Aviation History

Based on a standard Taylorcraft taildragger, the Larson Speed Bird was an experimental testbed built to evaluate a unique, all-metal wing design.

First flown in 2007, the sleek Eclipse Concept Jet was a “Very Light Jet” prototype that flew but never reached production.

These rare photos show a full-scale mockup of a short-lived design concept of the North American Sabreliner business jet.

Hurricane research / NOAA / NOAA aircraft / Weather Research

Massive for its day and, with a greater wingspan than a Boeing 757, airliner-sized even today, the Doriner Do-X flying boat served as a luxurious means of interconental travel for up to 100 passengers in the early 1930s.

A series of mockups illustrating a family of business aircraft proposed by Beechcraft in the late 1970s.

An overview of a wing modification for small aircraft that incorporates spring-based suspension to smooth the ride in rough air.

In the early 1960s, Lockheed launched the L-2000 supersonic transport (SST) program and built the mockup shown here. Intended to carry 250 passengers and travel at Mach 2.7 – 3.0, the L-2000 was intended to compete with Europe’s Concorde, but…

If one were to mention the existence of a WWII-era polymorphic fighter that incorporated a system in which one set of wings retracted into and out of another, one might assume such an airplane is fictional, perhaps featured in a…

Among the historic and innovative aircraft on display in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Bede BD-5 showcases a legacy that belies its diminutive size. Resembling a minuscule fighter jet with a bullet-shaped nose and a single seat wrapped…