The B-47 Stratojet The first XB-47 prototype, which was built to fulfill a 1944 need, flew in December 1947 and outperformed its rivals. It had sweeping wings, jet engines in…
After WWII B-29 saw military service again in Korea between 1950 and 1953, battling new adversaries: the Soviet-built MiG-15 jet fighters When the huge VB-13 TARZON was first designed in…
In a sense, Little Boy and Fat Man—as well as other bombs of the same kind—had parachutes. Not a textile one, but a California Parachute is the name given to…
Convair was able to move the XB-58 prototype from Fort Worth, Texas, to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, for testing, using a modified Peacemaker bomber, with ease because of…
During World War II, the Pacific theater saw the bulk of the use of B-29s. Up to 1,000 Superfortresses dropped bombs on Tokyo at once, destroying major portions of the…
‘The B-29 crews were cocky—at first. But as time wore on and accidents began to take their toll, the boys quieted down,’ Arthur La Vove, “Hump Driver.” Author, artist, journalist,…
The B-29 saw most of its action in the Pacific theater of World War II. How would the B-29 have fared in the air conflict over Germany if it had…
To defend B-36 bombers flying far outside the range of traditional escort fighters, the McDonnell Aircraft Corp. created the XF-85 Goblin “parasite” fighter To defend B-36 bombers flying far outside…
The Spruce Goose, when at combat overload weight, weighed almost twice as much when empty as a fully loaded B-29 did during takeoff. For the time, they were simply absurd…
LeMay made the decision to turn to low-altitude incendiary operations after the high-altitude B-29 bombing with high-explosive ordnance produced negative results Although General Douglas MacArthur is regarded as one of…