7 War in the Skies
Men and Machines in Combat“To become an ace, a fighter must have extraordinary eyesight, strength, and agility, a huntsman’s eye, coolness in a pinch, calculated recklessness, a full measure of courage—and occasional luck!”
—Gen. Jimmy Doolittle
USAF, AVIATION PIONEER
What Japanese plane was one of the aircraft used to attack Pearl Harbor and in kamikaze attacks?
A:
Mitsubishi A6M Reisen Zero. The Zero was the main fighter plane of the Japanese navy during World War II. It was fast, maneuverable, and had excellent range. The Zeros dominated the skies early in the war—328 of them participated in the attack on the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Key to their performance was weight. The airframe was made of a lightweight aluminum alloy developed in Japan. The Zero could climb faster in dogfights against the Allies. But when American pilots changed their tactics to avoid close combat, they had better success against the Zero.
The Reisen Zero was a symbol of Japanese air power during World War II.
What was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier?
A:
USS Enterprise. In 1954, Congress authorized the construction of the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The giant ship—nicknamed Big E—was to be powered by eight nuclear reactors, two for each of its four propeller shafts. Materials used by the shipyard included 55,000 kg (61,000 tons) of steel, 1,400 kg (1,500 tons) of aluminum, 370 km (230 mi.) of pipe and tubing, and 1,500 kg (1,700 tons) of quarter-inch welding rods. The carrier was launched from Newport News, Virginia, on September 24, 1960, and was officially commissioned the following year. On November 25, 2011, the Enterprise celebrated its 50th birthday, making the carrier the oldest active duty ship in the U.S. Naval fleet. After 25 deployments and 51 years of active service, Enterprise was officially deactivated on December 1, 2012.
A 1:100 scale model of the USS Enterprise.
What was the world’s first military airplane?
A:
1909 Wright Military Flyer. When the U.S. Army Signal Corps asked the Wright brothers to build a two-seat observation aircraft, the inventors set about designing a plane that could go farther and longer than their original 1903 Wright Flyer. Orville Wright conducted trials of the new aircraft in 1908 at Fort Myer, Virginia. A serious crash, which injured Orville and killed his passenger, interrupted progress, but by 1909 Orville was testing an improved machine that exceeded the Army’s requirements and was purchased as the first military plane.
The Wrights’ 1909 Flyer was designed for the U.S. Army.
What bomber was used in every theater of World War II?
A:
North American B-25 Mitchell. A highly versatile plane, the B-25 could carry more than 1,400 kg (3,000 lbs.) of ordnance and was an effective attack aircraft. It earned respect in 1942 after 16 planes, under the command of Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, were launched from the deck of the USS Hornet and attacked Tokyo and other major Japanese cities. The pivotal raid, which tore a hole in Japan’s defenses, led to the American victory at the Battle of Midway and ultimately earned Doolittle a Medal of Honor.
What tactical bomber saw its first combat in Korea?
A:
Douglas AD Skyraider. This accurate tactical bomber could drop a 900 kg (2,000 lb.) bomb with precision on specialized targets and was much in demand during the Korean War. A total of 3,180 Skyraiders were built from 1946 to 1957—long after the war ended. The Skyraider was used again when Americans became involved in the Vietnam conflict, flying ground support missions against targets in North and South Vietnam. It was nicknamed the Spad after the famous French fighter of World War I.
Who was Germany’s Red Baron in World War I?
A:
Manfred von Richthofen. A fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service, Richthofen (1892–1918) is considered the top ace of World War I. He is credited with 80 combat victories. Called the Red Baron for both his inherited noble title (all the males in his family were barons) and his plane, painted bright red to distinguish it from others, he inspired awe and fear. Richthofen’s career finally ended on April 21, 1918, when he was shot down by ground fire from an Australian army unit.
Manfred von Richthofen won many of his combat victories in an Albatros fighter like this D.Va.
