Commemorative Air Force

This is your chance to make aviation history!

The Commemorative Air Force New England Wing is asking the public to help name its rare Fairchild PT-23, the very first PT-23 ever built and one of fewer than 100 still flying today. Supporters can vote from a list of suggested names or submit their own idea, and one lucky participant will even win a flight in the aircraft after its new name is unveiled. Voting is open through July 4.

Cast your vote: www.NECAF.org/name-the-plane-page

Have you ever wondered how WWII aviators found their way without GPS? Find out how on our website at https://commemorativeairforce.org/news/how-did-wwii-pilots-navigate-without-gps

Bonus points to anyone who can identify the aircraft this navigator is working in!

We don't often get a that actually reached its defining moment on a Tuesday, but on June 16, 1943, one of the most ambitious B-17 experiments ever attempted came to an unfortunate end.

Seeking to improve the Flying Fortress, Vega converted the ninth production B-17E to use four liquid-cooled Allison V-1710 V-12 engines in place of its standard Wright Cyclone radial engines. The theory was simple: if replacing the radial engine of the P-36 Hawk with an Allison V-12 had transformed it into the faster and more capable P-40 Warhawk, perhaps the same approach could improve the performance of the B-17.

The modified aircraft was designated the XB-38 and made its first flight on May 19, 1943, with Vega Chief Test Pilot Bud Martin at the controls. Early testing showed some improvement in speed and high-altitude performance, but those gains came with increased complexity and maintenance requirements.

Then, on June 16, during the aircraft's ninth test flight, disaster struck. The number three engine on the starboard wing caught fire. When the crew was unable to extinguish the blaze, they were forced to abandon the aircraft. Tragically, one crewman's parachute failed to deploy, and he was killed. Another suffered severe injuries when his parachute malfunctioned during descent.

The unmanned XB-38 crashed near Tipton, California, in the San Joaquin Valley west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The aircraft was completely destroyed.

Although the full test program was never completed, the results gathered before the accident suggested that the performance improvements were not significant enough to justify replacing the B-17's proven radial engines. With the loss of the prototype and only modest gains demonstrated, and with the Allison engine already needed by P-38 Lightning, P-40 Warhawk, and P-51A Mustangs, the XB-38 program was cancelled.

The Flying Fortress would continue the war powered by radial engines, while the XB-38 became a reminder that not every promising idea in aviation delivers the results engineers hope for.

Would you believe us if we told you this wasn't a P-51?

Though it looks like a P-51B or C with a Malcolm Hood canopy, it is, in fact and F-6C. Unlike today, F didn't stand for "fighter" in WWII; it stood for photographic reconnaissance, and this F-6 was assigned to the 31st Photo Reconnaissance Squadron.

The primary difference between the P-51 and F-6 was the installation of cameras in the fuselage behind the pilot. Depending on the model and mission, these could include K-17 cameras for vertical photography, K-22 cameras for oblique photography, or more commonly, two K-24 general-purpose cameras allowing either or both. Access panels were added to service the cameras, and windows were cut into the fuselage sides and belly.

Unlike dedicated reconnaissance aircraft such as the F-5 Lightning, the F-6 usually retained its guns. Many reconnaissance pilots preferred keeping their armament because they frequently operated alone over enemy territory and might encounter enemy fighters.

You'd be tempted to assume that the last letter in the F-6 designator was equivalent to the same model of P-51. For example, the F-6A was roughly the same airframe as the P-51A. But the F-6B wasn't based on the P-51B; it was another variant still based on the P-51A. So, the F-6C was actually equivalent to the P-51B.

By late 1944 and 1945, F-6s were among the most important intelligence-gathering aircraft in the European Theater. They mapped invasion beaches, tracked German troop movements after D-Day, documented V-weapon sites, and provided the imagery used to update operational maps almost daily.



📸 World War Photos

On 15 June 1944, the Battle of Saipan began when U.S. Marines from the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions stormed the island's western beaches following a massive naval bombardment. They were later joined by soldiers from the Army's 27th Infantry Division. Japanese defenders, numbering more than 30,000 troops, had fortified the island and were determined to fight to the last man, resulting in some of the fiercest combat of the Pacific War.

Located in the Mariana Islands, Saipan was a key strategic objective for the United States because its capture would place the Japanese home islands within range of the new Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber.

Over the next three weeks, American forces battled through rugged terrain, caves, and heavily defended positions as they pushed north across the island. The fighting culminated in a massive Japanese banzai charge on July 7, one of the largest of the war. Although the attack inflicted heavy casualties, it failed to stop the American advance.

