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On This Day in Aviation History

1892 – Birth of Ludwig Gaim, German World War I flying ace who also served in World War II. 1935 – Death of Robert Bajac, French World War I pilot, airline pilot and record setter; he dies in a crash while flying between Paris and London at night. 1947 – First flight of the Blackburn Firecrest (shown), […]

Texas-Based A-26 Readied for Show Season

The Commemorative Air Force’s A-26 Invader Squadron, based within the Vintage Flying Museum’s hangar at Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, has spent the winter month’s working hard on its Douglas A-26B Invader 41-29427. The squadron began life in 2009, with the specific objective of getting the A-26 airworthy. Following years on the air show circuit as “Spirit of Waco,” […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1894 – Birth of Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin (shown), Soviet aircraft designer who founded the Ilyushin aircraft design bureau. 1917 – German Schutte-Lanz airship SL9 (E2) is destroyed during a storm with the loss of all hands. 1940 – First flight of the Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-1 (production LAGG-3), Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. 1959 – […]

‘Precious Metal’ to Return to Air

One of the Reno Air Race Unlimited fan favorites, “Precious Metal,” a modified North American P-51 Mustang, will literally return from the ashes to fly again. The airplane caught fire as race pilot Thom Richard was ferrying the airplane to Reno for the races last year. There were initially doubts regarding the feasibility of the restoration, […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1917 – Birth of Izidor Kovarik, Slovak World War II fighter ace who served on the Eastern front with the Axis forces. 1936 – First flight of the Vought V-141 (shown), a American prototype single-seat fighter. 1942 – In Operation Picket II, HMS Eagle makes the third delivery of Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfires to Malta, flying off seven. 1958 […]

NASA P-3 Researching Ice Caps

It is the morning of the last test flight before the first joint NASA-NOAA mission to map melting ice caps, and “Miss Piggy” is being difficult. Sitting on the flightline just outside Hangar 5 at MacDill Air Force Base, the venerable Orion P-3, refurbished three years ago, is oozing some hydraulic fluid. And just before […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1895 – Birth of Herbert Frank Stacey Drewittt, New Zealand World War I flying ace. 1918 – U.S. Naval Reserve Force pilot Ensign John F. McNamara, flying from RNAS Portland (an Royal Navy air station in England), makes the first attack on an enemy submarine by a U.S. naval aviator. 1930 – First flight of […]

‘Columbine II’ Ends Cross-Country Trip

The first presidential aircraft to be called Air Force One is being resurrected by a company in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. On Wednesday, the aircraft built in 1948 spread its wings once again. The first Air Force One, a U.S. Air Force Lockheed C121A Constellation, flew from Arizona to Texas to its final destination in Bridgewater, […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1888 – Birth of Gustave Victorin Daladier, French World War I fighter ace. 1914 – The Royal Siamese Flying Corps is formed. 1948 – First flight of the Douglas F3D Skyknight, (D-2s shown), a U.S. twin-engine, midwing jet fighter, designed as a carrier-based all-weather aircraft. 1961 – Death of Valentin Vasiliyevich Bondarenko, Soviet fighter pilot […]

English WWII Collection Auctioned

A replica Supermarine Spitfire, sold as part of a collection of rare aircraft memorabilia dating from the Second World War, fetched £34,000 when it went under the hammer. The sale, which took place at Sutton on Saturday, was organized by Cambridgeshire, England, auctioneers Cheffins. It raised a total of £160,000 – double the expected amount. Star […]