On This Day in Aviation History

On This Day in Aviation History

1884 – Birth of Claude Honoré Desiré Dornier, German airplane builder and founder of Dornier Flugzeugwerke.

1915 – The U.S. Navy contracts with the Connecticut Aircraft Co. for its first airship.

1940 – The Allies lose 110 aircraft – 70 British Fairey Battles and Bristol Blenheims and 40 French planes – on one day in a disastrous attempt to bomb bridges over the River Meuse.

1973 – Skylab, the United States’ first space station, is launched.

2005 – An Eurocopter AS350, flown by company test pilot Didier Delsalle, touched down on the top of Mt. Everest, at 29,035 feet; the helicopter altitude record was later confirmed by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

2010 – Stelio Frati, Italian mechanical engineer and aeroplane designer, dies. After teaching aircraft design, he became a freelance aircraft designer and was responsible for the Falco F8L and the Aermacchi SF.260 (shown above).

Updated: May 14, 2013 — 4:50 PM
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