What former director of the National Air and Space Museum won a Navy Cross for his role in sinking a Japanese fleet carrier in World War II?
A:
Donald Engen. On October 25, 1944, Lt. j.g. Engen (1924–99) took off in a Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldiver as part of a mission to strike the Japanese carrier Zuikaku. Along with other members of his squadron, Engen dove through fierce anti-aircraft fire. He managed to place his 454 kg (1,000 lb.) bomb right on the target, pull out of the dive just 8 m (25 ft.) from the water, and fly under the bow of the battleship Hyuga, where the officers were gathered on the bridge in their dress whites. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his role in sinking the fleet carrier. Engen eventually retired from the Navy as a vice admiral. He held many distinguished civilian jobs, including serving as director of the National Air and Space Museum.
What famous civilian pilot unofficially downed a Japanese aircraft in World War II?
A:
Charles Lindbergh. In 1944, celebrity aviator Lindbergh was working as a United Aircraft technical representative, studying aircraft under combat conditions. While making a tour for the company in the Pacific, the civilian flyer fired on and hit an enemy aircraft. Lindbergh was flying a P-38 with the 475th Fighter Group. Lindbergh did not officially serve in World War II, but aided the war effort by training pilots to extend the range of their aircraft, which for the P-38 meant coaxing it from 917 km (570 mi.) to 1,207 km (750 mi.).
What type of bomber first carried out nighttime attacks on Germany during World War I?
A:
Voisin VIII. Gabriel and Charles Voisin improved on their classic 1907 biplane with the Voisin VIII, a military version developed in 1912. Built almost exclusively for military contracts, the plane entailed a modification of earlier Voisin designs—larger engines and greater wingspans—and entered service with French night-bombing squadrons in 1916. The interior had bomb racks, cockpit lights, and the option for landing lights.
The museum’s Voisin VIII was specifically designed as a bomber.
What Navy fighter plane was chosen by the Blue Angels flight demonstration team in the late 1960s?
A:
McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II. Serving as an armed fighter-bomber, unarmed reconnaissance plane, or air-show demonstration aircraft, the F-4 Phantom II is known for its long service and high performance. Various designations of the F-4 have been operated by the U.S Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps. In 1968 the Navy chose the F-4J for its Blue Angels flight demonstration team, and in 1969 the Air Force made the F-4E a mainstay of its Thunderbird team. The National Air and Space Museum’s F-4S Phantom flew support missions for B-52 raids on Hanoi during the Vietnam War.
The F-4 Phantom was an exceptionally versatile aircraft.
What attack-bomber was used extensively during the Vietnam War?
A:
Douglas A-4C Skyhawk. The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a versatile light attack-bomber that has been a U.S. Navy first-line aircraft for many years. Despite its relatively small size, it is able to carry a large and varied assortment of aerial weapons. In 1959, the A-4C went into production, with improvements in cockpit layout, safety features, radar equipment, and all-weather flying capability. Six hundred and thirty-eight A-4Cs were built, making it the most numerous A-4 model produced. Throughout the conflict in Vietnam, it was noted for its unusual accuracy in attacking selected ground targets.
This Douglas A-4C served with a Navy attack squadron off the coast of Vietnam, 1967.
What was the nickname of the bomb dropped by the Enola Gay on Hiroshima?
A:
Little Boy. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima exploded with the force of approximately 12,000 kg (13,000 tons) of TNT. It was 3 m (10ft.) long and weighed 4,400 kg (9,700 lbs.). The bomb had caused the Enola Gay to be a bit overweight, and when it was released over the target, the B-29 literally jumped as its burden was unloaded. As the bomb hit, the plane filled with searing bright light and a mushroom cloud arose from the ground below.
What fighter pilot stuck gum to his window to line up a shot during the Korean War?
