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  • Brig. Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell

    William "Billy" Mitchell became an untiring advocate for air power between the two world wars. His name remains synonymous with military aviation during the 1920s.The son of a wealthy United States senator from Wisconsin, Mitchell was born in Nice, France, on Dec. 29, 1879, while his parents were on

  • Battleship Trials

    For over a century the U.S. Army and Navy were in agreement about the coastal defense of the United States: the Army would defend the beaches and out to the range of their coastal guns, and the Navy would protect anything beyond that range. The airplane, however, changed that arrangement. Since the

  • Blunder Trophies

    Humor was a virtue not greatly lacking among the test pilots at McCook Field and, later Wright Field. Although the pilots assigned to the Flying Section approached their jobs in a most diligent and professional manner, they still possessed that habit so common among those who fly -- jocularity. A

  • Baron Manfred von Richthofen

    The leading ace of all nations during World War I was Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the famous "Red Knight of Germany." Although he scored most of his 80 victories while flying the Albatross fighter, he is most closely associated with the Fokker Dr. I triplane, the type of plane he flew during the

  • Birth of Strategic Bombing

    Strategic bombing had its beginning during World War I when German Zeppelins began raiding London. Small attacks against England were carried out early in the war, but by October 1915, "squadron-size" raids by numerous Zeppelins had begun, always at night and in the dark of the moon.Early in

  • Bleriot Monoplane

    The Bleriot monoplane is currently off public display and in restoration(Feb. 2023). The Bleriot monoplane was an important early aircraft because of its inventor's notable exploits and the aircraft's role in early training and reconnaissance. It first achieved fame in 1909 when its designer, Louis

  • Boeing P-12E

    Developed by the Boeing Aircraft Co. at its own expense, the P-12 was became one of the most successful American fighters produced between the World Wars. Flown by both the Army and the Navy (as the F4B), the P-12 series consisted of an initial version and five additional models, B through F. The

  • Boeing YB-9

    The YB-9 was originally owned, developed and tested by Boeing as the XB-901 (NX10633). The plane was based on the Model 200 commercial transport but was enlarged and adapted to the bomber role. The YB-9 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-1860 radial engines which gave it a top speed of 163 mph.

  • Bellanca C-27C

    In 1934, 13 C-27s -- four Y1C-27s and nine C-27As -- were fitted with a Wright Cyclone radial engine and re-designated as C-27Cs. The new engine was rated at 750 hp and was the most powerful engine installed on a C-27 series airframe. In addition to the new engine, the Townend ring cowl used on the

  • Bellanca C-27B

    In 1934, one C-27A (S/N 33-19) was modified and re-designated as C-27B. The major change was the replacement of the original Pratt & Whitney Hornet B radial engine with a Wright Cyclone radial. The new engine was rated at 675 hp -- 25 more than the Hornet B radial -- and allowed the aircraft to