Tag: Weekend Wings

In the history of flight, there have been many aircraft lost. Some have been accidental; some deliberate (i.e. sabotage, etc.); and many the result of wartime encounters with enemy fire from the ground or other aircraft. Out of these disasters have come some truly amazing stories of survival against all odds. I’d like to use… Continue reading Weekend Wings #26: Survivors

I’d like to devote – and dedicate – this Weekend Wings to the often-ignored, under-appreciated and anonymous members of many World War II bomber crews: the air gunners. Since most defensive aircraft gun development took place in Britain and the USA, this article will concentrate on those countries. German, Japanese and Soviet aircraft mainly used… Continue reading Weekend Wings #25: Air Gunners

Instead of any particular aircraft, this week I thought I’d bring you a few stories from the lighter side of aviation. The first part contains stories that are true, arranged in chronological order. I’ve tried to select accounts that won’t be familiar to most readers, so as to give you something new to enjoy. The… Continue reading Weekend Wings #24: The Lighter Side Of Wings

At the start of America’s entry into World War II, there occurred one of the most remarkable flights in the history of commercial aviation up to that time. I’d like to tell you about it. In 1941, intercontinental air travel was still a comparatively new venture. It had been in operation for only a decade.… Continue reading Weekend Wings #23: The Pioneering Flight Of The Pacific Clipper

In previous articles on this blog (here and here) I’ve examined the unacceptable cost inflation of military aircraft. I won’t repeat those comments here except in passing. I’d like to suggest that if you haven’t read those earlier articles, doing so now would provide good background material for this article. The United States Air Force… Continue reading Weekend Wings #21: Whither The USAF?

It may come as a surprise to readers to learn that inflatable aircraft are not a new idea. Indeed, they’ve been with us for almost eighty years! The first mention of an inflatable aircraft is in a patent filed by Taylor McDaniel on August 13th, 1930. It was granted in 1933 as US patent 1,905,298.… Continue reading Weekend Wings #20: Inflatable Aircraft

We’ve all read about Charles Lindbergh’s successful solo flight across the North Atlantic Ocean in 1927. It’s so well-known that I don’t propose to say much about it in this, the last of a three-part Weekend Wings series about flying the Atlantic. Instead, I propose to focus on those who tried, and mostly failed –… Continue reading Weekend Wings #18: The Struggle To Conquer The Atlantic