A:
Francis “Gabby” Gabreski. A World War II flying ace who was among the few to repeat as an ace in the Korean War, Gabreski (1919–2002) was flying an F-86 Sabre jet in July 1951, when he downed his first MiG. The veteran flyer was, however, so unfamiliar with the F-86’s new-fangled controls that he had replaced the radar-controlled gun sight with a wad of chewing gum stuck to the windshield. Gabreski was credited with 6.5 kills in Korea.
During World War II, what World War I ace was downed and presumed dead, until his rescue by a Vought OS2U Kingfisher aircraft?
A:
Eddie Rickenbacker. A small floatplane, the Kingfisher served primarily as a search and rescue craft during World War II. Hundreds of downed pilots were lifted from the open ocean by Kingfishers and brought to safety. In 1942 World War I ace Rickenbacker and his crew were presumed lost at sea after their B-17 was downed three weeks earlier. But, luckily, a Kingfisher spotted Rickenbacker and his two companions in their life raft. With the most injured man inside the plane and the ace and another man tied to the wing, the overloaded Kingfisher managed to get them back to safety.
Eddie Rickenbacker: heroic survivor of two world wars.
When was the first strategic bomber developed?
A:
1915. Before there were bombers, pilots dropped small bombs or hand grenades simply by tossing them over the side of the plane as they flew by an enemy target. But in the midst of World War I it became clear that a specially designed bombardment aircraft was needed. In France, the Caudron brothers, René (1884–1959) and Gaston (1882–1915) produced the Caudron G.4, which entered squadron service in 1915. The twin-engine plane could carry an observer with a light machine gun in the nose, or that person could serve as a bombardier, launching up to 227 kg (500 lbs.) of bombs through a sliding door in the floor of the fuselage.
What famous aircraft was known as the Flying Fortress?
A:
Boeing B-17. A four-engine, long-range bomber, the B-17 led America’s strategic bombing campaign against Axis powers in World War II. Its success played a critical role in the Allied victory. The term Flying Fortress was apparently coined in 1935 by a Seattle reporter who alluded to the wealth of armaments—multiple machine gun emplacements, including one that could fire in almost any direction from the nose—of the B-17 prototype. Boeing liked the name so much the company had it trademarked.
What helicopter was nicknamed Huey?
A:
Bell UH-1 Iroquois. Several branches of the military operated the Huey during the Vietnam War. Nicknamed for its first designation—HU-1A (Helicopter Utility Model 1A)—it was developed as a successor to the Bell 47 medevac helicopter. The first Hueys arrived in Vietnam in 1962 as support for the South Vietnamese Army, but months later armed Hueys were also serving as military transport and escort helicopters. By the end of 1964, the Army was flying more than 300 Hueys. Their medevac services proved critical to reducing battlefield fatalities.
This UH-1 had a distinguished combat record in Vietnam from 1966–70.
What airplane was affectionately called the Peashooter?
A:
Boeing P-26A. This all-metal monoplane fighter developed in the 1930s was a radical departure from wood-and-fabric biplanes, but it retained an open cockpit, fixed landing gear, and an external wing bracing made of wire. Peashooters serving with the air forces of China and the Philippines aided those nations in defending themselves against Japanese invaders during World War II. After the war, some of the P-26As stationed overseas were assigned to the Panama Canal Department Air Force.
The all-metal monoplane design of the Peashooter became a standard for fighter planes during World War II.
What does kamikaze mean in English?
A:
Divine wind. The Japanese suicide attack units were called kamikaze or divine wind, after a typhoon that had miraculously saved Japan from Mongolian invaders in the thirteenth century. The pilots, sworn to die in the service of the emperor, often participated in a ritual before takeoff: they drank sake, sang a traditional war song, and donned the headband of the samurai. Flying planes directly at the enemy like guided missiles, the kamikaze units were ultimately a desperate attempt by the Japanese to compete with superior American air power.
Plane flying near a globe (Kamikaze Returns), 1935–39, a Japanese poster in the museum’s collection.
What country had the first independent air force?
