United States 5th Air Force transport services in the South West Pacific theater during World War II. A mobile hoist loads a large aircraft engine in a United States Army Air Force CG-4A Haig glider named 'General George'. Australian troops unload field artillery and jeeps from a United States Army Air Force C47 Skytrain transport aircraft. The CG-4A Haig glider towed by the C47Skytrain aircraft.
An officer seated at a desk and speaking about the Battle of the Bulge action near Bastogne, Belgium with U.S. troops during World War II. He recognizes the forces of the 9th Troop Carrier Command (operating out of England, United Kingdom and out of France) for reaching them with important supply drops late in the battle. United States Army Air Force ( USAAF ) Major General Paul L Williams inside a glider cockpit (while parked) and officers and crew standing and walking together on airfield areas. Airplanes parked at an air base. Pilots and crew standing nearby. Close up views of faces of many of the U.S. Army personnel of the 9th Troop Carrier Command, including pilots, ground crew, officers. Point of view shot from inside a glider aircraft cockpit as pilots negotiate landing in a field. Smiling officers, soldiers, and crew of the 9th Troop Carrier Command.
Frido W. Kessler and his rocket-propelled mail plane. (Allegedly, the first scheduled mail-delivery rocket flight) Kessler is seen in his workshop with his test stand and apparatus. Launch of Kessler's first winged liquid-fueled (liquid oxygen and Kerosene) mail rocket plane on frozen Greenwood Lake, New York, February 23,1936. Launch team opens the nose to insert mail into the rocket-propelled glider plane (reportedly designed by German rocket pioneer Dr. Willy Ley). Kessler poses with a little girl, Gloria Schleich Quackenbush, for whom the plane is named. She holds a silver cup of snow. They are surrounded by a cluster of men. Photographic equipment is set up next to them. The girl, Gloria, empties the cup of snow onto the tail of the rocket plane, to Christen it "Gloria (I)." Launch team fueling the rocket from containers. A technician in fireproof protective suit lights fuel at tail of the plane. It flares up in flames and then settles down with normal rocket burn, and leaves the launch stand. (A second rocket plane is seen sitting on the ice near the launch stand.) The rocket glider only goes about 20 feet before falling onto the ice. Team members look over the stand and prepare to try again with Kessler's second plane, the "Gloria (II)." They load the mail (6000 letters and postcards) into the nose and set the plane on the launch stand. It launches very nose high, and strikes the ice near the stand. But the rocket motor continues to propel it across the ice until it takes off again and continues, a way in the air until flipping over and crashing on the ice. View of people surrounding the broken plane on the ice. (Note: The second attempt carried the Gloria II and its mail, about 2000 feet, far enough to cross the border from New York into New Jersey, constituting an interstate mail delivery, and making the letters and post cards worthy mementos of the event.)
U.S. Paratroopers boarding C-47 aircraft, on June 5th, 1944 during World War 2. Huge naval task force underway in the English Channel. C-47s loaded with paratroopers taking off, the evening of June 5th. C-47s taking off towing gliders. Formations of C-47s and gliders passing over the Naval task force in the English Channel. Three pet dogs with troops on one of the ships.
Japanese Air show at Tokyo Haneda International Airport (Hanedakuko, Ota City, Tokyo 144-0041, Japan) or Haneda Air Force Base. View of Japanese and American airplanes. Miscellaneous airplanes are on display. Personnel attending the air show. C-54 'Skymaster' parked in hardstand. Four sets of three, training airplanes of the National Safety Force, possibly L5's and L-16's. Crowd watching the air show. Some Japanese men and children stand along edge or marked off area. Model airplane meet is held. Airplanes on display include Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, Grumman SA-16A amphibian, Martin B-26 Marauder, Curtiss C-46 Commando, Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, and Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. Man operates model airplane. Contestants give last minute checks to their model airplane. Personnel push model gliders out on ramp prior to launch. Written on top of the glider wing 'JA-0067'. A formation of eight F-80's airplanes fly over area. F-84 makes pass over area. A formation of three sets of four P-84's airplanes fly over the area.
Spectators grouped around two Japanese planes on display. Boeing Stratocruiser on display, written on its side 'Pan American World Airways'. Two girls inquire direction from an AP. Glider in free flight. North American F-86D Sabre equipped with wing tanks on display. Republic F-84 Thunderjet in background. Glider in free flight.
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