterson served as a research project engineer on the F-8 digital fly-by-wire program during the late 1960s and early 1970s, then assumed responsibility for safety and quality assurance at Dryden. He retired from NASA in 1981. Peterson subsequently joined Northrop, working on safety and quality assurance for the B-2 Advanced Technology Bomber. Between 1982 and 1994, his work with the B-2 division included assignments at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale and at Edwards, and he became manager of system safety and human factors. Peterson died on May 1, 2006, at age 72. Television audiences may remember the tumbling M2-F2, but his aviation career also encompassed flight research, engineering, and safety work on some of the most demanding aircraft programs of his era. The pilot behind the opening credits had a story that went well beyond the screen.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/bruce-peterson-and-the-real-story-behind-the-six-million-dollar-man.html

#dollarman #milliondollar #sixmillion #brucepeterson #nasa #real #liftingbody #forcebase #airforce #edwardsair

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Randy’s Vintage Profiles: Beechcraft Model E18S “Kilroy’s ...

2026-10-26T06:53:37Z

Randy’s Vintage Profiles: Beechcraft Model E18S “Kilroy’s Cadets”

By Randy Malmstrom
Beechcraft Model E18S (or “Twin Beech”) “Kilroy’s Cadets.” My photos.
Beechcraft E18S N118SA “Kilroy’s Cadets”, with the Erickson Aircraft Collection’s Douglas A-24A Banshee (painted as an SBD Dauntless) in the background. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Editor’s notes: This Beech 18, construction number BA-014, was built as an E18S variant, which featured a redesigned wing and had a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 9,300 lb. (4,200 kg) never flew in the US military, but instead flew for a variety of civilian owners in both the United States and Canada. In 1963, it was noted as being owned by Bobby Manziel of Tyler, Texas, as N3681B. On February 9, 1975, the aircraft was acquired by Canadian airline Millardair Ltd., which operated the aircraft as C-GWSV for nearly 20 years. On April 28, 1993, the aircraft was stricken from the Canadian civil registry, and by January 1994, the aircraft obtained a new registration with the FAA: N118SA, which remains BA-014’s current registration. By 1997, the aircraft was owned by Steve Culbertson of Lakeport, California, before being sold to Jay A. Danford of Chico, California, in 2004.
Nose of Beechcraft E18S N118SA “Kilroy’s Cadets.” | Source: Randy Malmstrom
In 2006, the aircraft was acquired by Robin and Marici Reid, with the aircraft being registered to Marici. Robin Reid is also a pilot for the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon, and fly their Beech 18 at numerous local airshows. The USA serial number 53-7471 seen on N118SA’s tail was originally meant for a Republic F-84F Thunderstreak jet fighter that was part of an order that was ultimately cancelled before production started. The Reids have also flown their Beech 18, named “Kilroy’s Cadets,” to the EAA AirVenture airshow held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Beechcraft E18S N118SA “Kilroy’s Cadets.” | Source: Randy Malmstrom
About the author
Randy Malmstrom grew up in a family steeped in aviation culture. His father, Bob, was still a cadet in training with the USAAF at the end of WWII but did serve in Germany during the U.S. occupation in the immediate post-war period, where he had the opportunity to fly a wide variety of types that flew in WWII. After returning to the States, Bob became a multi-engine aircraft sales manager and, as such, flew a wide variety of aircraft; Randy frequently accompanied him on these flights. Furthermore, Randy’s cousin, Einar Axel Malmstrom, flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 356th FG from RAF Martlesham Heath. He was commanding this unit at the time he was shot down over France on April 24th, 1944, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. Following his repatriation at war’s end, Einar continued his military service, attaining the rank of Colonel. He was serving as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls AFB, MT, at the time of his death in a T-33 training accident on August 21, 1954. The base was renamed in his honor in October 1955 and continues to serve in the present USAF as home to the 341st Missile Wing. Randy’s innate interest in history in general, and aviation history in particular, plus his educational background and passion for WWII warbirds, led him down his current path of capturing detailed aircraft walk-around photos and in-depth airframe histories, recording a precise description of a particular aircraft in all aspects.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/randys-vintage-profiles-beechcraft-model-e18s-kilroys-cadets.html

#beechcraftmodel #kilroy #randymalmstrom #cadets #beech #twinbeech #sbddauntless #wing #aircraftcollection #ericksonaircraft

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Heavy Photographic Squadron 61: The Two-Decade Pacific Mapping ...

2026-10-26T05:46:25Z

Heavy Photographic Squadron 61: The Two-Decade Pacific Mapping Legacy Of The World Recorders

Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 (VAP-61), nicknamed World Recorders, was a US Navy squadron that focused on photographic reconnaissance. The squadron started as Patrol Squadron 61 (VP-61) on January 20, 1951. It changed its name to Photographic Squadron 61 (VJ-61) on March 5, 1952, and then to Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 (VAP-61) in April 1956. On July 1, 1959, it was renamed Heavy Photographic Squadron VCP-61. The squadron returned to the VAP-61 name on July 1, 1961. Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 started at NAS Miramar in California, flying the PB4Y-1P/P4Y-1P Liberator. Shortly after it was formed, the squadron began specialized photographic work. In March 1951, a team was sent to photograph the Mississippi Delta and nearby coastline. Two months later, another team went to Alaska to assist with mapping for the US Army Map Service. During the 1950s, the missions and aircraft of the squadron changed. In September 1952, it received the AJ-2P Savage and moved its base to NAS Agana in June 1956. In August 1959, the Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 transitioned to the jet age with the arrival of the F8U-1P Crusader. In September 1959, VAP-61 got the A3D-2P, later called the RA-3B Skywarrior. The aircraft was much larger and expanded the squadron’s photographic reconnaissance capabilities.
VAP-61 squadron patch. (Image via Wikipedia)
Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 faced its toughest challenges during the Vietnam War. Starting in May 1964, VAP-61 teams flew from aircraft carriers in the South China Sea. It flew photo-reconnaissance missions over Laos and South Vietnam in support of tanker team operations. The squadron’s carrier teams provided important intelligence to US forces as air operations increased in Southeast Asia. In August 1964, during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, VAP-61 aircraft on carriers provided photographic support from August 2 to 5. In 1965, the squadron continued to operate from carriers in the South China Sea. It supported missions known as Yankee Team, Operation Rolling Thunder, and Operation Market Time. The squadron’s RA-3B aircraft flew long-range missions to photograph targets, evaluate them, monitor enemy activity, and support ongoing air operations. The squadron faced heavy losses during its missions. On June 13, 1966, a Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 RA-3B plane, operating from the USS Hancock, was shot down while conducting a nighttime photographic reconnaissance mission over Hà Tĩnh Province in North Vietnam. All three crew members died, and their remains were not immediately recovered. To improve its nighttime reconnaissance, the squadron developed new capabilities. On August 7, 1966, Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 carried out its first night combat infrared reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. It used infrared equipment to find and disrupt truck convoys operating at night.
VAP-61 AJ-2P near Guam, c.1956-9. (Image via Wikipedia)
The squadron’s RA-3B, flying from the USS Oriskany, was hit by gunfire on January 1, 1968, while on a nighttime photo mission over North Vietnam. All three crew members on board were lost and presumed dead. On August 20, 1968, an RA-3B aircraft carrying passengers on a flight to Bangkok lost control at about 25,000 feet. Three passengers jumped from the aircraft; however, only two parachutes were seen, and two men were rescued. The pilot regained control of the plane at around 10,000 feet and safely returned it to Da Nang Air Base. One passenger, Photographer 2nd Class Charles Lindbloom from VAP-62, died, and his remains were not found. VAP-61 continued its reconnaissance duties during the later years of the Vietnam War. Its aircraft provided commanders with photos and infrared images from some of Southeast Asia’s most heavily defended areas. The squadron’s carrier detachments helped the Navy maintain a steady reconnaissance capability alongside combat operations. After 68 months of service, Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 ended its participation in Yankee Team operations on January 31, 1970. By that time, reconnaissance technology and naval aviation were changing, with new aircraft and sensors taking over specialized intelligence missions. Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 remained part of the Navy’s photographic reconnaissance structure until it was officially disbanded on July 1, 1971.
Camouflaged VAP-61 RA-3B at NAS Agana. (Image via Wikipedia)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/squadron-histories/heavy-photographic-squadron-61.html

#photographicsquadron #heavyphotographic #worldrecorders #august #patrolsquadron #vietnam #southchina #northvietnam #chinasea #team

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Hiller: The Tale of Developer of First Civilian Helicopter to ...

2026-10-26T04:38:08Z

Hiller: The Tale of Developer of First Civilian Helicopter to Cross the US

In 1942, a 17-year-old named Stanley Hiller started the first helicopter factory on the West Coast in Berkeley, California. He founded it as “Hiller Industries” to create his design for the XH-44 “Hiller-Copter” for the US Army. The helicopter first flew in 1944, and in 1945, Hiller teamed up with Henry J. Kaiser, and they renamed the company United Helicopters. After WWII, United Helicopters made several new helicopter designs for both military and civilian use, including coaxial-rotor and tailless models, along with more traditional types. In January 1949, a Hiller 360 became the first civilian helicopter to fly across the United States. After WWII, Stanley Hiller researched a two-person rocket-jet aircraft called the VJ-100. The aircraft could take off and land vertically, but he could not get the US military interested in it. In 1948, he renamed his company Hiller Helicopters. The company developed several prototype helicopters. From the early to late 1960s, its Palo Alto plant served as a CIA front for producing CORONA reconnaissance satellites. In 1964, Fairchild Aircraft bought Hiller. In 1994, Jeff Hiller, Stanley Hiller’s son, repurchased the company with help from a group of Thai investors led by Patrick C. Lim, a part owner of Siam Steel and other Asian businesses.
Hiller FH-1100 US Army flying prototype. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
These investors covered about $1 million in liabilities and committed around $10 million to build at least 30 new helicopters at the new production site in East Bay. They also helped set up the first aerospace company in Thailand. Stanley Hiller donated money and several aircraft to create the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California. The museum opened in 1998. In 2009, Hiller (China) Aircraft Manufacturing Company began building a production facility in Zhangjiakou City, northwest of Beijing. The company was a joint venture between Hiller Aircraft Corporation and Zhangjiakou Chahar General Aviation Company. At that time, Zhangjiakou Chahar General Aviation was already producing some parts and subassemblies for the UH-12 aircraft. In July 2018, a truck driver ran over his co-driver at the Hiller Firebaugh facility. On May 4, a jury decided that Hiller was 70% responsible for the accident and awarded the injured driver over $9 million in damages. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2024 after posting a news update on its website on February 15, 2021, saying it was having financial trouble and that the owners were reluctant to provide more funding to keep the company running.
Exhibit in the Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos, California, USA. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
Hiller developed many types of experimental and production aircraft and helicopters. Some of its early designs were the Hiller XH-44, a 1944 experimental helicopter, and later projects included the Hiller VJ-100, Hiller 1094 CAMEL, Hiller Autogyro, Hiller Transonic VTOL, Hiller Ductoplane, Hiller X-2-235, Hiller J-5, Hiller UH-4 Commuter, and Hiller UH-5 Rotormatic. The most successful aircraft was the Hiller UH-12, a single-engine observation helicopter that first flew in 1948, with over 2,000 units built. The company also built a number of unusual rotorcraft such as the HH-120 Hornet, HJ-1, VXT-8 Transonic VTOL, and YH-32 Hornet that used engines mounted on the tips of the rotor blades. Hiller’s experimental work included the VZ-1 Pawnee flying platform, the 1098 STORC convertible aircraft-helicopter, the 1123 tip-jet cargo helicopter, the Air Tug heavy-lift concept, and the ROE-1 Rotorcycle ultralight helicopter. In 1959, Hiller made the X-18, an experimental twin-engine tiltwing aircraft, followed by the Ten99 single-turbine helicopter in 1961. The company later expanded to produce larger aircraft, including the Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 single-engine turbine helicopter and the Fairchild Hiller FH-227 twin-engine turboprop airliner. Read more Forgotten Factories articles HERE.
Hiller X-18 on testing platform with fully rotated wings. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-history/forgotten-factories-the-companies-behind-aviations-icons/hiller.html

#hiller #stanleyhiller #firstcivilian #civilianhelicopter #hilleraviation #unitedhelicopters #aircraft #developer #tale #hillerindustries

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI TE881 Completes First Engine Runs ...

2026-10-24T19:38:50Z

de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI TE881 Completes First Engine Runs as First Flight Approaches

On Friday, October 23, The de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI TE881, also known by its Royal New Zealand Air Force serial NZ2345, has completed its first engine runs following restoration by Avspecs in New Zealand. Announcing the milestone, FlyaSpitfire.com said the aircraft’s first flight is anticipated in the coming weeks and revealed that it will carry No. 23 Squadron markings, coded YP-N. The announcement marks a significant advance since Vintage Aviation News’ previous restoration update, published in December 2025, when the project was progressing toward a planned return to flight in 2026. The restoration brings together FlyaSpitfire.com and Avspecs, whose team has already returned four Mosquitos to the air. Vintage Aviation News
“It has long been our ambition to restore a de Havilland Mosquito in partnership with the highly experienced team at Avspecs,” FlyaSpitfire.com stated. “We’re thrilled to see the project progressing towards this important stage.” The newly announced scheme commemorates No. 23 Squadron’s service at RAF Little Snoring in Norfolk, where it operated as part of No. 100 Group from June 1944. Its work focused on disrupting German night-fighter operations and reducing the threat to Allied bomber formations operating over occupied Europe. No. 23 Squadron had begun operating Mosquitos in July 1942 before moving to the Mediterranean theatre, where it flew missions against targets in Sicily, Italy and Tunisia. A move to Sardinia followed in December 1943, before the squadron returned to England the following June to begin its assignment with No. 100 Group. From Little Snoring, its crews undertook demanding night intruder missions against the Luftwaffe’s night-fighter force, supporting the RAF’s broader campaign to protect its bomber streams. The squadron remained at the Norfolk airfield through the end of WWII and disbanded on September 25, 1945. TE881’s new markings pay tribute to that operational history; they represent a commemorative scheme rather than the aircraft’s own service with the unit.
Built in 1945 by the Standard Motor Company in Coventry, England, TE881 reached New Zealand after a ferry flight by an RAF/RNZAF crew and entered RNZAF service at Ohakea on May 28, 1947. It subsequently went into storage at Woodbourne. Declared surplus in June 1955, the aircraft was sold to the Williams Brothers with fewer than 70 airframe hours recorded. Surviving components later entered John Smith’s collection at Mapua and were recovered following his death, providing the basis for the restoration now nearing completion. Fly a Spitfire
Although earlier coverage anticipated the Mosquito’s eventual return to the United Kingdom, FlyaSpitfire.com’s latest announcement leaves its future open. The company says decisions about the aircraft’s next chapter will follow its first test flight and an assessment of its performance. For now, the successful engine runs bring TE881 another step closer to flight, with the restoration team preparing for the next milestone in the Mosquito’s return to the skies. Further information about the aircraft is available through FlyaSpitfire.com, while details of Avspecs’ restoration work can be found at warbirdrestoration.co.nz.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/restorations/de-havilland-mosquito-fb-mk-vi-te881-completes-first-engine-runs-as-first-flight-approaches.html

#havillandmosquito #firstengine #engineruns #firstflight #newzealand #squadron #vintageaviation #littlesnoring #royalnew #avspecs

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

EAA’s Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet to Honor Historic PBY ...

2026-10-24T18:30:29Z

EAA’s Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet to Honor Historic PBY Catalina

The American Heritage Museum’s Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina will take center stage at EAA’s annual Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet on December 11, 2026, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Rob Collings, executive director and chief pilot of the Collings Foundation, will deliver the keynote presentation, exploring the aircraft’s wartime history and restoration.
Rob Collings | Source: EAA
The Catalina is currently displayed in the EAA Aviation Museum’s Eagle Hangar, where banquet guests will dine near the aircraft. Built in 1941 as one of the earliest PBY-5As, it flew anti-submarine patrols and air-sea rescue missions during WWII. Credited with 3.5 U-boat kills, the aircraft compiled a distinguished combat record and survives as a significant example of the Catalina’s contribution to the Allied war effort. It also received the Grand Champion WWII Lindy award at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026.
The PBY parked in Warbrids during the 2026 EAA Airventure | Source: American Heritage Museum
Collings has been involved with the Collings Foundation for more than 30 years and oversaw the Catalina’s restoration, along with several other aircraft in the foundation’s collection. Dedicated to preserving historic aircraft, automobiles, and artifacts through living history, the foundation maintains a collection of more than 60 aircraft, 65 historically significant automobiles, and 85 military vehicles.
The annual banquet commemorates the Wright brothers’ first successful powered flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. Doors will open at 5 p.m., with dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. Collings’ presentation will follow immediately afterward. Tickets cost $85 for EAA members and $100 for nonmembers and are available at EAA.org/WrightBrothers. Based in Oshkosh, the Experimental Aircraft Association brings together aviation enthusiasts interested in flying, building, and restoring recreational aircraft. The organization has 300,000 members and 900 local chapters. For more information, visit EAA.org or call 800-564-6322.
American Heritage Museum’s PBY-5A Catalina now on display at EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, WI | Source: EAA

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/eaas-wright-brothers-memorial-banquet-to-honor-historic-pby-catalina.html

#brothersmemorial #wrightbrothers #memorialbanquet #eaa #heritagemuseum #americanheritage #eaaaviation #collings #eaaairventure #pby

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: Orville Wright Sets a Soaring Record ...

2026-10-24T17:56:35Z

Today In Aviation History: Orville Wright Sets a Soaring Record in the 1911 Wright Glider

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 115 years ago (October 24, 1911), Orville Wright remained aloft for 9 minutes and 45 seconds in the Wright 1911 Glider above Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina. Flying in winds of approximately 40 mph, Wright established a soaring endurance record that would remain unbroken for the next ten years. Eight years after achieving powered flight, Orville returned to the Kill Devil Hills in 1911 with a newly designed glider and his English friend Alec Ogilvie. The aircraft was considerably more advanced than the gliders Orville and Wilbur had experimented with between 1900 and 1902. Instead of their earlier canard configuration with the elevator ahead of the wings, the 1911 aircraft used a conventional tailplane behind the wing.
Orville Wright is flying, Wilbur Wright is running alongside, North Carolina, 1911. | Source: onthisday.com
The pilot’s accommodations had also evolved. Rather than lying prone and controlling wing warping through a hip cradle as in the Wrights’ earlier gliders, Orville sat upright and operated the aircraft using hand controls. He had originally intended to use the glider to experiment with an automatic control system, but abandoned those tests because reporters were present. He later perfected the system using a powered aircraft in 1913. The 1911 Wright Glider measured 21 feet 6 inches in length with a wingspan of 32 feet and stood 9 feet 10 inches high. Its wings covered approximately 300 square feet, while the empty aircraft weighed only 170 pounds. Orville’s 9-minute, 45-second flight on October 24 remained a world gliding endurance record until 1921, when it was finally surpassed in Germany by Wolfgang Klemperer.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-orville-wright-sets-a-soaring-record-in-the-1911-wright-glider.html

#aviationhistory #orvillewright #wrightglider #killdevil #northcarolina #wilburwright #record #devilhill #van #alecogilvie

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to Host Free “Troops and ...

2026-10-24T16:47:41Z

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to Host Free “Troops and Treats” Halloween Event on Oct. 31

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Dayton, OH, has announced that families can celebrate Halloween at its annual Troops and Treats event on Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free, family-friendly event will feature trick-or-treat stations, hands-on activities, games, entertainment and a farm-themed petting zoo. Visitors can collect treats at 14 stations located throughout the museum and hosted by community partners. The event will also offer a variety of activities for children and families, including face painting, balloon twisters, a bounce house and hands-on games.
Outside the museum, families can visit the Jungle Island Petting Zoo, which will feature mini zebu, alpacas, mini sheep, kune kune pigs, a llama and mini goats. Guests will also have the opportunity to feed the animals. This year’s farm theme connects with the museum’s recognition of America 250 and Ohio Food & Farms. The theme celebrates the traditions, communities and agricultural heritage that help make Ohio special. The event encourages families to come dressed in family-friendly Halloween costumes. Children should bring a bag, bucket or another container to collect treats while visiting the stations throughout the museum. For safety reasons, weapons of any kind are prohibited, including costume weapons and realistic-looking replicas. Troops and Treats is free and open to the public, although additional paid activities will also be available. The event is supported by the Air Force Museum Foundation; federal endorsement is not implied. For more information and to support the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, click on this link: www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/national-museum-of-the-u-s-air-force-to-host-free-troops-and-treats-halloween-event-on-oct-31.html

#hostfree #airforce #nationalmuseum #halloweenevent #treats #pettingzoo #dayton #october #saturday #museumfoundation

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Starfighters Space Targets December Captive-Carry Flight for ...

2026-10-24T15:37:24Z

Starfighters Space Targets December Captive-Carry Flight for STARLAUNCH 1

Starfighters Space is preparing its STARLAUNCH 1 suborbital development vehicle for a planned captive-carry flight in December 2026, marking the next step in the company’s effort to use its F-104 Starfighters as air-launch platforms. The company has finalized the vehicle’s airframe design and ordered flight hardware from Italy’s Robby Moto Engineering S.R.L.. The planned flight would take place between Starfighters’ base at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, Florida. With the vehicle remaining attached to the aircraft, the test would allow the team to evaluate its aerodynamic behavior, assess aircraft integration, and develop procedures for subsequent missions. Starfighters expects to receive the inert flight hardware at its Kennedy Space Center hangar in November. The team will then assemble and test the rocket-to-aircraft interface ahead of the flight.
The unmistakable, aggressive look of the Starfighter | Source: Starfighters Space / Matt Askell Photography
“The planned captive-carry flight would move STARLAUNCH 1 from design and ground-based development into flight testing,” said Tim Franta, CEO of Starfighters Space. “Our approach is deliberately incremental: build the hardware, integrate it with the aircraft, fly it, collect data, and use those results to advance toward separation and powered flight. This work on STARLAUNCH 1 is also expected to generate engineering and operational experience to inform the future development of STARLAUNCH 2.”
Pilot Piercarlo Ciacchi graduated from the Italian Air Force Academy and flew F-104 and F-16 fighters for five years. Selected in 2005 for the Italian National Team “FRECCE TRICOLORI, he flew MB339s all over the world. Click HERE to read our interview with Piercarlo. | Source: Starfighters Space / Matt Askell Photography
The proposed flight could also carry the company’s recently completed Wind Tunnel in the Sky hardware beneath the F-104’s opposite wing. As previously reported by Vintage Aviation News, Starfighters has completed hardware for the F-104-based testing program. Carrying that equipment alongside STARLAUNCH 1 would offer a potential customer-funded rideshare opportunity while serving as a counterweight to improve aerodynamic stability. According to Starfighters, the two systems share some components and interchangeable systems, allowing the team to use common aircraft integration procedures.
F-104 acts as first stage carrying payloads to 45,000 feet for air launch to space | Source: Starfighters Space / Matt Askell Photography
Flight data will also support propulsion development by Vaya Defense & Space, which is developing a hybrid rocket motor to match STARLAUNCH 1’s flight-hardware specifications. Following the captive-carry mission, Starfighters plans to conduct a drop test over the Atlantic Ocean, followed by a demonstration of the integrated propulsion system. Results from that campaign are also expected to inform the development of STARLAUNCH 2.
“December’s captive-carry mission would essentially be step one of a multi-flight campaign, building processes for our launch team while capturing data for the FAA and the Space Force as we move toward propulsive air launch,” said Piercarlo Ciacchi, Director of Flight Operations and Chief Pilot of Starfighters Space. “Our plan is to follow the December mission with a drop test over the Atlantic Ocean followed by a demonstration of the integrated propulsion system. Development of STARLAUNCH 2 would be informed by these missions, concurrent with the STARLAUNCH 1 development.” Starfighters operates F-104 aircraft from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Midland International Air & Space Port in Texas. The company uses the former military interceptors for supersonic research, payload testing, and pilot training. Its aircraft can support work involving advanced materials, hypersonic technologies, missile defense, microgravity research, and spaceflight hardware validation—giving the Cold War-era Starfighter a continuing role in aerospace development.
PierCarlo Ciacchi flying Starfighters Aerospace’s N993SF at the Kennedy Space Center (Image credit: Matt Haskell Photography) | Source: Starfighters Space / Matt Askell Photography

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/starfighters-space-targets-december-captive-carry-flight-for-starlaunch-1.html

#starfightersspace #flight #starlaunch #kennedyspace #mattaskell #askellphotography #december #team #robbymoto #cecilspaceport

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II is Now on Display at Hickory ...

2026-10-24T13:18:24Z

McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II is Now on Display at Hickory Aviation Museum

The Hickory Aviation Museum has received the McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II, serial number 164122, this week. The jet is now on permanent display at the Hickory Regional Airport. It is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL. The jet was last seen at the Harrier Sunset Ceremony at MCAS Cherry Point, NC, on June 3, 2026. During the ceremony, it participated in a flyover with four other aircraft and took part in a brief demonstration by VMA-223 “Bulldogs.” All five jets hovered together, landed, and taxied to the flightline, shutting down their engines for the final time.
McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II at Hickory Aviation Museum. (Image via Hickory Aviation Museum) | Source: Hickory Aviation Museum
With no more flights available, the team planned to take the aircraft apart and transport it by truck to Hickory Regional Airport, where the museum is located. On October 13, the fuselage was loaded onto one trailer, facing backward because it was long, and the wing section went onto a second trailer. The fuselage left and reached Hickory after dark. The museum team returned to Cherry Point to prepare the wings to leave the next morning. On October 14, with a pilot car leading the way, the truck carrying the wings left and arrived in Hickory the next afternoon after a smooth five-hour trip.
McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II. (Image via Hickory Aviation Museum) | Source: Hickory Aviation Museum
Meanwhile, the museum crew worked with Skeets Wrecker Service to lift the fuselage off the truck and set it on aircraft jackstands, preparing for reassembly. As soon as the wings arrived, workers removed them from the transport frames and lifted them into position with a crane. As night set in, they manually lowered the landing gear, attached the tail and horizontal stabilizers, and finished the main assembly before midnight. On October 15, the team of active and former Marines, along with museum volunteers, finished assembling the jet. The McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II is now showcased alongside a single-seat Harrier II Plus, BuNo 164560, which arrived at the museum in mid-2024, and a Harrier engine to honor the Harrier community and its contribution to the State of North Carolina and the United States Marine Corps. For more information about the Hickory Aviation Museum, visit www.hickoryaviationmuseum.org.
McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II at Hickory Aviation Museum. (Image via Hickory Aviation Museum) | Source: Hickory Aviation Museum

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/mcdonnell-douglas-tav-8b-harrier-ii-is-now-on-display-at-hickory-aviation-museum.html

#hickoryaviation #aviationmuseum #mcdonnelldouglas #harrier #hickoryregional #navalaviation #display #regionalairport #cherrypoint #museummeanwhile

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: Operation Blue Moon is Launched ...

2026-10-24T12:10:32Z

Today In Aviation History: Operation Blue Moon is Launched

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 64 years ago (October 23, 1962), six U.S. Navy RF-8 Crusader photographic reconnaissance aircraft conducted the first American low-level reconnaissance flights over Soviet missile installations in Cuba. Flying at high speed only a few hundred feet above the ground, the missions provided American intelligence officials with extraordinarily detailed photographs during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
A U.S. Navy Vought RF-8G Crusader from Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron VFP-63 Det.4. Eyes of the Fleet in flight. VFP-63 Det.4 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 6 (CVW-6) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Independence (CV-62) for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean from 19 November 1980 to 10 June 1981. | Source: U.S. Navy/Wikimedia Commons
High-altitude U-2 reconnaissance photographs had already revealed Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba, but additional imagery was needed to identify equipment and determine the operational status of the sites. Under Operation Blue Moon, Navy Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62) was assigned to conduct low-level photographic reconnaissance. Its unarmed RF-8A Crusaders were equipped with multiple cameras in place of the fighter version’s cannons and could photograph targets while passing overhead at high speed.
Six U.S. Navy Vought RF-8G Crusader aircraft from Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron VFP-63 “Eyes of the Fleet” in flight over Southern California (USA), in 1976. VFP-63 provided detachments to the different U.S. carrier air wings (CVW). The aircraft in front wears the squadron´s tail code “PP”; the other aircraft were assigned to the following CVWs: CVW-1 (“AB”) aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67); CVW-3 (“AC”) on USS Saratoga (CV-60); CVW-6 (“AE”) on USS America (CV-66); and CVW-15 (“NL”) on USS Coral Sea (CV-43). The aircraft wear U.S. Bicentennial markings. | Source: LCdr. Ruby, U.S. Navy/Wikimedia Commons
On October 23, six RF-8As departed Key West and crossed the Cuban coastline at approximately 400 mph, descending to only a few hundred feet above the terrain. Their cameras captured detailed views of missile launchers, support vehicles, equipment, and personnel at the Soviet installations. The photographs provided crucial evidence of the missiles’ condition and allowed intelligence analysts to monitor Soviet activity throughout the crisis. VFP-62 and Marine Corps reconnaissance aircraft continued flying low-level missions over Cuba in the days that followed.
A U.S. Navy Vought RF-8A Crusader and an F-8A (BuNo 143767) are readied for launching aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVA-41), in 1963. | Source: U.S. Navy/Wikimedia Commons
The RF-8A was the photographic reconnaissance derivative of the supersonic F-8 Crusader. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney J57 afterburning turbojet, it was capable of speeds exceeding 1,000 mph and had a service ceiling above 50,000 feet. The RF-8 traded the fighter’s four 20 mm cannons for an internal camera installation, allowing it to capture high-resolution photographs while making extremely fast, low-altitude passes over heavily defended territory.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-operation-blue-moon-is-launched.html

#aviationhistory #bluemoon #operationblue #navyvought #photographicreconnaissance #wikimediacommons #uss #crusader #soviet #squadron

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Decoding WWII Training Aircraft Markings and Preserving John D. ...