A:
Great Britain. The Royal Air Force (RAF) was founded in April 1918 by combining Britain’s navy and army air arms (the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps). Its mission was to protect Britain from air attack and coordinate strategic bombing of industrial sites and cities. The decision to merge the two forces was based on the growth of air power in World War I and the significant impact of aerial reconnaissance.
What was the first exclusively airborne invasion in history?
A:
German invasion of Crete, May 1941. During World War II the Luftwaffe experimented with using aircraft to deliver troops into battle either by parachute or glider. The first exclusively airborne invasion occurred on the Mediterranean island of Crete, with the Germans using an initial wave of paratroopers to secure the airfield, thereby allowing their transport vehicles to deliver heavy equipment and reinforcements. This was not accomplished, however, without days of brutal combat and considerable loss of life on both sides.
Who used a balloon to observe Confederate troop movements during the Civil War?
A:
Thaddeus Lowe. An inventor and aeronaut, Lowe (1832–1913) was also a self-taught scientist who became an accomplished balloon builder. By the late 1850s, he was appearing at air shows, giving rides and demonstrations to curious spectators. Lowe understood the value of using a balloon as a reconnaissance craft in wartime and demonstrated his ability to President Lincoln and the Union Army. Impressed, they made him chief aeronaut, a civilian position, of the newly formed Union Army Balloon Corps, which eventually had seven balloons equipped with mobile hydrogen gas generators. Lowe’s most famous ascension was during the Battle of Seven Pines. Aloft in the balloon Intrepid, he reported Confederate troop movements to Gen. Samuel Heintzelman, saving Union troops from almost certain capture or death.
Professor Thaddeus Lowe’s “balloon camp,” at Gaines Mill, Virginia, May 1862.
What UAV can fly day or night missions?
A:
RQ-7 Shadow. The RQ-7 Shadow is an unmanned aerial vehicle currently in active service with the U. S. Army and Marine Corps. The system, first used during Operation Iraqi Freedom, serves as a day-night, target acquisition, surveillance, and battlefield assessment platform for commanders on the ground. The RQ-7 Shadow has seen extensive service in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan. It has non-retractable landing gear for conventional wheeled takeoff but also can be launched off a trailer platform using a pneumatic catapult.
In what Navy fighter did pilots win more Medals of Honor than in any other?
A:
Grumman F4F Wildcat. Grumman sold Wildcats to the Navy during World War II. This tough fighter could not outmaneuver or outperform the Japanese Reisen Zero, but its heavy armament and solid construction gave it an advantage in the hands of skilled pilots. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. Eight F4F Navy pilots earned the medal in World War II.
A:
332nd Fighter Group. Early in World War II, many African American pilots were trained by the Army Air Corps in Tuskegee, Alabama; however, racial prejudice kept them from seeing combat. Yielding to political pressure, the Army eventually sent the first all-black fighter group to North Africa in 1943, and in 1944 the 332nd Fighter Group, commanded by Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis, was sent on flying missions to Berlin, Ploesti, and other well-defended targets. They were called Red Tails because of the paint color on the tails of their P-51 Mustangs. The Red Tails under Davis had an outstanding record: they shot down 111 enemy planes, destroyed 150 on the ground, and lost only 25 American bombers to enemy fighters on their escort missions.
A war bond poster featuring a Tuskegee airman, 1943.
Benjamin O. Davis in the cockpit of his P-51.
What American helicopter was the first to enter military service?
A:
The Sikorsky XR-4. Igor Sikorsky was the first helicopter designer to produce a practical craft. His 1939 VS-300 earned him a contract with the U.S Army, and his XR-4 was first flown in 1942. Featuring the single main rotor plus anti-torque rotor design (now an industry standard), the craft set a record for long-distance helicopter flight on its delivery from the factory in Connecticut to the Army airfield in Ohio. Helicopters gained prominence during the Korean War and served as evacuation vehicles for the severely wounded.
