Aerospace Stories
Might Have Beens: The Best Fighter Never Bought?
By Robert F. Dorr in Aerospace under Defense Technology, Featured, History with 5 comments
When test pilot Russ Scott took off from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on Aug. 30, 1982, he was making the maiden flight of a sleek and beautiful fighter, the Northrop F-20A Tigershark.
With ...more »
Thunderbolt Versus Tiger Tank: “Wrecking the German Armyâ€
By Robert F. Dorr and Thomas D. Jones in Aerospace under Featured, History with 28 comments
During World War II in Europe, the German Tiger tank was a respected and feared fighting machine, but it was not always a match for the robust Republic P-47D Thunderbolt or the men ...more »
Back to the Drawing Board: The Big and Not So Beautiful Vultee XP-54
By Robert F. Dorr in Aerospace under History with 2 comments
It would be unthinkable today, but during World War II the burgeoning U.S. aircraft industry was able to design, develop, and test numerous warplanes that were not needed and never had a realistic ...more »
The XF-85 Goblin: The “Parasite” Fighter That Didn’t Work
By Robert F. Dorr in Aerospace under Defense Technology, History with no comments
The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was the only American aircraft designed on the drawing board as a “parasite” fighter – meant to be launched from, and retrieved by, another aircraft in flight.
It was one ...more »
Tokyo Raiders: The Doolittle Raid Restored American Confidence
By Robert F. Dorr in Aerospace under History with no comments
The first step toward America going on the offensive in the Pacific war was taken on April 18, 1942, on the noisy wooden deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV 8). Joe ...more »
The Few Who Got Up
By Robert F. Dorr in Aerospace under History with 6 comments
At 7:55 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, six aircraft carriers and 360 aircraft of the Japanese 1st Air Fleet led by Vice Adm. Chuichi Nagumo launched air strikes on U.S. installations in the ...more »
Task Force Normandy Fired the Opening Shots of Desert Storm
By Robert F. Dorr in Aerospace under Featured, History with 3 comments
At 2:38 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1991, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Tom Drew launched Operation Desert Storm by speaking into his radio microphone: “Party in ten.” The pilot of an AH-64 Apache attack ...more »
Classic Wings: P-47 Thunderbolt
By Robert F. Dorr in Aerospace under History with 1 comment
Quick: can you name the American fighter plane built in the largest numbers?
The answer: the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a robust, heavily-armed fighter of World War II that could handle itself in combat against ...more »
Back to the Drawing Board: XP-55 Ascender
By Robert F. Dorr in Aerospace under History with no comments
Ascender was the official name given to the Curtiss XP-55 experimental fighter. But American troops, with their inimitable wit, can’t leave anything alone: To GIs in uniform, it quickly became the “Ass-ender.”
During World ...more »
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