x planes

“A group of pilots on a Boulton Paul Defiant Squadron pose with their Squadron Mascot at RAF Driffield.” (via)

The View from the Tail Turret

“When Eighth Air Force gunner Art Krieger turned his camera on one of the other Consolidated B-24 Liberators in his squadron’s formation, he probably didn’t realize he was making a self-portrait. Swathed in heavy flight gear, his oxygen mask firmly in place in the thin air at an altitude of 20,000 feet, Krieger’s own face squints back at us, reflected in the shiny Plexiglas of the big bomber’s tail turret..” (via)

North American B-25C “Poopsie”, of the 445th Bombardment Squadron (via)

“Erwin Ziller in Dräger pressure suit for Ho-IX/Go-229” (via)

John A. Macready, holder of the flight altitude record in 1921 (via)

“Leather Jacket worn by crew members of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Screamin’ Demon” of the 401st Bomb Group stationed at an 8th Air Force Base in England, 2 April 1945” (via)

“Blackhawk door gunner,Tikrit,Iraq”. photo by Russell Klika

“19th August 1952: Chief test Pilot Geoffrey Tyson standing by a 140 ton Saunders-Roe ‘Princess’ flying boat prior to flight trials. The plane is powered by ten Proteus 600 series ‘jet prop’ engines, can cruise at 350 mph and will take over a 100 passengers. (Photo by Edward G. Malindine/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)” (via)

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“The engineer in the machine centre operated the throttles of the 12 engines [of the Dornier Do X flying boat]” (via)

The Robert Tekulve World War II Pacific Photo Collection

“Military photos of the legendary photographer Yevgeny Khaldei” (via)

time (via)

“Commander Turner Caldwell and Major Marion Carl” (via)

“The research pilots at what in 1962 was called the Flight Research Center standing in front of the X-1E. They are (left to right) Neil Armstrong, Joe Walker, Bill Dana, Bruce Peterson, Jack McKay, Milt Thompson, and Stan Butchart.

Of the group, Armstrong, Walker, Dana, McKay and Thompson all flew the X-15. Bruce Peterson flew the M2-F2 and HL-10 lifting bodies, while Stan Butchart was the B-29 drop plane pilot for many of the D-558-II and X-1 series research aircraft.” (via)

CHALLENGE: I am not aware of any photographs in existence that show Neil Armstrong either with or in the X-1B or X-5 - which he flew prior to the X-15. A gift will be sent to the first person who can come up with something..

“The third X-1 (46-064), known as “Queenie,” is mated to the EB-50A (46-006) at Edwards AFB, California. Following a captive flight on November 9, 1951, both aircraft were destroyed by fire during de-fueling. 11 September 1951” (via)