2026-10-24T11:03:07Z

Decoding WWII Training Aircraft Markings and Preserving John D. Voss’s Research

A few letters painted on the side of a WWII training aircraft can offer an important clue to its history. For John D. Voss, deciphering those markings became a research project that grew into USAAF Training Aircraft Fuselage Codes of WWII, a website dedicated to documenting the codes used by the United States Army Air Forces’ training schools. Voss contacted Vintage Aviation News some time ago with a concern that will resonate with anyone who has spent years researching aviation history. As he grows older, he wants to ensure that the website and the information he has assembled remain available for years to come. For VAN, the collection is a natural fit as a resource for aviation enthusiasts and researchers, and an opportunity to draw attention to work worth preserving.
“FM” coded RP-63 based at Buckingham Field, FL | Source: USAAF Photo
The website explains how field letter codes and locally assigned aircraft numbers helped identify trainers and their base assignments. These markings were separate from military serial numbers, and their formats varied. Letters could precede or follow the numbers, or appear between them. The site organizes its findings by training category, including basic and advanced flying, fighter and bomber transition training, bombardier-navigation instruction, gunnery, gliders, and British flying schools in the United States. Its basic flying training section, for example, identifies “K” with Stockton Field, California, “GD” with Greenwood Army Air Field, Mississippi, and “TU” with Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. Accompanying photographs show the markings on aircraft assigned to those schools. For someone studying an unidentified photograph, such comparisons can provide a starting point for further research.
Note the outsized “KDA” marked on the fuselage (BFTS No.1 Terrell, TX). Original photo by BFTS No. 1 Museum enhanced with AI. | Source: BFTS No1 Museum
Voss launched the website on May 12, 2012, at the encouragement of aviation historian and photographer W. T. Larkins. The advice came with a warning: Larkins described the letter codes as a “bag of snakes.” According to Voss, others had tried to organize them, only to abandon the effort after a short time. “Presumably taking courses in Differential Equations and Aristotelian Logic helped me through it all,” Voss recalled. “There was order to it after all!” That determination has produced a collection that Voss believes now covers nearly all stateside basic and advanced training airfields. In comments shared with VAN, he offered his assessment of the research while identifying the area where more information is still needed. “I feel that my website data presented is 99% correct and that I have at least a 97% confidence level that I have all the stateside training AAFs covered—Basic and Advanced,” Voss said. “The ‘big hole’ in markings remains in the four-engine bomber types, e.g. B-17, B-24 and B-29. I continue to ‘keep my eyes open’ for this information. Perhaps another visit to the bookstore at the NMUSAF is justified.” Those percentages represent Voss’s own assessment of the collection’s accuracy and coverage. His comments also make clear that the research remains an ongoing effort, with opportunities for additional discoveries.
“G” coded B-17 & B-26 based at Kingman AAF, AZ | Source: W.T. Larkins
Voss has made a point of using only period photographs, rather than images of restored aircraft whose markings may reflect later interpretations. He reports that the website contains 312 period photographs. When a pilot’s name is associated with an image, he records that information as well, citing the Craig Army Air Field material as one example. The collection also reaches beyond painted letters and numbers. Where information is available, Voss records the number and types of aircraft assigned to a base in a “Factoid” section. He also includes details about an airfield’s subsequent use, including sites returned to agriculture or converted into feedlots. These entries connect the aircraft markings with the wider history of the places where wartime aircrews trained.
“S” Coded B-25 based at Marana AAF, AZ. USAAF Photo from the Collection of Steve Hoza | Source: Steve Hoza
Vintage Aviation News plans to build on Voss’s work by developing a more interactive, responsive website that makes the collection easier to explore across computers, tablets, and smartphones. The goal is to preserve his research while inviting aviation enthusiasts, historians, veterans, and their families to contribute period photographs and knowledge. A family photograph, a pilot’s name, or a clear view of a bomber’s markings could help fill a gap in the record, allowing the resource to continue growing for future generations. Visit fuselagecodes.com to explore John D. Voss’s research. Readers with relevant period photographs or information can contact us through this website.
Infix coded “X” B-26 based at Harlingen AAF, TX. (WASP operated Target Tug)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/decoding-wwii-training-aircraft-markings-and-preserving-john-d-vosss-research.html

#wwiitraining #trainingaircraft #voss #armyair #john #airfield #markings #unitedstates #codes #aviation

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Lucile M. Wright Air Museum to Open Exhibit Honoring Flight 44-2 ...

2026-10-24T09:53:15Z

Lucile M. Wright Air Museum to Open Exhibit Honoring Flight 44-2 Victims and Rescuers

The Lucile M. Wright Air Museum in Jamestown, New York, will open a permanent exhibit on October 17, 2026, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the crash of Continental Charters Flight 44-2. Through photographs, artifacts, interviews, and a specially commissioned aircraft sculpture, the display will tell the story of the accident and the effort to rescue those who survived. On the foggy night of December 29, 1951, the flight’s Curtiss C-46 crashed into Bucktooth Ridge in Napoli, a small town in Cattaraugus County, New York. The accident killed 26 people and left 14 survivors stranded in snow and cold for three days and two nights. According to the museum, it remains the longest stranding of a large group of airplane crash survivors in North American history.
Wing portion from the C-46 that crashed on Bucktooth Ridge on December 29, 1951 | Source: Lucile M. Wright Air Museum
The exhibit traces the flight, scheduled to travel from Miami to Pittsburgh and Buffalo, and the events that followed its crash. A timeline, maps, photographs, and recovered aircraft components will help visitors understand the accident and the conditions faced by the survivors. A “Salute to Rescuers” display recognizes the police officers, firefighters, farmers, and local residents who helped bring survivors and recover the victims from the ridge. Their photographs form part of an exhibit intended to preserve the memory of both the tragedy and the community’s response. Author Tim Lake, whose book Hang on and Fly recounts the story of Flight 44-2, worked with the museum to develop the exhibit. He will attend the October 17 opening to discuss his research and sign books. A limited number of copies will be available in exchange for a donation to the museum. One of the display’s central features is a C-46 sculpture commissioned from Stacey Mrva of Ironwood Studios in Springwater, New York. With a six-foot wingspan, the sculpture incorporates artifacts recovered from the crash site over the past 75 years. Mrva will also attend the opening.
Wright Museum Curator Dennis Webster places photograph on the Flight 44-2 exhibit | Source: Lucile M. Wright Air Museum
Two short videos provide additional perspectives on the accident. One features Lake discussing the flight, while the other presents an interview with the late Pearl Moon, a flight attendant who survived the crash and shared her recollections decades later. The exhibit’s opening event will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 17. The Lucile M. Wright Air Museum occupies the first floor of the Hotel Jamestown Building at Third and Cherry Streets in downtown Jamestown. Admission is free, and the permanent exhibit will be available during regular museum hours: Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit lucilemwrightairmuseum.org or email wrightcurator@gmail.com.
C-46 sculpture including crash artifacts… created by Stacey Mrva, Ironwood Studios | Source: Lucile M. Wright Air Museum

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/lucile-m-wright-air-museum-to-open-exhibit-honoring-flight-44-2-victims-and-rescuers.html

#wrightair #airmuseum #newyork #lucile #open #bucktoothridge #continentalcharters #october #jamestown #museumcurator

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

F-117A Nighthawk “The Overachiever” Goes on Display at ...

2026-10-24T09:19:41Z

F-117A Nighthawk “The Overachiever” Goes on Display at Udvar-Hazy Center

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum opened its newly acquired Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk to public viewing today, October 21, at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Known as The Overachiever, the aircraft brings a distinctive combat history to the museum’s collection: it is the only Nighthawk to have flown combat operations in all four major conflicts in which the type served. The aircraft participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in 1991, Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia in 1999, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. That service record earned the stealth attack aircraft its nickname and makes it a particularly significant example of the pioneering design.
The public debut follows a cross-country delivery and reassembly effort earlier this month. After undergoing modifications to prepare it for museum display at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, the Nighthawk traveled to Dulles International Airport aboard a U.S. Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy. From there, it was towed to the nearby Udvar-Hazy Center, where its wings and tail were reattached.
Airmen assigned to the Air Force Reserve’s 512th Airlift Wing pose with personnel from Lockheed Martin, Air & Space Forces Magazine and the Smithsonian Institution for a photo in front of a wingless F-117A Nighthawk before it is uploaded to a C-5M Super Galaxy in Palmdale, Calif., Oct. 5, 2026. The demilitarization process required to deem an aircraft worthy of museum display requires immense cooperation between the Department of War and its industry partners. | Source: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexis Morris
As previously reported by Vintage Aviation News, the aircraft is F-117A serial number 85-0818. It first flew on February 11, 1986, with Lockheed test pilot Harold “Hal” Farley at the controls, and the Air Force accepted it on May 22 that year. Its arrival at Dulles on October 6 marked the beginning of the final preparations for its museum debut.
Lockheed-Martin F-117A Nighthawk 85-0818 “The-Overachiever” in a Saudi Air Force base Hangar during Operation Desert Storm, January 1991. | Source: U.S. Air Force
Before the museum opened this morning, a media preview offered an opportunity to photograph the aircraft and discuss its history and preservation with specialists. Participants included Michael Hankins, a curator in the National Air and Space Museum’s Aeronautics Department, and Jeff Corbets, a program manager with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. With reassembly complete, The Overachiever has moved from the preparation stage to the museum floor, giving visitors an opportunity to see an aircraft whose operational career spanned the Nighthawk’s combat history. Its display adds a significant chapter in stealth aviation to the aircraft preserved at the Udvar-Hazy Center. For more information about the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, visit www.airandspace.si.edu.
The National Air and Space Museum welcomes the arrival of the Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk “The Overachiever”, which was involved in all four of the Nighthawk’s combat deployments. | Source: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/f-117a-nighthawk-the-overachiever-goes-on-display-at-udvar-hazy-center.html

#airforce #nighthawk #lockheedmartin #center #nationalair #overachiever #museum #operationdesert #display #supergalaxy

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor – The Inverse ...

2026-10-24T08:09:56Z

Grounded Dreams: Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor – The Inverse Taper Radical Born Too Soon

During the development of the XP-84, Republic’s Alexander Kartveli investigated adding rockets to fighters. The company utilized German military aircraft, especially the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163 and the experimental rocket-boosted turbojet Messerschmitt Me 262C, built as interceptor prototypes. As a result, the company developed the Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor. The Thunderceptor design was one of two modified versions of the original Republic F-84 Thunderjet. The other version is the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, which came later. A major issue with most swept-wing designs at that time was their dangerous performance at low speeds and high angles of attack. The airflow over the wing did not flow smoothly and tended to move toward the wingtips. It caused the wingtips to stall before the rest of the wing. As a result, lift moved forward of the center of mass, causing the nose to pitch up. This could increase the angle of attack and, in some cases, cause the aircraft to tumble end over end. In such cases, the planes often stall and crash. It caused several accidents with the North American F-100 Super Sabre. They called the phenomenon the “Sabre dance.” The Thunderceptor’s main design feature was to solve a particular problem. The wings were wider at the tips than at the base, which helped them create more lift.
Design of Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor
Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor. (Image via Wikipedia) | Source: Wikipedia
The design change helped stop a problem called Sabre dance by moving the stall point at the tips of the wings back to match the rest of the wing. It also created more space inside the wings, allowing the landing gear to retract outwards, with the wheels positioned at the tips. The setup used two smaller wheels together on each main gear strut instead of one larger wheel. Another improvement was the ability to change the wing’s angle of incidence. During takeoff and landing, the wings could tilt up for better low-speed operation. Then they would level off for high-speed flight. It kept the fuselage more level during landing, greatly improving visibility. To serve as an interceptor, the nose was redesigned to include a radar antenna. The change meant moving the engine’s air intake from the front of the nose to a new location below it. The rest of the fuselage was very similar to the F-84. The first Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor prototype flew for the first time on May 9, 1949, and it broke the sound barrier in December 1951. This prototype was later updated with a small radome to help with gunnery ranging, though it lacked the full radome found on the second prototype. The second prototype featured a full radome and a chin-mounted intake, but it was mostly similar to the first. With both the jet and rockets working, the aircraft could reach Mach 1.71. Over five years, both prototypes completed 192 test flights. In the summer of 1951, the second prototype experienced an engine failure while taking off from Edwards Air Force Base. Republic test pilot Carl Bellinger escaped just as the aircraft’s tail melted off 90 seconds into the flight.
The Cancellation
Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor. (Image via Wikipedia) | Source: Wikipedia
By the time the fire team arrived, after driving seven miles across the dry lake bed, the tail section had burned to ashes. The plane was later modified with a “V” tail and tested again in this new design. Eventually, it served as a training simulator for crash crews at Edwards AFB before it was scrapped. Designs from other companies soon outperformed the Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor, but like the Thunderceptor, none of these new models went into production. The United States Air Force chose to wait a short time to introduce newer, better designs from the 1954 interceptor project. The Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor, like other interceptor designs of the time, had very short flight times of about 25 minutes, making it nearly useless for protecting a large area like the United States. The 1954 designs were faster, had a longer range, and could stay in the air longer. They also included the radar and fire-control systems needed for night and all-weather operations. The surviving Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor prototype is on display in the Research & Development Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor. (Image via Wikipedia) | Source: Wikipedia

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/republic-xf-91-thunderceptor.html

#republic #thunderceptor #alexanderkartveli #sabre #messerschmitt #design #supersabre

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Light Attack Squadron Four: The Mekong Delta Riverine Shield Of ...

2026-10-24T07:02:52Z

Light Attack Squadron Four: The Mekong Delta Riverine Shield Of The Black Ponies

Light Attack Squadron Four (VAL-4), nicknamed Black Ponies, was a US Navy squadron that started operations on January 3, 1969. Its mission was to provide surveillance and air support to river forces in South Vietnam. The squadron flew the North American Rockwell OV-10A Bronco and supported river patrol boats, Navy SEALs, and joint operations with the US Army, Navy, and South Vietnamese forces in the Mekong Delta. It helped enhance the work of helicopter gunships from HA(L)-3. Before it officially began, Light Attack Squadron Four personnel trained with VS-41 starting in September 1968 and received their first OV-10As in October. In March 1969, VAL-4 moved to the Naval Support Activity Detachment Airfield at Binh Thuy Air Base to prepare for ongoing combat missions. The squadron operated in two groups, Detachment A at Binh Thuy and Detachment B at Vung Tau Air Base. The Bronco aircraft was a good fit for the tough conditions of the Mekong Delta. It could stay in the air for a long time, maneuver well, and carry weapons, allowing it to respond to forces acting along the rivers and canals.
A US Navy Rockwell OV-10A Bronco of Light Attack Squadron Four. (Image via Wikipedia)
Light Attack Squadron Four entered combat operations on April 19, 1969. It provided air support to the Mobile Riverine Force in the Mekong Delta. Its tasks included routine patrols, air cover, scramble alerts, and spotting for gunfire and artillery. The OV-10 had a large payload and long endurance, allowing the squadron to support both US forces and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) throughout the delta. VAL-4 didn’t function as a typical carrier-based strike unit; it specialized in riverine warfare. Its small, nimble Broncos were employed to find, watch, and hit targets in support of forces operating in the waterways. In April and May 1970, Light Attack Squadron Four took part in joint US and South Vietnamese river operations. These operations aimed to eliminate base camps in the Mekong Delta during the Cambodian Campaign. The squadron operated from Binh Thuy and continued supporting river operations. On July 1, 1970, Detachment B at Vung Tau closed, and all Light Attack Squadron Four operations were based at Binh Thuy.
A US Navy Rockwell OV-10A Bronco of Light Attack Squadron Four. (Image via Wikipedia)
By February 1971, Light Attack Squadron Four was supporting river operations in addition to its regular patrols. Along with HA(L)-3, the squadron helped provide air support for Republic of Vietnam Navy supply convoys traveling up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh. The squadron’s OV-10s offered observation and armed support for the convoys, continuing the specialized mission that the squadron was created for. Light Attack Squadron Four completed its last combat mission on March 31, 1972, just before the squadron was disbanded on April 10, 1972. During its more than three years of combat, the unit played a unique role in naval aviation. It used the OV-10 Bronco, a small surveillance and light-attack aircraft, designed for river warfare. The squadron showed how a small fixed-wing unit could provide ongoing reconnaissance, support for ground troops, and coordination for forces in one of the Vietnam War’s toughest environments.
A US Navy Rockwell OV-10A Bronco of Light Attack Squadron Four. (Image via Wikipedia)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/squadron-histories/light-attack-squadron-four-the-mekong-delta-riverine-shield-of-the-black-ponies.html

#attacksquadron #lightattack #squadronfour #blackponies #mekongdelta #binhthuy #navyrockwell #southvietnamese #bronco #air

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Globe: The Little-Known Aircraft Maker Behind the GC-1 Swift The ...

2026-10-24T05:54:58Z

Globe: The Little-Known Aircraft Maker Behind the GC-1 Swift

The Bennett Aircraft Corporation was established on April 5, 1940, to create aircraft using a special type of plywood called Duraloid. The company’s first design was the BTC-1, a twin-engine monoplane. In 1941, the company renamed itself Globe Aircraft Corporation. It then produced a single-engine plane, the Globe GC-1 Swift, which was powered by a Continental A-80 engine. When the war began, the company stopped its aircraft plans and focused on building 600 Beech AT-10s and parts for other planes, like the Curtiss C-46. After wartime restrictions ended, the company created a new all-metal version of the GC-1 called the GC-1A Swift, which first flew in 1945.
Globe KD6G-2 Firefly. (Image via Wikipedia)
Production of the Swift was handed over to the Texas Engineering and Manufacturing Company (TEMCO). In July 1947, the company went bankrupt, and TEMCO bought the Swift’s assets and design rights. In its small existence, Globe Aircraft Corporation built various aircraft and unmanned target systems from the 1940s to the early 1950s. Its designs included the Bennett BTC-1, a twin-engine transport created in 1940, and the Globe GC-1 Swift, a sport aircraft launched in 1941. In 1943, the company made the Globe AT-10 Wichita, a twin-engine trainer. After WWII, Globe moved into unmanned aircraft and developed a series of target drones. These included the Globe KDG Snipe, KD2G Firefly, and KD3G Snipe in 1946, followed by the KD4G Quail in 1949, the KD5G in 1950, and the KD6G Firefly in 1951. Read more Forgotten Factories articles HERE.
Bennett BTC-1 “Executive” light aircraft. (Image via Wikipedia)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-history/forgotten-factories-the-companies-behind-aviations-icons/globe.html

#globe #aircraftcorporation #swift #firefly #bennettaircraft #wikipedia #temco #manufacturingcompany #snipe #texasengineering

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Finally Flying the F-5: A Bucket List Item Finally Flying the ...

2026-10-23T16:36:53Z

Finally Flying the F-5: A Bucket List Item

Finally Flying the F-5: A Bucket List Item
Air Facts Journal
I have been fortunate to fly in numerous Navy jet fighters. The Air Force didn’t think I was pilot material—some obscure medical issue—but the Navy gave me the chance. As a young civilian aeronautical engineer at Naval Air Test Center Patuxent River, I worked in Carrier Suitability Flight Test and flew as an F-14 RIO (Radar Intercept Officer), plus time in the F-4, KA-6D, and TA-7C. As a RIO, my main task was to align the inertial navigation system. My real job was as a flight test engineer with Carrier Suitability, which had a large fleet of flight test planes including the A-3, A-4, F-8, RA-5C, S-3A, etc., all designed with that beefy Navy tail hook for those carrier traps.
Over the years, one jet always appealed to me because of its sleek lines and just pure sex appeal. Countless air shows, air races, and military base visits afforded me the chance to admire F-5s in person and even grab occasional cockpit time, but I wanted to fly one. The F-5 does have a tail hook, but not the type used for carrier landings, and thus I never worked with this plane in Carrier Suitability. Since I go back to the 1950s (OK, you can do the math), my time window was getting shorter to fly one of my favorite jets.
I have had the opportunity to cross paths with many fine aviators. Scott “Gomex” Glaser is one who formed Aerospace Operations (AO) in Mojave, California. AO’s focus is on aerospace flight testing, advanced aerospace training, and advanced operations. In recent years, Scott has organized the Star Wars Canyon Run for individual aircraft owners. It has been an eye-opening experience to fly Star Wars Canyon in both piston and jet aircraft. During these visits, my interest in the F-5 was rekindled.
Gomex and PaddyO ready for the F-5 hop.
AO operates a fleet of aircraft, but the tandem-cockpit CF-5D is one of the main players. The organization provides ultra-high-performance aircraft training specializing in the hazards associated with LOC-I (Loss of Control In-flight) at high Mach number and high altitude. AO operates out of two locations at Mojave Air & Space Port (KMHV) and Space Coast Regional Airport (KTIX).
Even after seven decades of whirling around this planet, I’ve never stopped learning. Career and life considerations took me away from aviation for far too long. But once back, I continually sought out new experiences and ratings. These have ranged from aerobatics, formation flight, seaplane, and multi-engine ratings. AO offered a chance to fly a beautiful jet that I had long admired and to become a sharper aviator in the process. A two-day time slot was scheduled, and I headed off across the country from my Florida home to Mojave.
Day One started with a technical presentation from Mike “Slash” Young covering flight in a high-performance supersonic aircraft. Topics included much of what is covered in FAA Advisory Circular AC 61-107B: Aircraft Operations at Altitudes Above 25,000 Feet Mean Sea Level or Mach Numbers Greater than 0.75. Aircraft aerodynamics and performance, wing sweep, jet engine efficiency, Dutch roll, adverse yaw, coffin corner, and critical Mach number are but a few of the aircraft-specific topics covered. Then physiological factors like G-force, effects of high altitude, oxygen, and hypoxia were covered. You might think, boy, this is a bit too technical, but AO’s staff took technical subjects and presented them in a fashion valuable to operational pilots. And as an aeronautical engineer and pilot, I loved the review.
Back seat panel for CF-5D.
The afternoon sessions on day one covered aircraft-specific information, particularly aircraft flight controls, canopy operation and controls, and the well-known escape system. The Northrop “Improved” rocket-powered ejection seat system was manufactured by the aircraft manufacturer, Northrop. The familiarization continues with more stuff your life depends on, including seat restraints, helmet, comm systems, ejection seat handle and operation, and parachute. That last item is key if you need to eject from a jet and covers parachute deployment, descent, and landing following an in-flight emergency. Much of this was familiar to me from my previous military flight history, but it was great to review again.
The second day started with a detailed flight brief reviewing all the details and maneuvers. Next was the cockpit checkout covering all the systems to reinforce emergency system procedures, canopy security, ejection seat operation, avionics, comm system checks, oxygen check, HUD repeater use, helmet fit and connections to the aircraft, flight controls, and much more. Finally, it was time to suit up and slip the surly bonds of Earth.
PaddyO in back seat with helmet on ready to head out to runway 30 KMHV.
Walking up to the 47-foot-long CF-5D with its thin, 26-foot swept wings, it just screams of speed. I couldn’t wait for the best part. Suited up and strapped in, Gomex and PaddyO taxied to Runway 30 at Mojave for departure. The rotation at 155 KIAS and climbout were smooth and powerful, just as I remembered on other jets. Then Mojave Tower handed us off to Joshua Approach for entry into R-2508 airspace, followed by transfer to SPORT for R-2515 entry. Along the way, G warm-up maneuvers were performed with turns to pull 4 Gs. The F-5 structural/aerobatic maneuvering load factor limits are +7 Gs positive/-3 Gs negative. People often ask about adapting to the Gs, but it isn’t a big factor for me as I often pull 3.5-4 Gs in my normal flying. The view at altitude over the desert was spectacular. Flying qualities of the F-5 were also checked, with rudder and aileron effectiveness evaluated while climbing to FL340.
CF-5D in flight.
Continuing the climb, we passed abeam Three Sisters (a small but distinctive group of mountains) and made a right turn in afterburner to enter BX1SC for the transonic run. The General Electric J85 turbojet-powered engines are powerful, producing 2,925 pounds of thrust in military (MIL) power and 4,300 pounds at maximum afterburner (MAX). In transonic flight, the flight controls are extraordinarily sensitive, so small stick inputs produce dramatic pitch or roll changes. Although I had flown in many Navy jets, very high-speed flights were rarely available in the airspace around Washington, D.C., and the Maryland Eastern Shore region, so this was a special treat. My only previous time at high Mach number was aboard a Concorde from New York to Paris, with a glass of champagne in hand. I would choose the F-5 option every time.
We returned to R-2508 to continue flying quality evaluations. The stall series is always important in any aircraft because it lets you experience aircraft handling qualities at slow speed and high angle of attack (AoA). We performed stalls in the landing configuration and accelerated stalls as well. It also provides an opportunity to evaluate aileron and rudder effectiveness at high AoA.
Rolls are just pure fun and a pretty easy aerobatic maneuver to perform. Both aileron and rudder rolls were performed. But what blew my mind was the roll rate of up to 720 degrees/second. Rolls in my RV-8 are responsive at 140 degrees/second, and I have also done rolls in an L-39 at 300 degrees/second. But 720 degrees/second in the F-5 was an entire world unto itself. That’s two complete turns in one second and on par with what I previously thought was the highest roll rate with the A-4 Scooter. It took effort to acclimate to such a fast roll rate, especially when pushing past the aileron limiter/spring stop to get to 720 degrees per second. What a thrill!
The yaw doublets used to excite the Dutch Roll mode were interesting, even if I was a little too aggressive on the rudder inputs. All the while we were flying these maneuvers, we received constant traffic advisories from Joshua Approach regarding other military aircraft, mostly F-16s, and there was a lot of traffic in the restricted area.
The hour-plus flight passed quickly, and it was soon time to return to Mojave. Scott let me fly a good portion of the flight, which I greatly appreciated. I flew us into the downwind to Runway 30 and handed the plane to Scott for the final approach. The landing at 150 KIAS was as sweet as the takeoff and the entire flight.
Scott and his Aerospace Operations team offer a superb training experience with a thorough ground school and inflight experience. While I had long anticipated an F-5 hop, it was even better than I ever expected. So much better that I’m ready to go again!
While the F-5 hop is near the top of my experiences, I can’t stop there. I’m thinking that a sailplane rating is in my immediate future. Never stop learning, living, and adding to that bucket list!
PaddyO at nose of the CF-5D excited for this bucket list hop.
The post Finally Flying the F-5: A Bucket List Item appeared first on Air Facts Journal.

https://airfactsjournal.com/2026/10/finally-flying-the-f-5-a-bucket-list-item/

#bucketlist #listitem #finallyflying #carriersuitability #itemair #navy #airfacts #test #factsjournal #starwars

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

The Museum of Flight to Host Haunted Skies: “Snakes on a ...

2026-10-22T18:50:41Z

The Museum of Flight to Host Haunted Skies: “Snakes on a Plane” Halloween Party on Oct. 24

The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA, has announced that its annual Haunted Skies Halloween party for adults 21 and older will return on Saturday, October 24, with a Snakes on a Plane theme inspired by the 2006 film. The event will run from 8 to 11 p.m., bringing together live music, a movie screening, live snake demonstrations and a costume contest built around the film and early-2000s pop culture. The evening will feature three DJs, with Dolobeats opening from 8 to 9 p.m., followed by DJ RocRyte from 9 to 10 p.m. and DJ LouRawk from 10 to 11 p.m. A screening of Snakes on a Plane will run from 8:45 to 10:30 p.m., while food trucks, a cash bar and other activities will give guests options throughout the night.
Jordan Veasley, aka Jungle Jordan, with a snake friend. | Source: Jordan Veasley
Live snakes will be part of the event, too. Wildlife educator and content creator Jordan Veasley, known as Jungle Jordan, will host show-and-tell sessions at 8:30, 9 and 9:30 p.m., introducing guests to live snakes and sharing information about the animals. Veasley is known for his wildlife education and conservation work. The costume contest will feature three categories: First-Class Execution, for the most detailed and ambitious costume; Dead on Arrival, for the best victim costume, including looks inspired by snake bites, constriction or an in-flight medical emergency; and Best 2000s Pop Culture, for costumes inspired by the era around 2006. Judging begins at 10 p.m., and winners will receive tickets to other Museum of Flight evening events, including Hops & Props and Yuri’s Night.
“Haunted Skies” event poster. | Source: The Museum of Flight
Beyond the movie and costume contest, guests can take part in several activities around the museum. The evening will include tarot readings from Oracle of the Labyrinth, flash tattoos by Sweet Jones Fine Line Tattoos, henna body art by Henna by Preethi, live portrait illustrations and a beaded-keychain craft station. A photo booth inside a 737 airliner cabin will feature snakes and leis for themed pictures. Food will be available from The Original Philly’s and Jeremy’s Chicken, while a cash bar will serve drinks during the event. Tickets cost $55 for general admission and $50 for Museum of Flight members. Group rates are available for parties of 10 or more. Click HERE to get your tickets. The event is restricted to guests aged 21 and older and runs from 8 to 11 p.m. on October 24. For more information and to support the Museum of Flight, click on this link: www.museumofflight.org.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/the-museum-of-flight-to-host-haunted-skies-snakes-on-a-plane-halloween-party-on-oct-24.html

#halloweenparty #skieshalloween #hauntedskies #museum #jordanveasley #flight #snakes #hosthaunted #plane #junglejordan

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force to Host Talk on ...

