LAFAYETTE, THEY WERE THERE
IT WAS just about 100 years ago that American pilots transferred their service from the Escadrille Lafayette to the newly formed U.S. Army Air Service. In addition to the 38 … Continue reading
HEDGING THE ODDS OF WARTIME AVIATION
IT HAS been said, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” And so it is for those fighting in the air above. Flying Against Fate, by S.P. MacKenzie, is a highly … Continue reading
DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS SBD—SLOW BUT DEADLY
LET’S CELEBRATE an aircraft that contributed mightily to our victory in the Pacific in World War II, the Douglas Dauntless SBD. Indeed, the SBD accounted for destroying more Japanese tonnage … Continue reading
CELEBRATING THE BOEING 747
AFTER 48 YEARS of service, the Boeing 747 is being replaced by newer, more efficient wide-body aircraft. The 747 is a glorious example of aeronautical engineering and, for crew and … Continue reading
B.R.1 ROTARY AERO ENGINE
QUICK: NAME a famous automaker who first manufactured aero engines. Oh, the one with the spinning prop logo? Actually, I was thinking of an even earlier one: W.O. Bentley and … Continue reading
DOUGLAS DC-3
THIS DOUGLAS DC-3 pin was the object of my recent rummaging through the desk. The search was prompted by a cameo appearance of Donald Douglas in a recent item here … Continue reading
B&W: THE FIRST BOEING
WILLIAM E. BOEING was a prominent Seattle timber executive, land owner, and yachtsman. His friend Conrad Westervelt was a U.S. Naval officer assigned to a Seattle shipyard. Like lots of … Continue reading
AN AEROPLANE FOR EVERYMAN—THE AUSTIN WHIPPET, PART 2
MAYBE A British Great War pilot was contemplating conversion of the back garden potting shed into an aeroplane hangar for his Austin Whippet. Or maybe not. It was 1919 and … Continue reading
AN AEROPLANE FOR EVERYMAN—THE AUSTIN WHIPPET, PART 1
THE AUSTIN Whippet aeroplane was going to satisfy peacetime flying urges of Britain’s Great War pilots, just as the Austin Seven motor car would fulfill road-going aspirations of the post-war … Continue reading
ROBERTS 6X AEROPLANE ENGINE
THE ROBERTS Motor Company of Sandusky, Ohio, manufactured advanced aircraft engines in the early part of the last century. Indeed, according to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, more … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 