Civilian Archives - Page 76 of 175

On This Day in Aviation History

1903 – The world’s first successful heavier-than-air aircraft engine, which will power the Wright brothers‘ first airplane in December 1903, runs for the first time in Dayton, Ohio. 1912 – Birth of Fusata Iida, Sino-Japanese and World War II Japanese flying ace. 1945 – Death of Kenji Kato, Japanese World War II flying ace. 1959 – The […]

RAF Airliner Fleet Grounded

An Airbus A330 plummeted thousands of feet during a flight to Afghanistan while carrying 190 people. The Royal Air Force today said it would pause flights of military-registered Voyager planes following the incident on Sunday. The aircraft was on its way to Afghanistan but was forced to divert to an airfield in Turkey after some of the 180 […]

Bugatti Replica to Soar at Museum

Ettore Bugatti, perhaps bored with building such extravagant symbols of single-minded genius like the Royale, devised a staggering work of aeronautical wonder that never saw the light of the day. Threatened by the twin insurmountable forces of deadlines and war, the Bugatti 100P never made it to the skies. Bugatti wanted to tackle the Deutsch […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1897 – Birth of Rudolf Stark, German World War I flying ace. 1905 – Arthur Charles Hubert Latham accompanied his cousin, the balloonist Jacques Faure, on a night crossing of the English Channel (from London to Paris) in a gas balloon. 1945 – First flight of the Consolidated Vultee XP-81, an American single-seat, long-range escort […]

New Airline to Start Florida Service

An airline calling itself Florida Express Jet says it plans to launch service between three Florida cities in less than 40 days. The carrier is selling seats now for nonstop service that’s scheduled to start March 20. Florida Express Jet will fly nonstop from Orlando to both Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee with fares starting at $69, even […]

‘Borrowed’ England Spitfire Heads Home

A special Second World War Supermarine Spitfire is winging its way back to Hendon, England, a London suburb, for the first time in almost 20 years. The fighter plane, Spitfire FR Mk.XIVe MT847, is being returned for a special exhibition at the Hendon RAF Museum after being on display in Manchester since 1995. Having seen action during the […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1891 – Birth of Sir William Lawrie Welsh, a Royal Air Force officer who commanded British air operations during World War II’s Operation Torch; he was a Royal Naval Air Service pilot during World War I. 1929 – American Evelyn “Bobbi” Trout breaks the record for the first all-night flight by a woman as well […]

Slideshow: Singapore Airshow 2014

Along the shores of the Singapore Strait, the lineup of aircraft in the static display area of the Singapore Airshow 2014 — Asia’s largest and one of the most important aerospace and defence exhibitions in the world — covers a wide range of sizes, shapes and missions. Business jets large and small, airliners and military […]

The 747 at 45; Will It Reach 50?

Over the next few days the world of aviation will meet in Singapore at the Changi exhibition center adjacent to the city’s international airport. For decades the airport has been dominated by the Boeing 747. It has been the intermediate stop for the kangaroo route and Singapore Airlines once was one of its most prominent […]

Kamikaze Aircraft to Be Displayed

A rare surviving Kamikaze aircraft seized by the British at the end of World War II is to go on display for the first time. The aircraft, which would have been flown by a Japanese pilot on a suicide mission, was one of just four brought back to Britain from the Far East to display […]