Sikorsky XR-4: the first mass-produced helicopter.
What is the name of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima?
A:
Enola Gay. Colonel Paul Tibbets (1915–2007) named the B-29 Superfortress that he flew on his August 6, 1945, mission after his mother. On that day the first atomic weapon used in combat was dropped from the Enola Gay on Hiroshima, Japan. Two days later, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, and three days later, the B-29 Bockscar dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Japanese Emperor Hirohito gave a radio address on August 15 announcing Japan’s surrender to the Allies. The surrender ceremony was held aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945.
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat.
What was the first rocket-powered fighter plane?
A:
Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet. This German aircraft was the world’s first rocket-powered fighter. The Komet could climb more than 9,000 m (30,000 ft.) per minute and intercept Allied bomber streams during World War II. After a few passes, it would run out of fuel and glide to earth. Fueled by a combination of highly volatile liquids, the Komet had a serious flaw. Its high landing speed—200 km (140 mi.) per hour—sometimes forced pilots to come down hard, causing the fuel lines to break. Once the liquids mixed, the plane exploded like a fiery comet.
What aircraft was used to rescue deposed Italian leader Benito Mussolini from his mountain prison in 1943?
A:
Fieseler Fi 156 Storch. The Storch is an odd-looking, insect-like monoplane with remarkable short-field performance. The German army used this plane as an ambulance or liaison aircraft during World War II. It could take off in only 64 m (210 ft.) and land in just 18 m (60 ft.). In September 1943 Capt. Otto Skorzeny rescued Mussolini from his mountain prison, flying a Storch from a tiny field over a cliff to safety.
What was the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to fire missiles against enemy forces?
A:
MQ-1-Predator. The Predator is a long-endurance, medium-altitude unmanned aircraft system for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, used primarily by the U.S. Air Force and CIA. Surveillance imagery can be distributed in real time both to the front-line soldier and to the operational commander, or worldwide in real time via satellite communication links. Following successful integration of Hellfire missiles, an armed version of Predator was deployed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002. These armed aircraft are designated MQ-1.
The Predator is used for both reconnaissance and attack missions.
What was one of the most successful tactical fighter-bombers of WW II?
A:
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. This big, powerful, rugged aircraft first flew in 1941 and began combat operations in 1943. It was nicknamed The Jug. Despite its gross weight of almost 6,800 kg (15,000 lbs.), it could out-dive its opponents and reach speeds of more than 644 km (400 mi.) per hour. The Thunderbolt was armed with eight .50 caliber heavy machine guns. It is credited with the destruction of 7,067 enemy aircraft on every front of World War II.
What jet aircraft flew its first operation after the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II?
A:
Arado Ar 234B Blitz. This German aircraft was the world’s first operational jet bomber and reconnaissance plane. Erich Sommer piloted the first Ar 234 combat mission on August 2, 1944, a reconnaissance flight over the Allied beachhead at Normandy some two months after D-Day. He flew without incident and in just two hours gathered more intelligence than the Luftwaffe had been able to obtain during the entire period since the invasion. The Ar 234 proved to be almost impossible to intercept and provided the German command with valuable reconnaissance through the end of the war.
What was the first ballistic missile used to strike distant targets?
A:
V-2. More than 3,000 German V-2s were launched against England, France, and Belgium during World War II. This new weapon killed more than 5,000 people and opened the door to a new, more frightening form of warfare. The V-2 challenged both the United States and the Soviet Union to develop ballistic missiles. At the end of the war, both nations studied captured V-2s in order to understand the technology. Many German V-2 designers, including Wernher von Braun, surrendered to the U.S. military and became critical informants and scientists for the U.S. government.
The German V-2 was the world’s first large-scale liquid propellant rocket vehicle.
What aircraft played a vital role in aerial surveillance during the Cold War?
