Tag: Weekend Wings

Almost as soon as the first aircraft were developed, their proponents and advocates began to examine ways in which they could contribute to the art and science of warfare. The development of aerial bombardment began almost by accident, an afterthought on the part of an adventurous pilot, but was soon to become an all-consuming interest… Continue reading Weekend Wings #32: Aerial Bombardment: The Beginning

In 1943, the tide had turned in World War II. Germany’s long string of victories in the West and in the East had been decisively halted at Stalingrad in Russia, El Alamein in Egypt, and in North Africa with the Torch landings. In the Pacific, Japan’s advance had been halted on land in the Guadalcanal… Continue reading Weekend Wings #31: The Last of the Big Bangers

Carrier-based aviation in the US Navy finds itself in a difficult position today concerning its overall strategy, and even its very reason for being. This Weekend Wings will examine some of the issues involved, and look at how the USN is addressing them. However, before doing so, we must examine the environment within which their… Continue reading Weekend Wings #30: Carrier aviation in the US Navy, today and tomorrow

We’ve talked about many different aircraft so far during this series. They’ve ranged from civilian transports, to bombers, to fighters, and all sorts in between. A few readers have asked about the process of designing an aircraft. How complex is it? (In short – very!) What do designers and engineers have to take into account?… Continue reading Weekend Wings #29: How to design an aircraft

Weekend Wings returns after an almost three-month hiatus, caused by a house fire, which was quickly followed by a visit from Hurricane Gustav. I’ve been hard at work supervising contractors doing repairs, which hasn’t left much time for in-depth articles like this. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to them now. It was announced… Continue reading Weekend Wings #27: Will the MiG name vanish into history?