A fiery crash on November 12, 2022, at the Wings Over Dallas airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Texas killed six people and destroyed two World War II-era airplanes, a Bell P-63F Kingcobra and a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress. All six people aboard the airplanes (the Kingcobra’s pilot and five crewmembers on the B-17) were killed in the accident. No one on the ground was injured. The accident happened at 1:22 p.m. and stunned the airshow audience and shocked the aviation and warbird communities.
The airplanes, both owned and operated by the American Airpower Heritage Museum, an affiliate organization of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), were flying for the Saturday-afternoon airshow crowd in a formation that included three World War II fighter aircraft (the P-63 and two North American P-51 Mustangs) and three bombers (the B-17, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator and a North American B-25 Mitchell). For reasons that remain unexplained, the Kingcobra collided with the B-17, severing its tail. Both airplanes crashed to the ground in flames. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the accident.The CAF announced that the men who died in the crash were Craig Hutain, piloting the P-63, and Terry Barker, Kevin Michels, Dan Ragan, Leonard Root and Curtis Rowe aboard the B-17. Hutain was a pilot for United Airlines and Root and Barker had both retired from American Airlines. Ragan, it was reported, had once served in the B-17 when it flew for the U.S. Navy; Rowe had belonged to the Ohio Wing of the Civil Air Patrol for more than 30 years, and Michels can be seen on Facebook conducting a tour of the B-17.
The B-17 was a G model that the CAF flew as “Texas Raiders” and was one of only nine B-17s that were still airworthy out of the nearly 13,000 built. The airplane was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft (under license to Boeing) in Long Beach, California, and was accepted by the U.S. Army on July 16, 1945. In 1947 it was converted to a radar-equipped PB-1W and began serving with the U.S. Navy to fly airborne early warning missions. Placed into storage after its retirement from the Navy in 1955, the B-17 later entered private service flying cargo and as a camera plane.The Confederate Air Force, as it was known then, purchased the airplane in 1967. From 1983 until 1986 the airplane underwent a complete restoration to return it to wartime configuration. The airplane underwent another cycle of work to repair corrosion and other problems from 2001-2009, at the cost of $700,000. The airplane was repainted in 2017 and received necessary upgrades throughout the last years, the last an avionics upgrade in March 2021.
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra that crashed was a rare F model, one of only two built and the only one surviving. The Kingcobra was not one of World War II’s more successful airplanes. It looked much like its predecessor, Bell’s P-39 Airacobra, but had been almost completely redesigned. Still, the U.S. Army Air Forces was not pleased with its performance and most of the Kingcobras—2,397 of the 3,303 made—ended up flying for the Soviet Union as part of the Lend-Lease program. “The same features that made the P-63 such a handsome machine—no external radiator scoops, tricycle gear, a buried mid-engine—made it a lousy fighter,” wrote Aviation History contributing editor Stephan Wilkinson when he covered the airplane’s return to the air in 2016, after it had been damaged during a 2013 wheels-up landing.
The Dallas accident is certain to revive the ongoing debate over whether people should continue flying historic but increasingly rare airplanes.
historynet magazines
Our 9 best-selling history titles feature in-depth storytelling and iconic imagery to engage and inform on the people, the wars, and the events that shaped America and the world.
subscribe today
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created the United States' military?
The Revolutionary War, in the United States, began in 1775 after colonists revolted against British rule. Although there had been past conflicts between Britain, its colonies, and the American Revolution, it marked the beginning a completely new war for independence.
The Americans fought for liberty and freedom from tyranny. George Washington was a British colonel who led their cause. He rallied his troops at New York City, won the Battle of Long Island and effectively ended the fighting in North America.
The British fought on in Europe, and ultimately defeated the Continental Army in the Siege at Boston in 1776. The United States was established as a nation in the year that followed.
The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, officially recognized the United States' independence as a country. This treaty officially ended the Revolutionary War.
