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the stories of aviation's greatest airplanes written and researched by carson hawkins

Machine Histories

The Machine Histories tab was created out of our desire to share the details and tell the stories of some of aviation's most known and unknown aircraft of all time. It aims to explain their existences from beginning to end so one can expand their knowledge and understanding of not only the aircraft itself, but its contribution to the history of aviation as a whole.

We hope you enjoy, and if there are any questions, or if you would like to see a specific aircraft documented on our website, please contact us with more details. Thank you!

about machine histories

Many enthusiasts are familiar with the Fleet biplane series of aircraft and their reputation as reliable and forgiving machines. But what might not be well known is their role in the airborne aircraft carrier mission during the 1920s. Outside of landing in fields and hopping rides, these barnstorming biplanes were pressed into naval service and used to test the feasibility of launching and recovering fighter aircraft aboard the U.S.S. Macon and U.S.S. Akron, two airships designed by the Navy for this exact purpose. This was accomplished by mounting a trapeze-hooking system onto the upper wing with a horn extending from the assembly to protect the propeller from striking the mechanism aboard the airship during operations. Quite a unique job for a unique and sentimental little biplane!

Fleet N2Y

If you've watched The Great Waldo Pepper, you have seen the Standard J in the wild! It is often confused with the famed Curtiss Jenny but there are certain details that will instantly make this aircraft recognizable when the two are compared. The Hall-Scott engine with its large exhaust stack protruding from the top of the cowling is one of the chief features that distinguishes this aircraft from the Curtiss JN, and it is this engine that largely sealed the fate of the Standard J aircraft during the Great War. It found wide success after the war as a barnstorming machine and ushered in a new lifestyle for pilots throughout the country, most of whom returned from the war with a desire to stay in the cockpit.

Standard J

The Waco 10 was another legendary aircraft in the fields of barnstorming and air racing during the inter-war years. Its distinctive OX-5 engine, hanging radiator, outstanding construction, and ease of operation and maintenance turned Golden Age aviators and the Advance Aircraft Company into household names nearly overnight. The roots of the Waco 10 and Advance Aircraft Company are embedded deep in the history of aviation and are worthy of the attention of all aviators and aviation enthusiasts today. Learn more about this fantastic machine, its developmental history, the fellows who flew it, and the company that produced it by clicking the button below! Enjoy!