Civilian Archives - Page 43 of 175

On This Day in Aviation History

1915 – Death of Gaston Caudron, French aviation pioneer and aircraft designer along with his brother René; he is killed in the crash of the Caudron R-4 he was testing at Lyon-Bron. 1941 – Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Army Air Forces, operating from the Philippines, attack Japanese shipping; this is the first […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1894 – Birth of Karl Pech, German World War I flying ace. 1951 – First flight of the Fiat G.80 (-3 variant shown), Italian military trainer and that country’s first true jet-powered aircraft. 1961 – U.S. Air Force Major Robert M. White takes the Bell X-15 to a height of 101,610 feet. 1970 – Death of Artem […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1882 – Birth of Paul Albert Pierre Tarascon, French World War I flying ace; he was known as “l’as à la jambe de bois,” or “the ace with the wooden leg,” after having lost his right foot in a crash. 1931 – Vittorio Suster, flying a Caproni Ca.100 Limousine, wins a race against racing driver […]

Waco Added to Collings Foundation Fleet

The Collings Foundation seems to be on a real tear these days, adding new aircraft to the collection seemingly every other month over the past year. The group has just acquired a beautifully restored example of a WACO UPF-7. Rolling off the Waco Aircraft Co.’s Troy, Ohio, production line in 1940, this UPF-7 still retains its original […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1897 – Birth of Alexandre Léonel Pierre “Lionel” de Marmier, French World War I flying ace and Nieuport test pilot; he also became a pioneering airliner and airmail pilot, as well as a test pilot for Air France, and flew in the Spanish War and World War II. 1914 – The German Navy forms its first […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1888 – Birth of Roger Poupon, French World War I flying ace. 1925 – The sole Dobi-I, a Lithuanian monoplane built by Jurgis Dobkevicius and the first airplane of Lithuanian design, is damaged in accident beyond repair. 1984 – The Controlled Impact Demonstration (the “Crash in the Desert”) takes place; it is a joint project between […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1896 – Birth of Oliver “Stewpot” Stewart, British World War I flying ace and aviation journalist. 1911 – Charles Weymann pilots the Nieuport IVG monoplane to win the military aviation trials at Reims in France. 1957 – First flight of the Piaggio P.166 (shown), Italian pusher-type utility aircraft; it is a development of the P.136 […]

Russian Helicopter Makes First Flight

Russian Helicopters has completed first flight of the Mi-171A2, marking another major step in the commercialization of the country’s military-oriented rotorcraft industry. The multi-role Mi-171A2 heavy lift helicopter, with upgraded engines, avionics and rotor system, was flown by Salivat Sadriev, a Russian Helicopters commander and test pilot first class. An online video posted by Russian Helicopters […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1889 – Birth of Hugh Allport Hay, British World War I flying ace. 1917 – Zeppelin LZ59 (LZ-104) ends its first flight by completing a journey through Africa in 96 hours. 1944 – The first bombing attack (since the Doolittle Raid) against Tokyo, the Japanese capital, from the east and by land is carried out […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1891 – Birth of Alan Machin Wilkinson, British World War I fighter ace who also served in World War II. 1916 – First flight of the Breguet 14 (shown), a French biplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft; it is the first aircraft in mass production to use large amounts of metal rather than wood in its […]