Aviation Icon and American Hero: Chuck Yeager

Born into poverty in the woods of West Virginia, Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager was a World War II aircraft mechanic, fighter pilot, double ace, military commander, and a test pilot who broke the sound barrier. His journey from Army private to USAF Brigadier General is an inspiration to all. Yeage...

By Friedrich Seiltgen

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

Back to Basics – Why Balsa Wood Crankbaits Are Worth the Price

If you have spent any time bass fishing in the South, you have almost certainly thrown a crankbait. Especially when there’s baitfish around. Crankbaits mimic the erratic movement of baitfish perfectly. Their diving and wobbling motion are hard to beat when it comes to action. But not all cr...

By Keith Lusher

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 Although outdated by 1943, as the newer and more capable Essex-cla...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

POTD: Merrimack Southerner Derringer – Double Struck Marking

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Merrimack Arms Southerner derringer manufactured 1866-1869 with double struck “SOUTHERNER” marking. Merrimack Arms & Manufacturing Company operated in Newburyport, Massachusetts during a brief window after the Civil War. The...

By Sam.S

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

Triumph and Tragedy: The USS Indianapolis

No one on board the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) knew anything about the cargo they were carrying. What they did know was that the veteran cruiser (launched in 1931) made the trip from San Francisco to the island of Tinian in the Marianas in just ten days. The crew was proud of the “Indy”, and fo...

By Tom Laemlein

Curtiss P-36 Hawk: Hero Plane of Pearl Harbor?

At the National Museum of the United States Air Force, many visitors will see an unfamiliar aircraft at the entrance to the WWII gallery. The museum’s display of the gleaming silver fighter coded “86” on the fuselage, features a pilot boarding the plane in his pajamas, with an M1911 pistol ...

By Tom Laemlein

Hideki Tojo: The Monster Behind Pearl Harbor

This content is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the express permission of GunsAmerica.com and BAAANG Media LLC. Hideki Tojo: The Monster Behind Pearl Harbor From samurai roots to the gallows, this is Hideki Tojo’s fanatic rise, failed suicide with an 8mm Nambu, and the wild “Rem...

By Will Dabbs
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