IT WAS EARLY DECEMBER 1950. More than 120,000 Chinese troops had crossed into North Korea and encircled 30,000 troops from the U.S. Marine Corps’ 1st Division, the U.S. Army’s 7th and 3rd Infantry Divisions, and U.N. forces around the reservoir with the goal of annihilating them.
Brown was America’s first Black naval aviator and the first to fly combat missions. He and his VF-32 wingman LTJG Tom Hudner had taken off from the aircraft carrier USS Leyte CV-32) in the Sea of Japan to provide low-level close-air support for the Americans trying to break out of the encirclement.
A golden bullet” fired by Chinese troops pierced a fuel line in the big Pratt Whitney R-2800 radial just in front of Brown, damaging it so severely the engine quit. He had to crash-land.
Seventy years later, Mike Oliver, pilot and general manager of the terrific Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon, dropped inexorably downward toward the snowcovered Cascade Mountains until the propeller tips of his F4U-7 were feet above icy pine trees. The shot was, I get shot down." Oliver recalls. Tm smoking, looking for a place to land. I turn base to final, find a place out there in the mountains, roll the canopy back and put the flaps down. I had a camera mount on the tail, so it’s showing that different view. I was sinking, sinking, sinking all the way down to the trees. That was a moment where as a pilot, I couldn't imagine landing in the mountains of North Korea when there are people trying to kill you, let alone the terrain.”
It's one of the most vivid memories Oliver has of the filming for the new movie Devotion,” which recently premiered. Based on the book of the same title written by author Adam Makos, it's the true story of Navy pilots Jesse Brown and Thomas Hudner Jr., their devotion to each other, and their astounding bravery during the Korean War.
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Keeping 'em Flying!- The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics
The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics. Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, the fighters, bombers, and trainers that defended freedom continue to enthrall and inspire audiences at airshows, thanks to generations of warbird pilots, maintainers, restoration specialists and collectors. In our September, 2022 issue we introduced you to the young warbird pilots, maintainers and restorers who are already beginning to displace more "experienced" warbird fliers and fixers.
The Corsair Maker- Bringing the Vought Corsair to the fleet was a daunting challenge that spanned nearly three years.
When the first production Corsairs exited the Stratford factory in June 1942, Guyton, as seen here, was tapped to manage the flight and production test program. Armament was improved to six wing-mounted .50s, displacing the wing fuel tanks now placed forward of the cockpit which necessarily was moved rearward by 32 inches. Overall length was increased, armor plate added, landing, arresting and tail gear improved, aileron control enhanced, and a new version of the R2800 engine was incorporated. But those significant improvements unearthed numerous idiosyncrasies that would take an extended period to make the Corsair acceptable for carrier operations
STARFIRES Over Korea
F-94 pilots tangle with MiGs
Training Mission
BY THE TIME THIS TRAINING SCENE WAS RECORDED in Canne, Italy, in July 1944, Allied Yugoslavian airmen had several years of experience working side by side with the RAF.
KC-46A PEGASUS
Next generation aerial refueler
"SATAN'S ANGELS" ACE - Tales from a P-38 pilot in the South Pacific
\"AS A KID GROWING UP on the bow of my father's tugboat, hauling oil from Seattle to Alaska, I had a lot of time on my hands.
WACO YKC - Stunning and Ultra Rare Golden Age Cabin Flier
BETWEEN THE IMPLEMENTATION of the Air Commerce Act of 1926 and December 31, 1948, all U.S. registered flying machines sported an N-number, much as they do today, the \"N\" being an internationally recognized identifier for the United States. During that period, however, an additional letter-identifier followed the \"N.\" Depending on their category, they were registered in the NC (Commercial), NG (Glider), NL (Limited), NR (Restricted, usually meaning race airplanes), NS (State government), and, finally, NX (experimental).
BADER'S HURRICANES
Double amputee fighter ace Douglas Bader and his Battle of Britain Hurricanes
Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
ZERO MYTH, MYSTERY, AND FACT
A test pilot compares the A6M5 Zero to U.S. fighters