A:
Lockheed U-2. The aircraft was developed in the 1950s to photograph the Soviet Union and its satellite countries in Eastern Europe from high altitudes, so it could not be intercepted. The Soviets did manage to shoot one down. In 1960, U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers (1929–77) was captured and imprisoned in the Soviet Union. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, U-2 planes provided pictures proving the existence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Other aircraft were also used for reconnaissance during the Cold War, including the SR-71, RF-101, and several others.
What World War I airplane was the first fighter to score an aerial victory with an American unit?
A:
Nieuport 28. On April 14, 1918, Lts. Alan Winslow and Douglas Campbell of the 94th Aero Squadron, both piloting Nieuport 28s, each downed an enemy aircraft in a fight that took place directly over their home airfield at Gengoult Aerodrome, near Toul, France. Their success was the first aerial victory for the United States. After World War I, Nieuport 28s were brought back to the United States to be used in shipboard launching trials by the Navy from 1919 to 1921. Many planes were destroyed in these harrowing launches, but several were bought by collectors and a few even found their way into Hollywood movies.
When and where was the only surrender to an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)?
A:
In 1991, in Iraq. During the Gulf War, while a RQ-2A Pioneer UAV was assessing damage from naval gunfire to targets on Faylaka Island near Kuwait City, several Iraqi soldiers, knowing their positions had been discovered, signaled their intention to surrender to the aircraft during a low pass—the first time enemy soldiers had ever surrendered to an unmanned aerial vehicle. The soldiers were later captured by U.S. ground troops.
In 1991 Iraqi soldiers surrendered to this RQ-2A.
Why was the Mitsubishi G4M Betty called “the flying cigar”?
A:
Due to its cylindrical shape and its tendency to catch fire easily. It was vulnerable to attack. This medium bomber flown by the Japanese Imperial Navy over the southwestern Pacific in World War II caused havoc early in the war, striking China, overwhelming the Americans, and driving the British from Malaya and Singapore. As combat intensified, however, the Bettys were put on the defensive. They were especially vulnerable to attack because they had no self-sealing (explosion-proof) fuel tanks. Once hit by ground or aerial anti-aircraft fire, they lit up, leading Allied fighters pilots to coin the derisive nickname.
What American president was a pilot in World War II?
A:
George H. W. Bush. Bush (b. 1924), a torpedo bomber pilot in the Pacific theater, flew 58 combat missions during the war. On one of them, Bush was hit by enemy fire but completed his run anyway before bailing out of his burning plane, for which he earned a Distinguished Flying Cross. He also won three Air Medals and a Presidential Unit Citation (awarded to all the members of his carrier unit) for his service. In spite of an extremely high casualty rate among the pilots of his squadron, Bush survived to receive an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1945 and become president of the United States in 1989.
Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?
A:
Tuskegee Airmen is the collective name of a group of African American aviators who fought during World War II. Before 1940 African Americans were barred from flying for the U.S. military. But that changed with the formation of an entirely African American squadron based in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1941. The Tuskegee Airmen were trained by the Army Air Corps to fly and support combat aircraft. The military used the facilities of Tuskegee Institute because of its history as an all-black school for higher learning and its commitment to aeronautical training. The Tuskegee Airmen overcame racial prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II.
Tuskegee Airmen stationed in Italy, 1945.
What Navy dive-bomber helped turn the tide of World War II?
A:
Douglas SBD Dauntless. SBD stands for “Scout Bomber Douglas,” but pilots re-christened the plane Slow But Deadly. This aircraft was the Navy’s standard dive-bomber when the United States entered World War II. Combat readiness required a few changes to the design of the plane, including additional armor, a more powerful engine, and better armament. SBDs played pivotal roles in the Battle of Coral Sea and at Midway, where they sank four Japanese carriers and helped turn the tide of the war.
The SBD Dauntless played a major role in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
What World War II bomber was named Flak Bait and flew more missions than any other American aircraft?
