Of Wings & Things

The launch from the Navy’s first aircraft carrier, USS Langley, on Nov. 18, 1922, signaled the beginning of practical aircraft carrier operations.

The aircraft looked very much like a scaled down commercial jetliner, with four individually podded engines suspended from pylons in a fashion reminiscent of the Boeing 707.

Gunship versions of the B-17 were seen as one answer to the scourge of German fighter attacks.

This year, the 75th anniversary of VJ-Day — Victory over Japan — will be commemorated at Pearl Harbor, where the war began for America.

During World War II, General Motors shifted gears from making cars to building warbirds.

Reminiscent of the World War I German Fokker D.VII fighter, the elephant ear Travel Air 2000 gained a nickname as the Wichita Fokker.

In the 19 years since the Wrights first flew, the design of aircraft was being codified and quantified with precision.

There are stark differences between the current Duration and the wartime version.