All Stories

What happens to your checked bag after you hand it to the airline? We took a field trip to Dulles Airport to follow a suitcase from check-in to baggage claim.

On December 7, 1941, Ruth gathered his copilot and three Marines and set out in his Sikorsky JRS-1 amphibian flying boat to locate the Japanese fleet. His bravery earned him the Navy Cross and a place among the heroes of that day. 

The conservation of World War II Triple Ace Bud Anderson’s flight jacket provides insight into a fighter pilot’s life and the meticulous work required to preserve it for display.

Learn about the development of the Piper J-3 "Cub" and its intersecting stories with workers who manufactured the planes and new pilots who used them during WWII. 

How many modelers have ever heard of, let alone built, a fully operational 3/8-scale aircraft capable of carrying an onboard pilot?

Over his whole career, Rodriguez destroyed three enemy aircraft in combat, making him one of only four Americans to get that close to achieving “ace” status (shooting down five aircraft) since 1972. 

Before more Museum galleries open, we're revisiting how we hang really, really big, priceless artifacts from the ceiling in the museum.

After 44 years of excellence as a tanker, the U.S. Air Force retires the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender. 

The National Air and Space Museum's in-depth look at the world’s only surviving example of the Japanese Aichi M6A1 Seiran. 

In 1923, the U.S. Army Air Service announced it was going to attempt a flight around the globe.