Beechcraft C-45H Is a Military Plane You Can Get for the Price of a Premium Car 6 Feb 2021, 9:09 UTC ·
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The Beechcraft Model 18 was one of the most important airplanes of the last century. It didn’t take part in aerial battles, and it didn’t rain death from above during some war, but is to this day one of the longest-production aircraft in history. 10 photos
The Beech Aircraft Corporation started making it in 1937 as a twin-engined, tail-wheel light aircraft, perfectly suited for anything from carrying executives to and fro to taking part in military training or reconnaissance operations.
By the time production of the aircraft ended in 1970, some 9,000 of them had been made, in a wide number of variations, suited to either civilian or military use. About half of them were deployed for service.
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Posted on Dec 17, 2020
Archives Division
On December 17, 1950, the first known aerial combat between swept-wing jet fighters took place in the skies over Korea. The Russian-built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 had been introduced to the Korean conflict in November, its speed and maneuverability causing trouble for the United States’ fleet of B-29 bombers and escorts. The North American F-86 Sabre was rushed to Korea, setting the stage for a clash in the air. Ward Hitt Jr., a member of the 4th Fighter Interceptor Group based at Kimpo Air Base near Seoul, chronicled the early days of the F-86 in combat in a detailed scrapbook, part of the National Air and Space Museum Archives’ digital collections.