“You can do nothing but surrender”
Published on August 30, 2012 For the life of me, I cannot see what an aeroplane can do which is likely to be of any practical utility in warfare.” —
HistoricWings.com :: A Magazine for Aviators, Pilots and Adventurers
A Magazine for Aviators, Adventurers and Pilots
Published on August 30, 2012 For the life of me, I cannot see what an aeroplane can do which is likely to be of any practical utility in warfare.” —
Published on August 30, 2012 Lawrence Sperry was a remarkable man born of a remarkable family. An inventor like his father, Lawrence’s greatest achievement was taking one of his father’s
Published on August 29, 2012 An Englishwoman in her mid-40s and the daughter of a church vicar, Hilda Hewlett was married with two children when she attended her first aviation
Published on August 28, 2012 In these days of GPS, radar, radio, and a fully developed airspace system, we often forget of the pioneering efforts of those who flew into
Published on August 27, 2012 The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: — Distinguished Flying
This Week’s Hints to help you along: A sight to behold — at least in the taxi trials. An unfulfilled contract with the US Army Air Corps. An all metal
Published on August 26, 2012 Mehran Karimi Nasseri’s airline oddyssey began on this date in 1988. A refugee of the Shah’s pre-revolution Iran, his papers from the UN’s High Commissioner
Published on August 25, 2012 On this date in aviation history in 1930, an 18-year old pilot named Eddie August Henry Schneider set three aviation records, along the way traversing
Published on August 24, 2012 In the Spring of 1924, the United States had set out with its fleet of Douglas World Cruisers, hoping to become the first nation to
Published on August 23, 2012 Twenty two years ago today, on August 23, 1990, President George H.W. Bush and the US Air Force took delivery of the new “Air Force
Published on August 22, 2012 In the early 1950s, the Saunders-Roe S.R.45 Princess was the largest flying boat ever built in Britain and, indeed, one of the largest aircraft ever
Published on August 21, 2012 On this date in aviation history in 1957, the US Department of Defense issued a cancellation notice on a very special aircraft design — an
Published on August 20, 2012 “This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings.
This Week’s Hints to help you along: A surprising different Swedish type, maybe not Swedish design (inspired by Focke-Wulf?). Developed due to an embargo on Sweden (and others) imposed by
Published on August 19, 2012 “I fly close to my man, aim well and then of course he falls down.” — Oswald Boelcke On this date in aviation history in
Published on August 18, 2012 The inaugural Women’s Air Derby was part of the 1929 National Air Races. In the race, women pilots were not allowed to use navigational instruments
The Foltz-Up Edith Foltz, Portland, Ore., who finished in second in the recent air derby from Los Angeles, Calif., to the Cleveland air races, is shown above demonstrating the new
Published on August 17, 2012 By Thomas Van Hare Today in aviation history in 1927 marks the end of the Dole Derby, an ill-fated air race competition founded by James
Published on August 16, 2012 Today in aviation history marks the combat debut of the Luftwaffe’s revolutionary Messerschmidt Me 163 Komet, the world’s first true point interceptor. Rocket-powered, nimble and
Published on August 15, 2012 by Thomas Van Hare In the early morning hours of August 15, 1944, the invasion of southern France began — Europe’s second “D-Day”, called Operation
Published August 14, 2012 It was dawn when Gustave Whitehead, a German citizen living in Fairfield, Connecticut, powered up his Aeroplane No. 21. “By this time the light was good.
Published on August 13, 2012 Take one 800 hp air cooled, 9 cylinder Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine with 1,344 cubic inch displacement, bolt on a big propeller, and
This Week’s Hints to help you along: A relatively obscure flying wing that was jet-powered and quite fast. Construction of the wings in two pieces, upper and lower sides! That
Published on August 12, 2012 By Thomas Van Hare TOP SECRET [DECLASSIFIED]:: ATTEMPTED FIRST APHRODITE ATTACK TWELVE AUGUST WITH ROBOT TAKING OFF FROM FERSFIELD AT ONE EIGHT ZERO FIVE HOURS
Published on August 11, 2012 To qualify as a model aircraft, the plane weighed less than 11 pounds. Half of that was fuel and, given that it burned only two
Published on August 10, 2012 Francis K. McClean seemed a proper gentleman. Born on February 1, 1876, he was the son of the respected Dr. Frank McClean, F.R.S., a recipient
Published on August 9, 2012 “To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything.” So spoke Ferdinand Ferber in a dedication to Otto
Published August 8, 2012 On this day in aviation history in 1919, the French public woke to read in the newspapers of Paris that a French aviator and veteran of
Published on August 7, 2012 At 64.4 kilograms weight and with four deployable solar panels for power, the little sphere looked somehow other worldly. It’s mission was to study the
Published on August 6, 2012 Over the course of a little more than an hour, three B-29 Superfortresses took off from North Field, Tinian, Guam, and turned northward toward Japan.
This Week’s Hints to help you along: An early aircraft that featured a variable incidence wing. Just one was received for testing — but to which nation’s air force? As
Published on August 5, 2012 The Blériot 110 was a proven aircraft. It’s great 600 hp Hispano-Suiza engine was perfectly tuned. By all accounts, Rossi and Codos were well-prepared. They
Published on August 4, 2012 The skies were clear over Paradise Ranch when the all-silver aircraft rolled out of its hangar. Its long and graceful glider wings hung low over
Published August 3, 2012 The little flying boat taxied out across the low waves of Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba. The pilot blipped the power to turn it into the wind,
Published on August 2, 2012 It was 5:00 am on Friday, August 2, 1929. Her Fokker F.VIIA called “The Spider” taxied out onto the field at Lympne Aerodrome, near Folkestone,
Published on August 1, 2012 “Everyone asks me ‘how it feels to fly.’ It feels like riding in a high powered automobile, minus bumping over the rough roads, continually signaling