Category: Uncategorized

  • The Sound Barrier.

    Bell X-1 On October 14, 1947, the Bell X-1 became the first airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound. Piloted by U.S. Air Force Capt. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, the X-1 reached a speed of 1,127 kilometers (700 miles) per hour, Mach 1.06, at an altitude of 13,000…

  • War and Industry.

    WW II North American Aviation P-51D Mustang Many people consider the P-51 Mustang the best fighter of World War II. Its combination of speed, range, maneuverability, and firepower gave it great versatility. Its use in all major theaters of the war included long-range high-altitude escort, strafing, and photo reconnaissance. The…

  • Early Pioneers.

    1927 Spirit of Saint Louis The Spirit of St. Louis (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single engine, single-seat, high wing monoplane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from Long Island, New York, to Paris, France, for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize.[2] Lindbergh took off in the Spirit from Roosevelt Airfield, Garden City,…