World War Two: The Flying Frontier

75 years since World War II ended, join the Smithsonian Institution in exploring the role aeronautics played

In collaboration with

Ending hostilities in Europe

Learning the lessons of the past

Explore the part aeronautics played

Achievements in the air

Pilot the planes that helped bring peace

Heroic pilots

The Tuskegee Airmen

Who Were The Tuskegee Airmen?

The women who made waves

Native words, Native warriors

The aircraft that made history

Engineering built to last

Flying to new heights

Posters for the people

Explore the poster collections by color

Paintbrushes, posters, and politics

Photos from the front

Loose lips sink ships

Thousands of posters all in one place

Learn how posters functioned as valuable political tools during wartime

Explore more

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In collaboration with

Ending hostilities in Europe

Partners from around the world commemorate the final events on the Western front and finding peace

The Events That Led Up To D-Day

The operation that brought together 133,000 land, air, and sea forces

Celebrating VE Day and Remembering Loved Ones

On 7 May 1945, the formal act of military surrender was signed, ending World War Two in Europe

See How The Crowds Came Together on VE DAY

People gathered together from all over London in the name of peace

Learning the lessons of the past

Why we continue to remember

The Effort to Rebuild Europe

The effect of WWII on children and the impact of The Marshall Plan

The Impact Of The War On Dutch Daily Life

The story of the Second World War in 100 objects from collections in the Netherlands

Explore the part aeronautics played

Discover the role that the air forces played in bringing the war to an end

The Playbook

The key aerial events and achievements

The Pilots

Human stories of bravery, courage, and exceptional lives

The Planes

Learn about icons of aeronautics and remembering their journeys

The Posters

The role of the arts in the war effort

Achievements in the air

Key moments and milestones of WWII

The Story of the Last American Aerial Conflict in Europe

The final events before hostilities officially ended an hour before midnight on May 8, 1945

The Flypast That Celebrated the End of World War II

Remembering the flyover of the USS Missouri during the Japanese surrender ceremony

Preserving the Incredible Stories

A journey into the pilots and planes with the National Air and Space Museum

Pilot the planes that helped bring peace

Explore 3D panoramas of historic cockpits and experience what it was like to be flying the plane

Heroic pilots

The brave people risking their lives in the skies

A Pilot Who Supported the Allied Aviators Against the Odds

"Pat the Pilot" was an American aviatrix, WAFS member, and Allied liaison

Ben Kuroki: A Story We All Need to Know

A decorated pilot and the only Japanese American to serve in air combat in the Pacific

Fighter Pilots and Flying Aces

The lives and legacies of pilots post-war

How “Whitey” Feightner Helped Shape Generations of U.S. Navy Aircraft

How the avid flyer went from Navy test pilot to two-star admiral

A Conversation with WWII Veteran Thomas McFadden

The Triple Nickel and WWII Smokejumper shares his story

The Tuskegee Airmen

The African American aviators breaking barriers while fighting for their country

Who Were The Tuskegee Airmen?

Discover how they made a pioneering contribution to the war and the end of racial segregation in the American armed forces

A Pattern of Resistance

The men who risked their careers to stand up against systemic racism

The Mutiny at Freeman Field

How the airmen led a campaign civil disobedience against segregation

An Interview with Charles McGee

The Tuskegee Airman and WWII veteran on how they dispelled racial bias

A Memorial to a Fallen Hero

Lt. James L. McCullin Jr was one of the first African American pilots lost in combat

The women who made waves

The essential role played by women, from pilot WASPs to Navy WAVEs

Making WAVES

A brief overview of the women in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II

Cracking Codes

Cryptologists in the Navy WAVEs

Flying Planes

The stories of the WASPs

Guiding The Way

Navigators and Instructors in the WAVEs

Native words, Native warriors

Discover the incredible stories of the Native American Code Talkers of World War II

How Traditional Tribal Languages Were Turned into Life-Saving Codes

Learn of the essential roles played by Native Americans in the military

The aircraft that made history

Discover the different types of planes that skimmed the skies in WWII

The Vought OS2U Kingfisher

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

The Sikorsky JRS-1

Not just a "Flying Pickup Truck"

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter