CURRENT ISSUE

July 2011

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Features

Jamie Stowell the sole female cadet enjoyed her turn at a 50 caliber machine gun Im not a gun nut she says But oh my God Its just astonishing power

Two Days in the Life of a B-24 Crew

Take a fantasy flight in a real, live Liberator

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Circling the Moon

In a new autobiography, an Apollo 15 pilot tells what it was like to fly solo.

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Pilot Cam

A remote-controlled airplane, a camera, and a pair of goggles can put you in the (virtual) pilot's seat for as little as $500

Northrop Grummans portrait of the future for naval aviation the X47B on the runway in Palmdale California

*Pilot Not Included

Military aviation prepares for the inevitable

Ryan employees send the Spirit off to St Louis Lindbergh in jodhpurs is third from right Donald Hall second

A Mailplane for Lindbergh

Donald Hall's 1927 rush job.

Two things you will find every July in Oshkosh Wisconsin The DC 3 Duggy and planeloads of international tourists

The United Nations of Oshkosh

Flying. The other universal language.

Vesta looms in this artists view. Dawns ion drive is weak but chemical engines arent efficient enough to reach two asteroids

Destination: Asteroid

After four years of spiraling out from Earth, the Dawn spacecraft closes in on its first target.

The World War II transports were considered stealthy — in audio signature only.

That Old Crate

From Minnesota cratemakers, a new CG-4 glider like the ones they built in World War II.

The Science of Lightning In a process not fully understood

How Things Work: Lightning Protection

Air travelers, fear not.

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The Bombing of Waziristan

In this rugged hiding place, outlaws like Osama bin Laden are rarely run to ground. The British learned that lesson in 1939.

Departments

Viewport

Viewport: A Lesson from the Civil War

Viewport: A Lesson from the Civil War

J.R. Dailey
In the Museum

In the Museum: Wanted: TLC for Misunderstood Warbird

Challenging the Helldiver’s bad reputation.

Above & Beyond

Above & Beyond: Warner and the Whale

How we turned the A3D into a tanker

Hadley Dixon
Oldies and Oddities

Oldies and Oddities: When Civvies Scrambled Fighters

Neighbors, families, and friends watched the skies for enemy bombers.

Mark Wolverton
Moments and Milestones

From Zero to 250

Sikorsky’s X2 is more hot rod than helicopter.