CURRENT ISSUE
December 2021/January 2022
Features
The Giant Falls
Airbus struggled to invent the world’s biggest airliner. In the end, it wasn’t technology—it was timing—that killed the beast.
The Next Robots on the Moon
In the 1960s, the moon race was war. This time, it’s commerce.
Pioneers
In flight’s first decade, the challenges—and the possibilities—were endless.
Marsliner
Elon Musk’s giant Starship will leave the world behind.
The Ugliest Airplane: An Appreciation
The Transavia AirTruk ain’t pretty, but it had purpose.
Defend the Intrepid
It survived two wars, but now it faces another grave threat: the environment of New York City.
The Condors Quartet
Operation Lam Son 719 changed them. Then they waited for the world to catch up.
They Couldn’t Stop Amelia Earhart
The famous American’s attempt to fly around the world was nearly thwarted by British officialdom.
Departments
When an Idea Takes Hold
From the Acting Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
The Patient Astronaut
Bruce McCandless waited almost two decades for his first space flight.