The first-ever mid-air refueling happened in 1923 between biplanes
Aerial refueling is a modern marvel of engineering, one that makes any air sortie last as long as a pilot or pilots can physically handle being in the air. Fighters…
That time the Air Force landed bombers on tank treads
During the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force experimented with a seemingly crazy idea for dispersing the weight of their heaviest bomber across the tarmac of airports and bases. They would fit the bombers with tank tread-inspired landing gear.
The time Mount Vesuvius took out dozens of US bombers during WWII
Mount Vesuvius near Naples, Italy, is best known for its eruption in 79 AD that destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. Over 1,000 people are believed…
The ‘Idiot’s Loop’ was a mid-air backflip done by nuclear bombers
The biggest problem facing bomber pilots during the Cold War was the fact that they were dropping massive nuclear bombs, bombs that could easily engulf their planes in a ball…
What happened to all the flak fired at aircraft during World War II
Allied aircraft making bombing runs ovr occupied Europe in World War II didn’t have to just worry about enemy fighters, the skies all around them were exploding, lit up in…
This WWII program was more expensive than the Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project, America’s nuclear bomb program, was one of the most expensive research and development undertakings of WWII. In total, the program cost about $2 billion, or nearly $30…
How B-52 Bombers shot down enemy fighter jets in Vietnam
The air war over Vietnam saw some incredible dog fights, but it still may surprise you to learn that the mighty B-52 heavy bomber successfully shot down not one but…
These WWII bombers were converted into gunships
The idea of putting weapons on aircraft to strike ground targets is not a new one. Although the concept has culminated in the deadly AC-130 gunship today, it was employed…
How the Allies used math to save bomber crews during WWII
When retelling stories of war, our focus tends to fall where the action was. Tales of battlefield bravery have been around for as long as there has been language and battlefields, but securing victory over a powerful foe requires more than the stren…
Today in military history: The B-52 BUFF makes its first test flight
The B-52 Stratofortress, also known as the Big Ugly Fat F*cker, or BUFF, first flew all the way back on April 15, 1952. Yeah, that’s right. Today, the B-52 is…