2026-10-22T18:16:20Z

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force to Host Talk on Charles Lindbergh’s Controversial Legacy

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Pooler, GA, has announced that its monthly Mighty Talk series will continue on Sunday, October 25, with author Dr. Jonathan Reich presenting A Convenient Villain: Charles A. Lindbergh’s Remarkable and Controversial Legacy Preparing the U.S. for War. The program begins at 2 p.m. and is free to the public, though registration is required. Reich’s book examines Lindbergh’s contributions to American military aviation preparedness before WWII, including intelligence he gathered during three public trips to Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1938. According to the book’s description, Lindbergh shared the military intelligence he collected with the U.S. military and American aircraft manufacturers. His consultations with manufacturers were conducted on his own initiative and at his own expense.
Event poster of Dr. Jonathan Reich presenting “A Convenient Villain: Charles A. Lindbergh’s Remarkable and Controversial Legacy Preparing the U.S. for War.” | Source: National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
The book documents the specific intelligence Lindbergh acquired and examines its role in preparing American air power for the war. It also revisits his broader legacy, including his contributions to aviation and medicine during the 1930s, as well as his opposition to American entry into another European war. Reich approaches these subjects through archival research, offering a reassessment of Lindbergh’s achievements and controversies, including his conflict with American Jewish communities over his political views. Reich is a cardiologist and faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine whose career has focused on research and medical publications. He turned to historical research during the COVID-19 pandemic after reading A. Scott Berg’s biography Lindbergh. Combining his research background with a lifelong interest in aviation, he began an in-depth study of Lindbergh’s contributions to aviation, medicine and American preparedness for WWII. The resulting book, A Convenient Villain, explores the complicated legacy of one of the 20th century’s most prominent aviators and political figures. The Mighty Talk will take place at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force on October 25 at 2 p.m. Admission is free, but attendees must register in advance through the online registration form. For more information and to support the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, click on this link: www.mightyeighth.org.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/national-museum-of-the-mighty-eighth-air-force-to-host-talk-on-charles-lindberghs-controversial-legacy.html

#mightyeighth #eighthair #airforce #nationalmuseum #controversiallegacy #hosttalk #charleslindbergh #convenientvillain #american #legacypreparing

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Mid America Flight Museum Acquires Historic DC-3 Flagship Detroit ...

2026-10-22T17:19:39Z

Mid America Flight Museum Acquires Historic DC-3 Flagship Detroit

The Mid America Flight Museum in Mount Pleasant, Texas, announced the acquisition of the Douglas DC-3 Flagship Detroit on October 21, 2026. According to the museum’s Facebook announcement, the former American Airlines transport arrived at its new home on Tuesday, October 20, flown by veteran American Airlines pilots and crew members.
Built in early 1937, Flagship Detroit was delivered to American Airlines on March 2 that year. Designated a Douglas DC-3-G102, the aircraft carries construction number 1920 and registration NC17334. It was the 24th DC-3 to join American’s fleet, which eventually grew to 84 examples. The airline operated the aircraft in scheduled passenger service until selling it in 1947. Unlike many civilian transports requisitioned for military service during WWII, Flagship Detroit remained with American Airlines. The aircraft appeared prominently in the airline’s print advertising during the early 1940s and carried First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on several occasions. According to the Flagship Detroit Foundation’s history, Roosevelt favored the rear seat on the right side, immediately forward of the entry door, reportedly allowing her to board last and leave first.
NC17334 American Airways Hangar – Fort Worth, Texas 2038 | Source: Flagship Detroit Foundatio
The aircraft’s later career took it far from its original passenger role. When the Flagship Detroit Foundation purchased it from K and K Aircraft in Bridgewater, Virginia, in August 2004, it had been operating as an aerial spray aircraft. Spray booms hung beneath its wings, and its utilitarian cabin lacked passenger seating. Volunteers spent approximately 18 months returning the aircraft to its American Airlines appearance. The restoration drew substantial support from American Airlines employees, including technicians and mechanics who contributed their time and expertise to airframe repairs and cabin refurbishment. Flagship Detroit made its first public appearance following restoration at the Fort Smith, Arkansas, airshow in April 2006. It subsequently became a familiar presence at aviation events across the United States, giving visitors an opportunity to explore an aircraft from the formative years of commercial air travel. The foundation describes it as the world’s oldest DC-3 still flying.
The aircraft was already familiar to the Mount Pleasant aviation community before its acquisition. In September, Flagship Detroit participated in the museum’s gathering of eight DC-3s and C-47s, which included flying activities at Glover Field and a public display at Mount Pleasant Regional Airport. Vintage Aviation News previously covered the gathering. At its new home, Flagship Detroit joins the museum’s Douglas C-41 and WWII veteran C-47 Skytrain Sky King, making Mid America Flight Museum the world’s largest museum operator of DC-3-family aircraft. Together, the three transports represent the type’s service in commercial aviation, military leadership transport, and wartime operations. For more information about the Mid America Flight Museum, visit www.midamericaflightmuseum.com

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/mid-america-flight-museum-acquires-historic-dc-3-flagship-detroit.html

#flagshipdetroit #americaflight #flightmuseum #midamerica #americanairlines #detroitfoundation #mountpleasant #douglas #october #texas

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Gourdou-Leseurre ...

2026-10-22T16:54:21Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Gourdou-Leseurre GL-813 HY

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 92 years ago (October 22, 1934), the Gourdou-Leseurre GL-813 HY represented one of the final developments of a family of French naval reconnaissance floatplanes. Built for the French Navy, the three-seat aircraft belonged to a series designed for operation from warships, where it could be launched by catapult to conduct reconnaissance and observation missions. The design traced its origins to the Gourdou-Leseurre L-2 prototype of 1926–27. The aircraft featured a steel-tube fuselage, wooden wing, fabric covering, and a Gnome-Rhône Jupiter radial engine. Six improved L-3 prototypes followed with more powerful engines and strengthened structures suitable for catapult launching. Successful testing resulted in the French Navy ordering the production of the GL-810 HY, followed by progressively developed GL-811 and GL-812 variants.
A photo of the Gourdou-Leseurre L-2 from L’Air, May 15, 1928. | Source: L'Air magazine/Wikimedia Commons
Between 1933 and 1934, the French Navy ordered 29 GL-812 HYs and 13 GL-813 HYs. Aircraft of the family operated both from shore establishments and aboard French warships, including the seaplane carrier Commandant Teste. Although most had been retired by the beginning of WWII, surviving aircraft were returned to service in 1939 and used for coastal anti-submarine patrols. Detailed specifications in the available source are for the closely related GL-812 HY. That aircraft measured 34 feet 5 inches in length with a wingspan of 52 feet 6 inches and was powered by a 420-horsepower Gnome-Rhône 9Ady Jupiter radial engine. It could reach approximately 120 mph, had a range of 350 miles, and a service ceiling of 20,000 feet. Armament consisted of one fixed forward-firing 7.7 mm machine gun, two flexible 7.7 mm Vickers guns, and up to 330 pounds of bombs.
A photo of the Gourdou-Leseurre GL-810 HY from Les Ailes, October 6, 1927. | Source: Les Ailes newspaper/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-gourdou-leseurre-gl-813-hy.html

#aviationhistory #frenchnavy #wikimediacommons #lesailes #aircraft #van #october #commandantteste #hys

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

U.S. Space & Rocket Center Prepares New Display for Lockheed ...

2026-10-22T16:02:16Z

U.S. Space & Rocket Center Prepares New Display for Lockheed A-12 Oxcart

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is preparing a new permanent display for its recently restored Lockheed A-12 Oxcart reconnaissance aircraft, with installation expected no earlier than spring 2027. The aircraft is temporarily parked at the west end of the museum’s parking lot while crews prepare a display mount near the main museum building, close to its previous location. Work is currently focused on preparing the site. Museum officials told FOX54 they are coordinating with the contractor responsible for moving and mounting the aircraft to establish a schedule.

The exterior restoration involved stripping the aircraft to its titanium skin, followed by fresh primer, paint, and updated markings. In December 2025, workers removed the inflatable enclosure that had protected the A-12 during the months-long project. Known as Article 127, the museum’s A-12 was the seventh aircraft in the production sequence. It was dedicated at the Space & Rocket Center on February 1, 1991, and previously repainted in 2017. The aircraft remains on loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
#06930 was the seventh bird delivered to the CIA, and has more flight time than any operational A-12, at 499.2 hours over 258 flights. | Source: Kev Cook
Developed by Lockheed’s Skunk Works division for the CIA, the A-12 preceded the U.S. Air Force’s SR-71 Blackbird. Its development required advances in titanium fabrication, propulsion, fuel, reconnaissance systems and pilot protection to sustain flight above Mach 3 at approximately 90,000 feet. Lockheed built 15 A-12s, including a dedicated trainer. The type’s operational career was brief. Under the CIA’s Black Shield program, three A-12s deployed to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa flew 29 reconnaissance missions over East Asia between May 1967 and May 1968. The program ended in 1968 as the SR-71 assumed the reconnaissance role.
When the Blackbird aircraft arrived at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, the native people saw its elegant shape and likened it a Habu, a deadly snake that inhabits the area. Thus, the Blackbird earned its nickname, “Habu”. | Source: U.S. Space & Rocket Center
The A-12 is part of a broader collection at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, which serves as the official visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and is a Smithsonian Affiliate. Described as the world’s largest spaceflight museum, the center houses more than 1,500 rockets, spacecraft and related artifacts exploring the history and development of human spaceflight. It also operates STEM education programs, including Space Camp, Aviation Challenge, Space Camp Robotics and U.S. Cyber Camp, welcoming visitors from all 50 states and more than 80 countries each year. For more information about the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, visit rocketcenter.com

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/u-s-space-rocket-center-prepares-new-display-for-lockheed-a-12-oxcart.html

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: Caproni Ca.90 – The Six- Engine Leviathan of ...

2026-10-22T15:36:55Z

Grounded Dreams: Caproni Ca.90 – The Six- Engine Leviathan of the Interwar Sky

In the 1920s, the Italian aircraft manufacturer Caproni developed a prototype heavy bomber, the Caproni Ca.90. The Caproni Ca.90 was a six-engine aircraft designed as a heavy bomber. It was built mainly from strong steel tubing, which was tougher and more flexible than aluminum or duralumin. The main joints were made from solid pieces of chrome-nickel steel. Most of the fuselage and wings were covered with simple doped fabric, but the front part used corrugated duralumin sheeting. The aircraft had a large square-shaped body that was part of its central section and hung from the lower wing. The front part was a turret with a machine gun. Behind the turret was a large fuel tank, and above it was the flight deck where the pilot flew the plane. The bomb bay and additional fuel tanks sat farther back. The bomb racks could carry different bomb sizes for a total of 8,000 kg (17,637 pounds) of explosives during a typical mission. At the rear of the fuselage, extra defensive positions provided heavy fire in all directions. Normally, the aircraft had seven machine guns.
Design of Caproni Ca.90
Caproni Ca.90. (Image via Wikimedia Commons) | Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Caproni Ca.90 was powered by six Isotta Fraschini Asso 1000 W-18 piston engines. It had two pairs of engines mounted above the lower wing, each pair driving a four-bladed pusher propeller and a two-bladed tractor propeller. The last pair of engines was placed above the fuselage. The Asso 1000 engines were powerful for their time, but they had a moderate power-to-weight ratio and were fairly fuel-efficient. They were water-cooled, and the pilot could control the airflow to the radiators to keep them at the right temperature. The aircraft stored large amounts of fuel in both the wings and fuselage. Caproni noted that having too many engines complicated design and safety, making the aircraft harder to control. During flight tests, people suggested that future engines producing up to 2,000 horsepower might allow the Caproni Ca.90 to use as few as three engines. The Caproni Ca.90 had large wings for its time. It used a monoplane tail unit with balanced control surfaces. The rudder’s balanced surface helped correct the vertical fin while flying. The aircraft had a wide undercarriage, which made it easier to move across rough ground. It had two pairs of large wheels on ball bearings with oleo-rubber springs. Additionally, a tail wheel was located under the back of the fuselage.
The Cancellation
Caproni Ca.90. (Image via Wikimedia Commons) | Source: Wikimedia Commons
On October 13, 1929, the Caproni Ca.90 made its first flight. At the time, it was the world’s largest land-based aircraft, only slightly smaller than the Siemens-Schuckert R.VIII, a World War I aircraft. Despite this, only one prototype was ever built. The giant biplane became obsolete given the pace of development in aircraft technology, the beginning of the Great Depression, and the evolving nature of military strategy, so the Caproni Ca.90 project was canceled. Italo Balbo, head of the Italian Air Ministry, did not support heavy bombers and chose not to fund or order the Ca.90. Further, the global economic crisis cut military budgets. Caproni tried to sell a commercial or mail-plane version and teamed up with the Curtiss Airplane and Motor Company in the United States, but both efforts failed because of a lack of funding and buyer interest. Although the 1929 prototype showed that a biplane of this size could fly, the industry shifted from large wooden-fabric biplanes to sleek all-metal monoplanes. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
Caproni Ca.90. (Image via Wikimedia Commons) | Source: Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/grounded-dreams-caproni-ca-90-the-six-engine-leviathan-of-the-interwar-sky.html

#wikimediacommons #six #cancellationcaproni #asso

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

What I Did During the Vietnam War, Part III What I Did During the ...

2026-10-22T05:09:34Z

What I Did During the Vietnam War, Part III

What I Did During the Vietnam War, Part III
Air Facts Journal
Editor’s note: This is the final part of Randall Shumaker’s story about his work as a young engineer testing Naval aviation systems during the Vietnam era. In Part 3, he describes one of the most memorable tests of his career—a full-scale aircraft crash test involving an RB-66 and experimental jet fuel. Catch up on Part 1 and Part 2.
The Test That Had to Work
One particularly successful project was also my last project with the jetcar tracks. A civilian agency wanted to evaluate a jet fuel designed to gel when subjected to the high G loads that might be expected in a crash, potentially limiting the amount of fuel available to burn. The lead engineer designed a credible commercial jet crash scenario in the controlled and heavily instrumented environment of the test track.
The aircraft selected for the test was a retired RB-66, a twin-engine jet previously used by the Navy as a carrier-based bomber. It was a big airplane—sailors called it the “Whale”—not quite as large as a full-size airliner but just right for this test. The plan was straightforward on paper. The jetcar would accelerate the RB-66 down the track to approximately landing speed before releasing it. The aircraft’s engines would be running, which complicated the calculations even further.
At the end of the track, the jetcar would be arrested while the aircraft continued forward on a shuttle. The shuttle would then be arrested, allowing the aircraft to roll on its own landing gear into the crash area. There, it would hit a dirt ramp and come to rest.
To make the test realistic—and to make sure there was a fuel leak and a potential fire—steel blades were positioned to cut open the wing fuel tanks, with open flames burning around the crash area. What could possibly go wrong with this one-of-a-kind experiment? A lot, of course.
It would also be expensive to repeat. And dangerous. My speed-control system was one element in getting the test right because there were so many unknowns involving aircraft thrust, aerodynamic drag, and wheel friction. I was appropriately worried. I suspect many of the other engineers involved were also paying close attention, hoping that their particular piece of the experiment would work exactly as planned.
The test went well. The fuel poured out of the damaged tanks and gelled as expected, forming little clumps that burned around the aircraft. But there was no large fire and, most importantly, no fireball. The test had demonstrated that the fuel could substantially reduce the fire hazard following a crash. Unfortunately, the fuel had another characteristic that was less desirable: it also tended to gel inside fuel pumps, stopping the engines. At least if that caused a crash, there would be no big fire.
Leaving the Tracks
A few months after this event, I was selected to run a research group. From then on, I visited the tracks only as a guest. I have no idea whether the speed-control systems were ever used again. Perhaps someone decided that a hand-built device designed by a 24-year-old engineer was too risky to operate without its designer around to blame. Or perhaps it was used many times more. I’ll never know.
My career moved rapidly forward from that point, but I have to say that those years at the jetcar tracks were the most memorable and interesting of my 38-year career. Years later, doing some research and indulging in a little nostalgia-driven web surfing, I was amazed to discover that Lakehurst was still doing much the same kind of work.
There were, of course, many new aircraft and new systems. But much of the shipboard and field equipment was not dramatically different from what I had worked with decades earlier. Things move slowly when you’re dealing with ships and their systems. Many of the aircraft still deployed today are direct descendants of the aircraft with which I worked.
That is a natural consequence of mature technologies. Improvements are possible, but the cost of achieving them can rise almost exponentially. Electronics has managed to stay ahead of that curve by changing its underlying technologies frequently. Manned aircraft have not had that luxury. Instead, cruise missiles and unmanned aircraft of many sizes and capabilities have emerged.
Still, I expect manned aircraft operating from the sea will be around for quite a while yet. And when I think back to those years at Lakehurst, what strikes me most is how ordinary it all seemed at the time. I was a young engineer. I was given a problem, a small budget, a short deadline, and a chance to figure it out. I didn’t realize then how unusual the opportunity was. I do now.
The post What I Did During the Vietnam War, Part III appeared first on Air Facts Journal.

https://airfactsjournal.com/2026/10/what-i-did-during-the-vietnam-war-part-iii/

#vietnamwar #partiii #test #iiiair #airfacts #factsjournal #journaleditor #randallshumaker #work

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Howard Hughes’ Former B-23 Dragon Flies Again After 35 Years A ...

2026-10-21T21:27:33Z

Howard Hughes’ Former B-23 Dragon Flies Again After 35 Years

A rare Douglas B-23 Dragon once owned by Howard Hughes has returned to the air after 35 years. Warbird Aero Restorations announced the successful flight on October 21, marking a major milestone in the aircraft’s restoration at Pearland Regional Airport in Texas. Charlie “Tuna” Hainline served as pilot, with Charlie Tilghman as copilot. Brad Pilgrim and Norman Russell served as flight mechanics. According to the restoration team, the flight went smoothly, bringing years of work to fruition for one of the few surviving examples of the Douglas bomber.
“Next stop: Paint and interiors!” the company announced, identifying the next stages of the project. Warbird Aero Restorations also thanked its crew and everyone who contributed to returning the aircraft to flight. Aerometal International in Aurora, Oregon, will handle the interior work, much of which has already been completed in preparation for the aircraft’s arrival. The company had originally expected the Dragon a couple of months ago. The flight milestone follows engine runs earlier this year, when the aircraft’s rebuilt Wright R-2600-3 radial engines were put through their paces. Vintage Aviation News reported on that progress in April, tracing the aircraft’s military service and lengthy civilian career.
Screenshot from an original video by Warbird Aero Restorations | Source: Warbird Aero Restorations
The B-23, construction number 2719 and military serial 39-0033, is registered as N747M. Following its military service, it entered civilian ownership in 1945 and was acquired by Hughes under registration NC49548. It subsequently served a succession of corporate owners, including Gar Wood Industries, Rexall Drug Company, and Food Machinery Chemical Corporation. Originally built as a bomber, the aircraft received its transport modifications after entering civilian service. Its later career included executive flying and appearances at aviation events before it was withdrawn from use and stored.
The B-23 photographed t NAS Alameda Open House in 1979 | Source: Bob Thomas
Douglas developed the B-23 as a successor to its B-18 Bolo, with the prototype making its first flight in July 1939. Only 38 were built. During WWII, the type served in training, reconnaissance, transport, and experimental roles, while several examples converted for military transport duties received the UC-67 designation. After the war, surviving Dragons found new careers as civilian transports, including executive aircraft. Today, only a small number remain in museums and private collections, making the return of N747M a significant event for the preservation of the type. With its first flight in 35 years successfully completed, N747M now moves toward the next phase of restoration, with paint and completion of its interior still ahead.
Douglas B-23 photographed in 1940 | Source: U.S. Air Force photo

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/howard-hughes-former-b-23-dragon-flies-again-after-35-years.html

#aerorestorations #warbirdaero #douglas #pearlandregional #regionalairport #next #normanrussell #charlietilghman #thomasdouglas

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

TEMCO: The Texas Aircraft Maker That Helped Build America’s ...

2026-10-21T19:44:46Z

TEMCO: The Texas Aircraft Maker That Helped Build America’s Cold War Arsenal

The Texas Engineering & Manufacturing Company (TEMCO), also known as TEMCO Aircraft Corporation, was founded in Dallas by Robert McCulloch. He began his aviation career at the Aircraft Division of William Beardmore and Company in Scotland. McCulloch moved to the US in 1927 and worked for a small machining company before joining Atlantic Aircraft Corporation. During the Great Depression, the company changed hands several times. It became Fokker Aircraft of America, then General Aviation, and finally North American Aviation (NAA). McCulloch became the factory manager at NAA in 1941. That same year, he took a job as the general manager at Convair’s factory in Nashville, Tennessee. However, he returned to NAA in 1943, and by the end of WWII, he was managing their new plant in Grand Prairie, Texas. After the war ended, Convair closed its plant in Dallas. McCulloch teamed up with H. L. “Bert” Howard, another executive from North American Aviation (NAA), to create the Texas Engineering and Manufacturing Corporation, later known as TEMCO. It was reorganized as the TEMCO Aircraft Corp. in 1952. McCulloch served as president and general manager, while Howard was executive vice president and treasurer. The initial management team included several former NAA employees. Their plan was to keep the plant open and find contract work with other aviation companies on a rental basis. Bankers did not like the idea, but they eventually got funding from several sources, especially Col. D. Harold Byrd, who would later work with the company.
The Temco T-35A Buckaroo registered N904B. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
The company secured contracts to produce parts for several major aircraft, including the C-82, Fairchild F-28, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, P2V Neptune, McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, and Boeing B-47 Stratojet, among others. The company also began subcontracting production of the Globe Swift, a two-seat general aviation aircraft. In 1947, TEMCO kept the design rights and built a small number of Swift aircraft over the next four years. It improved the Swift by adding a more powerful engine and a tandem two-seat cockpit, turning it into the T-35 Buckaroo trainer aircraft. However, it lost the competition to the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor. Eventually, TEMCO sold ten T-35s to Saudi Arabia. The company also developed another design, the Model 33 Plebe, but it never entered production. Work increased at the original Grand Prairie site, leading to the establishment of a new plant at Majors Field in Greenville. The new plant mainly handled US Air Force jobs, allowing Grand Prairie to focus on Navy work. TEMCO shifted its focus to overhaul services at the Greenville plants and secured a contract to repair C-54s coming back from the Berlin Airlift. The company also bought Luscombe Aircraft, another Dallas-area company doing similar work. In 1953, TEMCO partnered with Riley Aircraft Sales to convert existing North American Navions into a twin-engine version called the Twin Navion. It eventually bought the rights to this conversion and modified 138 aircraft over the next four years. However, by 1954, contracts decreased, and the company had only 500 employees left, laying off over 2,000 in a town of just 15,000.
A US Navy Temco TT-1 Pinto (civil registration N78856) in flight. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
TEMCO focused on aviation electronics and missile guidance systems. In 1955, the company won a contract to create “quick reaction kits” for the Air Force’s B-29 Superfortress fleet. That same year, TEMCO also secured a similar contract for the B-50, which increased its employee count to 1,700 by the end of 1956. By 1958, electronics made up half of the company’s income. The company continued to receive overhaul contracts, including for the C-121 and C-97. TEMCO developed a light attack aircraft called Model 58, based on the earlier Model 33, but it did not attract buyers. In 1952, it began working on the Model 51 Pinto to compete for an Air Force contract, which ultimately went to the Cessna T-37. The Navy took in 14 Pinto aircraft in 1956 and used them as TT-1s. Some of these planes later went to civilians, who modified them with the J85 engine and renamed them the Super Pinto. From 1957 to 1960, TEMCO worked on the ASM-N-8 Corvus anti-radiation missile for the US Navy, but the project was canceled in 1960 when the US Air Force took over. By 1960, electronics had become the company’s main product. It merged with another electronics firm in Dallas, Ling-Altec, which had formed from the merger of Ling Electronics and Altec. Together, they raised money from different sources and, in 1961, merged with Chance Vought, which had moved to the area in 1948. This merger created Ling-Temco-Vought, or LTV. McCulloch served as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. He remained chairman of the board and later became chairman of the executive committee until he retired in April 1970. In the 1970s, LTV began selling off its aviation business. The former Temco Aircraft electronics plant in Greenville became LTV Electrosystems, later renamed E-Systems. Eventually, Raytheon bought E-Systems, and today it is part of L3Harris. Read more Forgotten Factories articles HERE.
Two views of the experimental U.S. Navy Temco XKDT-1 Teal subsonic target drone. The left view is an artist’s impression of a KDT being intercepted by an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-history/forgotten-factories-the-companies-behind-aviations-icons/temco.html

#temco #texasengineering #aircraftcorporation #america #naa #grandprairie #aviation #war #northamerican #aircraftdivision

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Heavy Attack Squadron Sixteen: The Short-Lived AJ-2 Savage ...

2026-10-21T18:54:03Z

Heavy Attack Squadron Sixteen: The Short-Lived AJ-2 Savage Refueling Shield

Heavy Attack Squadron Sixteen (VAH-16), also called the “White Blades,” was a US Navy squadron located at NAS North Island in California. It formed on January 15, 1958, and was the first squadron to use the Heavy Attack Squadron Sixteen designation. The squadron used the North American AJ-2 Savage, a large plane meant for nuclear strike missions from aircraft carriers. By the time VAH-16 was created, the AJ-2 was nearing the end of its heavy-attack role. Starting in 1957, the newer Douglas A3D Skywarrior began to replace the Savage in Navy squadrons. The AJ-2 then took on a new job as an aerial tanker. VAH-16 formed during a period of change, as its aircraft shifted from nuclear strike missions to aerial refueling. Heavy Attack Squadron Sixteen supported the fleet by sending detachments. Its AJ-2 aircraft worked with Air Task Groups 3 and 4 on Pacific Fleet carriers, such as the USS Kearsarge (CVA-33) and USS Hornet (CVA-12). The official Navy history notes that the deployment dates for these carriers do not always reflect when VAH-16 detachments were active, since the squadron was formed in January 1958. However, photos show VAH-16 AJ-2s on the Kearsarge during its Western Pacific deployment, including aircraft like BuNo. 134049. On June 13, 1958, the squadron set up Detachment A in Hawaii. The detachment later moved to NAS Agana, Guam, with four AJ-2 aircraft, providing VAH-16 a forward base in the western Pacific while its carrier detachments continued to support fleet operations.
Heavy Attack Squadron Sixteen insignia. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
On July 1, 1958, the Navy changed Heavy Attack Squadron Sixteen’s main mission from heavy bombing to aerial refueling. The A3D Skywarrior took over the heavy-attack and nuclear-strike roles, while the Savage’s ability to carry a lot of fuel and support carrier aircraft made it a useful tanker. VAH-16 and its East Coast counterpart, VAH-15, were created to continue the AJ’s tanker role during this transition. The squadron’s refueling mission was shown in fleet operations. A US Navy photograph from around 1958 captures a VAH-16 AJ-2, BuNo. 134047, refueling an F3H-2 Demon from VF-64. The image illustrates the squadron performing its new role only months after its formation, using the Savage as an aerial fuel truck for Navy fighters. The squadron received its own insignia during its short time in service. The Chief of Naval Operations approved the design on July 25, 1958. It featured alternating white and blue quadrants, a light-blue lightning bolt outlined in gold, a white sword with a gold handle, and a blue scroll outlined in gold with red lettering. The official Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons lists the squadron’s nickname as unknown, even though other historical records call it the “White Blades.” Heavy Attack Squadron Sixteen was active for just over a year. As the Navy transitioned to newer jet-powered aircraft and reorganized its heavy-attack and tanker forces, it disbanded the squadron at NAS North Island on January 30, 1959.
A refueling hose streams from the wing of an AJ-2 Savage of Heavy Attack Squadron (VAH) 7 as it tanks an FJ-3M Fury of Fighter Squadron (VF) 62 during operations from the carrier Essex (CVA 9) in 1958. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/squadron-histories/heavy-attack-squadron-sixteen.html

#attacksquadron #squadronsixteen #heavyattack #savage #navy #northisland #westernpacific #whiteblades #nasnorth #aviationsquadrons

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Randy’s Warbird Profiles: Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe s/n ...

