Aviation History – Page 2 – Old Magazine Articles

Aviation Without Law
(The Outlook, 1922)

An outraged opinion writer argued that the time had arrived for government to issue flying licenses to responsible pilots, while keeping the others grounded:

…President Harding and thousands of spectators at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial are placed in jeopardy by an irresponsible, low flying aviator; and the lives of countless thousands of innocent spectators at the Yale Bowl and other stadiums are risked unnecessarily because the House of Representatives has so far failed to provide, as forty other nations have provided, for Government regulation of civil aviation

Captain Eddy Rickenbacker: Ace of Aces
(The Literary Digest, 1919)

This is a wonderful read in which the American World War One fighter pilot Eddie Rickenbacker (1890 – 1973), recounted his experiences in the skies above France.

I learned pretty fast. Long practice in driving a racing-car at a hundred miles an hour or so gives first-class training in control and judging distances at high speed…

1912: An Important Year in Military Aviation
(The Literary Digest, 1912)

1912 was the year that the Lewis Gun was first mounted on military aircraft. The military possibilities of this combination was immediately recognizable to all onlookers:

The potential results of swooping aircraft, armed to the teeth with death dealing bullets, is staggering to ordnance officers of the Army and Navy who discuss it. ‘Where will this lead?’ they ask. Is it possible that the air is to harbor the greatest destructive forces in modern warfare? There seems nothing to prevent it.

Click here to read an article about the development of aerial reconnaissance during W.W. I.

The First Casualty of an Air War
(Popular Mechanics, 1912)

It was during the Italian-Turkish War (1911 – 12) that aircraft began to play active rolls in support of military operations. This article is remarkable in that it reports that as early as 1912, aircraft was used not merely to aid in the observation of enemy troop movements but also to drop bombs.

Captain Monte of the Italian army aeroplane corps has achieved the distinction of being the first airman wounded in battle while in the air with his machine.

Odd-Shaped Propeller More Efficient
(Popular Mechanics, 1918)

For at least one week in 1918, the slide-rule jockeys lounging about in the faculty watering holes at the aeronautical engineering brain-trusts believed that the propeller illustrated herein was pretty slick, and bound to bring greater speed to the aircraft of the day. But the bright lads at OldMagazineArticles.com couldn’t help but notice that this propeller design was never seen any time after this issue of POPULAR MECHANICS was on the stand, so we have our doubts concerning the increased efficiency that the propeller was credited in creating…

What do you think?

Two Color Photographs of French Military Aircraft
(1915)

Two color pictures of French World War I aircraft said to have played a part during the Battle of the Marne. At this point in the war, aircraft was primarily used for observation, which explains why the planes are unarmed.

Flight Clothing for Aviators
(Sears and Roebuck, 1918)

The inability of the Sears & Roebuck Company to understand the nature of early aviation was made manifest by the fact that the first pilots used to wear horse-back riding clothes before taking to the skies.

Attached, you will find two pages from the Sears Military Equipment Catalog of 1918, pictured are flight-clothing items offered for military or private purchase.

Excursions Into Hunland
(Vanity Fair, 1918)

An American fighter pilot of the R.F.C., Lieutenant E.M. Roberts, gave this account of the deadly game of Boche-hunting above the clouds:

I noticed he was going down a little, evidently for the purpose of shooting me from underneath. I was not quite sure as yet that such was really his intention; but the man was quick…he put five shots into my machine. But all of them missed me.

I maneuvered into an offensive position as Quickly as I could, and I had my machine gun pelting him…The Hun began to spin earthward.

Notable Flights 1919 – 1931
(the Literary Digest, 1935)

Attached herein is a printable list of the important record-breaking flights in aviation history that made the world sit up and take notice.

One of the First to Soar to 30,000 Feet
(The American Legion Weekly, 1919)

An article about Roland Rohlfs (1892 – 1974), chief test pilot of the Curtiss Engineering Corporation and his Curtiss Wasp triplane, the aircraft he flew at an altitude of 30,000 feet when he set a new speed record (163.1 mph) in 1919.

The Verville Packard Battle Plane: 178 Miles Per Hour
(The Independent, 1920)

A short notice reporting on the one pride and joy of the U.S. Army Air Service, the Verville Packard, and how this one aircraft performed at the Pulitzer Trophy Airplane Race of 1920. The article is illustrated with a photo of the plane and the aviator, Lt. C.C. Mosley, who piloted the craft at the impressive speed of 156.5 mph.

How American Fighter Pilots Were Credited For Wins
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918)

Here is an explanation from the official newspaper of the A.E.F. as to how World War I American fighter pilots were credited for their victories in the war against Germany.

Click here to read an article about the development of aerial reconnaissance during W.W. I.

Experimental Nightflights
(Popular Mechanics, 1914)

Photographs of one of the first attempts at night flying with wing-mounted electric lights.

Air Cruisers of the British Flying Squadron
(Popular Mechanics, 1914)

Here is a short article with photographs depicting two unnamed British fighter- planes: one is described as double-decker, with the pilot riding directly over the gunner and the second boasts of a steel fuselage construction.

Anticipating Trans-Atlantic Flights
(Dress and Vanity Fair, 1913)

A 1913 article that examined the nascent world of hydroplanes.

1911: The First U.S. Shipboard Landing
(Naval Operations, 1970)

At 11:01 a.m., (January 18, 1911) Eugene Ely (1886 – 1911), flying a Curtiss Pusher, landed on a specially built platform aboard the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania at anchor in San Francisco Bay.

A black and white photograph of the event is provided.

One of the First Bomb Sights
(Popular Mechanics, 1914)

Attached is a photograph and short description of One of the latest bomb-dropping devices that were available to French and British pilots during the earliest days of World War One.

General Billy Mitchell: Advocate of American Airpower
(American Legion Weekly,1921)

This is one of the editorials written by U.S. Army General Billy Mitchell (1879 – 1936) that only served to annoy the senior army leadership and their civilian overlords in Washington. On these pages General Mitchell made his case for the creation of a unique branch of the military confined entirely to air power that was distinct and independent of the Army. He points out that numerous armies are doing just this and the U.S. would be wise to do the same. He was particularly keen on seeing to it that everyone know that that the Imperial Japanese Army was doing the same thing.