Military Archives - Page 44 of 180

On This Day in Aviation History

1894 – Birth of Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin, Soviet aircraft designer who later founds the Ilyushin aircraft design bureau. 1936 – The first successful bail-out from a rotary-winged aircraft takes place when William H. “Bill” McAvoy and engineer John Wheatley abandon their Pitcairn YG-2 Autogiro when the rotor fails. 1941 – The first powered flight of […]

Kansas Mechanics Rebuild Electra 10A

Mechanics from Wichita Air Services at the Newton City/County airport put pieces of history back together, restoring a classic 1930s airplane. The plane “went through a lot of owners,” Don Stancer, lead mechanic at Wichita Air Services, said. “It’s been around,” Leeb Vonfange, shop manager, said. Along with several other mechanics, they restored a 1937 Lockheed Electra […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1893 – Birth of Romolo Ticconi, Italian World War I flying ace. 1931 – First flight of the Hawker Fury (Mk.1 shown), a British biplane fighter. 1950 – A Mandated Air Lines Lockheed Hudson IVA crashes into a house while trying to make an emergency landing at Law-Nadzab Airport in Papua New Guinea. 1956 – […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1905 – Birth of Martin Schempp, German glider pilot and founder of Schempp-Hirth, a major manufacturer of gliders. 1914 – The Royal Siamese Flying Corps, which later becomes the Royal Thai Air Force, is formed. 1936 – Imperial Airways begins scheduled flights between Hong Kong and Malaysia. 1948 – First flight of the Douglas F3D […]

Palm Springs Museum Nabs F-102

The Palm Springs Air Museum recently took possession of a Cold War-era Convair F-102A Delta Dagger, a single-seat interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the U.S. Air Force’s air defenses in the late 1950s. These aircraft also saw some limited service in the Vietnam War in bomber escort and ground-attack roles. Many […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1890 – Birth of Ernst Freiherr von Althaus, German World War I flying ace. 1910 – Orville Wright begins training students in Montgomery, Ala., at a site that later becomes Maxwell Air Force Base. 1954 – First flight of the Auster AOP.9 (shown), a light British military observation aircraft. 1976 – Death of Aldo Bocchese, […]

Lancaster Finds New Home in Alberta

A rare Avro Lancaster bomber that was a significant part of the Canadian effort in the Second World War is making Edmonton its new home. The wartime bomber had been on display for more than 50 years in Edmunston, N.B., close to the Quebec border, but corrosion started taking its toll. Although local supporters tried […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1896 – Birth of Otto Jindra, Austro-Hungrian World War I flying ace who, post-war, became a Czechoslovakian citizen and was instrumental in raising, and commanding, a Czechoslovakian air arm. 1937 – Emilio Casco flies the human-powered aircraft Pedaliante more than half a mile outside Milan, Italy. 1952 – A pair of U.S. Air Force Republic […]

Indian Su-30MKI Engine Failures Continue

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI, the most powerful and modern fighter jets in Indian Air Force’s stable, has been hit by mid-air engine failures. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in Parliament today that as many as 35 instances of engine failures were reported in 2013-14 – that’s nearly three a month. In all, there are 69 instances […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1918 – Death of Llewelyn Crichton Davies, Welsh World War I flying ace, from injuries sustained after the crash of his Airco DH.4 three days earlier. 1937 – First flight of the Fokker G.I (replica shown), a Dutch twin-engined fighter comparable in size and role to the German Messerschmitt Bf 110 and the de Havilland […]