Even though the Revolutionary War ended in peace, tensions remained between the two countries. Although they were not officially at war with each other, both sides were still under threat from invasion.
The United States emerged as the largest country in the world following the Revolutionary War. The new government, however, was lacking a strong central control. Instead, the states competed against each other for control of resources and land.
To help solve this issue, the U.S. Constitution was drafted. The document gave federal powers to the executive branch while giving state governments certain rights. The Supreme Court was also established, and would be the final arbiter for constitutional disputes.
These reforms were important, but the U.S. had not yet experienced its first major conflict 10 years after the Constitution's ratification. In 1812, President James Madison made the War of 1812 a law.
The United States was experiencing economic problems during the War of 1812. Many believed, for example, that the Federalist Party was no longer in control of the Senate or the presidency. They feared the administration would try to ignore them.
The War of 1812 began because the United States wanted protection from Napoleon Bonaparte's further attacks. The French emperor invaded Spain.
The U.S. declared military war on April 19, 1812. The goal was to defend the nation's territory. The war lasted from February 1815 to February 1815 when peace negotiations were held in Ghent (Belgium).
The U.S. lost the War of 1812 despite having more soldiers than its opponents. Despite having more soldiers than its opponents, the War of 1812 helped to establish America's Navy and strengthened relations between the Northern States and Southern.
How many people served in World War I
In 1914, Britain declared war on Germany and thus began a conflict that would last four years and cost millions of lives.
The British Army was brave against German machine guns and artillery while on the field. The army was forced to dig trench warfare trenches in northern France because it had no other choice.
In 1915, the British constructed a network stretching more than 10,000 miles across the English Channel to Switzerland. This network became known as the "Western Front"
The frontline stretched nearly 100 miles to the French-Belgian frontier. By 1916, almost 400,000 soldiers were fighting on each side of the line.
The Allies lost 1.2 million men during World War I. This includes 585,000 deaths.
What are the differences between the 3 types?
War is an emotionally charged experience for both sides. For the aggressor, war is a thrilling experience. He wants his enemy to be miserable. He sees it as a game of strategy, tactics.
The victim is faced with fear, uncertainty and confusion. He knows he's outnumbered. He isn't sure where or how many injuries he will sustain.
In the end, the victor is the winner because he has won. He feels strong. He is looking forward to the next battle. His mind is clear and focused.
He is prepared to lose, even though he knows it. He is prepared for defeat. He accepts that his enemy is stronger and more experienced.
The winner believes that he is the master of his domain. He believes he can win. He is confident that victory is inevitable.
War isn’t just about physical. It is also mental.
It's psychological warfare.
It's about winning hearts and minds.
It's about convincing people to follow you instead of your opponent.
What happened in the Gulf War?
The Gulf War changed the course of history. It was the most difficult military operation since World War II. However, the key aspect of the war was its concept.
This concept was called "Shock and Awe." We had two primary objectives. 1) To shock and subdue the enemy. 2) To awe them.
Saddam Hussein was completely unaware of the plan, and it worked. He didn't know what was coming. We used his lack knowledge to create fear, confusion and panic for him.
The next step was to make sure he knew exactly where we were. So we bombed Iraq with precision-guided munitions. This made us feel safe and allowed us to focus on the second objective.
Our strategy was to scare the hell out of him so he would surrender immediately. Our goal? To force him to give up immediately without any bloodshed.
To do this, we needed to show him that we weren't going to back down. It could spell disaster for his regime and himself.
But we also wanted to show him that we meant business. That we were serious about winning this war.
This was done by dropping bombs onto Baghdad. The shockwaves caused by this attack shocked the Iraqi government as well as the army. We were able to liberate Kuwait by forcing them to retreat from Kuwait.
The war was lost for the Iraqis. They didn't recover from the attack and their economy was destroyed.
Saddam Hussein captured and was tried for crimes versus humanity. He was sentenced and later released for health reasons.