2026-10-21T17:11:36Z

Randy’s Warbird Profiles: Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe s/n TE356

By Randy Malmstrom
Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe, s/n TE356 (“LF” is the designation for “Low Altitude Fighter”), N356TE. This particular aircraft was built at the Supermarine division of Vickers-Armstrong Limited in C Block at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, England (now a Jaguar car factory) and delivered to No. 29 MU High Ercall (Maintenance Unit) on June 23, 1945, and on July 11, 1945, was issued No. 695 of the Royal Air Force. While serving with that squadron, including up through February 14, 1949, when the squadron was renumbered as No. 34 Squadron, it bore the codes 4M-M (4M being the 695th squadron code) and 8Q-Z (8Q being the 34th Squadron code), and then, along with several other Mk. XVI’s served between August 20, 1951 and September 1, 1952, with No. 2 CAACU (Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Unit) at RAF Little Snoring as a ground instructional trainer. It then stood on the parade ground at RAF Bicester until 1967, then at RAF Henlow, where it was repaired to taxiing status with a built-up rear fuselage (and some other modifications of which I cannot specify) to make it appear as an earlier mark and appeared as a taxiing aircraft in the 1969 film “Battle of Britain.”
Spitfire LF Mk XVIe TG356 during its time participating in the production of the film Battle of Britain. | Source: Image provided by Randy Malmstrom
After the filming, it was restored to its standard configuration and assigned to No. 4 Squadron at RAF Kemble, where restoration to flying condition was discontinued. In December 1970, it was mounted on a concrete plinth at CFS (Central Flying School) Headquarters, Little Rissington, then to CFS Cranwell in 1976 and then Leeming in 1978. In 1986 it was exchanged for a P-47 Thunderbolt from the collection of Doug Arnold and Warbirds of GB Ltd. and shipped to RAF Bitteswell and put into storage. It was rebuilt by Trent Aero Engineering in the East Midlands and had its first flight on December 16, 1987 (at the time of these photos, at least, the aircraft was fitted with a single electrical-firing button on the spade grip of earlier Spitfire versions rather than the 3-way rocker button). In January 1990, it was acquired by Evergreen Ventures, Inc., to be part of the collection at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (now the North American Aerospace Museum) in McMinnville, Oregon. On April 26, 1996, it was damaged when the landing gear collapsed on landing during the El Toro airshow in California and was repaired. It remained part of the Evergreen collection during the 1990’s through 2017, when it was flown until essentially all flights of Evergreen aircraft were suspended following the 1995 death of Captain Michael K. Smith (son of Delbert Smith, founder of the Evergreen companies and this museum). While at Evergreen, it was painted with the nose art “Carolyn” in honor of the widow of Captain Smith. Smith flew this and other aircraft in the Evergreen collection. In 2019, it was shipped to Biggin Hill for further restoration work. My photos while it was at Evergreen.
Spitfire LF Mk XVIe TG356 on display at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, with Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 Werknummer 610937 (now at the American Heritage Museum) in the background. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
This is by no means intended to be a survey of the history of the Spitfire and its 24 marks. The Supermarine Spitfire was designed by Reginald J Mitchell, initially on a private venture basis from work he had carried out on a series of seaplanes to compete for the Schneider Trophy air race in the 1920s and 1930s (after his initial cancer diagnosis in 1933 and against all medical advice, Mitchell continued to work and even gained his pilot’s license in July 1934, and although he was unable to attend the maiden flight, Mitchell was often seen watching the Spitfire fly. He succumbed to the illness on June 11, 1937, and responsibility for the aircraft was passed on to English aircraft designer Joseph (Joe) Smith, CBE. The prototype Spitfire first flew on March 5, 1936, and the last Spitfire was built in 1948; it was produced in 24 marks, with total production thought to be between 20,300 and 20,400 aircraft. As to how the aircraft received its name, a British Air Ministry Certificate of Design was issued for the prototype Type 300, K5054, on March 6, 1936, with no name being specified. An official of Supermarine wrote to the Air Ministry on March 10: “We refer to our conversation of this morning with A.E. Slater. Would you be good enough to reserve the name ‘Spitfire’ for our fighter to Specn: F7/30 (modified).” On June 10, a letter arrived at Supermarine confirming that the name “Spitfire” was now approved for the F7/30 (F37/34 modified). The Mk. XVI prototype was built at the Supermarine division of Vickers-Armstrong Limited plant at Castle Bromwich and was first flown in December 1943.
Tail of Spitfire LF Mk XVIe TG356 when the aircraft was on display at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
At the height of production, the Castle Bromwich works were producing 320 aircraft per month, with the last of the 12,291 Spitfires produced emerging off the production line in June 1949. It was of all-metal construction, featuring metal-covered ailerons in place of the earlier fabric-covered versions. The Mk. XVI version had the Merlin 266 engine built in the U.S. under license to the Packard Motor Car Company, and it had a two-stage supercharger and was rated at 1,390–1,600 hp; it was fitted with a four-bladed, variable-pitch propeller. The wings of the “e” variant were clipped (increased roll rate and top speed but reduced rate of climb) and housed a pair of British-Hispano 20mm cannon and a pair of Colt-Browning M2 12.7mm heavy machine guns. The variant had the teardrop canopy for better visibility and a cut-down rear fuselage. Spitfires were fitted (and retrofitted) with an emergency canopy jettison handle in the form of a (red) ball. This was attached to the locking bars on either side of the canopy by means of steel cables which run down the sides of the hood in the piping. Pulling the ball would disengage the bars and thus release the canopy.
Emergency canopy jettison handle ball on the canopy frame of Spitfire LF Mk XVIe TG356. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
The control column was pivoted about a foot from the top and was topped with a circular spade grip. Within the spade grip was a bicycle-type brake lever which controlled pressure to the air brakes, with differential application by movement of the rudder pedals. A Spitfire with cannon and machine guns typically had a 3-way rocker button on the spade grip with three positions. The letters “BBC” were taught as a reminder to the pilot: B for Brownings (top), B for both (middle), and C for cannon (bottom). At the time of these photos, at least, this aircraft is restored with a single electrical-firing button on the spade grip of earlier Spitfire versions rather than the 3-way rocker button. Ordnance included a center-mounted 500 lb. bomb and a 250 lb. bomb on hardpoints under each wing. During and after WWII, Spitfires were operated by many nationalities and specifically, the Mk. XVI (and Mk. IX) variants were flown until the very end of the war by many Polish fighter squadrons, including the Polski Zespół Myśliwski (Polish Fighting Team), also known as “Skalski’s Circus,” as well as the 308, 316, 303, 317, 315 and 302 Squadrons, and flying both the Mk. IX and Mk. XVI versions shot down over 100 enemy aircraft at the loss of 89 of their pilots.
Editor’s notes: In November 2019, the aircraft was imported back to the UK and is currently being kept at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar at London Biggin Hill Airport. Following several years of being in storage, TE356 has been reassembled for use in the Heritage Hangar’s ‘Sit in a Spitfire’ experiences for visitors.
About the author:
Randy Malmstrom grew up in a family steeped in aviation culture. His father, Bob, was still a cadet in training with the USAAF at the end of WWII but did serve in Germany during the U.S. occupation in the immediate post-war period, where he had the opportunity to fly in a wide variety of types that flew in WWII. After returning to the States, Bob became a multi-engine aircraft sales manager and, as such, flew a wide variety of aircraft; Randy frequently accompanied him on these flights. Furthermore, Randy’s cousin, Einar Axel Malmstrom, flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 356th FG from RAF Martlesham Heath. He was commanding this unit at the time he was shot down over France on April 24th, 1944, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. Following his repatriation at war’s end, Einar continued his military service, attaining the rank of Colonel. He was serving as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls AFB, MT, at the time of his death in a T-33 training accident on August 21, 1954. The base was renamed in his honor in October 1955 and continues to serve in the present USAF as home to the 341st Missile Wing. Randy’s innate interest in history in general, and aviation history in particular, plus his educational background and passion for WWII warbirds, led him down his current path of capturing detailed aircraft walk-around photos and in-depth airframe histories, recording a precise description of a particular aircraft in all aspects.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/randys-warbird-profiles-supermarine-spitfire-lf-mk-xvie-s-n-te356.html

#warbirdprofiles #supermarinespitfire #evergreen #raf #squadron #smith #xvie #raflittle #rafhenlow #rafbicester

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: Amiot 370 – The Record-Breaking Courier Left ...

2026-10-21T15:30:15Z

Grounded Dreams: Amiot 370 – The Record-Breaking Courier Left Behind

In August 1933, the French Air Force wanted a reconnaissance bomber, which they called Bombardement Combat Renseignement (BCR). French aircraft manufacturer Amiot initially planned to submit the Amiot 144, a modified version of its Amiot 143 bomber with retractable landing gear. However, the company soon realized it needed a completely new design to meet the performance requirements. It led to the development of the Amiot 340 BR3, a twin-engined aircraft designed for a crew of three. The aircraft promised a speed of 290 mph using either Hispano-Suiza 12Y or Gnome-Rhône 14N engines. The French inspected a mock-up of the Amiot 340 in March 1936. The inspection led to an order for a prototype. At the same time, the company planned a four-seat version, the Amiot 341 B4, to meet the Air Force’s needs better. Additionally, Amiot was asked to create a civil version for a trans-Atlantic air race to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s solo trans-Atlantic flight. The company modified the Amiot 340 mock-up to represent this civil version, which was displayed as a long-range postal aircraft at the 1936 Paris Air Show and was designated Amiot 341. The civil version was later completed as the Amiot 370.
Flight Tests of Amiot 370
Amiot 370. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru
The Amiot 370 first flew at Istres on July 25, 1937. It had two liquid-cooled 860 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Yjrs/Ykrs engines, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 295 mph. It also had an estimated range of 4,300 miles at a cruising speed of 250 mph. The Amiot 370 design was based on the Amiot 354 single-fin modification. Unlike older models, this mail plane had a shared cockpit for the pilot and navigator in a large, well-windowed front section. The design eliminated the need for a separate pilot’s cabin, making it more aerodynamic. Instead of a bomb bay, it had a spacious cargo area. The old radial engines, which took up a lot of space, were replaced with smaller inline Hispano-Suiza 12 engines. There was also no weaponry included. Starting on February 6, 1938, the Amiot 370, flown by Commander Maurice Rossy, set four world speed records for flights over 2,000 kilometers (1240 miles). The final flight reached an average speed of 437 kilometers per hour (272 mph). The team also set records for carrying loads of 1,100, 2,200, and 4,400 pounds. On June 8, 1938, they broke the world record for a 5,000-kilometer (3,100-mile) flight, averaging 401 km/h (250 mph).
The Cancellation
Amiot 370. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru
In August of the following year, Rossy set his last record in the Amiot 370, flying 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) in 33 hours at an average speed of 311 km/h (193 mph). The Amiot 370 prototype was built in 1937, but only one was ever made. Production did not start before the war, and the project was completely abandoned during the German occupation. In the spring of 1941, the Amiot 370 was restored to flying condition under the supervision of German and Italian observation missions. The aircraft officially belonged to France. On the night of July 22–23, Air France pilot Gaston Durmont flew it from Marseille to Athens and then to Djibouti, covering 5,500 km (3,400 miles) in 16 hours. Despite this, the Vichy Air Force used the Amiot 370 for its intended purpose in France. In November 1942, French workers damaged the aircraft heavily to stop it from being captured by the Germans. It stayed damaged until 1947. Plans to fix the Amiot 370 were canceled, and the aircraft was scrapped that year. The Amiot 370 was a capable aircraft that met a grim fate because of WWII. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
Amiot 370. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/amiot-370.html

#amiot #airforce #combatrenseignement #bombardementcombat #french #cancellationamiot #flight #parisair #airshow #august

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Ferrymead’s Combat-Veteran Mosquito Restoration Advances with ...

2026-10-21T15:04:08Z

Ferrymead’s Combat-Veteran Mosquito Restoration Advances with Wing Repairs and Museum Support

Significant progress has been recorded on the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society’s de Havilland Mosquito restoration in Christchurch, New Zealand, since our previous report in February 2026. Through early October, the team has undertaken extensive wooden structure repairs, cockpit fitting work, and restoration of aircraft systems. A major boost has also been provided through a collaboration with the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, allowing scarce components to be obtained for the project. While the indispensable fundraising campaigns continue, you can click here to support this project.
The remaining wing structure was removed from Mosquito TE758/NZ2328’s fuselage in late June 2026, a task requiring six people and marking an important step in the restoration. Photo: Ferrymead Aeronautical Society. | Source: Ferrymead Aeronautical Society
At Ferrymead Heritage Park, a complete static-display Mosquito FB.VI is being assembled using the fuselage of TE758/NZ2328 and the surviving wing structure of HR339/NZ2382. With HR339, an important connection to No. 487 Squadron’s wartime service is being preserved: 31 combat missions were flown in the aircraft, including an Operation Clarion sortie in February 1945 during which severe anti-aircraft damage was sustained and a return was made on one engine. Much of the recent restoration effort has been concentrated on rejoining HR339’s wing, which had been cut into sections following its disposal. The first two sections were positioned and secured in preparation for splicing, with the tank bay cover and spar booms used as alignment guides. Temporary timbers and telltales were fitted so that any movement during the work could be detected. On April 10, the first two glue-ups on the main spar were completed using West System epoxy thickened with sawdust. Repairs were subsequently extended to the rear spar, where carefully shaped timber splices were fitted around the surviving original structure. Gaps in the inner skin were patched, and replacement stringers were spliced in using joints consistent with the original manufacturing method.
The first two glue-ups on HR339’s main wing spar were completed using West System epoxy thickened with sawdust, marking an early step in rejoining the surviving wing sections. Photographed on April 10, 2026. | Source: Ferrymead Aeronautical Society
Additional repairs were made to the front spar web, including a feathered plywood patch and a replacement spruce rail. By September, missing stringer sections had been installed across the first wing joint, and replacement blocks were being fitted for engine and undercarriage mounting points and flap shroud ribs. During the latest update in early October, the upper wing skin had been feathered back in preparation for the first full section of replacement skin over the repaired cut. The aileron shroud’s upper skin had also been fitted, along with a weathering strip between the shroud and wing skin. According to the restoration updates, the wider weathering strips on the main and rear spars were introduced as a postwar modification in January 1946 to help protect critical glue joints. Both strips are being retained on HR339’s wing to minimize disturbance of original material.
A replacement plywood patch was cut to size and feathered at both ends to fit the existing front spar web of HR339’s wing. Photographed in June 2026. | Source: Ferrymead Aeronautical Society
An important milestone was reached in July when the remaining wing centre section was extracted from NZ2328’s fuselage. Although its condition was poor, possible reuse of portions of the main spar and centre rib was identified, subject to further examination. With the centre section removed, repairs around the fuselage wing attachment areas could be continued. Rotten plywood and balsa were removed, new balsa was installed, and replacement inner skins were prepared. Material support was also received in July through a substantial donation of plywood from Plytech Panels. With thin plywood required throughout the wing repairs, the donation was welcomed as a means of conserving the project’s limited funds for other materials and consumables. The collaboration with the Air Force Museum of New Zealand was announced on April 30. Access to the museum’s stocks of Mosquito components was provided, and several particularly difficult-to-source items were obtained. Among them were radiator shutter fittings, starter cables with scarce electrical connectors, cannon magazine support tubes, flap hinge ribs, and a rear-fuselage pneumatic and hydraulic panel that had been missing from NZ2328.
This rear-fuselage pneumatic and hydraulic panel, entirely missing from Mosquito TE758/NZ2328, was supplied by the Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Several of its components are particularly difficult to source. | Source: Ferrymead Aeronautical Society
Progress was also recorded throughout the cockpit and fuselage. Wiring was installed for the GEE navigation equipment switch panel, cockpit controls were fitted with new placards, and the windscreen and sealing strips were trial fitted. The navigator’s oxygen regulator bracket was completed and installed, while newly manufactured components were incorporated into the nearly completed cockpit hydraulic selector. Following repairs and painting around the port wing opening, fuel-system plumbing was refitted. By early October, the first half of the draught-proof bulkhead behind the cockpit had been permanently attached, and associated pipes and VHF radio wiring had been reinstalled. Repairs to the navigator’s floor had also been reskinned, while damaged wiring and electrical bonding in the rear fuselage were being addressed.
Completed lighting control with placards | Source: Ferrymead Aeronautical Society
Work on the two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines has been continued through the restoration and fitting of external components. The rear-fuselage pneumatic and hydraulic panel is also being rebuilt, with its pipework cleaned and individual components refurbished or replaced. No completion date was given in the supplied updates. However, substantial progress has been documented across the wing, fuselage, cockpit, and systems, with further work being supported by donated materials, recovered components, and assistance from other Mosquito restoration organizations. The Ferrymead Aeronautical Society’s restoration and preservation work can be supported through a tax-deductible donation. Additional funds are raised through the sale of second-hand books and aviation ephemera, which can be browsed and purchased through the society’s Trade Me account.
Artwork for the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society’s Mosquito Restoration project.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/restorations/ferrymeads-combat-veteran-mosquito-restoration-advances-with-wing-repairs-and-museum-support.html

#mosquitorestoration #ferrymeadaeronautical #aeronauticalsociety #newzealand #wing #havillandmosquito #repairs #forcemuseum #support #westsystem

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Shuttleworth Announces New Parking and Event Layout for 2027 The ...

2026-10-21T14:12:29Z

Shuttleworth Announces New Parking and Event Layout for 2027

The Shuttleworth Collection, located will relocate public parking away from its Front Paddocks beginning in 2027, ending a familiar feature of its airshows as the Trust prepares for new security requirements. The revised layout will move visitor vehicles to parkland behind Shuttleworth House, creating additional space for spectators, exhibitors, and attractions within the main event area. The changes follow a review of Shuttleworth’s event operations as attendance continues to grow across its airshows and smaller public events. Throughout the 2026 season, the Trust has been developing its risk management framework and testing security measures to assess how they would work across the site.
Shuttleworth has also hosted regional Counter Terrorism Security Advisors to help it understand the expectations of local authorities and regulators ahead of the introduction of Martyn’s Law, formally known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. The Security Industry Authority expects the legislation to come into force in spring 2027, with the exact date still to be confirmed.
One of the principal measures identified through Shuttleworth’s review is the removal of public vehicle parking from the Front Paddocks. Although parking within this area has long been popular with visitors, the Trust said it could not justify retaining public vehicle access under its developing risk management framework. Under the proposed arrangements, clearly marked pedestrian routes will connect the new parking area behind Shuttleworth House with the main event site. Additional overflow areas will support the parking plan. Blue Badge parking will remain in the paddock adjacent to the event site, with enhanced measures to separate vehicles and pedestrians. Free transportation will also be available between the parking areas and the event grounds. Options will include a land train, volunteer-operated shuttle buggies, and Shuttleworth’s vintage bus service between Shuttleworth House and the main arena.
The Shuttleworth Collection’s Discovery Hub with its Southern Martlet outside. | Source: Shuttleworth Collection
Beyond the security changes, the Trust expects the revised layout to improve the visitor experience by bringing exhibitors, attractions, and amenities together while opening more space for spectators at the heart of the event. The proposed site map provides an indication of the new arrangements, although the layout remains subject to change as planning progresses for individual events. Shuttleworth acknowledged that the move will change an established part of attending its events. The Trust said its aim is to meet its safety responsibilities while preserving the distinctive character of a day at Shuttleworth. For more information about the Shuttleworth Collection, visit www.shuttleworth.org

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/shuttleworth-announces-new-parking-and-event-layout-for-2027.html

#shuttleworthannounces #announcesnew #newparking #event #trust #security #frontpaddocks #collection #house #terrorismsecurity

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Yakovlev Yak-40 ...

2026-10-21T13:46:28Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Yakovlev Yak-40 Codling

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 60 years ago (October 21, 1966), the Yakovlev Yak-40 took flight for the first time. Known to NATO as the “Codling,” the Soviet-built regional jet was designed to bring jet-powered passenger service to small communities and remote airfields that had previously relied on aging piston-powered transports. During the early 1960s, many of Aeroflot’s local routes were still operated by aircraft such as the Ilyushin Il-12, Il-14, and Lisunov Li-2. Yakovlev was tasked with developing a turbine-powered replacement capable of operating reliably from poorly equipped airports with unpaved runways of less than 2,300 feet. After considering turboprop and even vertical-takeoff concepts, the design bureau settled on a straight-winged trijet powered by three Ivchenko AI-25 turbofans.
Cockpit of a Yak-40. | Source: Alex Beltyukov/Wikimedia Commons
The first of five Yak-40 prototypes flew on October 21, 1966, followed by the beginning of production in 1967. Aeroflot placed the type into passenger service in September 1968. Its rugged construction, built-in auxiliary power unit, rear airstairs, and short-field performance made the Yak-40 well suited to operations away from major airports. The aircraft also became an export success, and more than 1,000 were constructed before production ended in 1981. The Yak-40 measured 66 feet 10 inches in length with a wingspan of 82 feet and was powered by three Ivchenko AI-25 turbofans producing 3,300 pounds of thrust each. It could carry up to 32 passengers, cruise at approximately 340 mph, had a range of around 1,100 miles, and a service ceiling of 26,000 feet.
A Yak-40 taking off. | Source: Maarten Visser/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-yakovlev-yak-40-codling.html

#aviationhistory #codling #yakovlev #flight #wikimediacommons #van #october #ivchenko #alexbeltyukov #aeroflot

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

American Airpower Museum to Host Haunted Hangar Halloween Party ...

2026-10-21T10:23:22Z

American Airpower Museum to Host Haunted Hangar Halloween Party on Oct. 24

The American Airpower Museum, Farmingdale, NY, has announced that its annual Haunted Hangar Halloween Party, themed “Fright Takes Flight,” will take place Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway. The event will feature Halloween activities, aircraft displays and family-friendly attractions inside the museum’s hangar, with the last admission at 3:30 p.m.
The “Haunted Bomber.” | Source: American Airpower Museum
The museum, which describes itself as Long Island’s only flying military aviation museum, will transform Hangar 3 into a haunted setting filled with spider webs, flying bats, ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, vampires, witches and zombies. Costumed museum volunteers will hand out treats as children make their way through the hangar, allowing families to enjoy trick-or-treating indoors regardless of the weather. Several attractions will bring aviation into the Halloween festivities. Visitors can tour the Haunted Bomber, enter the Maze of Terror and take photographs in front of the “Ghost Fighter.” Weather permitting, children and parents can also climb aboard the “Ghost Flyer Express” for a ride around Hangar 3. Costumes are encouraged for both children and adults, and spooky music, including John Zacherle’s “Monster Mash,” will add to the festivities. Families should bring their own trick-or-treat bags.
The “Ghost Fighter.” | Source: American Airpower Museum
Admission costs $20 for adults and $18 for seniors, active military personnel, first responders and veterans. Active Guard and Reserve personnel receive a 10% discount, while children ages 4 to 12 pay $12. Please note that library passes are not accepted. For more information and to support the American Airpower Museum, click on this link: www.americanairpowermuseum.com.
“Fright Takes Fight” event poster. | Source: American Airpower Museum

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/american-airpower-museum-to-host-haunted-hangar-halloween-party-on-oct-24.html

#halloweenparty #newhighway #airpowermuseum #americanairpower #hangarhalloween #hauntedhangar #takesflight #hauntedbomber #ghostfighter #farmingdale

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation’s Ford Tri-Motor Completes First ...

2026-10-20T16:24:20Z

Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation’s Ford Tri-Motor Completes First Engine Runs at the Liberty Aviation Museum

On October 14, 2026, all the aircraft in the Liberty Aviation Museum’s Hangar 2 were pulled out to be rearranged for the winter season. Among these was Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B N9684, which has been under restoration at Erie-Ottawa International Airport in Port Clinton, Ohio, for over 20 years. The following day, the Tri-Motor was fueled up, the ground crew checked for any leaks in the fuel system, and for the first time since 1953, N9684 had all three of its engines running. This moment marks a milestone in the long and arduous road taken by this old Ford, which has flown from the valleys of Mexico and the fields of Cuba to the waters of Lake Erie and the mountains of Montana, and which promises to mark a new chapter in this aircraft’s new life, flying alongside one of its brethren that already calls Port Clinton home.
As covered in a previous article on this aircraft, NC9684 started life as Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B c/n 40 and was flown by Compañía Mexicana de Aviación as X-ABCF/XA-BCF from 1929 to 1936, then by Pan American Airways as NC9684 from 1936 to 1938, and Cubana de Aviación, S.A. as NM-24 from 1938 to 1946, though both Mexicana and Cubana had majority shares owned by Pan American and its founder Juan Trippe. By July 1946, the aircraft was acquired by former barnstormer Milton “Milt” Hershberger, founder of Island Air Service (later known as Island Airlines), which flew passengers and cargo to and from Ohio’s Bass Islands in Lake Erie, just off the coast of Port Clinton on the mainland. Registered as N69905, the aircraft would fly for Island Airlines until being sold to Charles “Frenny” Frensdorf of Orofino, Idaho as a jump plane for smokejumpers, trading its old Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engines for a new set of Wright R-975 Whirlwind radials, and was also fitted with wheels from a Lockheed Lodestar and oleo struts from a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.
Smokejumpers loading into a Ford Trimotor airplane at the Nine Mile Airstrip, Lolo National Forest, Montana, June 17, 1954. | Source: Montana State Library
On August 1, 1953, Frensdorf sold N69905 to Bob Johnson of Johnson Flying Service in Missoula, Montana, who also used several other Ford Tri-Motors for smokejumper operations. However, just weeks later on August 17, 1953, N69905 took off from Hale Field near Missoula with eight occupants, including pilot Kenny Roth, to fight three fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex in Powell County. However, the smokejumpers onboard, namely their official spotter, Dick Conklin, determined that it was too windy for the smokejumpers, so they landed at the Spotted Bear airstrip in Flathead County to wait out the windy conditions and fly again later in the day. While taking off from Spotted Bear, though, one engine on N69905 quit, followed by a second engine. With only one engine, Roth fought to keep the Tri-Motor airborne, but to no avail, while Conklin they were too low to jump, and ordered the jumpers to brace for impact. Then the third and last engine quit, and N69905 hit the ground tail first. Though none of the eight people aboard were killed, all had some measure of injury, with pilot Kenny Roth breaking his instep and smokejumper Bob Graham breaking his left leg and ankle in the crash, requiring Roth and Graham to be airlifted by Fred Brauer, Bob Johnson, and Jack Hughes in Johnson’s Twin Beech. As for Tri-Motor N69905, it was stripped for any useful parts and lay where it fell in the Flathead National Forest until the late Ford Tri-Motor restorer Maurice Hovious and his wife Judy acquired the wreckage in 1984 and it shipped it back to their restoration workshop, Hov-Aire, Inc., in Vicksburg, Michigan. Work progressed slowly given the wreck’s condition after sitting exposed to the elements for over 30 years and Hovious being occupied with restoring several other Fords, but with the establishment of the Liberty Aviation Museum at Erie-Ottawa International Airport on December 7, 1991, the history of Island Airlines, which was the last airline to operate the Ford Tri-Motor, with these venerable aircraft flying for the airline well into the 1970s, and began their search to acquire a Ford Tri-Motor in 1994.
A 35mm color negative of an Island Airlines Ford Tri-Motor in flight at Port Clinton, Ohio, taken by A.V. Shirk in the spring of 1972. | Source: Ohio History Connection
Through Ken Benjamin, then-President of the Erie-Ottawa Regional Airport Authority, who was also a local pilot and member of EAA Chapter 1247, Maurice Hovious was invited to deliver a presentation on his work restoring former Island Airlines Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-B N7584 on behalf of Kermit Weeks. Afterward, Hovious invited the members of the chapter to come on a tour of his workshop, where he offered EAA Chapter 1247 the tooling and expertise for them to rebuild one of the Tri-Motor projects he had in storage to airworthy condition, and the remains of N9684/N69905 were selected for this job, with Maurice Hovious transporting the first pieces to Port Clinton in 2004. Soon afterwards, the Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation was established to give support for the project, and EAA Chapter 1247 officially became the Tin Goose Chapter.
Fuselage and wing center section of Ford Tri-Motor N9684 (formerly N69905) being towed by a tractor across Erie-Ottawa International Airport, 2013. | Source: Liberty Aviation Museum
Interior of Ford Tri-Motor N9684 during restoration, February 2015. | Source: THF's Port Clinton Ford Tri-Motor Restoration
Since then, N9684 has slowly taken shape, but because so much of the original structure was no longer flightworthy, the team had to fabricate new panels and beams and acquire new rivets to secure everything. Work continued steadily, and in 2012 the Liberty Aviation Museum built a new hangar; Ed Patrick, the museum’s CEO, then offered the EAA 1247 Tin Goose Chapter the chance to move the Tri-Motor project into the new hangar. Since then, N9684 has been reassembled, with the outer wing panels, engine nacelles, and landing gear reattached in 2025. The team installed the electrical system, flight instrumentation, and fuel system, and outfitted the aircraft with Island Airlines’ red, white, and blue paint scheme.
The Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation stands proudly with Ford Trimotor NC9684, which will be flown by the Liberty Aviation Museum when complete. | Source: Liberty Aviation Museum
The Liberty Aviation Museum’s Ford Tri-Motor “City of Wichita/City of Port Clinton”, PBY-6A Catalina N4NC, and B-25J Mitchell “Georgie’s Gal” on the aircraft ramp between the museum hangars. | Source: Liberty Aviation Museum
During the engine run, all three engines ran well, and no serious issues were found with the fuel system, with the engines getting some minor adjustments before the run-up. Both the Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation and the Liberty Aviation Museum acknowledge that there are still more checks to be done, but they are confident that N9684 will soon return to the skies. What’s exciting about this prospect is not only that this will be the first time in over 70 years that N9684 will be back in the air, but that the Liberty Aviation Museum will be the only aviation museum with two flyable Ford Tri-Motors, and that a former Island Airlines Ford Tri-Motor will once again be soaring above the Bass Islands. While the aircraft will not be landing on the islands during the aerial tours, as the living history flight exemption states that during such flights, the aircraft must land at the departure airport, it will still give locals a chance to relive those years when Bass Island residents used the Ford Tri-Motors as their daily commute between the islands and the mainland at Port Clinton.
The Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation restoration team poses proudly with Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B N9684 following the aircraft’s first engine runs at Erie-Ottawa International Airport, October 2026. | Source: Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation
For more information, visit the Liberty Aviation Museum website HERE, the Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation website HERE, and the EAA “Tin Goose” Chapter 1247 website HERE.
Interior of the Liberty Aviation Museum’s hangar, with Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B N9684, PBY-6A Catalina Bureau No. #46662/N4NC, B-25j Mitchell “Georgie’s Gal”, and TBM-3E Avenger Bureau Number 91436/N9569Z. | Source: Liberty Aviation Museum

https://vintageaviationnews.com/vintage-aviation/tri-motor-heritage-foundations-ford-tri-motor-completes-first-engine-runs-at-the-liberty-aviation-museum.html

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: AEREON 26 – The Tiny Aircraft That Tested a ...

2026-10-20T15:32:32Z

Grounded Dreams: AEREON 26 – The Tiny Aircraft That Tested a Giant Idea

The AEREON Corporation was formed in 1959 and initially concentrated on the design of a three-hull hybrid airship, the AEREON III. The prototype was built in 1965 but destroyed during taxi tests in 1966 and never flew. After the AEREON III was lost, the company sought a better solution. Monroe Drew and John Fitzpatrick of AEREON recruited Jürgen Bock, a German physicist who had worked at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany, and at the US Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground. They asked him to create a list of parameters for a computer at the General Electric Space Center in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. This computer would help find the best aircraft design for maximizing volume while minimizing drag. The resulting aircraft was the AEREON 26.
Design of AEREON 26
Aereon 26. (Image via New Jersey Air Victory Museum) | Source: New Jersey Air Victory Museum
The AEREON 26 was an experimental aircraft designed to test lifting body shapes. It combined features of an airship and a regular airplane. The prototype had a piston engine that powered a pusher propeller. The engine came from the AEREON III and was a four-cylinder McCulloch that produced 92 horsepower. During testing, the 26 went through three different propellers. Initially, it struggled to lift off from the ground, so they fitted a propeller with a different pitch. This second propeller was made of lemonwood and had previously been used by Igor Bensen in an unsuccessful attempt to break the autogyro speed record. After further testing showed the AEREON 26 was still underpowered, Sensenich Propeller custom-made a third propeller from yellow birch. The new propeller was added in time for the AEREON 26’s second round of flight tests in 1971. The AEREON 26 made its first flight on September 7, 1970, with John Olcott as pilot. At first, it could not climb out of ground effect. By September 28, after changing the propeller and removing some equipment, the AEREON 26 could reach 50 feet but still seemed weak. It returned to Red Lion and was brought back to NAFEC on February 24, 1971, after installing vortex generators and a third propeller.
The Cancellation
Aereon 26. (Image via New Jersey Air Victory Museum) | Source: New Jersey Air Victory Museum
Testing resumed at NAFEC on March 1, 1971. This time, the AEREON 26 easily climbed out of ground effect. In later tests, it flew circuits around the field and did different maneuvers before the engine’s lifespan ended the testing program. The flight tests showed good results, but no funding existed for larger, semi-buoyant aircraft at the time. At the 1974 Interagency Workshop on Lighter-than-Air Vehicles, AEREON president William Miller said that the test program showed the aircraft performed as expected. He noted that the AEREON 26 was stable and handled well. It was “docile and acceptable” within the test limits. The results showed the concept was feasible and could lead to further studies on larger aircraft of this type. But in the 1970s, capital markets stopped most new venture funding, so the program did not secure major financing. However, in February 2003, the DOD Office of Force Transformation told Miller, “You were 30 years ahead of your time!” John McPhee also told the story of a test program in his book, The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed. In addition, the aircraft became popular with UFO and conspiracy enthusiasts because its shape resembled some UFO sightings from the same time period. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
Aereon 26. (Image via New Jersey Air Victory Museum) | Source: New Jersey Air Victory Museum

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/aereon-26.html

#aereon #airvictory #jerseyair #newjersey #victorymuseum #aereoncorporation #propeller #iii #cancellationaereon #ground

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Martin P4M ...

