Thomas Morse O-19

Northrop’s MX-324

Even today, Northrop’s MX-324 looks like something out of Buck Rogers. When it was built in 1943, it was almost beyond the imagination of mortal man. Interesting that the aircraft is heavily weighted to keep the nose on the ramp. I expect it had no motors installed and the cg was out of whack.

Lockheed Super Constellation (N86531) of Modern Air Transport basks in sunshine at Boeing Field in the early 1960’s.

Douglas O-46 of the Aviation Section, 29th Division

AD-5 Skyraider of NAS Seattle.

This aircraft, 133926, was later transferred to the USAF as 52-133926 and was unfortunately shot down in Vietnam in 1966.

Grumman Albatross from Coast Guard Air Station, Port Angeles, in the early 60’s

F4D Skyray (139151), VMF-542

This squadron operated the F4D “Ford” from 1958-63.

Day-glo orange paint was all the rage back in the 50’s and 60’s…

This R-4D of NAS Seattle wears said paint handsomely.

Very pretty Boeing 720 of Braniff Airlines.

Ansett 727

When Australia’s Ansett Airlines got their 727’s, it marked a great leap forward for air travel Down Under as they were now the operators of the first pure jets to operate within Australia proper.

Seems that the Dornier Do.18 wasn’t made out of any old metal. Nope, they used “Ulminium.”

Varig Airlines of Brazil

Varig threw down the big bucks and bought themselves 707’s in the early 1960’s. Here’s one of their first on a test hop over Eastern Washington.

The GeeBee

The Granville Brothers designed not only the fastest aircraft in the world, but also one of the most dangerous. Didn’t seem to stop people from either buying them nor the Granville boys from building them.

Grumman F6F neatly executes an uneventful arrival

Air Corps pilots, 1930’s

Don’t what the occasion was, but some event of note brought this group of pilots together in the 1930’s. Center is Lewis Brereton, later a Lieutenant General. Brereton has the distinction of being the only officer to consecutively serve in the USAF and all its progenitors: The Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps. Aviation Section, Signal Corps – Air Service – Army Air Corps – Army Air Forces – US Air Force.

Other notables are in this photo as well, including George “Bill” Holloman, namesake of the Air Force Base. It is also noteworthy that two enlisted pilots are in this photo, Colby and Rosenberg.

The Focke-Wulf FW 189 had a rather pleasing design. Undoubtedly this is one the cooler looking aircraft ads I’ve ever seen.

A pair of century-old German aviation magazines

The “Deutsche Luftfahrer Zeitshrift” dates from the early days of WW1. Even at that date, heroes of the air were already being decorated. Photo #2 is an original photo as used on the cover. “Das Fliegen” features the immortal Max Immelmann himself.

“Stukas”

The Ju 87 Stuka was famous enough that Junkers could just blurt out the aircraft’s name in their advertisements.

Curtiss SOC from USS Louisville

This unfortunate incident occurred in 1938.

Roscoe Turner with his Boeing 247 at Floyd Bennett Field

The P-35 was a spiffy little plane

Compared to what the Air Corps had flown for a pursuit aircraft just a few years before, the P-35 represented a quantum leap in aviation technology.

Interior of the Junkers factory in World War 1

The aircraft are the J 2, the world’s first operational all metal military aircraft. A mere 6 were built. First flight: 1916. Last flight: 1916.

A-3B Falcon, 13th Attack Squadron

Seen at its home field at Fort Crockett. This Falcon (30-13), when withdrawn from service in 1937, had the distinction of being the last A-3B in the inventory.

F-89J, 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Hamilton AFB

52-2163 started life as a D model, but was upgraded to the J. The 84th flew the Scorpion from 1956-59.

Thudville, USA

Nellis AFB was indeed Thud central in the early 1960’s. These F-105D’s were only a few years old at the time, but they have a rough road ahead of them. Of the identifiable tail numbers, all save one would be lost in Vietnam.