Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman’s short life was one of determination and excellence. Her influence stretched way beyond what she could have imagined, inspiring young black children to strive to become whatever they […]
Alton Ballard
I had been introduced over the phone to Alton Ballard by Bob Williams and was now en route to meet with him at his home in Baldwin Hills, California. When […]
Captain Robert Williams
In 1996, days before the Palm Springs Air Museum was to open its doors to the public, Bob Williams came to the museum introducing himself as one of the Tuskegee […]
XB-42 Mixmaster – Warbird Wednesday Episode #110
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting an experimental bomber, the Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster. This airplane was designed solely by Douglas and it was an unsolicited design. The XB-42 was […]
Northrop XB-35 – Warbird Wednesday Episode #109
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting an experimental heavy bomber, the Northrop XB-35. The flying wing’s development started in 1941 with the purpose to go very fast and high […]
XF-103 Thunderwarrior – Warbird Wednesday Episode #108
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting an exotic interceptor, the Republic XF-103 Thunderwarrior. This was an experimental aircraft that was only built as a prototype. It was designed to […]
Fisher P-75 Eagle – Warbird Wednesday Episode #107
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting an American fighter, the Fisher P-75 Eagle. The P-75 design came from the need for a heavy fighter that was fast with a […]
Kh-47M2 Kinzhal – Warbird Wednesday Episode #106
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today, we’re visiting a hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, the Kh-47M2. The “dagger” as it is also known as, is highly maneuverable, has Mach 12 speed, and […]
Harry Stewart Part 2
After the war ended, Harry stayed in what was now the United States Army Air Force. Most of the pilots and ground crew from the 332nd, realizing that there wasn’t much opportunity outside of the USAF, had decided to stay in. They were now flying the P-47N Thunderbolt.
Harry Stewart Part 1
During one of my visits with Bob Friend, he asked if I had been introduced to Harry Stewart, Bob’s brother-in-law? I told him that I hadn’t, so he promptly called Harry and introduced us. It wasn’t long before I paid a visit to Harry in his house in Bloomfield Hills, MI. I quickly found Harry to be a delightful individual and full of life. I will tell his story in 2 parts, this is part 1.
Lt. Col Bob Friend
Bob Friend was near and dear to the hearts of many of us at the Palm Springs Air Museum. He was a true gentleman and had a marvelous spirit about him. This will be just an overview of his USAF career. I will expand on his accomplishment in later episodes.
A-10 Thunderbolt II – Warbird Wednesday Episode #105
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today, we are visiting the premier close air support (CAS) aircraft of the US Air Force, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. Also known as the […]