2026-10-20T13:45:41Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Martin P4M Mercator XP4M-1 Prototype

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 80 years ago (October 20, 1946), the Martin XP4M-1 Mercator took flight for the first time. Developed for the United States Navy as a long-range maritime patrol aircraft, the Mercator featured an unusual combination of piston and jet power. Two radial engines provided power during normal flight, while a pair of turbojets installed in the rear of the engine nacelles provided additional performance when needed. Development of the Mercator began during WWII in response to a Navy requirement for a new long-range patrol bomber. Martin competed against the Lockheed P2V Neptune, producing a large shoulder-wing aircraft powered by two Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major radial engines. Two Allison J33 turbojets were added to provide additional power for takeoff and combat, with their intakes positioned beneath and behind the radial engines.
Martin P4M-1 Mercator. | Source: Commander Richard Timm, U.S. Navy/Wikimedia Commons
Although the Mercator demonstrated impressive performance, the Navy selected the less expensive Neptune for large-scale production. Only 21 production P4M-1s were completed. The Mercator nevertheless found an important second career in electronic reconnaissance, with modified P4M-1Q aircraft conducting intelligence-gathering missions near the Soviet Union, China, and North Korea during the early Cold War. The type was withdrawn from service in 1960, and no complete examples survive today. The P4M-1 measured 85 feet 11 inches in length with a wingspan of 114 feet and was powered by two 3,250-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines and two Allison J33 turbojets producing 4,600 pounds of thrust each. The aircraft could reach approximately 410 mph, had a range of around 2,300 miles, and a service ceiling of 34,600 feet. Defensive armament included 20 mm cannons and .50-caliber machine guns, while the patrol bomber could carry up to 12,000 pounds of bombs, mines, depth charges, or torpedoes.
Martin P4M-1 Mercator. | Source: US Navy/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-martin-p4m-mercator-xp4m-1-prototype.html

#aviationhistory #mercator #martin #flight #navy #waspmajor #wikimediacommons #two #twoallison #statesnavy

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

PIREP: Flying the Fairchild PT-26 Cornell—The First Step Toward ...

2026-10-20T12:53:21Z

PIREP: Flying the Fairchild PT-26 Cornell—The First Step Toward Fighters

“Great moments are born from great opportunity.” Those words, familiar to anyone who has watched Miracle, have stayed with me since I first saw the film as a kid. I have always kept my eyes open for great opportunities, especially when it comes to aviation and warbirds. In the summer of 2025, the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York—my home airfield—acquired a Fairchild PT-26 Cornell from one of its members. For a pilot interested in following the WWII training progression, this was an opportunity worth pursuing.
During WWII, the Boeing-Stearman Model 75 family, including the PT-17 Kaydet, played a major role in primary flight training. The Stearman was—and remains—a remarkable aircraft, but its biplane configuration differed considerably from the monoplanes that cadets would encounter later in their training. Its limited forward visibility and demanding ground handling also gave new pilots plenty to learn. A cadet who mastered its takeoffs and landings had developed skills that would serve well in other aircraft. The Army Air Corps also sought a rugged monoplane primary trainer. A low-wing aircraft with a wider landing gear track and better forward visibility offered students a different introduction to military flying, one more representative of the aircraft they would encounter as they progressed through basic and advanced training. Fairchild’s answer was the Model M-62, developed under chief engineer Armand Thiebolt. Powered by an inverted, six-cylinder Ranger engine, the prototype first flew on May 15, 1939. It subsequently won an Army competition against 17 other designs. Designated the PT-19, the aircraft entered quantity production in 1940.
Tuskegee Army Air Field in November 1943.
The design combined a fabric-covered, welded steel-tube fuselage with wooden wing construction. Its use of wood reduced reliance on strategic metals, while its wide-track landing gear and narrow engine cowling helped make it approachable for students. The Ranger’s inverted configuration kept the nose relatively slim, providing good forward visibility. As wartime demand grew, production of the Fairchild trainer family expanded to additional manufacturers and woodworking subcontractors. The open-cockpit PT-19A used a 200-hp Ranger engine, while the PT-19B was equipped for instrument training with a hood over the front cockpit. When airframe production outpaced the supply of Ranger engines, the 220-hp Continental R-670 radial provided an alternative powerplant for the PT-23. Behind the firewall, it retained the familiar Fairchild trainer layout. Wooden construction had its drawbacks, particularly when exposed to the heat and humidity of southern training bases. Wing deterioration and delamination became maintenance concerns, underscoring the importance of inspecting and protecting the aircraft’s wooden components.
A Fairchild PT-19A is currently under restoration for the Collings Foundation in. Once a common sight in the skies, airworthy PT-19s are quite rare now, but this one is even more special, as it is believed to be the last known example of its type to have served with the Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee Army Air Field. | Source: Collings Foundation
The enclosed-cockpit PT-26 adapted the design for cold-weather operations. Fleet Aircraft manufactured Cornells in Canada for use under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, where they served at Elementary Flying Training Schools. Our museum’s aircraft is a Cornell Mk. II, construction number FC-27 and RCAF serial 10521. I covered its history in an earlier article, “A Cornell for Geneseo: The National Warplane Museum Adds a PT-26 to Their Fleet.”
This past June, I organized “Meet the PT-26” Day to introduce our volunteers and visitors to the museum’s newest aircraft. At the same time, I began developing a PT-26 training program using WWII training manuals and the FAA’s current Commercial Pilot Airman Certification Standards. My friend and fellow Fairchild pilot Paul F. met me at Niagara Falls International Airport and gave me a thorough ground-school introduction using his PT-26. My fellow volunteers recognized my enthusiasm for getting our Cornell active and graciously offered me the opportunity to begin flying it. My longtime museum colleague and friend Jared C. offered to instruct me. Jared owns a pristine PT-26 himself and has a wonderful way of sharing his knowledge, both on the ground and in the air. My training was in good hands. As training began, I learned that “PT” could have two meanings: primary training and physical therapy. The Cornell is not difficult to fly, but it requires new muscle memory and habits compared with the Champ/L-16 I was accustomed to. Over several days, Jared and I logged multiple hours while working through the maneuvers in our training course outline. I quickly grew fond of the airplane. Its smooth control action was especially noticeable: small, precise inputs produced a reassuring response.
Preflight is straightforward, with a few details worth learning. Our aircraft’s fuel tanks hold 49 U.S. gallons, of which 45 are usable. Checking the levels through the narrow filler necks can be tricky. Although the wing-mounted fuel gauges are visible from the cockpit, I prefer to verify the quantity directly, so I developed a dipstick for our tanks. Oil is another important part of the inspection. Our maximum capacity is 4.1 U.S. gallons, and I add oil if the quantity is below three gallons. The 120-grade oil has a consistency that makes “pancake batter” an appropriate nickname. The long pitot tube also deserves attention. I was taught to remove its cover last before flight and replace it first afterward. I have been told that, at airshows, children have occasionally mistaken it for a convenient pull-up bar. A cover and a nearby orange cone help protect a component that would be difficult to replace.
Compared with the L-16 I had been flying, the Cornell spoils you in one respect: it has a starter. In our aircraft, the start begins on the left magneto before switching to both. We wait for the oil temperature to reach 35°C before advancing the engine beyond 1,000 rpm and taxiing. While waiting for the oil to warm, I could not help thinking about the young cadets who had sat in that same position during WWII, with adrenaline coursing through their veins much as it was through mine. Their eventual missions, of course, carried far higher stakes.
CWH
Once the oil is warm, taxiing is straightforward—quite literally. Forward visibility from the front seat is excellent for a pilot of average height. I practiced S-turns, or “fishtails,” to keep that skill sharp for aircraft with more restricted visibility, but routine taxiing in the Cornell is generally uneventful. Following the run-up of our Ranger L-440-7, it is time for takeoff. I line up on the centerline with the stick back and the appropriate aileron correction for the wind, then smoothly advance the throttle. With the engine instruments indicating normally and the airspeed coming alive, I raise the tail and let the airplane become light on its wheels. Liftoff typically comes at approximately 60–65 mph. I then lower the nose slightly, accelerate in ground effect to our 80-mph best-rate-of-climb speed, and begin a leisurely climb. The Cornell was built to teach, rather than impress anyone with its climb rate.
Leveling off and setting our usual cruise power of 2,050 rpm reveals another interesting feature. The mixture control operates in the opposite direction from what many modern pilots expect: full rich is aft, and idle cutoff is forward. In cruise, the mixture and throttle controls can be aligned, with a mechanical stop linking their movement as the throttle is retarded. Releasing the stop allows the controls to move independently for further mixture adjustment. In our aircraft, cruise generally falls between 95 and 105 mph, with average fuel consumption of approximately 12 gallons per hour. The smooth controls become particularly apparent during maneuvering flight. Steep turns, chandelles, and lazy eights are all well within the Cornell’s capabilities. For me, the biggest adjustment was learning the correct sight picture. The narrow, tapering nose makes straight-and-level flight look more like a descent in another trainer. Initially, looking toward the wings gave me a better reference for the airplane’s attitude than relying on the vintage attitude indicator alone. The maneuvering speed used in our training is 115 mph, while best glide is 80 mph—the same speed we use for the climb.
The PT-26 has been an honest airplane in my experience, particularly during slow flight and stalls. It gives noticeable warning as the stall approaches, with buffeting followed by a nose drop. Its large rudder provides useful directional control at low speed, a welcome characteristic in a primary trainer. Ground-reference maneuvers are equally enjoyable. Eights on pylons, already one of my favorite exercises, were especially satisfying in the Cornell. When I drifted outside the desired parameters, small corrections were usually enough to restore the maneuver. Landing brings its own rhythm. In our training, I enter the pattern, reduce power to approximately 2,000 rpm on downwind, apply carburetor heat, and complete the prelanding checklist. Abeam the runway numbers—the “perch point”—I reduce power to approximately 1,500–1,700 rpm and lower the nose to establish the descent. Timing the turn toward final requires a little finesse and a feel for the airplane’s descent rate. During the turn toward final, I open the canopy and select the first notch of flaps, or half flaps, below the 95-mph flap-extension limit used in our aircraft. On final, I line up an imaginary gunsight with my aiming point, usually the runway numbers, and maintain an 80-mph approach with half or full flaps. So far, half flaps have been sufficient for my landings. As I reach the level-off point, I shift my view farther down the runway. Reducing power has generally helped me settle into a gentle three-point landing, while retaining a little power has worked well for wheel landings. After a three-point touchdown, I hold the stick back. For a wheel landing, a small forward input keeps the mains planted; as the tail settles, I ease the stick back while maintaining the necessary crosswind correction.
Once clear of the runway, I turn off the carburetor heat, raise the flaps, and lean the mixture. Another flight in the Fairchild is complete—a small connection to the cadets who began their own journeys in these trainers before progressing to more powerful aircraft and wartime service. With my checkout complete, flying in the 2026 Geneseo Airshow, the Greatest Show on Turf, became a real possibility. In the days before the show, I sharpened my skills with repeated circuits in the pattern. Then, on show day, my opportunity arrived. Jared brought his beautiful PT-26 and led our flight. I was so excited during the briefing that I am still not sure how I contained myself. When it was time to fly, we started our engines and taxied out in trail, with the L-Bird flight behind us. After the run-up, I paused to take it all in. I recorded a short video so I would never forget a moment I had been working toward for much of my life. What a privilege, and what an honor.
Once cleared for takeoff, Jared and I flew above the L-Birds as they circled below. We made roughly a dozen circuits to open the show. Time seemed to stretch as I settled into the flight, completely absorbed in the experience. To top it off, I made wheel landings that I hoped would make Jared proud. Sharing the skies above Geneseo with pilots I admire, including Lou Horschel and Thom Richard, and receiving such a warm welcome from my museum family afterward made the experience especially meaningful. I knew my father was watching, and I could not help feeling that he was glowing with pride.
What comes next? Plenty of pilots are eager to build hours and move up the warbird ladder, and I understand why. Personally, I want to enjoy the journey. My goals are well known, and I feel I am on the right path. I will keep flying our PT-26 whenever I can while continuing to help with the restoration of our Geneseo AT-6 and P-51 Lucy Gal. That progression follows the familiar training pipeline, but I remain open to other opportunities as well. I will also continue flight instructing and flying commercially to broaden my experience. I am grateful to be where I am today, thanks in large part to the people who have supported me throughout the warbird community. To Jared, Pete, Craig, Paul, and my entire Geneseo family: thank you for helping me grow as a pilot. I look forward to what the future holds.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/pirep-flying-the-fairchild-pt-26-cornell-the-first-step-toward-fighters.html

#fairchild #cornell #pirep #armyair #ranger #great #nationalwarplane #warplanemuseum #wwii #model

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Adam’s Profile Reports: Messerschmitt Bf 108D-1 Werknummer 3059 ...

2026-10-20T08:33:50Z

Adam’s Profile Reports: Messerschmitt Bf 108D-1 Werknummer 3059

The Commemorative Air Force stands today as the premier organization for operating warbirds both across the United States and internationally in France, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and has come a long way since its inception in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley. Although it is most well-known for maintaining over 100 American-built fighters, bombers, transports, and trainers of WWII, the various branches of the CAF spread out across the United States also host several foreign types, with the greatest concentration being found at the Southern California Wing in Camarillo, California, some 50 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Here, the wing owns a Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XIV, rebuilt Mitsubishi A6M3 Model 22 Zero, and a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, which airshow pilot Jason Somes of High Alpha Airshows keeps both his Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F “Fresco” and Antonov An-2 “Colt” hangared with the CAF SoCal Wing. Yet another aircraft that calls Camarillo home is a Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun, a popular civilian and military aircraft built in Germany in the mid 1930s that saw service all over Europe before, during, and after WWII under the flags of many nations. Today, this example in California stands as the last Bf 108 flown in the United States with its original engine, and it carries a hidden legacy that connects the small aircraft to the most mass-produced fighter aircraft in military aviation history, the Bf 109.
Messerschmitt Bf 108D-1 Taifun Werknummer flying off the coast of California. | Source: Michael Hohls via Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing
The story of the Messerschmitt Bf 108 is closely tied to the transitional period of German aviation between the First and Second World Wars. Although the Armistice of November 11, 1918, called for the surrender of all German aircraft, and the Treaty of Versailles held that Germany was never to have a new air force, German officials, even during the period of the Weimar Republic, were intent on subverting these stipulations until Germany could rebuild its air arm. As a result, many former pilots helped develop Germany’s sports aviation community, from sailplanes/gliders to light civilian aircraft, and by the 1920s restrictions on the German aircraft industry had eased to allow the production of commercial aircraft as well.
German glider pilots training on a Schneider Grunau 9 training glider, circa 1926. | Source: Bundesarchiv
Among the aircraft designers working in the postwar German aviation community was Willy Messerschmitt, who developed designs such as the M 17 sports plane, and later developed small single-engine airliners such as the M.20 while working as chief designer for the Bavarian Aircraft Works (Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW)). However, the loss of three M.20s to crashes caused by faulty tail assemblies, the first of which killed pilot Hans Hackmack, a close friend of Erhard Milch, the head of Germany’s largest airline, Deutsche Luft Hansa, and future deputy head of the Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM), who then developed a lifelong loathing for Messerschmitt that would continue to have ramifications during WWII, and Milch’s refusal to accept contracts with Messerschmitt, combined with the onset of the Great Depression, would drive BFW to the point of bankruptcy. However, Messerschmitt had secured the patronage of Theodor Croneiss, a former WWI fighter ace turned founder of an air sports club (Sportflug GmbH für Mittelfranken und Oberpfalz” (Sport Flying Ltd. for Middle Franconia and Upper Palatinate)) and regional airline (Nordbayerische Verkehrsflug (North Bavarian Commercial Flight; later Deutsche Verkehrsflug)), and who also became a board member of BFW.
The success of the Messerschmitt M17 light aircraft helped Willy Messerschmitt gain investors to develop the factories where he would later design and build new aircraft such as the Bf 108 and the Bf 109. | Source: Library of Congress
In 1933, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, and one of his high-ranking subordinates was the former World War I fighter pilot Hermann Göring, who was appointed to head multiple ministries within the new Nazi government, including Reich Minister without Portfolio, Prussian Minister of the Interior, and the Reich Commissioner for Aviation. That same year, Göring wrote to Theodor Croneiss, now serving as Supreme Sturmabteilung (SA) Leader for Aviation Affairs at the Bavarian State Chancellery, calling for the creation of a new touring monoplane to appear in the upcoming 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme, hosted by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), and set to be held in Warsaw, Poland, following prior outings in Paris and Berlin. The design team to create this new airplane was to be headed by Willy Messerschmitt, with engineers Robert Lusser, Richard Bauer, and Hubert Bauer working under him on the project labeled BFW M 37.
Theodor Croneiss, a German WWI fighter ace and later Squadron Leader of the Air Force’s State Group X (Bavaria) of the German Air Sports Association. Croneiss was also a key investor of Willy Messerschmitt, and served as a test pilot for Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). | Source: National Archives and Records Administration
For BFW, this was a golden opportunity: the company had only narrowly escaped bankruptcy, and with the Nazi Party offering aeronautical companies secret approval to rebuild Germany’s air force, BFW was also invited to join an unofficial design competition for a new fighter aircraft. Although Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was too small to simultaneously develop both a modern touring aircraft and a fighter prototype, it was realized that elements from the BFW M 37 touring plane could be adapted into a new fighter design. On June 13, 1934, the first prototype of the BFW M 37, c/n 695, D-IBUM, made its first flight, with test pilot Karl Francke at the controls. For its time, the BFW M 37 was a revolutionary design, with all-metal cantilever wings and a semi-monocoque fuselage, both built with duralumin skins secured by countersunk rivets. The enclosed cockpit had space for four occupants in two rows of side-by-side seats, and the aircraft also had dual controls. The wings featured leading-edge slats, based on designs by the British manufacturer Handley Page, that could extend and retract independently based on speed and flight attitude, giving the M 37 excellent low-speed handling at low altitude. The main landing gear was also retractable, though the tail wheel remained fixed. For better stowage in small hangars, the three main wing mounting bolts could be unlatched, and the wings could then be folded against the sides of the fuselage and secured to the horizontal stabilizer; this also allowed the aircraft to be towed by securing it to a car or truck.
Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun D-EBFW with Me P7 propeller and folded wings, May 17, 2007. | Source: Hermannk via Wikimedia Commons
Just weeks after the first flight, the first prototype was lost in an accident near Augsburg, Germany, on July 27, 1934, with pilot Freiherr Wolf von Dungern being killed. Nevertheless, four more M 37s were built and were sent to the Challenge International de Tourisme at Warsaw’s Mokotów Airport, where the new design made its public debut under a new designation from the German Air Ministry, the Bf 108, with this initial model being the Bf 108A. The four Bf 108As flew alongside five Fieseler Fi 97s and four Klemm Kl 36 aircraft to make up the German team that competed against the light touring aircraft designs of Poland (represented by the PZL.26 and RWD-9 and a de Havilland Puss Moth flown by British aviator Walter MacPherson), Italy (with the Pallavicino PS-1, Breda Ba.39 and Breda Ba.42), and Czechoslovakia (flying the Aero A-200). The rules of the competition stated that the entrants had to take off with a crew of at least two, make a short takeoff and landing, and cover a prescribed distance at a good cruising speed, with prizes for first through fourth place offered in the form of French francs. In the ensuing competition, the Polish team would win first and second place with the RWD 9, with a Fieseler Fi 97 securing third place for Germany, while an Aero A.200 came in fourth place. However, three of the four Bf 108As made fifth, sixth, and tenth place, respectively, and the Bf 108A won first, second, and third place in both the maximum speed trial and the fuel consumption trial. The Bf 108 was also the fastest aircraft entered into the competition, but commercial success would not come quickly.
Opening ceremony of the 1934 FAI International Touring Aircraft Contest in Warsaw. On the left: Polish team (high-wing RWD-9 and low-wing PZL.26 aircraft), in the middle: Chechoslovak team (one RWD-9 and two low-wing Aero A.200), on the right – German team (Bf 108, Klemm Kl 36, Fieseler Fi 97). The Italian time had not arrived yet. | Source: Polska lotnicza via Wikimedia Commons
At first, the Bf 108 found only a niche market with private pilots and businesses that wanted their own personal aircraft, but the complexity of the Bf 108, combined with a high sales price and intensive maintenance precluded its use with flying clubs and flight schools, and only six Bf 108As and seven Bf 108B-0s were built, with the A models being powered by the Hirth HM 508 inverted V8 engine and the B model was powered by the larger Argus As 10, another inverted V8 design, which was ultimately the preferred choice of powerplant for the aircraft. The Hirth-powered Bf 108s were generally distinguished from their Argus-powered counterparts by the installation of a three-blade prop as opposed to the two-bladed props of the Argus-powered Bf 108s, which would become the standard propeller configuration for the type.
Messerschmitt Bf 108 D-EBFW (painted as D-IBFW) in flight near the Austrian town of Wels, July 10, 2010. | Source: Joe Rimensberger via Wikimedia Commons
The Bf 108 would become far more prominent in the public eye when on August 13, 1935, famous aviator Elly Beinhorn flew a Bf 108 on a record-setting flight from Germany to Turkey and back in less, taking off from Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia (now Gleiwitz, Poland) and flying nonstop to Yeşilköy, near Istanbul, then flew to Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport, covering 3,470 kilometers in just 14 hours and 30 minutes, and having flown over the Bosphorus Strait and over the city of Haydarpaşa, Beinhorn also became the first pilot to fly from Europe to Asia and back in under 24 hours. When Beinhorn named her personal Bf 108 Taifun (German for Typhoon), her flight would inspire others to adopt the name Taifun as the aircraft type’s nickname. One year later, on August 6, 1936, Beinhorn set another record in a Bf 108, this time flying Bf 108 Taifun D-IGNY across three continents in one day, taking off from Damascus, Syria, and flying to Cairo, Egypt, and Athens, Greece on her way back to Berlin, covering 3,750 kilometers.
Elly Beinhorn in the cockpit of her Messerschmitt Bf 108. After she named her aircraft Taifun (Typhoon), the name became the official nickname for the Bf 108. | Source: Photo by Heinrich Hoffman
In 1935, in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, Nazi Germany officially unveiled the new German air force, the Luftwaffe, complete with a new prototype fighter, the Bf 109, based on the design layout of the Bf 108. The Luftwaffe officially adopted the Bf 108 as its liaison aircraft, using it for high-speed personnel transport and courier duties. In 1938, Willy Messerschmitt restructured Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) as Messerschmitt AG. From then on, all subsequent aircraft built were designated with the ‘Me’ prefix, and aircraft designed prior to 1938, such as the Bf 108 and the Bf 109, were also referred to interchangeably with the ‘Me’ and ‘Bf’ prefixes, even in contemporary German documents. Production of the Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun was also transferred from Augsburg to the larger Messerschmitt factory in Regensburg.
Lieutenant Colonel Theodor Osterkamp, WWI naval flying ace, recipient of the Pour le Mérite and commander of the Werneuchen Fighter Pilot School, with his wife Fel Gudren Pagge in front of a Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun, December 1938. | Source: German Federal Archives
During WWII, the Bf 108 was flown in every theater of operation, from Norway to Libya and from France to Russia. One Bf 108 was also involved in the Mechelen incident of January 10, 1940, when a Bf 108 flying from Loddenheide Airfield to Cologne overshot the Rhine River in low-lying fog, and the aircraft made a forced landing in neutral Belgium while carrying secret documents for the planned German invasion of the Low Countries. The Bf 108 also occupies an unusual place as one of the few aircraft flown by both sides of WWII. At least four examples sold to private owners in the UK prior to the outbreak of war were confiscated by the Royal Air Force, nicknamed Aldons, and used as liaison aircraft. One aircraft. Bf 108B-1 Werknummer 2004 was flown by the US air attaché in Berlin as XC-44 39-718 before it was eventually confiscated by the RLM by December 1941 following the German declaration of war on the United States. At least 21 aircraft were exported to Switzerland, and another 35 to Yugoslavia, and one Bf 108 each is known to have been exported to Brazil and Chile, while German allies such as Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary all flew a handful of Bf 108s, and some even made their way to Japan and to the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.
Messerschmitt Bf 108 liaison and courier aircraft belonging to the Staff of JG 51, with German ace Werner Mölders on the right. Note the JG 51 emblem painted on the engine cowling. | Source: Wikimedia Commons
In 1942, to let Messerschmitt prioritize Bf 109 production in Germany, production of the Bf 108 was moved to occupied France, with the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Nord (SNCAN) factory in Les Mureaux selected for the task. However, the Allies liberated Les Mureaux in 1944, and only 170 airframes were built. With the French Air Force needing new aircraft immediately, the decision was made to continue production at what would be rebranded Nord Aviation, with the French Bf 108s being named the Nord 1000. Initially, these were fitted with leftover Argus As 10 engines, but when supplies of the engine ran out, the Renault 6Q, an inverted six-cylinder engine, was installed instead, with the aircraft becoming the Nord 1001 Pingouin I, followed by the 1002 Pingouin II. During the war, SNCAN was also ordered to build a prototype for what would become the Messerschmitt Me 208, which differed from the Bf 108 by adding a nose gear and moving the main landing gear to the wings. Two prototypes were built before the factory was liberated. Refitted with the Renault 6Q, the Messerschmitt Me 208 became the Nord 1100 Noralpha. The French Air Force flew these aircraft into the 1960s, and many surplus examples flown by private pilots have often been painted in Luftwaffe colors.
A former French Aéronavale Nord 1002 Pinguoin (c/n 257) at the Berlin Hamburger Bahnhof, Germany, September 1, 1991. The aircraft is now displayed at the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin. Note the Renault 6Q-10 engine sitting outside the aircraft. | Source: André Gerwing via Wikimedia Commons
Nord 1101 N2758 on display at the Tillamook Air Museum, Tillamook, Oregon. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
The ultimate variant of the German-built Bf 108 was the Bf 108D, a modernized version of the Bf 108B with the installation of a new variable-pitch propeller, alterations to the cockpit glazing, landing gear, fuel system, and upgrading the voltage in the electrical system from 12 volts to 24 volts. One of these Bf 108Ds has survived to become the example now flown by the CAF SoCal Wing, and the story of its long journey from Germany to California is one of many twists and turns, and it contains some level of mystery. Built in February 1942 by the Messerschmitt AG factory in Regensburg as Werknummer 3059. It was one of only 54 D-1 variants of the Bf 108 to be built at Regensburg and was one of the final Bf 108 Taifuns built in Germany before production switched to SNCAN at Les Mureaux later that year. According to recent research by the CAF, its first flight occurred on March 2, 1942, with pilot Josef H

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/adams-profile-reports-messerschmitt-bf-108d-1-werknummer-3059.html

#unitedstates #californiawing #messerschmitt #aircraft #southerncalifornia #german #werknummer #airforce #taifunwerknummer #unitedkingdom

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

“Mr. Spitfire’s” Last Project: Spitfire PK519 Sells for ...

2026-10-20T07:42:06Z

“Mr. Spitfire’s” Last Project: Spitfire PK519 Sells for £18,000 at Auction

The partially reconstructed fuselage of Supermarine Spitfire F Mk 22 PK519, the final restoration project of collector Peter Arnold, sold for £18,000 at Dominic Winter Auctioneers’ military and aviation auction on October 8. Known among fellow enthusiasts as “Mr. Spitfire,” Arnold spent approximately five decades locating and documenting more than 350 crash sites, assembling a collection that reflected his lifelong dedication to the aircraft.

