Aircraft Types
Powered and unpowered aircraft, including fixed-wing, hybrid, rotary and lighter-than-air
To the North Pole…by Balloon
115 years ago today, three Swedish explorers set off on the only attempt ever to reach the Pole by balloon.
July 11, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
Gyroplanes Swarm in Florida
The Annual Bensen Days fly-in welcomes rotorheads.
July 2012 |
By Bill Wilson
Summer at the Smithsonian
Planning a visit to the Museum? We provide some helpful hints.
July 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
My Other Vehicle Was a Spacecraft
Now that the space shuttle has retired, astronauts are rediscovering the joys of flying airplanes.
July 2012 |
By Phil Scott
Human-Powered Helicopter Team Goes for Record
Can Gamera II stay airborne for 60 seconds? Tune in on Friday.
June 22, 2012 |
By Tony Reichhardt
“Mayday, This is Death 23”
The call that makes every Apache pilot freeze.
June 18, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
Titanic’s Wireless Operators: The Original Texters
Text messaging, from 1912 to 2012.
May 14, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
Second Life for Hangar One
The Moffett Field landmark may yet house aircraft again.
May 2012 |
By Kara Platoni
Sikorsky Wants to Pick Your Brain
AND the company will pay you for the privilege.
March 09, 2012 |
By Pat Trenner
Hardest to Fly?
Piloting an Apache helicopter almost always meant both hands and feet doing four different things at once.
February 03, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
High-Speed Helicopters Come of Age
By adding a little push, compound helicopters push the speed limit up to 300 mph.
January 30, 2012 |
By George Larson
The Flying Winnebago
For some reason the heli-camper never really caught on.
January 2012 |
By James R. Chiles
Mind If I Borrow It?
The day an Air Force mechanic commandeered a North American F-86.
November 2011 |
By Paul D. Mather
Could You Fly a Sabre?
The challenge of handling a 1950s MiG killer.
November 2011 |
By Paul Hoversten
The Raiders Remember
In an annual ceremony, the last of the Doolittle Raiders recall their part in victory over Japan.
September 2011 |
By Paul Hoversten
