THE GLIDER THAT HELPED TAKE NORMANDY
LET’S CELEBRATE the Waco CG-4A Hadrian glider, first flown 75 years ago. This U.S. glider’s delivery of troops and armament was part of the Allied invasions of Sicily, Normandy, the … Continue reading
BLACKBURN B.20: FLOATPLANE? FLYING BOAT?
HERE’S A DESIGN that looks particularly unorthodox, only, guess what, it does make sense. The Blackburn B.20, a British aircraft at the beginning of World War II, was a flying … Continue reading
PEACEMAKER LORE
TIMING: IT’S IMPORTANT in peace as well as in war. Ironically, one of the latter’s weapons of mass destruction has the name Peacemaker, and this aircraft is an interesting example of … Continue reading
AERO BASE MICROWING BLÉRIOT XI
IT’S SORT OF Christmas early: The instructions read “Not Suitable Under 15 Years of Age. Tools Recommended: Modelling Knife, Tweezers, Instant Glue.” They neglected to add “Helpful To Have The … Continue reading
SPITFIRE FLYING, SELF-TAUGHT
I WAS SORTING through one thing and another when I came upon the British Air Ministry’s 1943 Air Publication 1565K, Spitfire F XII Pilot’s Notes. The Supermarine Spitfire single-seat fighter … Continue reading
AVIATION SELLS!
EARLY AVIATION GENERATED entirely new ventures. It also gave existing businesses a piece of the action, sometimes only indirectly. Here’s a sample of “Aviation Sells!” One of the oddest gizmos … Continue reading
BASSÉ & SELVE AERO ENGINE
ON MAY 31, 1918, a German Rumpler two-seat aircraft was shot down in combat. The Rumpler’s six-cylinder Bassé & Selve engine was retrieved by British Intelligence and subjected to intensive … Continue reading
A FAMILY AFFAIR IN KIWI AVIATION
FOR THE WALSH siblings of Auckland, New Zealand, early aviation was very much a family affair. Unlike fellow Kiwi Richard Pearse, they didn’t have to devise everything (including spark plugs!) … Continue reading
AVIATION MARKETING 101: 1911–1913
THE INTERNET IS often likened to the Wild West because of its unruly activities, but today’s internet is fairly orderly in comparison to the early days of aviation. I’ve already … Continue reading
SUPPORTERS RUN AMOK AFTER POL LOSES ELECTION
SO THERE’S THIS rough-talking politician. He has run an innovative campaign, even to dropping leaflets from an airplane and landing in the fields to speak to voters. He loses the … Continue reading