Registered as G-SPXX, PK519 was offered with surviving wreckage and components from the aircraft, alongside original panels from other Spitfires that Arnold had used to reconstruct the fuselage. The project represented another chapter in the history of an aircraft that went from postwar RAF service to a target range before its remains were recovered by aviation historians and collectors. Originally ordered from Vickers-Armstrongs on June 2, 1943, as a Mk IX, PK519 was ultimately completed at Castle Bromwich as a Griffon 61-powered Mk 22. It was delivered to No. 39 Maintenance Unit at Colerne, Wiltshire, on September 21, 1945, shortly after the end of WWII. The aircraft remained in storage until October 1947, when it was transferred to Vickers-Armstrongs at Keevil for modifications. Following that work, it was delivered to No. 6 Maintenance Unit at Brize Norton in September 1948. On August 12, 1949, PK519 joined No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, at Biggin Hill. It initially carried the code RAV-A, subsequently changed to V6-A. As the squadron re-equipped with Gloster Meteors, the Spitfire was withdrawn and transferred to storage at RAF Old Sarum, near Salisbury, in 1954. PK519 and another Spitfire, PK518, subsequently became ground targets on the Salisbury Plain ranges. Both were used for demonstration attacks involving aircraft including the Hawker Sea Fury, de Havilland Venom, Republic F-84 Thunderjet and English Electric Canberra.
Aviation historian Peter Foote discovered PK519’s remains in 1966. By the time Arnold gained access to the range in the summer of 1977, the surviving wreckage had been considerably depleted. Searching for castings and forgings for his Seafire LA564 project, Arnold recovered portions of PK519’s firewalls, including a machined mounting section along the upper edge. Following Foote’s death in 2001, his collection of historical artifacts was distributed among friends and family. Significant pieces of PK519 went to Steve Vizard and Craig Charleston, with many subsequently passing to Arnold. These components formed part of the material offered with the fuselage. Because of the condition of the recovered pieces, Arnold incorporated original panels from other Spitfires into the reconstruction, assembling them on wooden formers. He registered PK519 with the Civil Aviation Authority as G-SPXX on May 18, 2012.
The auction lot included the fuselage, a cockpit window assembly, a Perspex canopy and five original Griffon propeller blades, finished in black with yellow tips. Surviving sheet metal, undercarriage legs and other wreckage from PK519 accompanied the project. The instrument panel installed in the fuselage was a paper representation for display purposes. Arnold’s interest in Spitfires began during his school years, when he would cycle to crash sites and document his discoveries. He later worked for Aston Martin, developing his engineering skills while broadening his search for surviving aircraft material. His research and collecting earned him widespread respect within the Spitfire community.
Introducing the collection, auctioneer Henry Meadows described the sale as a tribute to a man who was widely liked among fellow enthusiasts. Other items in Arnold’s collection included a separate instrument panel fitted with original instruments and an RAF sector clock dated 1941. The £18,000 sale marked the latest chapter for PK519 and the unfinished project Arnold left behind—a tangible part of the preservation work that earned him the name “Mr. Spitfire.” For more information about Dominic Winter Auctioneers, visit www.dominicwinter.co.uk

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/mr-spitfires-last-project-spitfire-pk519-sells-for-18000-at-auction.html

#spitfire #arnold #project #supermarinespitfire #auction #maintenanceunit #dominicwinter #peterarnold #october #september

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Airspeed AS.30 ...

2026-10-20T06:47:51Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Airspeed AS.30 Queen Wasp

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 89 years ago (October 19, 1937), the floatplane prototype of the Airspeed A.S.30 Queen Wasp took flight for the first time. Developed as a pilotless target aircraft, the British biplane was intended to replace the de Havilland Queen Bee and provide the Royal Navy with a radio-controlled target for anti-aircraft and air-to-air gunnery training. Development of the Queen Wasp began in response to Air Ministry Specification Q.32/35. Two prototypes were ordered in 1936: landplane K8887 for the Royal Air Force and floatplane K8888 for the Royal Navy. Although designed to operate by radio control, the aircraft incorporated an enclosed cockpit and conventional controls, allowing a pilot to fly it manually when required. The landplane first flew on June 11, 1937, followed by the floatplane on October 19.
Airspeed AS.30 Queen Wasp. | Source: aviadejavu.ru
The Queen Wasp’s radio-control system incorporated several backup features intended to maintain reliable control of the aircraft. Testing of the floatplane revealed difficulties with its handling on the water, requiring modifications to its floats. Despite successfully being catapulted from HMS Pegasus, the Queen Wasp failed to meet expectations. A production order was placed, but only a handful of aircraft were completed before the program was abandoned. The Queen Wasp measured 24 feet 4 inches in length with a wingspan of 31 feet and was powered by a 350-hp Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah 7-cylinder radial engine. The landplane could reach approximately 172 mph, cruise at 151 mph, and had a service ceiling of 20,000 feet.
Airspeed AS.30 Queen Wasp. | Source: aviadejavu.ru

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-airspeed-as-30-queen-wasp.html

#queenwasp #aviationhistory #airspeed #royalnavy #havillandqueen #queenbee #flight #van #airministry #airforce

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Tillamook Air Museum Set to Reopen October 29 Ten months after a ...

2026-10-20T05:58:31Z

Tillamook Air Museum Set to Reopen October 29

Ten months after a windstorm tore a large gash in the roof of the old Naval Air Station Tillamook Hangar B, the Tillamook Air Museum has announced it will reopen to the public on Thursday, October 29. For all involved, it has been an exhausting ordeal, but with the help of the Utah-based nonprofit Vintage Aviation Museum, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most well-known air museums will once again welcome visitors inside its massive WWII-era wooden blimp hangar.
View of the large gash opened in the south end of Hangar B, the former Naval Air Station Tillamook WWII blimp hangar turned home for the Tillamook Air Museum. | Source: Tillamook Air Museum
On December 18, 2025, a 180-foot-long, 30-foot-wide gash was torn open on the south end of Hangar B, exposing the 84-year-old wooden structure to the elements and threatening to permanently close the museum, which has been in operation since 1994. We at Vintage Aviation News have been covering the winding and often uncertain path the museum was forced to take over the last ten months HERE, including the news from August 2026 that the Vintage Aviation Museum of Spanish Fork, Utah would take over the ownership and operations of the Tillamook Air Museum while retaining the name of this living institution of Oregon’s aviation history.
Severe winds have heavily damaged the WWII-era Hangar B at the Tillamook Air Museum in Oregon, forcing its closure as officials assess repairs to the nationally registered historic structure. | Source: Tillamook Air Museum
Furthermore, the Tillamook Air Museum welcomed the arrival of two mobile cranes from Snell Crane Service based in Olympia, Washington, which have gone to work to repair the roof of the historic Hangar B, starting with the removal of the damaged roofing still hanging from the side of the blimp hangar. As the cranes worked on the exterior of the hangar, the Tillamook Air Museum organized a Volunteer Work Party on October 9, calling on local volunteers to clean aircraft, doors, and exhibits, as well as putting away the tarps placed over the airplanes during the museum’s closure, going through the Gift Shop’s inventory, and moving smaller aircraft into new display positions.
In all, nearly 80 volunteers, both young and old, came together, with many of them being members of the nonprofit SAVE Hangar B, established by the Friends of the Tillamook Air Museum (FOTAM), along with local businesses Main Street Pizza, Safeway of Tillamook, Christenson Electric of Portland, and the Civil Air Patrol’s Tillamook County Composite Squadron. The opening event that will be held on October 29 will last from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, allowing the local community to come and see what has changed to make the reopening of the museum possible.
Volunteers help clean the exhibits of the Tillamook Air Museum ahead of the museum’s scheduled reopening for October 29. | Source: Tillamook Air Museum
In addition to the dozens of airplanes that have been part of the Tillamook Air Museum’s collection for 30 years, the reopening will allow the people of Tillamook and visitors from out of town to see two two retired military aircraft delivered to the museum in October 2025 (just two months before the windstorm); McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier II BuNo 165002 (flown directly to Tillamook, Oregon from Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, and on long-term loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum) and Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star 51-4286, formerly displayed at the Imperial War Museum’s American Air Museum in Britain at Duxford Aerodrome, England from 1992 until 2016 before being stored at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio from 2016 to 2025. Now the reopening will allow the public to see more of these two aircraft, which have only been publicly displayed at Tillamook for months prior to the reopening ceremony.
AV-8B Harrier II BuNo 165002 in the Tillamook Air Museum’s Hangar B. | Source: Tillamook Air Museum
Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star 51-2486 shortly after arriving at the Tillamook Air Museum from the National Museum of the USAF. | Source: Tillamook Air Museum
Furthermore, the Vintage Aviation Museum will not only manage the Tillamook Air Museum, but it will also be adding new airplanes to the collection as well as updating and expanding the Tillamook Air Museum’s exhibits. Among the new aircraft being brought to Tillamook are one of the Vintage Aviation Museum’s Lockheed PV-2 Harpoons. Another aircraft set to be delivered by the Vintage Aviation Museum is a Beech AT-11 Kansan bombardier/navigator trainer restoration project. While work is still being carried out on repairing the roof of Hangar B, the reopening of the Tillamook Air Museum comes as welcome news to all aviation enthusiasts, and will ensure that the museum will continue to have the means to inspire new generations, preserve one of the last surviving WWII blimp hangars, and remain a home to one of the most well-known aerospace collections in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, visit the Tillamook Air Museum’s website HERE.
US Navy blimp K-71 being docked inside Naval Air Station Tillamook’s Hangar B during WWII on August 18, 1943. | Source: Tillamook Air Museum
For more information, visit the Tillamook Air Museum’s website HERE.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/tillamook-air-museum-set-to-reopen-october-29.html

#tillamookair #airmuseum #airstation #navalair #hangar #vintageaviation #october #airpatrol #civilair #tillamookcounty

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Grounded Dreams: Vought V-326 – The Big Block Radial Testbed ...

2026-10-20T05:07:21Z

Grounded Dreams: Vought V-326 – The Big Block Radial Testbed Left in the Shadows

In the early 1940s, to test its R-4360 Wasp Major radial engine, Pratt & Whitney asked Vought to develop an experimental aircraft as a high-altitude engine test bed. As a result, Vought developed the V-326 in 1941, based on the XTBU-1 Sea Wolf and using parts from the F4U Corsair. The Vought V-326 was a low-wing plane designed for two people in a pressurized cockpit. Its main landing gear turned 90 degrees and folded back into the wings. A compartment in the rear fuselage held ballast, and the engine’s carburetor drew air from a scoop in front of the vertical stabilizer.
Design of Vought V-326
Vought V-326. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru
The twin-seat Vought V-326 was 43 feet long, 19.4 feet high, with a wingspan of 57.10 feet. The empty weight was 11,242 pounds, and the gross weight was 17,176 pounds. It had a fuel capacity of 700 US gallons and was envisioned to reach a maximum speed of 418 mph. The Vought V-326 had its first flight on June 18, 1943, piloted by A. Lewis McClain from Pratt & Whitney. Harold B. Archer flew most of the following flights. The first aircraft had a deep covering that enclosed the supercharger and used a three-bladed propeller. However, pressurization issues kept most flights below 40,000 feet.
The Cancellation
Vought V-326. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru
The second aircraft, the Vought V-326 A, made its first and only flight on August 30, 1944. The second aircraft had a tight shell, with air intakes under its wings that supplied air to the two superchargers. It also featured a four-bladed propeller. It underwent some modifications, but these were not finished as interest in the aircraft declined. Both planes were scrapped in 1946, with the Vought V-326 logging only 111 hours of flight time. In addition, the end of WWII rendered the experimental high-altitude engine test bed unnecessary, leading to the cancellation of the models. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
Vought V-326. (Image via airwar.ru) | Source: airwar.ru

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/vought-v-326.html

#groundeddreams #vought #waspmajor #seawolf #cancellationvought #pratt #whitney

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Heavy Attack Squadron 21: The Specialized AP2H Neptune Night ...

2026-10-20T04:15:29Z

Heavy Attack Squadron 21: The Specialized AP2H Neptune Night Gunship Unit

Heavy Attack Squadron 21 (VAH-21), known as the Roadrunners, was a US Navy unit that operated for a short period during the Vietnam War. The squadron was based at Naval Station Sangley Point in the Philippines and used modified Lockheed P-2 Neptune aircraft. These planes had special electronic equipment to find and disrupt enemy supplies moving by land or sea. Although Heavy Attack Squadron 21 existed for less than a year, it demonstrated the Navy’s effort to use aircraft with sensors and surveillance technology for nighttime operations. The Navy created Heavy Attack Squadron 21 on September 1, 1968, as its first squadron focused on night missions using new electronic surveillance equipment. Its main job was to stop enemy supplies moving by land or sea. Rather than relying only on traditional bombing, the squadron aimed to use its sensors to detect and track movement at night and disrupt enemy supply lines. VAH-21 operated a specialized version of the Lockheed P-2 Neptune called the AP-2H. Only four aircraft were converted to this type, all from existing SP-2H Neptune models.
VAH-21 patch. (Image via Wikipedia)
The modifications shifted the aircraft from standard maritime patrol to a platform capable of nighttime surveillance using electronic equipment. This gave Heavy Attack Squadron 21 special capabilities different from the regular missions of standard Neptune squadrons. Soon after the squadron was formed, a VAH-21 team was sent to a Navy facility near Cam Ranh Air Base in South Vietnam. The team previously worked as part of the Naval Air Test Center Project TRIM. TRIM, which stood for Trials Roads Interdiction Multi-sensor, focused on using multiple sensors to track activity on roads and trails. When the team joined Heavy Attack Squadron 21, it brought this experimental surveillance and interdiction ability to an operational squadron. Their mission was to spot logistics movements and help stop the flow of supplies, especially at night when regular observation was harder. Heavy Attack Squadron 21’s time was short, and the squadron was disbanded on June 16, 1969, less than 10 months later. Read more Squadron Histories articles HERE.
Former VAH-21 AP-2H on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum. (Image via Wikipedia)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/squadron-histories/heavy-attack-squadron-21.html

#attacksquadron #heavyattack #neptune #specialized #unit #night #vietnamwar #sangleypoint #stationsangley #air

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

EDO: The Tale of the Factory That Once Dominated America’s ...

2026-10-20T03:23:14Z

EDO: The Tale of the Factory That Once Dominated America’s Aircraft Floats

The EDO Aircraft Corporation started on October 16, 1925, in College Point, New York. Its founder, Earl Dodge Osborne, wanted to build airplanes but initially produced EDO floats. These floats gained popularity for their innovative design, made from aluminum instead of wood, and for the lack of paved runways in the 1920s. When WWII began, the company shifted its focus. EDO began providing parts for military aircraft for the US Naval Air Corps, US Army Air Forces, and foreign air forces. Because of this shift, the company changed its name to the EDO Corporation in November 1947. EDO built a factory on Long Island in 1940, and the construction cost was $305,000. In June 1950, Ray Erwin started the Erwin Sales Company, which he operated until he died in 1961.
A DHC-2 Beaver on EDO floats, 2004. (Image via Wikipedia)
On March 1, 1952, the company changed its name to Garwin Inc., focusing on rebuilding aircraft instruments and accessories. By late 1952, the company also began making its own instruments. In 1963, it became known as Garwin-Carruth Inc. Three years later, in 1966, Weston Instruments bought the company. By that time, Garwin was selling its products in South America and Europe, as well as in the United States. In 1969, EDO Corporation acquired the Wichita Division of Weston Instrument Company. That same year, EDO took control of Electronic Equipment Engineering (EEE), Inc. based in Dallas, Texas. EEE designed and manufactured radio and audio control equipment for long-range aircraft, and it relocated to Wichita in 1970. The merged company was called EDO-Aire. By the 1980s, the light aircraft industry faced a serious decline. Production dropped from over 12,000 units per year to about 1,600.
Edo Corporation, College Point, Long Island. (Image via Wikipedia)
In 1982, EDO Aircraft Corporation decided to sell the EDO-Aire Group, ending its 60-year involvement in the aviation industry. In April 1983, four former leaders of EDO-Aire Wichita created Sigma Tek, Inc., buying EDO-Aire Wichita’s assets from EDO Corporation. This deal was completed on May 25, 1983. EDO became well-known as the top producer of pontoon floats for aircraft before WWII. The company created floats for many popular aircraft, including Piper Cubs and the Douglas C-47. EDO continued to lead in this area into the 1970s but faced more competition from Wipaire and their Wipline floats. After WWII, Kenmore Air Company started in the Seattle area as a small transportation business. The company expanded its services to include maintenance, sales, and restoration work. Kenmore gained the sales rights for EDO floats in the northwestern United States. In the 1980s, as EDO Corporation began selling its aircraft-related businesses, it transferred the name and rights to EDO floats to Kenmore.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-history/forgotten-factories-the-companies-behind-aviations-icons/edo.html

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Learning to accept the no-go decision Learning to accept the ...

2026-10-19T16:22:28Z

Learning to accept the no-go decision

Learning to accept the no-go decision
Air Facts Journal
I’ve obviously done something to upset Mother Nature this year. There’s no other explanation for what I can confidently say is my worst streak of canceled flights in 30 years as a pilot. Here are the four most noteworthy examples from a brutal five-month stretch:
A trip to Chicago was scrubbed by massive thunderstorms that blanketed the Midwest from Dallas to Detroit, with tops to 50,000 feet and no gaps of any significant size. A one hour flight became a 5 ½ hour drive through grinding traffic.
A trip to Toronto was canceled because of widespread in-flight icing, gusty winds, and scattered thunderstorms. Driving was not a realistic option, so I booked an airline flight, only for it to be canceled (also due to weather). The trip never happened.
A trip to Virginia came apart after a fast-moving cold front threw up a whole mess of weather. A two-hour flight became five hours of connecting airline flights plus an hourlong drive at the end.
The coup de grâce was a trip to Orlando that was canceled by, of all things, a hurricane. In a year where the Atlantic was shockingly quiet, the one storm that did form managed to come on shore the day we were leaving and then park itself directly between our departure and non-refundable park tickets in Florida. That meant another canceled GA flight and last minute airline tickets.
My trip to Orlando was canceled by a hurricane in a year where the Atlantic was shockingly quiet.
Nobody likes changing plans, but trust me when I say I hate to cancel flights. For me, flying is all about travel—airplanes are made to go places, so I like to do just that. As I’ve written before, I find a well-executed IFR flight to a destination 400 miles away to be more thrilling than an airshow. I’m no cowboy but I am happy to use my instrument rating; my motto is “never sacrifice safety, but sometimes sacrifice comfort to get the job done.”
I especially hate to cancel flights with passengers on board, and all four of these trips had full airplanes. That meant inconveniencing more people, spending more money on airline tickets, and juggling more complicated schedules. Still, even a stubborn pilot like me had to admit that none of these flights offered much hope. In retrospect, the decisions were fairly obvious.
“The weather always wins.”
I find a well-executed IFR flight to a destination 400 miles away to be more thrilling than an airshow.
So why should you care about my summer of frustration? It’s easy to dismiss this as a bad stretch of bad luck, but every canceled trip offers a chance to evaluate our decision-making process. Debriefing a no-go decision is just as valuable as debriefing a successful flight. Here are some lessons about traveling by light airplane that I’m reviewing.
The weather always wins. I have the privilege to fly some capable airplanes, including a Pilatus PC-12 and a Cirrus SR22. These can handle some weather, and over the years I have slogged through ice, dodged thunderstorms at 27,000 feet, and landed in 40-knot winds. Unfortunately, no airplane can overcome severe thunderstorms, widespread moderate ice, and hurricanes. Sometimes you just have to accept defeat. That much was obvious when my airline flight to Toronto was canceled—if the pros aren’t going, it’s probably a clue that your GA trip wasn’t meant to be.
You can’t let frustration impact your decision-making. By the time of the Orlando trip, I was so tired of canceling that I really wanted to make the flight happen, one way or another. Get-there-itis? You bet. I was like a baseball player in a major slump, wildly swinging at every pitch in a desperate attempt to make contact—I even considered roundabout routing and ludicrously low cruising altitudes to get to Florida. That’s no way to make a go/no-go decision, though. The hurricane really doesn’t care how many trips you’ve canceled (or how much you spent on park tickets), so each decision has to be made independently. This is obvious, but it takes discipline to remove your emotions and stick to the facts when you’re staring at packed bags.
Smart pilots build in schedule flexibility. Our family specializes in fitting complex trips into busy schedules. With one kid in college, another in high school, and a demanding career, there’s often no other way—and GA makes such trips possible. The key word there is possible. In hindsight, some of the trips above were foolishly tight, often giving us no more than a two-hour window to depart. That feels like a miracle when it works, but it leaves absolutely no room for error. An ATC delay or even a slow fuel truck can ruin such carefully laid plans. Flying GA demands we build in more flexibility, and I lost sight of that. While two or three hours would not have been enough to change the outcome for me, 24 hours would have made most of these flights a go. Sometimes adding a day on either side is the right answer from the outset.
Flying GA is supposed to be fun. This is the most important lesson, but it was the last one to occur to me. If a flight is threatening to become all work and no play—for example, if you spend four days leading up to a trip stressing about weather instead of thinking about vacation—then it’s time to start driving or book Delta. Sure, flying yourself can be efficient and occasionally economical, but above all, it has to be rewarding. And yet the fun factor didn’t play much of a role in my decisionmaking.
The light bulb moment came on one of the trips that ended up as an airline flight: I noticed that as soon as I booked the tickets, I started to relax. Instead of working on fuel calculations or reviewing the latest forecasts, I took a breath and focused on the destination. What felt like a total defeat before the decision changed almost instantly to a feeling of peace. That was a sign that I had made the right decision, and probably a gentle nudge that I should have made it sooner. So I’ve added a new step to my preflight planning process: if canceling brings instant relief rather than regret, the no-go decision has already been made subconsciously. Listen to it.
“If canceling brings instant relief rather than regret, the no-go decision has already been made subconsciously. Listen to it.”
Having some airline miles stored up can make the no-go GA/go airline decision a little easier.
Bonus tip: have some frequent flyer miles stored up. I am certainly not here to offer advice on the right credit card or the right airline loyalty program, and your mileage may vary on this one (no pun intended). Having said that, I’ve found that having some Delta SkyMiles stored up can make the no-go GA/go airline decision a little easier. If you can buy a last minute airline ticket with 50,000 miles instead of $1000, the decision might be a little less painful. No, the miles aren’t really “free,” but emotionally it feels that way and having this insurance policy has certainly helped me in the past.
It’s not all doom and gloom with GA travel. I recently got some payback from Mother Nature when I flew an 800-mile trip in the Cirrus without seeing a single cloud or feeling a single bump. It was a spectacular day to fly, introduce a new person to the glories of small airplanes, and enjoy the freedom that only GA can offer. Watching the sun set over the Appalachians was a powerful reminder of why we put up with the cancellations, the endless weather briefings, and the backup airline plans. General aviation is magical when conditions are right—we just have to be patient enough to wait for them.
Quick reader poll
How much schedule flexibility do you typically build in to a GA trip?
The post Learning to accept the no-go decision appeared first on Air Facts Journal.

https://airfactsjournal.com/2026/10/learning-to-accept-the-no-go-decision/

#decision #airfacts #factsjournal #mothernature #learning #ifr

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Planes of Fame’s New Location Takes Shape in Santa Maria For ...

2026-10-18T16:19:22Z

Planes of Fame’s New Location Takes Shape in Santa Maria

For more than three years now, the Planes of Fame Air Museum has been planning to establish its newest location at the historic Santa Maria Public Airport, as covered in our previous reports HERE. Since the groundbreaking ceremony held on February 20, 2025, the first of the new display hangars at Santa Maria, Hangar Alpha, has been rising from the ground up, while Hangar Delta, the new restoration hangar, stands structurally complete and is now having its internal infrastructure installed. Meanwhile, plans have already been drawn for a further two hangars (Bravo and Charlie) to be constructed on the 23-acre site, placed within easy access of Santa Maria Airport’s primary and secondary runways.
Photo by Gregory W Colyer/Ace Maker Airshows
An overhead view of Santa Maria Airport showing (in the red circle) where Planes of Fame will build their new facility. | Source: Planes of Fame Air Museum
For Santa Maria, this marks the start of a new chapter in its rich aviation legacy, which stretches back to the 1920s, when Captain George Allan Hancock, a wealthy philanthropist from Los Angeles, established the Hancock College of Aeronautics and the small airfield Hancock Field that is now the site of Allan Hancock College. Hancock was a major benefactor to Australian aviators Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Sir Charles Ulm, as he would purchase the Fokker F.VII trimotor Smith would christen as the “Southern Cross”, which they would use to make the first Trans-Pacific flight from the USA to Australia in 1928. During WWII, the Hancock College of Aeronautics and Hancock Field served as a training facility for more than 8,400 U.S. Army Air Force cadets in both ground school and flight training.
A line of Stearman trainers at Hancock Field, Santa Maria, California, during WWII. | Source: Allan Hancock College
In 1942, the US Army Corps of Engineers constructed the current Santa Maria Public Airport as Santa Maria Army Airfield, initially to be a training base for North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, but when it was found the runway could not hold the weight of the B-25s, the Army Airfield was turned into a training base for Lockheed P-38 Lightning pilots to become familiar with the aircraft before being deployed to Europe or the Pacific. About 30 miles south of Santa Maria Airport is also Vandenberg Space Force Base, which serves as the primary rocket launch facility on the US West Coast and serves as a base for SpaceX to launch satellites into orbit.
NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission launches at 11:13 a.m. PDT (2:13 p.m. EDT) on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The TRACERS mission will study magnetic reconnection around Earth — a process in which electrically charged plasmas exchange energy in the atmosphere — to understand how the Sun’s solar wind interacts with the magnetosphere, Earth’s protective magnetic shield. | Source: NASA via SpaceX
For Planes of Fame, Santa Maria represents an operating area with fewer constraints to the airspace above Chino and the landscape around Chino Airport. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Inland Empire region that Chino is located in was largely rural, with dairy farms surrounding Chino Airport, but in recent years, the Inland Empire has seen an ongoing surge in development, with real estate becoming filled with new housing developments to the south of the airport, and over the last five years, the dairy farms just north of the airport have been taken over with the construction of new warehousing facilities. Added to this, commercial air traffic for Ontario International Airport has also been increasing. These factors mean that it has become harder for the safe operation of vintage aircraft.
View of the Planes of Fame Air Museum at Chino Airport, California, with the museum’s B-17G Flying Fortress in the foreground. | Source: Planes of Fame Air Museum
During the 2026 Central Coast AirFest, the museum also had maps showing the upcoming hangars at the airshow’s information tent. The maps showed how the new facility will be built in three phases, with Phase One currently nearing completion. The biggest display hangar at the new Planes of Fame in Santa Maria will be the 56,000 square foot Hangar Alpha, which sits in front of what will soon be the new museum’s parking lot. The layout of Hangar Alpha will be similar to that of three conjoined hangars at the Chino location (the Edward T. Maloney Hangar, the Bob and Josie Pond Hangar, and the USS Enterprise Hangar). Like the Maloney, Pond and Enterprise hangars at Chino, Hangar Alpha will house the museum’s WWII aircraft and aircraft from the Golden Age of Aviation (1919-1939). The one aircraft Planes of Fame has officially confirmed will be heading to Santa Maria is the iconic Boeing P-26A Peashooter, one of just two surviving examples of the first American all-metal monoplane fighter and the only original example that still flies. Hangar Alpha will also be the hangar used as the new museum’s event venue in order to host such functions as weddings, banquets, memorial services, and other events that are hosted regularly at the Chino location. Hangar Alpha will also be the home to the new museum’s entrance lobby and gift shop.
Plans for Planes of Fame Air Museum’s new facility in Santa Maria, California are now well under way, with the first phase involving the construction of a large, three-bay hangar as pictured here in an artist rendering. | Source: Planes of Fame
A look into the central span of Planes of Fame Santa Maria’s Hangar Alpha, still under construction as of 2026. | Source: Adam Estes
While the biggest part of Phase One will be Hangar Alpha, that is only half of Phase One. The other half is the nearly finished Hangar Delta. This 12,000 square foot hangar will serve as the Santa Maria museum’s restoration hangar, and it is anticipated that when the infrastructure inside the hangar is fully fitted, several ongoing restoration projects at Chino will be selected for transportation to Santa Maria. One restoration project at Chino that might well find itself in Santa Maria is the museum’s Bell YP-59A Airacomet, a pre-production model of the first American jet aircraft, and fittingly, Planes of Fame’s very own YP-59A, 42-108777, was once stationed at Santa Maria Army Airfield in 1945 with the 412th Fighter Group (now the 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB). Also stationed at Santa Maria Army Airfield was the Planes of Fame’s own P-38J Lightning, 44-23314, now flown in the markings of fighter ace Perry J. Dahl’s “23 Skidoo”.
POF’s Lockheed P-38J Lightning “23 Skidoo”. | Source: Harry 'T' Geier
In addition to Phase One, there are two more hangars planned to be constructed in the near future at Planes of Fame Santa Maria. Phase Two of the expansion will be Hangar Bravo, a 44,500 square foot hangar that will house the POF’s World War I aircraft and the pre-WWI collection labelled as part of the Dawn of Flight collection. After Hangar Bravo, Phase Three will call for the construction of Hangar Charlie. This 25,000 square foot hangar will become the home of the museum’s array of Cold War aircraft, which includes American, British, and Soviet jets of the 1950s and 1960s.
Renderings of the planned campus of the new Planes of Fame Santa Maria location, featuring the four hangars (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta), and the aircraft ramp and terrace/viewing area. So far, Hangar Alpha is still under construction, Delta is nearing completion, and Bravo and Charlie remain to be built. | Source: Planes of Fame Air Museum
Ahead of the aircraft ramp in front of Hangar Alpha, the museum also plans to place a runway viewing space, complete with a lawn and terrace seating, which no doubt will provide a great setting to watch aircraft flight operations, especially in the late afternoon hours set against the backdrop of nearby Orcutt’s rolling hills to the south. With the exception of the P-26 Peashooter, the Planes of Fame has not made any official announcements for exactly which aircraft will be brought up from Chino. There is also the possibility that in addition to aircraft being sent up from Chino, some aircraft may also be sent from the Planes of Fame’s former museum at Valle, Arizona, which is currently being used as a storage facility and is the site of the ongoing effort to get the museum’s Douglas A-26C Invader back in the air. Speculation online has been rife with concerns of the Chino location closing, but the museum’s public statements thus far express that Chino will be operating in conjunction with the new Santa Maria location.
The central span of the new Hangar Alpha taking shape at Santa Maria. | Source: Adam Estes
Hangar Delta is largely externally complete, but is currently having its interior outfitted for use as an aircraft restoration/maintenance hangar for the Planes of Fame – Santa Maria. | Source: Adam Estes
Additionally, the old Radisson Hotel at Santa Maria Airport, which stands next to the construction site of the new Planes of Fame location, has been bought by Delta Hotels, a subsidiary of Marriott International, and is currently undergoing major renovations and modernizations. Once complete, the hotel will be ideally placed for travelers coming to see the Planes of Fame right next door. In addition to the new Planes of Fame location, Santa Maria Airport is also home to the Santa Maria Museum of Flight, which we covered in this article HERE. The Santa Maria Museum of Flight has been around since 1984, and it intends to stay in place at Santa Maria Public Airport, where it is on the opposite end of the airport’s north side from the new Planes of Fame location.
One of the Santa Maria Museum of Flight’s hangars was built for the film, The Rocketeer. Note the control tower perched on the roof to its upper left. | Source: Adam Estes
Though the addition of the new facility at Santa Maria will mark a major development for the Planes of Fame Air Museum, it is also receiving a large amount of support from the local community of Santa Maria. The Planes of Fame is already highly involved in the planning of the annual Central Coast AirFest, which is sponsored by numerous local businesses, and the city government of Santa Maria has been highly supportive of the development of the new Planes of Fame location to encourage visitors to frequent the city located on US Route 101 between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Once it is open to the public, Planes of Fame Santa Maria will take its place as one of the many attractions among California’s scenic Central Coast region, and its warbirds will soon be a frequent sight over Santa Maria’s hills and the nearby Pacific Ocean. For more information, visit Planes of Fame’s website HERE and the website dedicated to the Planes of Fame Santa Maria location HERE.
A look at one of the three sections of the new Hangar Alpha being constructed for the Planes of Fame Air Museum at Santa Maria Public Airport. | Source: Adam Estes
A view from the cockpit of Wee Willy, Planes of Fame’s P-51D Mustang, as it comes in to land at Santa Maria Airport. | Source: Image via Planes of Fame Air Museum
For more information, visit Planes of Fame’s website HERE and the website dedicated to the Planes of Fame Santa Maria location HERE.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/planes-of-fames-new-location-takes-shape-in-santa-maria.html

#santamaria #takesshape #mariaairport #locationtakes #hancockcollege #fameair #hancockfield #allanhancock #newlocation #planes

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Randy’s Vintage Profiles: Boeing-Stearman Model 75 Kaydet ...

