Life
Tough planes were designed to take a beating
The FHC is fielding some of its biggest bruisers for Paine Field Aviation Day this Saturday, May 16.…
Life
Pilots use a clever trick to keep damaged planes in the air
Aircraft with variable pitch propellers can “feather” their props if needed. The term comes from rowing, when you…
Life
‘Kommandogerät:’ the complicated box that was revolutionary for flying
Mechanics are currently doing an annual inspection on the FHC’s rare German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5. As the…
Life
Three inches of glass separated WWII pilots and machine gun fire
How much glass does it take to stop a speeding .50-caliber bullet? Judging from the Messerschmitt Me 163…
Life
Propellers make an overseas voyage for regular inspection
The propeller on the Spitfire just got back from an overseas trip. All the propellers in the collection…
Life
Yellow circle on seat kept crew breathing easy
Some have joked that the yellow circle on the pilot’s seat of the Avro Lancaster gave German pilots…
Life
Planes were eyes in the sky for battleship’s guns
As the crew of the M.Y. Octopus explored the wreck of the long-lost Musashi, their submersible passed over…
Life
A simple system keeps a tank crew safe
What’s that bump in the barrel of an Abrams tank 120 mm gun? It’s a bore evacuator. Some…
Life
Try this on for size: an 8-ton German halftrack
If you are like me, you have been building models of tanks and planes for longer than you’d…
Life
Take a look inside a German WWII tank
In order to work on the Jagdpanzer 38(t) “Hetzer,” mechanics have pulled off the tank destroyer’s armored roof.…
Life
WWII cannons could use a brake
What is that odd-shaped thing on the end of the barrel of the FHC’s 17-pounder (and many other…
Life
Spacious American cockpits puzzled foreign pilots during WWII
While the size of the average man stayed about the same, the size of the average fighter plane,…
Life
Massive V-12 engine kept Soviet tanks going
By pulling off the armored access panels at the back of the FHC’s T-34/85 tank, mechanics have revealed…
Life
Why do some plane engines look so weird?
What are all those ridges on the cylinder heads of some airplane (and motorcycle) engines? Air-cooled engines, without…
Life
WWII Russian planes use air over electronics
Many Russian WWII aircraft ditched electric or hydraulic systems and replaced them with … air. Pneumatics — to…
Life
Plane panels pose perplexing puzzle
Working on a plane is sometimes a bit of a puzzle. Here we see the confusing mass of…
Life
Shturmovik’s rudder pedal helped pilots maintain control
The simple rudder pedals on the FHC’s Iluyshin Il-2M3 Shturmovik have one little, useful addition. Unlike most combat…
Life
Bullet repairs tell the story of this Tomahawk
A bullet punched through the oil tank is what most likely brought down the FHC’s Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk…
Life
A little device with a big role on planes
The R-2800 engines seen in the Flying Heritage Collection’s Hellcat and P-47 have a particularly noticeable device perched…
Life
Old warbirds need a lot of time in the shop
Owning an old warbird is not all about showing it off at flying events and, as Maverick said,…