Deep below the Pacific Ocean, dozens of WWII pilots are lying in watery graves, still inside the aircraft took them across the sky decades ago. It’s far too late for a rescue, but as Popular Science explains, the people behind the BentProp Project—and their undersea drones—are surfacing these soldiers’ incredible history.
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In 1940, 5,000 French officers were held as prisoners of war in a German camp called Oflag 17A. There were thousands of captive soldiers in similar camps all across Germany, but these inmates had an advantage other prisoners could only dream of: a secret camera, smuggled in from the outside world. The footage—and their story—is incredible.
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The mechanical computers of yesterday may have been enormous, difficult to program, and amazingly clunky—but they sure were beautiful to watch in action. Released theatrically by Popular Science on August 6, 1948, this short film played before Paramount Pictures movies and demonstrated to the public how computers were freeing "research of old limitations" and provided "stimulus for unprecedented technical advancements." For those watching in darkened theaters, though, it was mostly just gorgeously choreographed machinery.
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The P-51 Mustang is one of the most iconic aircraft in aviation history. These long-range, single-seater fighter-bombers served throughout the Second World War as well as during in Korea before being relegated to scrap yards. But many have survived, some in the most unlikely of places. You’ll never guess what quiet suburb the Lil’ Margaret was found in.
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Sometimes parents have to explain things to their kids in more child-friendly terms. During World War II, that meant outfitting a child with a weird Mickey Mouse gas mask.
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It looks like American Airlines will soon be cramming even more seats into their already over-crowded planes. If this is the future, then where’s my legroom?
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America’s entrance into World War II and the unprescedented domestic mobilization effort that followed profoundly altered American society. Women not only entered the workforce en mass, they routinely worked in roles traditionally reserved for their male counterparts. More »
Previously only available for viewing at England’s National Archives, the 1940 census which documented every single bomb dropped on London from October 7th 1940 to June 6th 1941 is now accessible via an interactive website called Bomb Sight. And for those of us who’ve only ever read about the Blitz in history books, it’s a shocking look at what exactly the city of London endured during World War II. More »
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