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Airplanes

View from the cockpit of Solar Impulse 2 as the plane heads for landing in Abu Dhabi.

Future of Energy

Inside the First Solar-Powered Flight Around the World

A new documentary highlights the challenges overcome by the experimental aircraft, Solar Impulse

A North American F-100D Super Sabre drops a napalm bomb near Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, 1967.

This Fighter Jet Turned the Tide During Vietnam’s Decisive Tet Offensive

More than five decades ago, America won this huge battle, but lost the war

A Doomed Aircraft Is Left to Fly Until It Runs Out of Fuel

Learjet 35 was a doomed plane, flying miles off course and with passengers and crew presumed dead

Yes, Putting an Emergency Oxygen Mask on First Is Vital

Investigators looking into the crash of Learjet 35 were faced with a question: If the supplemental oxygen was working, why didn’t the crew use their masks?

This New Zealand Farmer Revolutionized Modern Planes

In the early 1900s, a New Zealand farmer named Richard Pearse built what looked like a flying bicycle. Some of the ideas he developed are now standard

Future of Energy

Greek Yogurt Fuels Your Morning…And Your Plane?

Researchers have developed a method for turning yogurt whey into bio-oil, which could potentially be processed into biofuel for planes

Inventing the Jet Engine Came With a Few Disasters

The invention of the jet engine was the crowning achievement of engineer Frank Whittle. But the path to glory was littered with countless obstacles

It Took Decades to Solve This UN Plane Crash Mystery

Over a half century after the crash of UN DC-6 on September 18, 1961, a new investigation is launched

Footage of the First Martin-Baker Ejection Seat Test

Bernard Lynch was an engineer fitter at British aviation firm Martin-Baker. But his main claim to fame was as the fearless test subject

Experts Assess Why This Plane Fell Off a Cliff

On October 10, 2006, Atlantic Airways Flight 670 overran the runway at Stord Airport in Norway, and careened off a nearby cliff

A Routine Landing Turns Into Every Pilot’s Nightmare

On April 5, 1991, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 was making a routine landing. Suddenly, the plane tilts dangerously to the left

This Ex-Trapeze Artist Made Parachutes Safer

Toward the end of WWI, it became clear to the U.S. government that pilots needed parachutes to better save their lives

Survivor Shares Terrifying Moments Before Plane Crash

It’s August 2008 and Spanair Flight 5022 is late taking off from Madrid-Barajas airport. Seconds after lift off, the unthinkable happens

1996 Brazilian Flight Crashes Seconds After Takeoff

Shortly into TAM Flight 402’s takeoff from Congonhas Airport, the pilots are stunned when the plane tilts dangerously to the right

Sleek new entranceways will grace the refurbished museum.

Here’s Why Washington’s Beloved Air and Space Museum Is Facing a Sweeping Seven-Year Upgrade

The museum will remain open as it works to enhance the visitor’s experience

Were Lithium Batteries the Cause of This Plane Crash?

UPS Airlines Flight 6 crashed into a military base 10 miles from Dubai Airport on September 3, 2010

What Forensics Tell Us About This Odd Plane Crash

Forensic analysis of the engine from El-Al Flight 1862, which crashed on October 4, 1992, finds no explosive residue on it

A Hybrid III model crash test dummy.

These Dummies Gave Us a Crash Course on Auto Safety

Many of your car’s safety features owe a lot to these inanimate people

TKTK

The Sweet Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber

Gail Halvorsen’s efforts made children happy but they also provided the U.S. military with an opportunity

Doctors Once Prescribed Terrifying Plane Flights to “Cure” Deafness

Stunt pilots, including a young Charles Lindbergh, took willing participants to the skies for (sometimes) death-defying rides

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