Aircraft Identification Photographic Handbook

A WWII U.S. Navy Aircraft Identification from Photographic Interpretation Handbook. This handbook was for use by Navy photographic interpreters.

Click here to download handbook (14.6 Megs)

Army Navy Aircraft Recognition Manual

Bi-service Army Navy Aircraft Recognition Manual FM 30-30(BUAER 3), dated June 1943.

Click here to download manual (87.8 Megs)

U.S. Army Visual Aircraft Recognition Manuals–Part 1

Two U.S. Army Visual Aircraft Recognition Manuals FM-3-01.80(FM 44-80), dated January 2006 and TC 3-01.80, dated May 2017. Lots of general data on world aircraft and their recognition.

Click here to download Jan 2006 manual (28.4 Megs)

Click here to download the May 2017 manual (5.5 Megs)

Nike-Hercules Photos and Walk-A-Round Gallery

Eighty three photos and drawings of the Nike Hercules missile and a missile walk-a-round gallery.

Click here to view photos and drawings

Click here to download all photos and drawings in ZIP file

Click here to view walk-a-round photos

Click here to download all walk-a-round photos in Zip file

Click here for Operators manual

Vanguard Program Histories

Four Vanguard Program History articles. The entire Vanguard program is listed.

Download Project Vanguard History here

Download Vanguard - America's Answer to Sputnik here

Download Vanguard – History here

Download Vanguard Program here

Vanguard Photos and Video

Fifty eight photos of the Vanguard launcher and satellites.

Click here to view photos

Click here to download all photos as a ZIP file (28 Megs)

Click here to download a sucessful Vanguard launch video

Vanguard - Satellite Launching Vehicle

A Martin company engieering summary of The Vanguard - Satellite Launching Vehicle. Engineering report 11022, dated April 1960.

Click here to download report (14.7 Megs)

Vanguard - A History

 

From the The NASA Historical Series, Vanguard – A History. Written by Constance McLaughlin Green and Milton Lomask. Published 1970. Complete history of Project Vanguard.

From Wikipedia  : “Project Vanguard was a program managed by the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), which intended to launch the first artificial satellite into Earth orbit using a Vanguard rocket as the launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Missile Annex, Florida.” 

Click here to download history (45 Megs)

Nike-Hercules Operators Manual

Department of the Army Operators Technical Manual TM9-1400-250-10/2 on the Nike-Hercules missile, dated December 1960.

Click here to download manual (26.6 Megs)

Tupolev Tu-4 Billion Dollar Bomber

More on the Tupolev Tu-4 Bomber and the Tu-75 transport and Tu-20 “Bear” bombers which came after it. The complete multi-part article published in Air Enthusiast magazine from1971. Thanks to Grigory Omelchenko for the idea of finding this article!

Click here to view article

Clicki here to download entire article as a Zip file

Additional Tupolev Tu-4 “Bull” info here

Navy Aircraft Turrets Manual

From the WWII Navy Training Course, the Aircraft Turrets Manual. Dated 1946.

Click here to download manual (8.6 Megs)

Navy Introduction to Airplanes Manual

From the WWII Navy Training Course, the Introduction to Airplanes Manual. A nice primer on flight and Navy aircraft. Dated 1944.

Click here to download manual (10.5 Megs)

Navy Aircraft Armament Manual

From the WWII Navy Training Course, the Aircraft Armament Manual. Training on aircraft and personal weapons and bomb/ordnance. Dated 1945.

Click here to download manual (6.1 Megs)

Lockheed U-2A Utility Flight Handbook

A copy of the Utility Flight Manual for the Lockheed U-2A aircraft, dated 1 March 1959.

Click here to download manual (18 Megs)

Hellenic Air Force RF-4E Retirement

Knowing how we ALL like F-4’s, I ran across this page with photos from the Greek Air Force retirement of their RF-4E aircraft from last week. Enjoy!

Go to: Fighter Control

Hellenic RF-4E specifications here

Aviation Archives Newsletter #3

Time for another vacation!

NASA 100 Years Booklet

A very nice review of NACA/NASA celebrating a century of innovation, exploration and discovery. Many good photos.

Click here to download brochure (36.8 Megs)

LockheedC-130 Brochure

A company brochure extolling the virtues of the C-130 Hercules for many differen t jobs. Dated 2015.

Click here to download the brochure (6.1 Megs)

Airpower Classics Archive

On the last inside page of each Air Force Magazine was a feature called “Airpower Classics”. “Airpower Classics” first appeared in the February 2006 issue and was the brainchild of former Photo Editor Zaur Eylanbekov and former Editor in Chief Robert S. Dudney, with text by Walter J. Boyne. It featured a different military aircraft every month for 128 months, beginning with the B-17 and ending this month with the F-22 in August of 2016. Each page was built around a high-quality, historically accurate artwork. Here are all 128 of the pages in 300 dpi!

Click here to download classics in ZIP form (101.6 Megs)

McDonnell Douglas Airpower Classics

Interesting one sheet summaries of McDonnell Douglas aircraft published in Air Force Magazine.

Click here to download classics in ZIP form (6.9 Megs)

Grumman F9F-8/8B/8P Cougar Flight Handbook

A copy of the AN 01-85FGF-1 Flight Handbook for the Grumman F9F-8/8B/8P Cougar aircraft, dated 1 August 1958. Credit: Irfan S. Hokan

Click here to download manual (90.1 Megs)

Lavochkin La-11 Technical Description - Book 3

Lavochkin La-11 Technical Description - Book 2 (Description Of Design And Specialized Design) Manual, dated 1950. Russian text. Credit: Original file from Irfan S. Hokan, cleaned up by Aviation Archives

Click here to download manual (22.2 Megs)

Lavochkin La-11 Technical Description - Book 2

Lavochkin La-11 Technical Description - Book 2 (Armament) Manual, dated 1951. Russian text. Credit: Original file from Irfan S. Hokan, cleaned up by Aviation Archives

Click here to download manual (73.5 Megs)

Lavochkin La-11 Technical Description - Book 1

Lavochkin La-11 Technical Description - Book 1(Basic Definitions) Manual, dated 1950. Russian text. Credit: Original file from Irfan S. Hokan, cleaned up by Aviation Archives

Click here to download manual (29.5 Megs)

Tupolev Tu-4 “Bull” Photos/Walk Around Photos

 

Tupolev Tu-4 “Bull” Photos and several Walk Around Photos collections. Credit: Walk Around #1, Martin Zahalka and Lukas Tlaskal. Walk Around #2, HobbyVista. Both walk arounds where taken at the China Aviation Museum in Datangshan, China.

Tu-4 4114 (c/n 2805601), ex-KJ-1 AEWC, "4114"
Tu-4 4134 (c/n 2205008), "4134"
Tu-4 unknown (c/n 2805103), "01"

Click here to download photos in ZIP file (10.3 Megs)

Click here to download Walk Around #1 in ZIP file (107.7 Megs)

Click here to download Walk Around #2 in ZIP file (1.4 Megs)