The capture of Saipan on July 9, 1944, had far-reaching consequences. The island became a major base for B-29 operations against Japan, while the defeat contributed to a political crisis in Tokyo and underscored the shrinking defensive perimeter of the Japanese Empire. It was a major turning point in the Pacific campaign that brought the war one step closer to Japan's doorstep.

📸 World War Photos: Destroyed Japanese H8K Base Tanapag Harbor Saipan Island Marianas, 15 July 1944

This week on Warbird Tube, join Rick Larsen, EAA’s Vice President of Communities and Member Programming, to give us an exclusive preview of this year's EAA Airventure!

To watch LIVE on June 17 at 7pm Central, register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1372011744048246624?source=SoMe

But... where did the engines go?! 😳

Meet the Douglas XCG-17 heavy logistics glider, which first flew on June 14, 1944. Though it began life as a normal C-47, its engines were removed and faired over as an experiment to find a larger glider, especially for carrying more freight over "The Hump" in the China-India-Burma Theater.

The idea for the XCG-17 arose during WWII when the Army Air Forces noted that with big four-engine transports like the C-54 Skymaster entering service, a much larger glider could be towed to carry much greater loads of supplies, troops, or even vehicles. With the engines and unnecessary internal fittings cut out to save weight, the payload capacity of the glider became about 15,000 pounds of cargo or about 40 fully-equipped troops. It could even carry three jeeps or two 105-mm howitzers.

During testing, the XCG-17 performed well in many respects: it had lower stall speeds, higher towing speeds, and a shallower glide angle than conventional, smaller assault gliders, making it more efficient in towing. However, three major drawbacks prevented it from going into production. First, it was unable to meet the Army’s requirement to land on unimproved fields, which gliders often needed to use. Second, by the time it was evaluated and ready, the strategic need for such a large glider had already passed. Powered transports were, by then, available in sufficient numbers, making unpowered heavy gliders unnecessary. Supply lines and other logistics had also improved, reducing the necessity for a glider with the XCG-17’s capacity. Third, the logistical overhead of towing such a large unpowered airframe was significant. 

After testing, the prototype was placed in storage and eventually ferried to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for disposal in August 1946. In 1949, it was sold to a private buyer who reinstalled the engines and flew it as a DC-3.

There was, however, one field conversion along similar lines: a C-47 in the Philippines (serial 43-16229), converted at Nichols Field in early 1946 to glider configuration (fairings over the engine mounts, an auxiliary power unit borrowed from a B-24 bomber, etc.), and called “Nez Perce”.  That aircraft, which flew as a glider first on June 17, 1946, was towed from Luzon toward Tokyo in a planned long-distance “aerial freight train” flight, which included an 11-hour tow with an overnight stop in Okinawa over about 1,800 miles, finally arriving at Tachikawa Airfield.  Though successful, this too was short-lived: by August 1946, the field conversion was reversed, the engines were reinstalled, and the aircraft reconverted to its normal powered C-47 role. 

The XCG-17 was an interesting engineering experiment and showed some of what could be done with large glider logistics, but changing war needs, operational limitations, and the inability to fulfill all mission requirements meant it never moved beyond the prototype and one test conversion stage.

Join us in wishing a happy birthday to the USA that's older than the USA! 😉

Established as the Continental Army on 14 June 1775, the US Army predates the Declaration of Independence by more than a year, making it older than the nation it would help create.

Just two weeks after its 132nd birthday, the Army would begin an aviation lineage that carries through to the present day:

✪ 1 Aug 1907: Creation of the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps
✪ 18 Jul 1914: Aviation Section, Signal Corps
✪ 20 May 1918: Division of Military Aeronautics
✪ 24 May 1918: Air Service, U.S. Army
✪ 2 Jul 1926: United States Army Air Corps (USAAC)
✪ 20 Jun 1941: United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)

Even after the independent US Air Force was created in 1947, the Army retained an Aviation Branch, which today operates over 4300 aircraft, roughly 4000 of which are helicopters. In fact, the Army operates more helicopters than the air forces of most nations operate aircraft of all types combined. Army Aviation is one of the largest aviation organizations in the world.

Any Army Aviators in the audience?

A beautiful tribute to the WASP from WWII Weekend in Reading.

In the original photo, four WASP pilots are striding away from a B-17 Flying Fortress named Pistol Packin' Mama after completing four-engine training at Lockbourne Army Air Field near Columbus, Ohio. The photo was taken in 1944 and has become a symbol of the competence, confidence, and professionalism of the women who flew military aircraft for the Army Air Forces during World War II.

