New Faces A new B-24D Liberator was assigned to the 514th Bomb Squadron of the Air Force in 1943. There, it was given the name, “Lady Be Good” – a reference to the musical, and was assigned a fresh new crew. The crew members arrived in Libya just weeks before they got their first mission […] More
1. Cockpit Design For some planes, opening the cockpit can be a bit problematic. When planes would get hit, it could damage the engine and the controls needed to open the cockpit. Though some planes like the P-51 had an easier time opening the canopy. In such airplanes, a pilot would only slide the canopy […] More
A Crucial Mistake Forgetting to use your seatbelts in a car is one thing, forgetting to unfold your plane’s wings is a whole other story. On January 22, 1968, a pilot of the VF-53 Navy squadron aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard took off at night with his F-8 Crusader. It was supposed to be […] More
Forming Bonds and Earning Respect The two friends first met aboard USS Leyte in 1950. Hudner was assigned to the VF-32 where he piloted the F4U Corsair alongside his wingman, Jesse Brown. Brown faced discrimination growing up in the early 1900s. Still, he became the first African-American to complete the Navy’s basic flight training program. […] More
Imagine being so fast you can shoot yourself down. That is the story of the F-11 Tiger, an aircraft so quick that it somehow managed to hit itself. Born From Necessity The US saw the Soviet Union as a strong opponent during the Cold War. They were weary of the USSR’s capabilities, especially when it […] More