A:
Martin B-26B-25-MA Marauder. During World War II, Lt. James J. Farrell of Greenwich, Connecticut, flew more missions in Flak Bait (now held by the National Air and Space Museum) than any other pilot. He named the bomber after Flea Bait, his brother’s nickname for the family dog. This plane survived 207 operational missions over Europe, more than any other American aircraft during World War II.
Riddled with holes from shells and shrapnel, Flak Bait earned its name.
What is the name of the civilian women’s flying organization that flew military aircraft within the United States during World War II?
A:
Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). This organization of civilian female pilots was employed to ferry and test aircraft within the United States under the direction of the U. S. Army during World War II. Members of WASP numbered 1,074 and flew more than 96.5 million km (60 million mi.) in every type of military aircraft from aircraft factories to air bases. They also transported cargo. Their service freed up male members of the military for combat duty. WASP pilots received military flight training but were not trained for combat.
In what country did women fly combat missions during World War II?
A:
The Soviet Union. During World War II the Red Army Air Force formed three all-female squadrons, grouped into separate fighter, dive bomber, and night bomber regiments. One such regiment—the 588th Night Bomber Regiment—was organized in 1941 by pilot Marina Raskova. From mechanics to navigators, pilots and officers, the 588th regiment was composed entirely of women. The women of the 588th flew their first bombing mission on June 8, 1942. Their target was the headquarters of a German division. The raid was successful but one plane was lost. The 588th flew thousands of missions and became so deadly that the Germans called them nachthexen: night witches.
What plane was effective against Soviet-built MiGs during the Korean War?
A:
North American F-86 Sabre. America’s first swept-wing jet fighter proved itself in combat operations against MiGs during the Korean War. Although the enemy MiG-15s could not be pursued across the Chinese border, the U.S. Sabre pilots established a victory ratio—estimates vary—of between 1.8 and 10 to 1. In addition to high-speed capability, the F-86A had excellent handling characteristics and was well liked by its pilots. The National Air and Space Museum’s F-86A was assigned to the 4th Fighter Interceptor Group at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, in July 1949. It was shipped to Japan in December 1950 with other F-86s of the 4th Group. Most of its combat missions against MiG-15s were flown from Kimpo Air Base near Seoul, South Korea.
During the Korean War the F-86 Sabre proved itself as a great fighter aircraft.
Who were the Flying Tigers?
A:
A group of volunteer American fighter pilots flying for China against the Japanese in World War II. The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, or Flying Tigers, was recruited in early 1941 to help the Chinese fight off Japanese forces. They trained in Burma in the fall of 1941, but after Pearl Harbor they entered combat. One hundred pilots—60 from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps and 40 from the U.S. Army Air Corps—had success early in the war, destroying almost 300 enemy aircraft. Their planes were painted with distinctive predatory shark faces. The Flying Tigers were paid contractors, not salaried military personnel, but they operated with the full knowledge of the U.S. government.
What was the first jet fighter unleashed against the Allies in World War II?
A:
Messerschmitt Me262. This shark-like aircraft with flattened fuselage was the first jet fighter to enter operational service when the Germans flew it against the Allies beginning in 1944. It flew 193 km (120 mi.) per hour faster than a Mustang P-51, and its four nose-mounted cannons could easily destroy a bomber. The Germans had high hopes for the Me262, and resorted to building the planes in clearings and launching them from Autobahns after their factories and airfields were bombed. Though the fighter changed the nature of aerial warfare, it could not win the air war for the Germans.
The Bell AH-1 was the first rotating-wing aircraft specifically designed as a gunship. In what war was it first used?
A:
Vietnam. Troop-carrying helicopters were extremely vulnerable to ground fire. Since fixed-wing aircraft had difficulty flying with helicopters during a mission, it was decided in the early 1960s that the best helicopter escort would be another helicopter. The AH-1 was developed to be an armed escort. The gunship arrived in Vietnam in 1967. In addition to escorting duties, it also played a role in search-and-destroy missions.
Has there ever been armed combat in space?
