Flight
Remembering the Supermarine Spitfire, Iconic Fighter Plane of World War II
'Spit' pilots flew their first combat missions over Dunkirk during the Battle of France
This Odd Early Flying Machine Made History but Didn't Have the Right Stuff
Aerodrome No. 5 had to be launched by catapult on the Potomac River on May 6, 1896, but it flew unpiloted 3,300 feet
NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter's Next Mission? Mapping the Red Planet From Above
After successful test flights, NASA is expanding Ingenuity’s mission to further explore its abilities as an aerial scout
World's Widest Airplane Completes Successful Second Test Flight
Stratolaunch's "Roc" aircraft has two fuselages and a wingspan of 385 feet
How Gen. Henry 'Hap' Arnold, the Architect of American Air Power, Overcame His Fear of Flying
Despite his phobia, the five-star general built the U.S. Air Force
The World's First Licensed Armless Pilot Is a Devoted Advocate for People Facing Similar Challenges
Jessica Cox, author of 'Disarm your Limits: The Flight Formula to Lift You to Success,' motivates people around the world to overcome their differences
NASA's Helicopter Ingenuity Will Attempt the First Flight on Mars
If the craft succeeds, it will provide crucial information for exploring the other planets by air
Study Reveals the Secrets of Butterfly Flight
The fluttering insects create tiny jets of air by clapping their flexible wings together, which may help them evade predators
How We Lifted Flight From Bird Evolution
The path to flight in modern birds was full of forks, twists and dead ends
Why John Glenn Couldn't Escape the Hero Label
A new book explores the man who would serve his country as a fighter pilot, an astronaut and a U.S. Senator
Remember Chuck Yeager by Exploring the Plane He Flew to Break the Sound Barrier
In 1947, the pilot—who died Monday at age 97—made history by flying the Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound
A Smithsonian Curator Reflects on Chuck Yeager, a Pilot With the 'Right Stuff'
Seventy-nine years to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor Brig. Gen. Charles "Chuck" Yeager is dead at the age of 97
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction With Horten's All-Wing Aircraft Design
New research dispels some of the myths behind the world's first jet-powered flying wing
Suffragists Took to the Skies
At the Air and Space Museum, the archives reveal touch on how women aviators advanced the suffrage movement
The Andean Condor Can Soar 100 Miles Without Flapping
The impressively efficient flight was recorded during a new study of the giant scavenger’s aerial prowess
Flying Snakes Need to Wriggle Through the Air to Glide
The paradise tree snake flattens its body and swerves in three dimensions to glide through the canopy
To Silence Wind Turbines and Airplanes, Engineers Are Studying Owl Wings
No one knows exactly how the nocturnal hunters manage their whisper-soft flight, yet it's inspiring the design of quieter airplanes, fans and wind turbines
Ten Trends That Will Shape Science in the Decade Ahead
Medicine gets trippy, solar takes over, and humanity—finally, maybe—goes back to the moon
Was Jakob Brodbeck First in Flight? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions, we’ve got experts
What It Was Like to Become the First Woman to Pilot and Command a Space Shuttle
Eileen Collins talked to <i>Smithsonian</i> about her career in the Air Force and NASA, women in aerospace and more
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