2026-10-18T15:31:13Z

Randy’s Vintage Profiles: Boeing-Stearman Model 75 Kaydet “Spirit of Artemis”

By Randy Malmstrom
Boeing-Stearman Model 75 Kaydet “Spirit of Artemis.” This aircraft was built in 1942 by Stearman Aircraft Division of Boeing Aircraft. It was fully restored by 3G Classic Aviation in Hungary between 2012 and 2013. It is fitted with a 300 hp Lycoming R-680 radial engine with extra fuel tanks in the top wing for added distance. It has a cruising speed of 95 mph and a ceiling of 10,000. ft. It was being flown in controversial flights by British aviator Ms. Tracey Curtis-Taylor (reports are that she had a copilot). My photos while it was on a maintenance stop at Historic Flight Foundation, Paine Field, Washington.
Profile of Boeing-Stearman Model 75 N56200 “Spirit of Artemis” at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Stearman N56200 “Spirit of Artemis” at the Historic Flight Foundation, Paine Field, Washington. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
The name “Kaydet” has been alternatively ascribed to originating with the Royal Canadian Air Force, the U.S. federal government (in 1941 in an effort to ascribe “generic” names to aircraft) or by Boeing. The Kaydet was designed by Stearman Aircraft Company engineers Harold Zipp and Jack Clark based on drawings of a Cloudboy (Model 6) by Lloyd Stearman and the prototype Model 70 appeared in 1933. The Stearman company had been absorbed by Boeing Aircraft in 1934 and became the Boeing Wichita Division located in Wichita, Kansas. The Kaydet was designed as a primary trainer for U.S. Army Air Corps, U.S. Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force pilots and was known as the PT-13, PT-17, PT-18, PT-27 and the N2S in the various services and was flown by many countries worldwide. Built of fabric-covered wooden wings, a fuselage made of sturdy, over-welded tubes also covered in fabric, and single-leg landing gear.
Right landing gear of Boeing-Stearman 75 N56200 “Spirit of Artemis” at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
For ease of training, it had no flaps, fixed landing gear, no radio or navigation instruments (I believe some effort was made to train some pilots on instruments at a point). The airframe was built to be balanced for solo flying from the rear seat (which also provided better visibility side to side over the nose than the front seat) but could be piloted from the front seat with added weight to the rear). At age 18, future U.S. President George H.W. Bush became the youngest U.S. Navy pilot to earn his wings – part of his training was in U.S. Navy N2S-3, BuNo 92468 (and as is known, he and his Avenger crew were shot down on a raid over Chichi Jima and he survived).
Boeing-Stearman N2S-3 N56200 “Spirit of Artemis” at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Over 8,584 aircraft were built between 1936 and 1944. After World War II, the Kaydet went into civil uses such as sport aircraft and crop-dusting. A variant of the Boeing/Stearman Model 75, there were a number of engine substitutions for the Kaydet’s such as the Lycoming R-680 and Continental W-670-5 – and during an engine shortage between 1940-41, Jacobs R-755 engines were installed on some 150 aircraft – and were generally uncowled. The design of the propeller caused the tips to reach near speed-of-sound speeds during engine run-up giving the Kaydet its “growl.”
Lycoming R-680 engine mounted on Boeing-Stearman Modl 75 N56200 “Spirit of Artemis” at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Editor’s notes: This Boeing-Stearman Model 75, construction number 75-7813, was originally manufactured at the Boeing-Stearman plant in Wichita, Kansas during WWII and was delivered to the United States Navy to serve as an N2S-3 trainer with the Bureau Number 38192. After WWII, the aircraft was declared surplus and eventually came onto the civilian market. By 1958, it was registered as N69801 and owned by Berrien County Aerocrop Control of Sodus, Michigan, for use as a crop duster. After being purchased by Thomas E. Bressmer of Dearborn, Michigan in 1978, the aircraft was issued its current registration of N56200 when it was purchased by Louis T. Spanberger of Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1999. By 2008, the aircraft was sold to Aircraft Guaranty Corporation of Houston, Texas, but was flown in USN colors in Belgium. Between 2012 and 2013, the aircraft underwent restoration with 3G Classic Aviation at Meidl Airport in Sopron, Hungary on behalf of British aviator Tracey Curtis-Taylor, who was set on tracing the first solo flight between Cape Town, South Africa and London, England, made in 1928 by Irish aviator Mary, Lady Heath. Stearman N56200 was named Spirit of Artemis in honor of Curtis-Taylor’s primary sponsor, Artemis Investment Management, and was equipped with a GPS navigation system and a transponder. Other sponsors for her planned flight included Boeing and ExecuJet Aviation Group. Curtis-Taylor also brought the aircraft to the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT).
Tail of Boeing-Stearman Model 75 N56200 “Spirit of Artemis” at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Following this restoration, Curtis-Taylor shipped the Spirit of Artemis to Cape Town, South Africa and set off for England on November 13, tracing Mary, Lady Heath’s flight. Curtis-Taylor and the Spirit of Artemis flew from Cape Town through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan before ending the African leg of the journey in Cairo, Egypt. Though Lady Heath’s original flight also took her through Libya, the ongoing strife in the country forced Curtis-Taylor to divert from Libya. On December 31, 2013, eight weeks after departing Cape Town, Tracey Curtiss-Taylor completed her flight by landing at Goodwood Aerodrome in Chichester, West Sussex, England. The journey had been made over the course of 110 flying hours over 38 flights in total, with route planning assistance from retired Royal Air Force Group Captain pilot and historian Bill Sykes, while a Cessna Caravan was used as a chase plane/aerial photography platform for the flight. The flight was also the subject of a BBC documentary film The Aviatrix.
On October 1, 2015, Curtis-Taylor took off from Farnborough Airport, England, in the Spirit of Artemis on yet another commemorative long-distance, this time tracing the route of British aviator Amy Johnson’s famous 1930 solo flight from England to Australia. After crossing through 23 countries in 50 legs, Tracey Curtis-Taylor arrived in Syndey, Australia on January 9, 2016, having been followed by a support team who documented the flight for another documentary. At the same time, she spoke at numerous conferences at some of the stops on her flight route, including Dubai, Karachi, and Singapore.
Stearman N56200 “Spirit of Artemis” undergoing maintenance at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
Following these flights, Curtis-Taylor, who self-styled herself as the “Bird in a Biplane”, brought the aircraft back to the United States in 2016 to celebrate the centenary of The Boeing Company and trace the US airmail routes from Seattle to Boston. While the Seattle – Los Angeles – Phoenix leg was successful, the flight came to an abrupt end on May 11, 2016, when the Spirit of Artemis crashed shortly after takeoff from Winslow, Arizona. The Spirit of Artemis’ Lycoming R-680 radial engine failed at an altitude of about 50 ft (15m), and though Curtis-Taylor and copilot Ewald Gritsch landed in the open desert south of the airport, the right wheel hit a sage root mound, tearing off the right landing gear and using the Stearman to cartwheel onto its left wing and tail. Although the aircraft was substantially damaged, Curtis-Taylor and Gritsch emerged unscathed, with N56200 being sent back to Hungary for repairs, which were completed in time to attend the 2016 RIAT.
View of the central wing struts on Boeing-Stearman Model 75 N56200 “Spirit of Artemis” at the Historic Flight Foundation. | Source: Randy Malmstrom
In 2017, Curtis-Taylor and Stearman N56200 (now named the Spirit of Victory) returned to the USA to complete a cross-country flight. Starting in Los Angeles, Curtis-Taylor returned to Winslow without incident before proceeding through New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, and Missouri before attending the National Stearman Fly-In in Galesburg, Illinois, then completed the flight at the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. In June 2024, Stearman N56200 was sold to Seymour “Si” Robin, and has been spotted at Camarillo Airport, California, as seen in this photo HERE.
About the author
Randy Malmstrom grew up in a family steeped in aviation culture. His father, Bob, was still a cadet in training with the USAAF at the end of WWII but did serve in Germany during the U.S. occupation in the immediate post-war period, where he had the opportunity to fly in a wide variety of types that flew in WWII. After returning to the States, Bob became a multi-engine aircraft sales manager and, as such, flew a wide variety of aircraft; Randy frequently accompanied him on these flights. Furthermore, Randy’s cousin, Einar Axel Malmstrom, flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 356th FG from RAF Martlesham Heath. He was commanding this unit at the time he was shot down over France on April 24th, 1944, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. Following his repatriation at war’s end, Einar continued his military service, attaining the rank of Colonel. He was serving as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls AFB, MT at the time of his death in a T-33 training accident on August 21, 1954. The base was renamed in his honor in October 1955 and continues to serve in the present USAF as home to the 341st Missile Wing. Randy’s innate interest in history in general, and aviation history in particular, plus his educational background and passion for WWII warbirds, led him down his current path of capturing detailed aircraft walk-around photos and in-depth airframe histories, recording a precise description of a particular aircraft in all aspects.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/randys-vintage-profile/randys-vintage-profiles-boeing-stearman-model-75-kaydet-spirit-of-artemis.html

#flightfoundation #historicflight #model #randymalmstrom #artemis #spirit #kaydet #aircraft #stearman #boeingaircraft

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Hawks Miller HM-1 ...

2026-10-18T13:51:20Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Hawks Miller HM-1

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 90 years ago (October 18, 1936), the Hawks Miller HM-1 made its first flight. Designed by Howell W. “Pete” Miller for noted racing pilot Frank Hawks, the HM-1 was a sleek, purpose-built racing aircraft intended to combine very high speed with relatively long range. It was constructed by Miller’s company, the Time Flies Corporation, and became one of the distinctive American racing aircraft of the late 1930s. The HM-1 was an all-metal, low-wing monoplane powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engine. One of its most unusual features was its retractable cockpit canopy. Rather than projecting above the fuselage during high-speed flight, the canopy could be lowered until nearly flush with the fuselage, reducing aerodynamic drag. A small windshield remained available to the pilot.
Racing Pilot Frank Hawks in front of the Hawks Miller HM-1. | Source: SDASM Archives/Wikimedia Commons
Hawks used the aircraft to establish a number of speed records. On April 13, 1937, he flew from Hartford, Connecticut, to Miami, Florida, in 4 hours, 55 minutes, later setting additional point-to-point records. The HM-1 was subsequently acquired by the Gruen Watch Company and renamed Time Flies. It was later modified into the two-seat Miller HM-2 before eventually being destroyed in a crash. The Hawks Miller HM-1 had a wingspan of 28 feet, a length of 24 feet, and a height of 7 feet 9 inches. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engine, the aircraft had a maximum speed of approximately 265 mph.
Military Aircraft HM-1 Prototype, 1938 Thompson Trophy race. | Source: Bzuk/Wikimedia Commons

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-hawks-miller-hm-1.html

#aviationhistory #hawksmiller #firstflight #frankhawks #commonshawks #twinwasp #timeflies #pilotfrank #wikimediacommons #aircraft

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

RAF Kenley: A Place of Vintage Aviation Memories and the ...

2026-10-18T13:02:10Z

RAF Kenley: A Place of Vintage Aviation Memories and the Best-Preserved Battle of Britain Airfield

This former RAF fighter Station, in suburban Surrey, operated on the front line of southern England’s defense in the Battle of Britain. In 1940, Kenley’s airspace resounded with Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire Merlin engines, as these iconic RAF warbirds scrambled to intercept approaching German Luftwaffe bomber streams. Pilots clambered into their fighter aircraft, warming up on Kenley airfield’s dispersal areas and perimeter taxiways. On 18 August 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed the airfield repeatedly, with deadly accuracy. On that day, pilots and ground crew alike took shelter nearby, in Kenley’s specially constructed E-shaped blast pens and airfield trenches. Today, Kenley is a tranquil place where military and civilian training gliders take off to soar over its two original configuration concrete runways. It remains highly atmospheric, with a powerful military aviation history. It is the best-preserved surviving Battle of Britain fighter airfield.
View from RAF Kenley airfield to Caterham Valley and the local town of Whyteleafe, Surrey. | Source: Ronan Thomas
Strategic Site
Royal Air Force (RAF) Station Kenley occupies a key strategic site in Surrey, 13 miles south of central London. It was, and remains, perfectly placed for air defense. The airfield sits on a high plateau of the North Downs, adjacent to Kenley Common, at an elevation of 525 feet. Its runways overlook the Caterham Valley, containing the railway line from Croydon and the towns of Kenley, Whyteleafe, Caterham and Coulsdon, to the west. Construction of the airfield began in 1939 and was completed in early May 1940, just in time for the onset of the Battle of Britain (the Luftwaffe’s aerial onslaught against southern England from 10 July to 31 October 1940). At the height of the Battle of Britain, squadrons of Hawker Hurricane Mk I and Mk IIs and Mk I Supermarine Spitfires rose from RAF Kenley en masse to intercept approaching waves of Luftwaffe twin-engine Dornier Do-17, Heinkel HE-111 and Junkers JU-88 medium bombers, Messerschmitt Bf-110 fighter-bombers and Bf-109E escort fighters.
RAF Kenley blast pen and fighter silhouette. | Source: Ronan Thomas, Open House Festival image
No. 11 (Fighter) Group Sector Station
Kenley was a critical component of the RAF’s highly proficient “Dowding System,” an integrated air defense system devised and directed by Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding and Air Vice Marshal Keith Park. The system comprised a vital chain of 21 “Home Chain” radar (Radio Direction Finding or RDF) stations, supported by visual reporting from Royal Observer Corps posts, barrage balloons (with metal cables designed to deter low-flying aircraft), radio eavesdropping and a network of acoustic detectors. Aircraft intruder information from these sources was relayed to RAF Fighter Command HQ at Bentley Priory in North London, where its underground Filter and Operations Rooms identified and plotted enemy formations. Orders then passed through Group HQs to alert squadrons. RAF No.11 (Fighter) Group at RAF Uxbridge, London, was the pulsing nerve center of operations defending London and southeast England, directing fighters from airfields across the region. 11 Group controlled seven Sector Stations in Greater London, with others in Kent, Essex, and Sussex. They were RAF Kenley (Surrey), RAF Biggin Hill (Kent), RAF Tangmere (Sussex), RAF North Weald (Essex), RAF Debden (Essex), RAF Hornchurch (Essex) and RAF Northolt (Greater London). For its part, Kenley played a critical role during the Battle and was attacked and damaged several times.
Map of 11 (Fighter) Group area of operation and sector stations in 1940. | Source: Ronan Thomas from map at RAF Bentley Priory Museum
Origins and Innovation
RAF Kenley’s origins lie in a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) airfield established on Kenley Common in 1917. Here, British biplane aircraft were given final checks before departure to the Western Front in France and Belgium. In April 1918, after the RFC became the Royal Air Force, Kenley became a permanent RAF Station. As war in Europe loomed again in 1939, major redevelopment took place, turning Kenley into a key fighter airfield, operating Hurricane Mk I and II, Mk I Spitfire and Bristol Blenheim light bombers. Construction of two hardened concrete runways and associated airfield buildings, taxiways, dispersal areas and 12 blast pens finished in April 1940. During 1939 and 1940, Britain’s Air Ministry had implemented innovative new airfield designs at RAF Kenley to protect both fighter aircraft and personnel. In particular, the designers recognized early on that ground crews and pilots were most vulnerable to enemy bombing while fighters were refueled and rearmed. At Kenley, 12 E-shaped fighter blast pens were constructed around the airfield perimeter. Concrete aircraft bays and blast walls were also built at intervals around the perimeter taxiways to shield parked fighter aircraft from bomb blast and low-level enemy strafing. The blast pens served as air raid shelters designed for the ground crews and pilots. These shelters were constructed from reinforced concrete with curved corrugated iron roofs and camouflaged with earth. They protected those inside from blast damage and bomb fragments, but not against direct hits. They featured heavy blast doors, wooden bench seating, chemical lavatories, and emergency escape hatches. The innovation was about to be tested, under fire.
Kenley blast pen shelter interior. | Source: Ronan Thomas
Kenley in the Battle of Britain
The following RAF squadrons flew from Kenley during the Battle from July to September 1940: No 615 Squadron (Hurricanes), No 616 Squadron (Spitfires), No 253 Squadron (Hurricanes), No 66 Squadron (Spitfires) and No 501 Squadron (Hurricanes). In common with the other six No 11 (Fighter) Group Sector Stations, RAF Kenley’s operations (“Ops”) room controlled not only its own fighter aircraft but also those from satellite airfields. In Kenley’s case these included Croydon, Gatwick, Redhill and Shoreham-by-Sea. Kenley had its own sector of operations right down to Beachy Head on England’s south coast and was tasked with intercepting enemy raids approaching London from the south and south-east. From 12 August to 6 September 1940 the Luftwaffe concentrated on bombing RAF Fighter Group No 11’s airfields. In this phase of the Battle, the pressure was unrelenting. 53 attacks were made on RAF airfields, 32 on fighter airfields. The RAF’s airfields closest to the Kent and Sussex coastlines were first to enter the Luftwaffe’s bomb sights. These included Hawkinge, Lympne and Manston. On 15 August, German Bf 110 fighter-bombers mistook RAF Kenley for nearby RAF Croydon, bombing the latter’s grass airfield, wrecking buildings, killing 62 and injuring 172 others. Closer to London, the most serious raid subsequently occurred at RAF Biggin Hill (Kent) on 30 August, causing major bomb damage to the airfield and buildings, killing 39 and injuring 25.
Spitfires lined up at RAF Kenley Airfield. | Source: Wikimedia Commons
RAF Kenley was not immune. On 18 August 1940—the so-called “Hardest Day” of the Battle of Britain, in which the RAF lost around 68 aircraft—RAF Kenley was hit by a highly effective, low-level (100 feet) attack by nine German Dornier Do-17 bombers. In this deadly raid, one RAF pilot and 11 ground staff were killed and 20 injured. That day, 23 of Kenley’s fighters had earlier been scrambled and were in action elsewhere over southern England. At Kenley, one of the attacking Do-17s was destroyed by an anti-aircraft parachute and cable (PAC) airfield defense system fired from the airfield. Based on a pre-war maritime rescue device, this (improvised) system fired a rocket with a parachute fitted on top, which deployed floating steel cables designed to ensnare an aircraft’s wing. The remaining Dorniers dropped 110 lb bombs and banked away after destroying three hangars and an equipment store. In the dispersal and taxiway areas, RAF personnel took refuge in the fighter blast pens. Bombs destroyed four Hurricanes and a Bristol Blenheim bomber, and four other Hurricanes were damaged in the open dispersal areas. All electricity supplies, phone lines and utilities were disrupted. The sector operations room was knocked out, the runways cratered, and contact with 11 Group was lost for around two hours. Even so, Kenley remained defiantly operational. Controllers soon relocated to an empty butcher’s premises in nearby Caterham High Street at 11 Godstone Road, where it was fully functional until November 1940. After the 18 August raid ended, RAF ground crews pegged out white flags on an improvised landing strip between the airfield bomb craters to guide the returning Hurricane and Spitfire pilots down. The same crews raced to repair the airfield damage. Later air intelligence reports confirmed that four of the attacking Dorniers had been shot down returning to their bases in France. Further raids on 26 and 30 August and on 1 September by Junkers JU-88 and Dornier Do-17 bombers caused additional damage to aircraft on the ground and airfield buildings at Kenley.
Kenley blast pen propeller sign. | Source: Ronan Thomas
On 7 September 1940, the Luftwaffe changed strategy, switching attacks to central London and taking the pressure off the RAF’s airfields, including Kenley. It was a major tactical error. By October, the Luftwaffe had failed in its strategic objective to destroy the RAF on the ground and gain air supremacy. During the Battle of Britain, the RAF destroyed 1733 German aircraft for the loss of 915 of their own and 554 aircrew. Of these, some 33 aircrew flying from Kenley were killed in action. The RAF had held the Luftwaffe off over southern England in daylight, although night bombing (“The Blitz”) persisted until 11 May 1941. Air attacks on Britain continued, with varying degrees of lull and resumption, until early 1945.
RAF Kenley blast pen entrance. | Source: Ronan Thomas
During 1941, RAF Kenley further hosted Australian, New Zealand, Polish and Czech squadrons and from 1942-1944 Canadian, Belgian, and Free French formations flew sorties from the airfield. During and after the Allied invasion of Normandy, on D-Day, 6 June 1944, RAF Kenley dispatched fighter sweep sorties over occupied Europe. At war’s end in 1945, the advent of new RAF jet fighters, such as the Gloster Meteor and de Havilland Vampire, rendered Kenley’s short runways increasingly obsolete. Fighter operations ceased in 1959.
RAF Kenley visitor propeller sign. | Source: Ronan Thomas
Kenley Preserved
RAF Kenley is both a protected Scheduled Monument and an active military site. The RAF maintains a non-powered training role at Kenley, operating 615 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, instructing air cadets in graceful Grob Viking T1 gliders, launched by ground winch.
Kenley runways. | Source: Ronan Thomas
Kenley’s hangars and Control Tower have long been demolished. But its two hardened runways, the perimeter taxiways (now part of a walking, running and nature trail) and two of its historic 12 E-shaped fighter pens—including the air raid shelters—survive intact. Eight others are under restoration.
Kenley runways. | Source: Ronan Thomas
At Kenley, both fighter pen blast shelters are open to visitors each September as part of London’s Open House Festival. They are highly atmospheric places, with knowledgeable guides and are funded by the UK’s Heritage Fund, City of London Corporation. Historic England and Kenley Airfield Friends Group. On my visit last week, I entered one of the blast pens in a group, through the red brick entrances and original thick, decaying steel blast doors. I took in the confined space under the curving Nissen-hut-style corrugated iron ceiling. I tried to imagine what the former RAF personnel endured there and their fortitude during the visceral raids of 1940. To see the Kenley runways in their original configuration also brings the vanished roar of Spitfires and Hurricanes thrillingly back to life.
RAF Kenley original runway configuration. | Source: Ronan Thomas
What makes RAF Kenley special is not just its proud history of flight operations and air defense engineering. Today, it remains the best-conserved surviving Battle of Britain fighter airfield, offering a remarkably preserved window into UK aviation heritage at a critical period in its national story. It reveals a wartime history of resilience and innovation. It offers vintage aviation enthusiasts visiting Surrey a fascinating and reflective experience.
Map of RAF Kenley Airfield today. | Source: Kenley Revival Project
Visitors can see the RAF Kenley blast pens in Surrey each September as part of London’s Open House Festival. More on the airfield’s history is available on the RAF Kenley Revival project at Kenley Revival | Sharing the history of a Battle of Britain airfield.
Operations indicator Board at 11 Group HQ, RAF Uxbridge, showing Sector Station RAF Kenley readiness during the Battle of Britain. | Source: Ronan Thomas

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/raf-kenley-a-place-of-vintage-aviation-memories-and-the-best-preserved-battle-of-britain-airfield.html

#rafkenley #aviationmemories #vintageaviation #battle #britain #airfield #stationkenley #place #air #luftwaffe

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Patrol Squadron 29: The Fifteen-Year Evolution From Flying Boats ...

2026-10-17T18:57:54Z

Patrol Squadron 29: The Fifteen-Year Evolution From Flying Boats To Landplane Privateers

Patrol Squadron 29 was a US Navy unit that served in naval aviation from before WWII through the early Cold War. It was formed as Patrol Squadron 14-F at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, on November 1, 1935. At first, it flew six PM-2 flying boats with help from the seaplane tender USS Owl. Over the next 14 years, the squadron changed its name multiple times and used various aircraft, including the PBY Catalina and PB4Y-2 Privateer. It operated in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Central Pacific, and Aleutian Islands. Before the US entered WWII, the squadron conducted neutrality patrols; it later carried out combat missions against Japanese forces, laid aerial mines, performed air-sea rescue missions, and conducted Arctic patrols. The squadron became Patrol Squadron 29 on September 1, 1948. In its early years, the squadron focused on training and fleet exercises. In March 1938, it took part in Fleet Landing Exercise No. 4 and visited Miami, Guantanamo Bay, Port Padre, San Juan, and St. Thomas. In June that year, the squadron received 11 P2Y-2 flying boats from another patrol squadron moving to the newer PBY Catalina. The larger aircraft allowed the squadron to increase its authorized strength from six to 12 planes, although only 11 P2Y-2s were assigned. The unit was redesignated Patrol Squadron 14 on September 4, 1937. Less than two years later, on July 1, 1939, it became Patrol Squadron 52. When war broke out in Europe in September 1939, the United States stayed neutral. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced this neutrality on September 5, leading to the start of the Neutrality Patrol.
PBY-5A “Catalina” aircraft, March 1942. (Image via US Navy)
By September 20, the patrol was active along the US coast. Patrol Squadron 52 teamed up with another patrol squadron and a group of destroyers to protect the area around Norfolk. On October 1, 1939, Patrol Squadron 52 moved to Naval Station Charleston, South Carolina, to keep a closer watch on the southern Atlantic coastline. In 1940, the squadron operated from locations like Parris Island and Winyah Bay, with support from the seaplane tenders USS Owl and USS Thrush. During this time, the squadron’s aircraft also changed. Between December 1940 and January 1941, it replaced its old P2Y-2 planes with newer PBY-5 Catalinas. The P2Y-2s were the last of their type still in use. On January 1, 1941, Patrol Squadron 52 returned to NAS Norfolk. In the following month, Patrol Squadron 52 moved to the unfinished Naval Air Station in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From Puerto Rico, Patrol Squadron 52, along with another squadron, conducted Neutrality Patrol operations throughout the Caribbean, from the West Indies to Trinidad. In 1941, the squadron became part of a larger Atlantic patrol group. Rear Admiral Arthur L. Bristol took command of the Support Force, US Atlantic Fleet, which ran the Neutrality Patrol. Patrol Squadron 52 joined other patrol squadrons under this new command. On May 5, 1941, Patrol Squadron 52 moved to NAS Quonset Point in Rhode Island, which provided better coverage of northern Atlantic sea lanes and helped protect the transport of war materials to Britain.
PBY-5 “Catalina” aircraft, 1942-43. (Image via US Navy)
Ten days later, on May 15, the squadron deployed to NAS Argentia in Newfoundland, a recently acquired American base through the Destroyers for Bases Agreement. The squadron operated 10 PBY-5 Catalinas from Newfoundland, while two aircraft initially stayed at Norfolk. One of the squadron’s most famous missions before the war took place in May 1941. The German battleship Bismarck had sunk HMS Hood in the Denmark Strait and was being pursued by British forces. On May 24, all available Patrol Squadron 52 aircraft launched in strong winds to search for the Bismarck. The aircraft did not find the battleship because it had moved south of the designated search area. The weather also posed a challenge. None of the 11 planes involved in the search could return directly to NAS Argentia because conditions at the base were worsening. However, all planes eventually returned safely. Days later, on May 29, four Patrol Squadron 52 aircraft traveled to Iceland aboard USS Belknap, operating from Reykjavík. Its mission was to check the east coast of Greenland, where Danish weather stations were suspected of helping German forces send weather reports to U-boats. The crews found the facilities abandoned and returned to NAS Argentia on June 8. On July 1, 1941, the Navy reorganized the Support Force into Patrol Wing 7, and Patrol Squadron 52 became Patrol Squadron 72. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed the mission of Patrol Squadron 72 completely. Just days after the attack, on December 9, the squadron received orders to travel across the United States and prepare for a flight to Hawaii. It moved to NAS Alameda, California, to start its journey west.
PBY-5 Catalina aircraft, 1943. (Image via US Navy)
Between December 21 and 23, seven aircraft flew to NAS Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii. Three more aircraft left Alameda later with another patrol squadron. Two of those three were lost at sea, but their crews were rescued. One aircraft was salvaged, while the other sank. On December 24, Patrol Squadron 72 began patrols from Kaneohe Bay. The aircraft flew missions that covered areas about 700 miles wide, with each mission lasting 11 to 12 hours. A two-plane team was also sent to Johnston Island. Two aircraft that stayed behind in Alameda eventually crossed the Pacific and rejoined the squadron on January 31, 1942. The shift to wartime operations had losses. On February 17, a squadron Catalina crashed during an early-morning takeoff from Kaneohe Bay. All but one crew member was killed. Patrol Squadron 72 started operating across the Pacific. From March 14 to May 23, 1942, a six-aircraft group worked from Nouméa. During this time, one aircraft hit a coral head while taxiing at Kanton Island and needed two weeks of repairs. The squadron also began using the PBY-5A amphibious Catalina. The Navy shared aircraft among patrol squadrons at Kaneohe Bay, requiring crews to train on both the traditional flying-boat PBY-5 and the amphibious PBY-5A. At first, the crews disliked the amphibious version. It was slower, harder to take off, more vulnerable during open-sea landings, and less capable of flying with one engine.
PBY-5 “Catalina” patrol bomber, 1942. (Image via US Navy)
By September 1942, Patrol Squadron 72 moved deeper into the combat zone. The squadron deployed in sections to Luganville Seaplane Base on Espiritu Santo. On October 7, it had its first direct encounter with Japanese forces when Lieutenant Cocowitch’s aircraft came under fire from a Japanese ship. The squadron later received more PBY-5A aircraft. By January 1943, the squadron had 16 amphibious Catalinas. On January 23, a squadron aircraft on patrol in the Solomon Islands area claimed a probable Japanese submarine kill. However, postwar Japanese records did not confirm any submarine loss on that date. By mid-1943, Patrol Squadron 72 returned to the continental United States after its first major Pacific deployment. In August 1943, the squadron returned to Hawaii and established new detachments across the Central Pacific. In October and November, its aircraft operated from Kanton, Baker, Johnston, and Midway islands before focusing on Funafuti. By December 1943, its main focus shifted to rescuing downed airmen. Catalina crews worked from small Pacific bases such as Funafuti, Nanumea, Apamama, Tarawa, and Makin. Dumbo missions involved locating airmen downed during combat and guiding ships or submarines to them. When conditions were good, the PBY aircraft could land and pick up survivors.
PBY-5 “Catalina” patrol bomber, July 1943. (Image via US Navy)
In January 1944, the squadron’s mission expanded again as its Catalinas were modified for aerial mine-laying. It conducted missions to block sea resupply to Japanese-held islands. The squadron continued to combine patrol and rescue work in the following months. Aircraft were stationed at Makin, Kwajalein, and Eniwetok, with support from the seaplane tender USS Mackinac. By June, Patrol Squadron 72 had gathered at Ebeye Island for maintenance and to prepare for its return to the United States. The squadron was relieved in July and arrived in San Diego on August 1, 1944. After returning to California, Patrol Squadron 72 reformed at NAAS Brown Field and began training with the PB4Y-2 Privateer, a land-based patrol bomber based on the B-24. On October 1, 1944, the squadron became Patrol Bombing Squadron 122. Initially, the unit was small. By November, six of its seven crews were sent to another patrol squadron to help them reach full strength. Patrol Bombing Squadron 122 stayed inactive until new crews joined and restored its numbers in early 1945. In March 1945, the squadron moved to NAAS Crows Landing, California. There, it operated PB4Y-1 aircraft around San Francisco and nearby shipping routes. The training ended in May. On June 1, Patrol Bombing Squadron 122 moved to Ault Field at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. It trained over Puget Sound and began receiving new PB4Y-2 Privateers in July. The squadron was finally sent to the combat zone in August.
PBY-5 “Catalina” patrol bomber, July 1943. (Image via US Navy)
On August 5, 1945, Patrol Bombing Squadron 122 moved to Shemya in the Aleutian Islands. From there, its Privateers flew reconnaissance missions toward northern Japanese-held islands, getting within about 50 miles of Paramushir. This deployment came as the Pacific War neared its end. After Japan surrendered, the squadron’s wartime mission finished. On October 1, 1945, it was temporarily based at Casco Field on Attu Island while personnel were sent to Seattle to be discharged. The Navy reorganized its patrol forces several times after the war. Patrol Bombing Squadron 122 became Patrol Squadron 122 on May 15, 1946, and then Medium Patrol Squadron (Seaplane) 11 on November 15, 1946. Finally, the squadron was renamed Patrol Squadron 29 on September 1, 1948. By June 1948, it was based at NAS Kodiak, Alaska. The squadron concentrated on the Navy’s Arctic and northern interests. Crews performed navigation training, ice patrols between Kodiak and Point Barrow, and missions to collect information on the Arctic ice cap’s landscape. After nearly 15 years of service under different names, Patrol Squadron 29 was disbanded at NAS Whidbey Island on January 18, 1950. Read more Squadron Histories articles HERE.
PBY-5 “Catalina” patrol bomber, 1942. (Image via US Navy)

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/squadron-histories/patrol-squadron-29.html

#patrolsquadron #flyingboats #pbycatalina #september #may #nasargentia #navy #wwii #nasnorfolk #war

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

The Museum of Flight to Host Fashion in Flight on Nov. 7 The ...