Since then, Iraq has been in constant turmoil. Their infrastructure has deteriorated, and terrorists now rule them.
Who were the first people to use guns in warfare?
Since thousands of years ago, guns have been used by humans.
They started being used only by the rich and powerful; however, over time, more and more commoners began using them.
For instance, the Qin Dynasty (221-221 BC -206 BC), introduced the first gunpowder weapons in China.
The Mongols used bows & arrows up until 1406, when guns were introduced.
King Francis I of France, in 1522, issued a decree that all must have a musket.
Finally, Henry VIII in 1526 ordered that every man aged 18 to 60 learn to shoot a gun.
How much money has the U.S. spent on the Vietnam War
We spent 6 Trillion dollars on the war. And we lost. There were many lives lost.
Although there were many other costs involved, those were the biggest.
The cost of the war is hard to calculate because you have to look beyond military spending. Also, there's the cost to care for our veterans.
The draft cost was paid when an American male reached 21 years of age. That means an estimated 1 million young men served.
They weren't all drafted, but most were. They were not required to serve but many had to go college.
This resulted in a significant increase in tuition fees for students. If you include the cost of the GI bill, the total price tag is closer to $1 trillion.
It is also increasing in cost.
In fact, according to the National Priorities Project the lifetime cost for caring for disabled vets could rise to $4.3 trillion.
You'd have to add to that the cost of health care for those who survived the war.
However, the bottom-line is that the United States spent much more money fighting Vietnam War than any wars we have fought since.
Statistics
- Of military historians, 0% are Socialist, 8% are Other, 35% are Liberal, and 18% are (en.wikipedia.org)
- Of all services, the U.S. Army has paid the heaviest price since 911, with almost 42,000 active, guard, and reserve soldiers killed or wounded while serving overseas, according to Department of Defense figures. (militaryhistoryonline.com)
External Links
history.army.mil
usacac.army.mil
web.archive.org
- Documenting Shock and Awe in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom
- HELLAS:NET - Warfare
How To
What are some of the most famous battles that involved the U.S. armed forces?
Nothing can create an adrenaline rush like a war. It gives us a sense of urgency and danger, which makes us feel alive.
These feelings are most commonly created by using conflict between opposing sides. This creates an ambiguity where we identify with one side or the other.
There are also wars fought inside our country. These are usually more difficult to explain since they do not involve a clear opposition. But they still produce similar results.
Both sides felt a strong desire for the Union to be preserved in Civil War. In World War II, both sides wanted Nazi Germany to fall while the Allies aimed to win. The Axis Powers, on the other hand, wanted to maintain peace and avoid another global war.
These internal conflicts take a lot longer to understand. So instead, let's look at some examples of external conflicts.
The Battle of Bull Run (1861), saw General George McClellan facing Confederate General Robert E Lee.
Lee won battle but lost his command of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Also, there was the Battle of Gettysburg (July 18,63), in which General William Rosecrans attempted stopping the advance of General Joseph Hooker’s arm towards Chattanooga.
Hooker didn't achieve his objective, however, he did capture Gettysburg (Pennsylvania).
Another example is the Battle of Little Big Horn, which took place in June 1876. Generals Custer and Sitting Bull engaged each other in a fight that lasted three days. It ended in the deaths more than 300 Native American war veterans and many soldiers from both sides.
The Vietnam War, perhaps the most well-known U.S. Military battle, is also a significant one. The North Vietnamese Army invaded South Vietnam in 1975. Their main goal was to take control of Saigon.
This was an important turning point for Southeast Asia's history. In 1978, the United States had already withdrawn all its troops. They were replaced by the government of South Vietnam.
This war was among the first modern wars that received widespread media attention. It is still one of the bloodiest.
It was responsible for the deaths of approximately 58,000 people. It's almost twice as many people were killed in Vietnam than during the Revolutionary War.
Did you miss our previous article...
https://lessonsbeyondthestory.com/world-wars/moment-of-impact
