The B-17 Flying Fortress looked unstoppable. Big. Loud. Full of guns. But it had a hidden problem that caused deadly crashes—and nobody noticed at first. Pilots were crashing during landing. People blamed fatigue. Long missions, stress, mistakes. But the truth was worse: bad design. Insid…
The B-17 Flying Fortress looked unstoppable. Big. Loud. Full of guns. But it had a hidden problem that caused deadly crashes—and nobody noticed at first. Pilots were crashing during landing. People blamed fatigue. Long missions, stress, mistakes. Bu…
He was on fire Patton. His army was racing through France after D-Day, in early summer 1944. Patton wanted to run all the way to Berlin because Germans were falling back. His tanks had no gas. The trucks weren’t keeping up. But when Patton asked for…
You go out for a nice dinner with your friends at one of the best restaurants in the city. You have enough budget to savor anything you want. Being a sensible man, you order a soup, main course and a dessert. Your tummy is full now but you still h…
What makes you think that the British obsess about the Dambusters Raid (Operation Chastise) which was carried out by 617 Squadron in May 1943? Come to that what makes you think that the raid was a failure? There was a book Enemy Coast Ahead written …
At the time of its flight the P-80 demonstrated good performance yet had several flaws. The available jet engine technology of that era did not support any better performance standards. With swept wings attached to the P-80 the aircraft would have a…
During World War II nurses actively participated alongside soldiers instead of working at their backs. They lacked guns but possessed the strength of their minds and passion for survival. Colonel Ruby Bradley held a vital position among the renowned…
Patton had three children, Beatrice Smith (born March 1911), Ruth Ellen (born February 1915), and George Patton IV (born December 1923). By all accounts George Patton was a very good officer like his father. George had his legal name changed just to…
According to history the three Soviet cosmonauts Georgi Dobrovolski (left), Vladislav Volkov (right) and Viktor Patsayev (back) remain the only ones who lost their lives in space. These cosmonauts died from the sudden opening of the premature cabin …
Really quite a lot. For both much of the engine and many of the high load extruded structures, the Spitfire used an Alloy developed by Rolls Royce called Hiduminium, a portmantau of High Duty Aluminium. There were quite a few versions of the RR allo…
Advantage: speed. When we hear of the Mosquito we almost always hear about wood construction and light weight - but it was the selection of balsa wood that was really brilliant. Balsa, one of the lightest of all woods can also be one of the stronges…
Paddy Mayne is often cited as a highly decorated member of the Special Air Service, notably as the only individual within the SAS to have been awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) four times. His contributions are acknowledged as significan…
The German soldier in World War II between 1939 and 1945 faced severe suffering and a threat to his life. The war conditions impacted soldiers differently based on which part of the conflict they served and what duty they performed. The German army …
Of course, there are still World War II vets alive. Not many, though. Most are pushing 100, and every month the number lowers. Fast. The war ended in 1945. Do the math. Not that these people are old, they are on borrowed time. In 2024, there were st…
During World War II, German soldiers were issued firearms based on mission requirements, emphasizing reliability under challenging combat conditions. Functionality was paramount. Three weapons were particularly prominent during this period. First, t…
YES - in by a huge amount Which is why only the military uses jets!! Those engines on the Airbus or Boeing you see they are not “jets” they are turbofans The basic equation is simple Thrust = mass flow rate x “exhaust” speed But the Power = Mass flo…