2026-10-17T17:20:15Z

The Museum of Flight to Host Fashion in Flight on Nov. 7

The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA, and Fashion District NW will bring fashion and aviation together on November 7 for the annual Fashion in Flight show, an evening featuring runway presentations from Northwest designers alongside the museum’s aircraft collection. The event will run from 6 to 11 p.m. and is open to guests ages 10 and older. The evening will include a live DJ, cash bar, designer booths, and red carpet photography, with guests encouraged to dress up for red carpet interviews and photos. The runway show begins at 7 p.m., with the event shifting to an afterparty in the museum’s Great Gallery at 9 p.m. Models and designers will be part of the afterparty, giving attendees an opportunity to meet some of the people behind the collections featured during the show. This year’s lineup includes six designers and brands, each bringing a different approach to fashion and design.
Fashion in Flight 2025. | Source: Ted Huetter/The Museum of Flight
Tinarie Eans of By Tinarie is a fifth-generation artist and seamstress who began making her own clothes at age 12. She has spent three decades working in various artistic mediums for wholesale and retail markets. La’ Mama’s Hands draws on fabrics and artistic traditions from around the world, creating one-of-a-kind designs that combine cultural influences with comfort and luxury. Portland-area art-couture designer and multidisciplinary artist Marina Safina brings fashion, sculpture and theatrical storytelling together in her work. The lineup also includes Shalom Aburu, a Ugandan couture designer and multidisciplinary artist whose work combines contemporary fashion with the visual traditions of African textiles. Seattle-based Soul Mates Bridal operates from Pioneer Square and was founded by runway model Yuki Fan. The boutique focuses on creating a bridal brand that combines luxury with affordability. Rounding out the lineup is Takke One Second, founded by Seattle-area designer Abir Slim, who moved from Lebanon more than 25 years ago. The brand’s name means “one second” in Arabic and reflects Slim’s view that life can change in an instant.
Fashion in Flight 2025. | Source: Dan Webb
For those attending the show, tickets are available in two seating categories. VIP tickets cost $139 per person and include front-row seating, a complimentary drink ticket, and free parking. Second- and third-row tickets cost $99 and include free parking (click HERE to get your tickets). Doors open at 6 p.m., followed by the fashion show at 7 p.m. and the afterparty at 9 p.m. The event is supported by Fashion District NW, The Museum of Flight, SeaPort Airlines, Artistic Plastic Surgery, and Gary Manuel Salon. For more information and to support The Museum of Flight, click on this link: www.museumofflight.org.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/the-museum-of-flight-to-host-fashion-in-flight-on-nov-7.html

#hostfashion #flight #museum #seattle #november #greatgallery #second #artistic #tinarieeans

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Airspeed AS.39 ...

2026-10-17T16:30:55Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 86 years ago (October 17, 1940), the Airspeed A.S.39 Fleet Shadower took flight for the first time. Developed for Britain’s Royal Navy, the unusual four-engine aircraft was designed to quietly patrol above enemy naval formations at night, tracking their movements and reporting their positions back to friendly forces. Development began in response to Royal Navy Operational Requirement OR.52 and Specification S.23/37, which called for a carrier-capable aircraft able to remain airborne for at least six hours while flying as slowly as 38 knots at 1,500 feet. Airspeed’s solution featured a high-mounted folding wing, fixed landing gear, and four small Pobjoy Niagara radial engines. Positioning the engines across the wing allowed their propwash to increase lift at very low speeds.
Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower. | Source: aviadejavu.ru
Only one of two planned prototypes was completed. Flight testing revealed stability and poor stall-handling problems, while the Niagara engines provided insufficient power. Airspeed was asked to redesign the aircraft with two Armstrong Whitworth Cheetah engines, but rapidly improving airborne radar made the entire Fleet Shadower concept obsolete. The Royal Navy cancelled the program in February 1941, and both the prototype and incomplete second aircraft were ordered scrapped. The A.S.39 measured 40 feet in length with a wingspan of 53 feet 4 inches and was powered by four Pobjoy Niagara V radial engines producing approximately 140 horsepower each. It could reach about 126 mph, cruise at approximately 113 mph, and remain airborne for six hours. Its service ceiling was approximately 14,700 feet, with a crew of three consisting of a pilot, observer, and radio operator.
Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower. | Source: aviadejavu.ru

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-airspeed-as-39-fleet-shadower.html

#aviationhistory #fleetshadower #royalnavy #airspeed #flight #pobjoyniagara #navyoperational #van #operationalrequirement #armstrongwhitworth

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

EAA Aviation Museum Adds Six Aircraft to Its Displays The EAA ...

2026-10-17T15:42:03Z

EAA Aviation Museum Adds Six Aircraft to Its Displays

The EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has added six aircraft to its displays, bringing together stories of early aviation, homebuilding, ultralight flight, and WWII combat operations. The additions include Douglas World Cruiser and Epps Monoplane replicas, John Moody’s Icarus II, a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, a General Motors FM-2 Wildcat, and a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina. “The opportunity to be able to feature these marvelous aircraft as a part of our displays adds new stories to our already expansive collection,” said Chris Henry, EAA Aviation Museum director. “It is a testament to how, whether you are a homebuilder, a restorer, or an amateur aviator who dreams of flight, you have a true community at EAA.”
American Heritage Museum’s PBY-5A Catalina now on display at EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, WI | Source: EAA
Representing one of aviation’s great long-distance achievements is Robert Dempster’s full-scale Douglas World Cruiser replica. Dempster devoted 20 years to the aircraft, his first homebuilding project, recreating the design used in the first successful flight around the world in 1924. The replica highlights both the original expedition’s accomplishment and the craftsmanship required to bring an aircraft of that era back to life.
Douglas World Cruiser replica “Seattle II” N511WC at the 2015 Arlington Fly-In, held at Arlington Municipal Airport, Washington. | Source: Seattle World Cruiser Project
Another addition traces the beginnings of powered ultralight aviation. John Moody first flew his Icarus II from a frozen lake in Long Lake, Wisconsin, on March 15, 1975. Widely regarded as the father of ultralight aviation, Moody helped popularize a form of recreational flying that offered enthusiasts a comparatively simple path into the air. The Michigan Ultralight Association rebuilt the aircraft for donation to EAA.
John Moody, widely regarded as the father of ultralight aviation, first flew his Icarus II from a frozen lake in Long Lake, Wisconsin, on March 15, 1975. The aircraft helped launch the ultralight recreational flying movement and was later rebuilt by the Michigan Ultralight Association for donation to EAA. | Source: EAA
Two fighters on loan from the Frasca Collection expand the museum’s presentation of WWII aviation. The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk represents a type that served Allied air forces across multiple theaters, particularly during the early years of the war. Its association with shark-mouth nose art remains one of the most recognizable images of the conflict.
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk served Allied air forces across multiple theaters during WWII, playing a vital role in the conflict’s early years. Its distinctive shark-mouth markings remain among the most recognizable images of wartime aviation. This example is on loan from the Frasca Collection. | Source: EAA
Joining the Warhawk is an FM-2 Wildcat, a later development of Grumman’s F4F manufactured by General Motors. The Wildcat played an essential role in naval aviation during WWII, with its rugged construction and combat effectiveness helping establish its reputation. The General Motors-built variants continued the design’s service as the war progressed.
The Wildcat earned its reputation in WWII through rugged construction, protective armor, and effective armament, helping Allied naval aviators counter faster opponents in the Pacific. This example, an FM-2 built by General Motors, represents a later development of Grumman’s F4F design and is on loan from the Frasca Collection. | Source: EAA
The Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, on loan from the American Heritage Museum and Collings Foundation, brings a particularly significant combat history to the displays. According to EAA, the aircraft and its crews were responsible for three confirmed German U-boat sinkings and severely damaging another. Beyond anti-submarine patrols, the Catalina type also became closely associated with air-sea rescue, using its ability to land on water to recover downed airmen.
Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina: A hunter of German U-boats, with this particular aircraft and its crews responsible for three confirmed U-boat sinkings and severely damaging another. Another key role it filled was in search-and-rescue operations for pilots, as the amphibious Catalina could land on the water near any downed pilot. On loan from the Collings Foundation and American Heritage Museum. | Source: EAA
Completing the six additions is a replica of Ben T. Epps’ 1912 monoplane. A self-taught mechanic who became Georgia’s first aviator, Epps embodied the resourcefulness of early aircraft builders. The replica recreates an open-cockpit, wire-braced monoplane built using basic materials and components, including timber, cotton fabric, bicycle wheels, and a low-powered engine. Together, the six aircraft broaden the museum’s exhibits while highlighting the builders, pilots, restorers, and volunteers who have shaped aviation history. For more information about the EAA Museum, visit www.eaa.org/eaa-museum

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/eaa-aviation-museum-adds-six-aircraft-to-its-displays.html

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Pioneers of Aeronautical Engineering: Bruce Aikenhead and ...

2026-10-16T20:29:44Z

Pioneers of Aeronautical Engineering: Bruce Aikenhead and Canada’s Rise in Space

As one of the early aeronautical pioneers, Bruce Aikenhead was more involved than anyone else in Canada’s space projects. Bruce Aikenhead played an important role in building science and communication satellites for Canada and the Canadarm for the US Space Shuttle. He trained the first astronauts in both the US and Canada and worked on a project that aimed to launch projectiles into space using cannons. Born in 1923, Bruce Aikenhead served as a radar mechanic in WWII with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. After the war, he studied physics and mathematics at the University of Western Ontario. In 1955, Aikenhead joined Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE) Industries in Montreal, working on aircraft simulators. He moved to Avro Canada in 1958, where he helped build the CF-105 Avro Arrow jet interceptor. After the Avro program was canceled in 1959, he became one of 31 engineers hired by NASA to support the early human space program. At NASA, he set up astronaut training for the Mercury program before returning to Canada in 1962 to rejoin CAE Industries.
Bruce Aikenhead receiving recognition for his role in the Remote Manipulator System. (Image via Okanagan Science Centre) | Source: Okanagan Science Centre
In 1966 and 1967, Bruce Aikenhead worked with cannon researcher Gerald Bull on a controversial high-altitude cannon program. Later, Aikenhead joined RCA Canada, where he contributed to Canadian satellite projects, including the ISIS 2 satellite for upper-atmosphere research and the Communications Technology Satellite, also known as Hermes. After Hermes launched in 1976, Aikenhead was hired by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to manage the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System, or Canadarm, developed with Spar Aerospace. When the Canadarm became operational in 1983, NASA invited Canada to send astronauts into space. Bruce Aikenhead was then moved to the Canadian Astronaut Program. He also helped choose Canada’s first astronaut, Marc Garneau. In 1989, when the Canadian Space Agency was created, Aikenhead became the Director General of the Canadian Astronaut Program, serving until his retirement in March 1993. Even after he retired, Bruce Aikenhead continued to promote aerospace in Salmon Arm. He often spoke to students about opportunities in the field and helped design and build space exhibits at the Vernon Science Center. Aikenhead lived quietly in Salmon Arm and was remembered for his humility about what he saw as the “good luck” of having such a memorable career.
Finalist Selection for the New Canadian Astronaut Team, Bruce Aikenhead at centre. (Image via Okanagan Science Centre) | Source: Okanagan Science Centre
In 1997, Bruce Aikenhead received the Order of Canada. His wife passed away in 2005. He helped start the Okanagan Science Center in Vernon, British Columbia. He died of natural causes on August 5, 2019, at the age of 95. Today, Canada continues to lead in communication and scientific satellites, and Canadian astronauts and the Canadarm2 are vital parts of the International Space Station, all contributions connected to Bruce Aikenhead. His career shows the importance of international cooperation in Canada’s space program. As one of the Pioneers of Aeronautical Engineering, Bruce Aikenhead spent nearly 40 years in aerospace development and contributed to space projects such as the “International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies,” the Canadian geosynchronous satellite “Hermes,” and the “Canadarm” for NASA’s space shuttle. He also arranged the equipment and training for Marc Garneau’s flight into orbit. Read more similar stories HERE.
Bruce Aikenhead receiving the Order of Canada. (Image via Okanagan Science Centre) | Source: Okanagan Science Centre

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/pioneers-of-aeronautical-engineering/bruce-aikenhead.html

#bruceaikenhead #aeronauticalengineering #canada #okanaganscience #sciencecentre #space #canadianastronaut #spaceshuttle #airforce #rise

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Hollywood’s Beechcraft G18S Returns to Flight After Seven ...

2026-10-16T17:41:07Z

Hollywood’s Beechcraft G18S Returns to Flight After Seven Years, Finds New Home in Spain

Beechcraft G18S N45CF, whose screen credits include Captain America: The First Avenger and Catch-22, has returned to flight after approximately seven years on the ground. Following several months of mechanical work in Switzerland, the aircraft departed Bressaucourt in September 2026 for a new home in Madrid, where its new owners plan to continue its restoration. The project brought together longtime owner Carlo Ferrari, Stanislav Boiko of Boiko Air Services Ltd., and Spain’s Fundación Aeronáutica Antonio Quintana (FAAQ). For Boiko, finding a buyer meant finding someone prepared to care for the aircraft and preserve its history.
Built in November 1959 as construction number BA-466, N45CF had a long working career before becoming familiar to European airshow audiences. Equipped with a large cargo door, the Super Twin Beech carried freight for North American operators, including Northwest Air Cargo. It later moved to Canada, where it flew as C-GJKA and, according to Boiko, served as a parachute aircraft for Parachutisme Nouvel Air in Quebec. Ferrari acquired the aircraft and brought it to Switzerland in 2008. Its film career began before that move, with an appearance in the 2004 production A Different Loyalty, starring Sharon Stone. A more prominent role followed in Marvel’s 2011 film Captain America: The First Avenger. With its polished finish and movie-specific markings, the Beech portrayed Howard Stark’s aircraft in the mission to carry Captain America behind enemy lines. The aircraft’s former operator also documents both film appearances on its history page. For the television adaptation of Catch-22, the aircraft exchanged its polished appearance for a weathered Olive Drab scheme. Filmed in Sardinia, the production featured George Clooney, who also directed part of the series. N45CF retained the finish for subsequent public appearances, including the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford. Although the markings evoke WWII, the aircraft itself was built well after the conflict.
Boiko said disruptions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic changed the aircraft’s operating circumstances, and it eventually ceased flying. Throughout its time on the ground, Ferrari kept the Beech hangared at Bressaucourt and continued caring for it. When Boiko encountered the aircraft and its owner in 2025, he saw an opportunity to get it flying again. Based in Switzerland, his company handles aircraft restoration, sales, acquisitions, management, and ferry flights across Europe, Africa, and Asia. This project, however, quickly became personal. “I instantly fell in love with this airplane, its glorious past, and the deeply touching story of its owner,” Boiko told Vintage Aviation News. He promised Ferrari that the next owner would have the commitment and resources to maintain the aircraft’s historical character and undertake substantial restoration work if needed. Their shared interest in the Beech developed into a friendship that has continued beyond the sale. A prospective new home emerged in February 2026. During a visit to Spain to inspect a Cessna L-19 Bird Dog for another brokerage project, Boiko connected with FAAQ. The Madrid-based foundation preserves, restores, and exhibits historic aircraft, and now lists N45CF among its restoration projects. Representatives from FAAQ subsequently traveled to Switzerland to inspect the Twin Beech. Together with Boiko’s team, they established the work required before proceeding with the purchase and ferry flight. Priorities included assessing both Pratt & Whitney engines, restoring the landing gear system to proper operation, and completing additional inspections and servicing. The agreement rested on a shared commitment to the aircraft’s future. In describing that relationship, Boiko recalled a saying familiar to him from Eastern Europe: “You can always tear up a piece of paper, but a stained name will never be forgiven.”
Several months of mechanical work followed. According to Boiko, the team overhauled the landing gear system, inspected the airframe, and cleaned and serviced the engines. Unexpected technical issues complicated the process, but work continued until both engines could be run and evaluated. Boiko reported that the engine runs produced encouraging results, with strong compression readings and no defects identified during the checks. He credited the mechanics and others involved with making the aircraft’s return possible. In September, FAAQ representatives returned to Switzerland to complete the purchase. With the bill of sale signed, preparations moved into their final stage: resolving the remaining technical requirements, obtaining ferry flight permits, and completing the necessary customs formalities. On the Friday of the second week of September, N45CF lifted off from Bressaucourt, ending what Boiko described as a seven-year grounding. Two of FAAQ’s Cessna 337 Skymasters, wearing military liveries, accompanied the Beech in formation as it departed. The aircraft subsequently arrived safely in Madrid, beginning the next stage of its preservation. Boiko said its original cargo door is operational again, while the passenger cabin is undergoing a complete refurbishment. Further restoration work is planned under FAAQ’s ownership, with the goal of returning the aircraft to European airshow appearances. For N45CF, the move adds another chapter to a career spanning freight operations, parachute flying, film work, and public displays. For the people who brought it back into the air, the achievement reflects months of work—and a promise to give a distinctive Twin Beech a future.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/hollywoods-beechcraft-g18s-returns-to-flight-after-seven-years-finds-new-home-in-spain.html

#sevenyears #newhome #captainamerica #boiko #spain #beechcraft #firstavenger #air #ferrari #switzerland

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the First flight of ...

2026-10-16T16:35:38Z

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the First flight of the Bleriot Bl-111/5

Welcome to VAN’s Today in Aviation History | Source: VAN
On this day in aviation history, 94 years ago (October 16, 1932), the Blériot 111/5 represented the latest development of France’s unusual Blériot 111 executive transport. Designed by André Herbemont, the four-seat 111 family first flew in 1929 and underwent a succession of modifications as Blériot attempted to improve the aircraft’s performance and commercial prospects. The 111/5 was developed from the earlier 111/4, which itself was a substantially modified version of the original aircraft. The 111/4 featured revised wing bracing, a 400-horsepower Hispano-Suiza engine, and retractable landing gear—making it the first French aircraft fitted with retractable gear. For the 111/5, the pilot’s open cockpit was relocated from ahead of the enclosed passenger cabin to a position behind it, while power increased with the installation of a 500-horsepower Hispano-Suiza 12Mbr engine.
Blériot 111/5. | Source: Aviafrance
Development continued beyond the 111/5. The aircraft was subsequently fitted with a 500-horsepower Gnome-Rhône radial engine and named Sagittaire. A new wing and a much more powerful 840-horsepower Gnome-Rhône 14Kbrs eventually transformed it into the 111/6, which was entered in the 1934 London-to-Melbourne air race. Damage to its landing gear shortly before the race prevented it from participating, and a lack of commercial interest eventually ended development of the Blériot 111 family. The source does not provide separate performance specifications for the 111/5. The final 111/6 measured 34 feet 11¾ inches in length with a wingspan of 55 feet 9¼ inches and was powered by an 840-horsepower Gnome-Rhône 14Kbrs radial engine. It could reach approximately 230 mph, had a range of 621 miles, and a service ceiling of just over 18,000 feet, with accommodations for one pilot and four passengers.
Blériot 111/5. | Source: Aviafrance

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-first-flight-of-the-bleriot-bl-111-5.html

Grounded Dreams: Dassault MD 410 Spirale – A Colonial COIN ...

2026-10-16T15:34:45Z

Grounded Dreams: Dassault MD 410 Spirale – A Colonial COIN Prototype Left Behind

When the war started in Algeria, the French government asked for a new type of aircraft. The service needed a stronger, better-protected twin-engine plane. In September 1954, the Air Force created a list of requirements for this aircraft. It should weigh less than 5 tonnes, have a range of 1,080 nautical miles, and cruise at 216 knots. The aircraft should carry two 30-mm cannons, bombs, rockets, or air-to-ground missiles. Later, the service also needed the plane to support transport and training missions in addition to its fire-support role. As a result, by the end of 1957, Dassault’s Mérignac design office had developed two aircraft types using the same airframe. The first was the MD 415 Communauté, which was intended for liaison missions, with fire support as a secondary mission. The second was the Dassault MD 410 Spirale, designed primarily for fire support, with liaison capability as a secondary function.
Design of Dassault MD 410 Spirale
Dassault MD 410 Spirale. (Image via Dassault) | Source: Dassault
On May 26, 1959, Marcel Dassault and Sud-Aviation CEO Georges Héreil decided to work together. Both companies were developing similar aircraft, the Voltigeur and the Communauté, and by joining, they aimed to improve efficiency and cut costs. They planned to build a twin-engine aircraft for liaison and training, as well as ground attack. If the military chose the ground attack version, both companies would focus on developing the Spirale. If the military wanted a larger liaison aircraft with wing-mounted load capacity, they would work together on the Communauté. The Dassault MD 410 Spirale was designed for short takeoffs and landings. The version, developed by the Communauté, was meant for observation and tactical support missions. It could also transport supplies for the vertical-takeoff Mirages. The Dassault MD 410 Spirale kept the same wings and engines as the Communauté but had a narrower body, making it better suited for ground-attack missions. It weighed 5.5 tonnes and shared about 90% of its parts with the Communauté. In March 1960, due to the ongoing Algerian War and the need for fire-support aircraft, the Air Force decided to buy surplus American planes, specifically AD Skyraiders and T28As.
The Cancellation
Dassault MD 410 Spirale. (Image via Dassault) | Source: Dassault
The choice meant the service would not use any French products. Despite this, the Dassault MD 410 Spirale had its first flight at Bordeaux-Mérignac on April 8, 1960. Paul Boudier and Gilles Brecq were the pilots. The Air Force wanted an aircraft that could be used by different military branches, so it introduced another project, the Spirale III, a version 1.3 times larger than the Spirale. This military transport was designed for light short takeoff and landing operations. It was meant to have two Turboméca Turmo III D turboprop engines, each with 1,295 horsepower. The aircraft met the needs of the Air Force and small companies for their regional flights. In January 1962, the defense procurement committee chose the Spirale III model. It ordered two prototypes on April 24, but canceled the contract on August 20 because of a lack of funding. Despite interest from Italy, Australia, and South Africa, the project did not move forward since the war in Algeria had ended. The Dassault MD 410 Spirale was a good aircraft that proved itself in flight tests but failed to receive enough funding. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
Dassault MD 410 Spirale. (Image via Dassault) | Source: Dassault

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/grounded-dreams/dassault-md-410-spirale.html

Help Fly the A6M3 Zero Home: Museum Launches Cross-Country Fuel ...

2026-10-16T14:58:51Z

Help Fly the A6M3 Zero Home: Museum Launches Cross-Country Fuel Campaign

The Military Aviation Museum is inviting aviation enthusiasts to help bring its fully restored Mitsubishi A6M3 Model 32 Zero to Virginia Beach, Virginia. The museum’s “Fly History Home” fuel campaign will support a journey of more than 2,500 miles from Everett, Washington, with the rare Japanese fighter making the crossing in short hops alongside a support aircraft carrying spare parts, artifacts, and luggage. The campaign follows a major milestone in the aircraft’s restoration. On May 5, 2025, the Zero completed its first post-restoration flight from Paine Field in Everett, with the museum’s Chief Pilot Mike Spalding at the controls. The flight marked the culmination of decades of work, primarily by Legend Flyers, and was believed to be the first flight of a Model 32 Zero since the end of WWII.
The Museum’s Mitsubishi A6M3 Model 32 Zero sitting outside the Legend Flyers workshop in Everett, Washington, during 2021. The resurrection of this aircraft is based upon the forward fuselage and wings belonging to s/n 3148 and the aft fuselage and tail from s/n 3145. While we do not know for sure, it is possible that these two Zeros were combined during the war to produce one airworthy airframe from two damaged examples. It would not be surprising if this occurred, as it was common practice for every armed service in wartime. | Source: photo by Jim Larsen via Legend Flyers
During the approximately half-hour flight, Spalding climbed to about 4,200 feet and evaluated the aircraft’s systems, flaps, and landing gear. He reported that the fighter handled exceptionally well and was light on the controls, with only minor adjustments required. The restoration incorporated the forward fuselage and wings of serial number 3148 and the aft fuselage and tail of serial number 3145. Now, the museum is asking supporters to help fund the fuel needed for the cross-country journey. Contributions of any amount are welcome, with suggested giving levels of $250, $500, and $1,000.

Once in Virginia Beach, the Zero will help the museum interpret the Allied campaign in the Pacific during WWII alongside its other Pacific Theater warbirds. The collection also includes witness glass from Hangar No. 2 at Wheeler Army Airfield on Oahu, linking its exhibits to the attacks of December 7, 1941. The museum plans to celebrate the fighter’s arrival with a public “Zero Day” event. The Zero is expected to approach the museum’s airfield escorted by a historic American Navy fighter. An exact date remains to be announced. For campaign details and contributions, visit the museum’s Japanese Zero Fuel Fund page. Restoration progress and arrival announcements will be available through the museum’s website.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/help-fly-the-a6m3-zero-home-museum-launches-cross-country-fuel-campaign.html

Friday Photo: New York on a Crisp Morning Friday Photo: New York ...

2026-10-16T14:31:06Z

Friday Photo: New York on a Crisp Morning

Friday Photo: New York on a Crisp Morning
Air Facts Journal
The view: 7,000 feet over the New York City area with Jersey City, Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Hudson River spread out below.
The pilot: Parvez Dara
The airplane: G36 Bonanza
The mission: Flying the Bonanza from New Jersey to Manchester, New Hampshire (KMHT)
The memory: The flight was smooth through most of the trip, despite a 53-knot crosswind at 7,000 feet. Conditions became considerably more interesting on the descent into Manchester, with moderate turbulence beginning around 6,000 feet and continuing down to the runway.
Want to share your “Friday Photo?” Send your photo and description (using the format above) to: airfacts@sportys.com.
The post Friday Photo: New York on a Crisp Morning appeared first on Air Facts Journal.

https://airfactsjournal.com/2026/10/friday-photo-new-york-on-a-crisp-morning/