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 This Falcon (30-13), when withdrawn from service in 1937, had the distinction of being the last A-3B in the inventory.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.
Mitchel Field B-10
Members of Mitchel Field’s 5th Bomb Squadron pose proudly with one of their brand new Martin B-10’s.
The 11th Bomb Squadron rumbles over Mather Field on April 4, 1930
Ju 90
Billing itself as the “Koenigin der luft” (Queen of the air), the Junkers Ju 90 was a pretty decent aircraft. Most were pressed into service with the Luftwaffe as transports.
Two seat P-39
Bolting another cockpit in front of the P-39’s existing cockpit afforded the front-seater an excellent view of the propeller whirling inches from his toes.
Brand new Bell P-39’s
Selfridge Field’s 31st Pursuit Group go for a cruise high in the Michigan sky.
Latest news from Bell
The December 17, 1953 front page of the Bell Aircraft News features the “old man” himself, Larry Bell, and the man who made Bell aircraft synonymous with speed, Chuck Yeager. Once again, he was the fastest man in the world.
O1-C (27-268)
The caption on this photo of an O1-C states: “Lt. Wheeler in Curtiss Falcon attack plane at Curtiss-Wright Airport, Chicago, June 27, 1930. I was in gunner’s cockpit while we flew in formation over the city for an hour.”
Y10-1G
What started as a Curtiss O-1E Falcon, turned into a XBT-4, and finally a Y10-1G. Whatever you want to call it, 29-295 had a short but interesting career. After all those name changes, 295 crashed in 1932.
Curtiss B-2 Condor
General William E. Gilmore, head of the Air Corp’s Material Division at Wright Field, demonstrates the latest wonder to take to the sky: two-way communications. He’s perched in the nose of a B-2 Condor of the 96th Bomb Squadron. Photo dated 4-11-30.
A-8 & A-12
With it’s shark-like nose, I prefer the look of the A-8 over that of the radial engined A-12, but I like the aircraft’s overall design, no matter what.
Curtiss A-8 and A-12 Shrike
The Curtiss A-8 and A-12 Shrike are hands-down my favorite aircraft of the 1930’s. (The A-8 more so) Unfortunately, there are no survivors of the type. (Why can’t my favorite plane have at least one example extant?)
Fleet Aircraft
Ya just gotta love the ads they cooked up in the 1930’s. Fleet Aircraft inc. in Buffalo NY had some of the best.
Curtiss B-2 Condor visits Boeing Field
Good camouflage job. In the background are a pair of Boeing 247’s, and a brace of Boeing Model 80’s.
The Jive Bomber 