Flying in Germany in 1912
Published on December 21, 2012 “During the last year or so great strides have been made in Germany in the development of the aeroplane, although the progress has been by
Month: December 2012
A Corrugated Duralumin Mess
This Week’s Hints to help you along: An all-metal concept using riveted duralumin sheets. Look Ma! No bottom wing! The tail is a giveaway of the manufacturer’s marque. Testing in
G1 Down in Antarctica
Published on December 30, 2012 The Martin PBM-5 Mariner code-named G1 (or George One, in radio parlance at the time) made a long take off run, assisted by four JATO
The Ace of Grizzly Bear Squadron
Published on December 29, 2012 With the Battle of the Bulge in full swing, the Luftwaffe rose in large numbers to challenge Allied air power over front. Every element of
Operation Gift
Published on December 28, 2012 At 20:37 on December 28, 1968, a flight of six Aerospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon helicopters loaded with special forces commandos with seven escorting Bell helicopters
Volcano Bombing
Published on December 27, 2012 By Thomas Van Hare The Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii erupted on November 21, 1935. At first, the eruption was watched with concern, but then
Breaking Mach 1.0 — Soviet Style
Published on December 26, 2012 The Lavochkin La-176 was a competitive Soviet jet fighter prototype that competed against the MiG-15 for selection as the Soviet Union’s premiere jet fighter of
Genesis from Apollo 8
Published on December 25, 2012 On December 24, 1968 — 44 years ago + one day — while orbiting the Moon, the three man crew of Apollo 8 took a
The Best Typo
Published on December 25, 2012 Many of us know very well the yearly fun brought to old and young alike by NORAD and their tracking mission each year to watch
A Rare Bullet Bird
This Week’s Hints to help you along: Unique truly applies — there was only one. A late experiment in bird-like designs — nearly to World War I. Aerodynamically ahead of
A Visit to the Jezzi Camp at Eastchurch
Published on December 23, 2012 “We found Mr. Jezzi quite alone in overalls, with a scarf round his neck and carpet slippers on his feet, busy in his shed. He
Grace’s Disappearance
Published on December 22, 2012 Cecil Stanley Grace was an Irish-American who hailed from a wealthy, elite American family. His father, John William Grace, was a businessman and his uncle,
Hélène Dutrieu and the Coupe Femina
Published on December 21, 2012 By Thomas Van Hare Hélène Dutrieu was a professional bicycle racer from Belgium. Known as “La Flèche Humaine” (“The Human Arrow”), she was famous throughout
North Vietnam’s Leading Ace
Published on December 20, 2012 Nguyen Van Coc rose rapidly to become North Vietnam’s leading ace in a combat career that lasted from 1965 to 1968. Yet before he shot
90 Years of Chalk’s
Published on December 19, 2012 By Thomas Van Hare In 1917, Arthur “Pappy” Chalk began a small charter airline called the Red Arrow Flying Service in Florida. Shortly afterwards when
America’s First Ace of World War II
Published on December 18, 2012 The first weeks of the war in the Pacific were desperate. Pearl Harbor was struck on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, and within hours, the
The Wright’s “Other Achievements”
Published on December 17, 2012 On this date in aviation history, 109 years ago, the Wright Brothers made their first successful flights of the Wright Flyer I at Kitty Hawk,
First All-American Ace
Published on December 16, 2012 Today’s date in aviation history marks the passing of America’s first truly “All-American” Ace, Douglas Campbell who died in 1990. A patriot and an upper
An All-Metal Wonder
This Week’s Hints to help you along: An all-metal aircraft in a time of fabric and wire. The designer invented the world’s first flying wing — in 1910! An little
Missing in Action
Published on December 15, 2012 In 1942, Glenn Miller was at the peak of his career, performing in sold out concerts across the United States. His record albums were fast
From the Back of a Napkin
Published on December 14, 2012 Sitting together over lunch, the three discussed how a plane could be designed and built with one purpose in mind — to fly around the
The Water Hen
Published on December 13, 2012 “This interesting hydro-biplane, which has been flying almost daily through the past year over Lake Windermere, may be said to have originated at Blackpool way
The Sinking of the USS Panay
Published on December 12, 2012 On this date in aviation history in 1937, in the midst of Japan’s ongoing attacks against Nanking, China (now Nanjing), Japanese Navy aircraft again appeared
Defending Wake Island
Published on December 11, 2012 Captain Henry “Hammerin’ Hank” Elrod was 36 years old and had been serving in the US Marine Corps since 1927. He was commissioned as an
Sinking the I-70
Published on December 10, 2012 As Navy Lieutenant Clarence E. Dickinson nosed his plane over, the submarine he had spotted northeast of Oahu threw up a hail of defensive anti-aircraft
On One Wing
Published on December 9, 2012 Kanichi Kashimura was a Pilot Officer Third Class with the Japanese Navy. Sent to China in October 1937 and assigned to fly with the 13th
A Long Nose Probe?
This Week’s Hints to help you along: This is definitely an American design. Your answer must include information about the nose. Flying over the USA in tests — but what’s
Positive Lightning
Published on December 6, 2012 “Pan American Flight 214 departed San Juan, Puerto Rico at 16:10 EST for a flight to Philadelphia with an intermediate stop at Baltimore. The aircraft,
Scouting Squadron Six at Pearl Harbor
Published on December 2012 As dawn broke, the twelve pilots of Scouting Squadron Six (VS-6) finished their briefing for the morning search grid. As usual, they proceeded to the aircraft
Witwenmacher
Published on December 6, 2012 Fifteen years after Germany’s defeat in World War II, in July 1960, the West German Luftwaffe had reformed into a modern, capable jet force. As
The Disappearance of Flight 19
Published on December 5, 2012 By Thomas Van Hare It was mid-afternoon on December 5, 1945, just five months after the end of World War II, when a routine training
Dr. Brunholf Baade and the Baade 152
Published on December 4, 2012 At the end of World War II, Dr. Brunholf Baade had emerged as one of Germany’s most advanced aeronautical engineers and theorists. His greatest project
100 Years Ago in Flight :: Accidents, Dreams and the Hunt
Published on December 3, 2012 At this time 100 years ago in England, the Royal Aero Club newsletter, Flight, was arriving in mailboxes across the country. It carried much news
Continue reading100 Years Ago in Flight :: Accidents, Dreams and the Hunt
A Line of Mystery
This Week’s Hints to help you along: That isn’t from France, Britain or Germany. Are those single engine bombers or something else. The tail flash is still a tricolor, but
Deadly Mystery at Bari
Published December 2, 2012 By Thomas Van Hare The Luftwaffe’s evening raid on the Italian harbor of Bari caught the Allies by surprise. The planes, 105 in number. were Junkers
Administrative Order 9
Published on December 1, 2012 With a single signature on “Administrative Order 9”, on this date in aviation history in 1941, the Mayor of New York City, Fiorello La Guardia,