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Airplanes

The flight deck of the U.S. aircraft carrier Hornet, some 800 miles off Tokyo Japan, where it shows some of 16 Billy Mitchell (B-25) Bombers, under the command of Major Jimmy Doolittle, just before they were guided off flight deck for historic raid on Tokyo, April of 1942.

The Untold Story of the Vengeful Japanese Attack After the Doolittle Raid

When the U.S. responded to Pearl Harbor with a surprise bombing of Tokyo, the Imperial Army took out its fury on the Chinese people

Army Avrocars depicted as "flying jeeps" in company literature

Early Flying Machines Were Just Weird

There’s a reason most designs didn’t stick around

From the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center

When Steve Fossett Became the Magellan of the Skies

Ten years ago, the pioneering adventurer took off in pursuit of a new record in circumnavigation

A windowless cabin design concept by Spike Aerospace.

Craziest Airplane Cabins of the Future

These airplane cabin designs—both real and conceptual—show what might await us on flights in the near future

On January 14, museum staff lowered the historic "Spirit of St. Louis" to the ground floor.

Wheels Down. Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis” Has Landed

The historic aircraft—first to fly nonstop from New York to Paris—is lowered to the ground inside the Air and Space Museum

A new study shows that birds do not seem to recognize how fast a vehicle is approaching.

New Research

Planes Fly Too Fast for Birds to Dodge

New research shows that birds are not adept at avoiding obstacles at such high speeds

An Indonesian Air Force troops looks for AirAsia flight QZ8501 in the Karimata Strait.

Trending Today

2014 Was Actually One of the Safer Years to Fly

The year saw a few prominent disasters, but 2014 was, unfortunately, nothing out of the ordinary

Olympian and airman Louis Zamperini crouches in his starting position on a B-18 bomber.

Document Deep Dive

“Unbroken“‘s Louis Zamperini Crashed Into the Pacific on May 27, 1943. Here is the Missing Air Crew Report

The National Archives holds a record with details of the downing of the former Olympian’s B-24 bomber that left him lost at sea for 47 days

Women, she said, “get more glory”—but “more notoriety when they crash.”

Will the Search for Amelia Earhart Ever End?

More than eight decades after she disappeared in the South Pacific, the aviator continues to spark intense passion—and controversy

A full-size Boeing 757 tail equipped with sweeping jets was tested in a wind tunnel at the Ames Research Center.

Designing a Smaller, Lighter Airplane Tail

With engineers from Caltech, Boeing and NASA, Israel Wygnanski is ushering in a new era of fuel-efficient airplane design

One third of an airline's operating costs go to fuel.

Holy Smokes! Tobacco May Fuel Planes in the Future

The seeds from a new type of tobacco plant grown in South Africa release an oil that can be made into biofuel

Smaug now resides at the Wellington airport.

Cool Finds

Smaug the Dragon And Other Unexpected Airport Surprises

There’s more to the world’s airports than newsstands and food courts

Did this piece of debris come from Amelia Earhart's plane? Some think so; others disagree.

Trending Today

Aircraft Hunters Think They’ve Found a Scrap of Amelia Earhart’s Plane

This isn’t the first time a seemingly game-changing piece of evidence about Earhart’s disappearance has arisen, however

The Enola Gay crew (Van Kirk is standing, second from left).

Trending Today

The Last Crew Member Who Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima Died

Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk said he never regretted his involvement in the bombing

The E-Fan 2.0 completes a demonstration flight at the Farnborough International Airshow.

Tech Watch

Airbus Demos A Near-Silent, Zero-Emission Plane

The E-Fan 2.0 is the first step on the road to all-electric and hybrid flight

"Hawaii by Air" at the National Air and Space Museum explores the history of air travel to America's "most exotic state."

Surfers, Sunsets, and Dancing Girls: How Air Travel Came To Hawaii

“Hawaii by Air” opens today at the National Air and Space Museum, tracing the history of air travel to America’s “most exotic state.”

A hotel's welcome notice for Auke Dalstra of flight MH17 is seen at the arrival hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal on July 18, 2014 in Sepang, Malaysia.

Trending Today

The Horrific Downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 Has Echoes in History

Lessons from history hint at what might happen next

Looking for a New Place to Live? This Man Chose an Airplane

Oregon man Bruce Campbell created a home in a salvaged 727 aircraft

Cool Finds

British Airways’ New Blankets Pick Up On and Display Your Anxiety

The blankets are only in the experimental phase right now, however

Lt. Col. Geoffrey Barnes, Detachment 1 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Attack Squadron commander, performs a pre-flight inspection of an MQ-1B Predator unmanned drone aircraft in September 3, 2008.

Cool Finds

There Have Been 418 Major Drone Crashes Since 2001, Many of Them in the United States

Even the military is having drone problems

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