Most of the photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs, 20 to 200 megabytes in size) from the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) Many were digitized by LOC contractors using a Sinar studio back. They are adjusted by your webmaster for contrast and color in Photoshop before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here.

The photo "Now for the Tricky Part: 1942" of WWII P-38 maintenance work reminded me of a photo that I took in probably 1957 at Travis AFB of a maintenance check needed before flight on a C-97A belonging to MATS and scheduled for a flight to Hickham AFB. After having a series of runaway props on the C-97 the AF required a check of all prop oil reservoirs to ensure of adequate oil. In those days you did what was needed to get the bird in the air quickly. A maintenance stand was not always at hand. View full size.
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