Curtiss SB2C Helldiver — The Big-Tailed Beast

In 1937, the Curtiss SBC Helldiver entered service, but even at that point, the carrier-based two-seat scout/dive bomber was on the verge of being obsolete. Interestingly, it was also the second aircraft produced by Curtiss-Wright to earn the designation “Helldiver” after the United States Ma...

By Peter Suciu

Flying with Guns: Episode 61 – Southwest from Las Vegas to New Orleans

Episode 61 was filmed June 3rd, flying Southwest from Las Vegas to New Orleans. Smooth from start to finish. Check-In at LAS Declared firearms. Agent asked if there was ammunition in the chamber — no. Confirmed I was heading to New Orleans, then handed me the declaration form to fill out and si...

By Luke McCoy

Shepard Arms Custom Shop Echelon 4.5F

For many shooters I know (including myself), customization isn’t a question of if, but when. By their nature, firearms are intensely personal tools. They’re also personal statements. It’s the appeal of taking that personal tool and adapting it to your own preferences and needs that drives t...

By Jeremy Tremp

USS Saratoga: WWII Carrier Sunk by an Atom Bomb

The USS Saratoga (CV-3) was one of just three United States Navy aircraft carriers—along with USS Ranger (CV-4) and USS Enterprise (CV-6)—to survive the entirety of the Second World War. Although outdated by 1943, as the newer and more capable Essex-cla...

By Peter Suciu

Lockheed D-21: Cold War Spy Drone

In October 1962, the C.I.A. and the U.S.A.F. requested that Lockheed study a high-speed, high-altitude drone concept for reconnaissance flights over particularly hostile territories to avoid endangering aircrews. Created during the height of the Cold War and following the shootdown of a U-2 spy p...

By Friedrich Seiltgen

USS Hornet (CV-12): Carrier that Stung Japan

The USS Hornet (CV-12) stands as one of the most storied aircraft carriers in United States naval history, playing a decisive role in World War II as part of the Essex-class fleet. From its origins as a replacement for the lost USS Hornet (CV-8) to its participa...

By Peter Suciu
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