The four women, from left to right, are:
👩‍✈️ Frances Green
👩‍✈️ Margaret "Peg" Kirchner
👩‍✈️ Ann Waldner (sometimes listed as Ann Currier, her married name)
👩‍✈️ Blanche Osborn

They were among a very small group of WASP selected for B-17 training. Only seventeen WASP entered the four-engine B-17 program, and just thirteen completed it. Their job was to ferry aircraft, conduct training missions, and perform other non-combat flying duties that freed male pilots for overseas service.

The B-17 itself was one of the most complex and prestigious aircraft in the Army Air Forces inventory. At a time when many Americans doubted women could handle heavy bombers, these pilots proved otherwise. After completing their training, WASP B-17 pilots flew aircraft for ferrying and gunnery training missions, accumulating hundreds of hours in the Flying Fortress.

Part of the photo's enduring appeal is that it looks almost cinematic. The women are carrying their parachutes and walking in formation with a confidence usually associated with fighter aces or bomber crews. The image became a powerful piece of wartime publicity, demonstrating that women could master the same aircraft and training standards as their male counterparts.

There is also an interesting footnote to the story. According to Dawn Rochow Seymour, another B-17-qualified WASP, she was standing just outside the frame when the famous photograph was taken. Seymour later recalled flying B-17 missions to train aerial gunners preparing for both the D-Day invasion and the Pacific War.

The photograph has become so significant that the National WASP WWII Museum has called it perhaps the most iconic image of the WASP program. More than a publicity shot, it captured a moment when four women who had overcome enormous barriers demonstrated that they could successfully fly one of the most important heavy bombers of World War II.

Leonard Nimoy is best remembered as the iconic Mr. Spock from Star Trek, a character that became one of the most recognizable in television history. Long before his rise to fame, however, Nimoy served in the United States Army, and later developed a love of aviation many people are unaware of.

Born Leonard Simon Nimoy on March 26, 1931, in Boston, Massachusetts, he was the son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. His parents, Max and Dora Nimoy, had fled what is now Ukraine to escape persecution and build a new life in America. Nimoy grew up in Boston’s West End in a working-class neighborhood, surrounded by a tight-knit immigrant community. From an early age, he was drawn to performance, acting in neighborhood theater productions and local playhouses as a child. By the time he was a teenager, he was already pursuing acting seriously, briefly studying at Boston College and then moving to California to pursue opportunities in film and television.

Nimoy’s early acting career in Hollywood was modest, consisting mostly of small roles in B-movies and television. Like many young men of his generation during the Korean War era, he faced the prospect of military service. In 1953, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve where he was assigned to Special Services, the branch responsible for morale and entertainment. He spent much of his service writing, directing, and performing in shows for fellow soldiers, an assignment that proved pivotal. It allowed him to continue developing his craft under structured conditions, gaining experience in staging productions, working with audiences, and refining his presence as a performer. Nimoy was discharged in 1955 as a Staff Sergeant.

In later years, Nimoy occasionally reflected on his time in the Army with appreciation. He credited Special Services with giving him valuable experience and confidence at a time when his professional future was uncertain. The opportunity to perform regularly, even in a military setting, helped solidify his commitment to acting and prepared him for the discipline required in Hollywood.

After leaving the service, Nimoy returned to acting with renewed focus, eventually achieving worldwide fame in the 1960s with Star Trek. What many people don't know, though, is that alongside his artistic pursuits, he developed a strong interest in aviation.

Nimoy learned to fly and became a licensed private pilot, ultimately owning a Beechcraft Bonanza. Flying offered him a sense of independence and control that contrasted with the demands of his public career, and he embraced it as both a technical challenge and a personal passion.

In his later years, Leonard Nimoy remained deeply engaged with both his artistic and personal passions. Beyond acting, he pursued photography, poetry, and music, publishing several books and continuing to explore creative expression well into his seventies and eighties. He also embraced his legacy as Spock, reconnecting with fans and participating in Star Trek projects, including his role in the modern film series. Nimoy continued to advocate for science, space exploration, and the arts, while maintaining a quieter life with his family.

In 2014, he revealed he had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nimoy had been a heavy smoker for many years, beginning in his youth and continuing through much of his adult life. Although he quit smoking in the 1980s, the long-term damage to his lungs had already been done. Later in life, he spoke openly about this, even publicly urging others to quit smoking and avoid the same outcome. He passed away on February 27, 2015, in Los Angeles, California, from complications of COPD at the age of 83.