After about five hours in the air over Seafair weekend, the FHC’s F6F Hellcat and the other planes in the performance were pretty dirty. A… Continue reading
Two of the three German aircraft slated to fly on Luftwaffe Day, Aug. 17, served in Russia during World War II. Before heading into the… Continue reading
The Flying Heritage Collection’s Mitsubishi Zero has a three-line designation or identification block stenciled on the rear left side of its fuselage. Streaks of dark… Continue reading
When you come from a company known for building racing planes, you learn to steal any advantage you can get. Supermarine’s Spitfire (and Hawker’s Hurricane,… Continue reading
The V-2 rocket maintained its direction in flight with steering tabs on its fins and graphite steering vanes. These vanes were located in the rocket’s… Continue reading
Those of you that grew up in Seattle in the 1950s know about Slo-mo-shun V and the epic hydro battles on Lake Washington. Did you… Continue reading
The Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik has four compact bomb bay cells hidden in the wing between its main gear and fuselage. Each space is big enough… Continue reading
This image tells us a little about the history FHC’s own P-40 Tomahawk. The plane was built in the U.S. but given to the Soviets… Continue reading
Some who have visited the FHC in the last few months may have seen an unusual art piece in the courtyard between the two hangars.… Continue reading
The FHC’s M4A1 Sherman tank is powered by a 400-horsepower radial airplane engine. In more conventional uses, the Wright R-975 Whirlwind flew in the Beech… Continue reading
Like everything else around the cockpit of the FHC’s Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik, the plane’s canopy is heavy and armored. Reports mention that direct strikes from… Continue reading
If you carelessly mixed the two substances used to power the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, it was most likely the last thing you ever did.… Continue reading
This little fastener changed aviation. Ukrainian-born toolmaker and inventor William Dzus (pronounced “Zeus”) witnessed all sorts of unusual and inefficient connecting systems while working for… Continue reading
Parts manuals are good for figuring out what a component of an airplane does, but there is no chapter in the manual that lists what… Continue reading
The FHC’s P-47D carries a painting of “Tallahassee Lassie,” pilot Ralph Jenkins’ wife. The image was created by artist Staff Sergeant Lynn Trank, jokingly considered,… Continue reading
Last week, we talked about the forward-firing blister packs affixed to the fuselage of the B-25. Now let’s go into the cockpit and see a… Continue reading
In the Pacific, the Army wanted more punch from their B-25s. A quartet of forward-firing guns was added near the nose. North American Aviation called… Continue reading
What’s the story with that funny 12-bladed fan behind the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5’s propeller? Fitting a big radial engine into the nose of a… Continue reading
Accurately replicating a warbird’s paint scheme sometimes means adding in the imperfections. A close look at the tail of the FHC’s P-40C Tomahawk reveals a… Continue reading
The FHC’s Curtiss JN-4D Jenny still has a tailskid; a tough, durable wooden protrusion fitted with a metal shoe. Back in the old days, airfields… Continue reading
