Civilian Archives - Page 17 of 175

On This Day in Aviation History

1887 – Birth of August Haefeli, early Swiss aircraft designer. 1908 – The Imperial All-Russia Aero Club is founded and raises money through public subscription by imperial decree. 1924 – Raoul Pateras Pescara flies an experimental helicopter in Paris; the machine flies 2,640 feet in just over 10 minutes. 1938 – Death of Gerard “Jerry” Freebairn […]

Restored Zero Makes First Flight

One of Mitsubishi’s legendary Zero fighters took to the skies over Japan on Wednesday for the first time since World War II. The restored plane made a brief flight from a naval base in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture. Decorated former U.S. Air Force pilot Skip Holm flew the aircraft. Zero fighters were considered one of the most […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1891 – Birth of David Luther Burgess, Canadian World War I flying ace and politician. 1917 – First flight of the Junkers J.I (modern unrestored model shown), a German armored low-level ground attack and observation sesquiplane; it is the first all-metal aircraft to enter mass production. 1942 – Piloting a Lockheed PBO-1 Hudson patrol bomber over the North Atlantic, U. […]

Ukraine Liquidates Builder Antonov

The world famous Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov, renowned for producing the world’s biggest airliners in the An-124 Ruslan and An-225 Mriya, will cease to exist, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade reported on Wednesday. According to the Ukrainian government’s decision, Antonov will be liquidated while enterprises integrated into the aircraft manufacturer will be assigned […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1894 – British Army Capt. B. F. S. Baden-Powell makes a kite ascent from Pirbright Army Camp, England, in what appears to be the first use of man-carrying kites, called Levitors, outside China. 1919 – A permanent flight of aircraft is stationed in San Diego, Calif., to serve as a forest fire patrol. The machines are war-surplus Curtiss JN-4s. […]

Udvar-Hazy Center Opens House Saturday

Visitors will have a chance to see what goes into restoring, preserving and displaying America’s aviation and space treasures at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Open House on Saturday in Chantilly, Va. For one day only, visitors can tour areas usually off-limits to the public, including the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar and the Emil […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1895 – Birth of Cesare Magistrini, Italian World War I flying ace, commercial pilot and Italian SAS pilot during World War II. He also served as the pilot for the King of Yemen after WWII. 1934 – French aviatrix Maryse Hilsz takes off from Paris with a Breguet 27 S christened “Joe III” for a […]

New Boeing Tanker Makes First Transfer

The Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aerial tanker, derived from the 767-200 wide-body airliner, successfully completed its first refueling flight Sunday in the skies above Washington state. Following takeoff from Boeing Field in Seattle, the KC-46A test team worked through a series of test points before smoothly offloading 1,600 pounds of fuel to a Boeing F-16 Flying Falcon at […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1912 – Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold sets an altitude record of 4,764 feet. 1927 – First flight of the Morane-Saulnier MoS-121, a French single-seat monoplane fighter prototype. 1934 – The Wright Bellanca WB-2 “Maple Leaf,” formerly the record-setting “Columbia,” is destroyed in a hangar fire at the Bellanca factory in Newcastle, Del. 1951 – Death of Ambroise Goupy, French […]

Bombay Club Claims Oldest Asian PA-18

Delta Foxtrot Romeo is no ordinary airplane as it carries not only the legacy of legendary J.R.D. Tata, an Indian businessman and the subcontinent’s first licensed pilot, but also has the distinction of being India’s oldest flyable aircraft. Claimed to be the “oldest flyable aircraft” not only in India but but all of Asia, VT-DFR, […]