Civilian Archives - Page 41 of 175

P-38 Rescued from Guadalcanal Swamp

The journey to return U.S. Army Air Forces Maj. Peyton Mathis Jr.’s remains to his hometown, 70 years after he was killed on Guadalcanal, began with another pilot’s hunch. Anders Markwarth, 44, a Guadalcanal resident, has always been interested in airplanes, especially varbirds. A former airline pilot, he now works with a fuel company on […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1866 – The Aeronautical Society of Great Britain is founded in London (later to become the Royal Aeronautical Society); it remains in existence. 1912 – First flight of the Curtiss Model F (shown), an American early flying boat. 1913 – Birth of Chitoshi Isozaki, Japanese 2nd Sino-Japanese War and World War II fighter ace. 1953 […]

MiG-21 Flying Resto Begins in Australia

In Perth, Western Australia, an unusual warbird type is beginning its journey back into flying condition. A Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21UM Fishbed twin-seater fighter jet recently arrived from the U.S.A. for restoration in Australia. Her new owner, Adrian Deeth, is a keen aviation enthusiast, and had been looking for a suitable warbird type to acquire for some time. His search […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1889 – Birth of Roger Amedee Del’Haye, Canadian World War I flying ace. 1911 – Joseph Joel Hammond reaches a speed of almost 50 mph and an altitude of 2,500 feet while giving a demonstration attended by the governor of Western Australia. 1952 – Death of Antonie Strassmann, German aviatrix and actress. 1955 – The Vickers Valiant, a British […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1863 – Birth of Léon Levavasseur, French powerplant engineer, aircraft designer and inventor; his innovations will include the V8 engine, direct fuel injection, and evaporative engine cooling. 1948 – First flight of the Lavochkin La-15, an early Soviet jet fighter and contemporary of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15. 1950 – Last flight of the Sud-Ouest SO 8000 […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1898 – Birth of Wallace Alexander Smart, Scottish World War I flying ace. 1917 – Death of Paul Joannes Sauvage (shown), the youngest French World War I flying ace; he is killed by anti-aircraft fire. 1934 – First flight of the Curtiss XF13C (Model 70), a U.S. prototype carrier-based monoplane fighter; it is equipped with […]

“Doc” Nearing First Flight

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress known as “Doc” is in the final days of her restoration. There are just a few minor details to finish with the avionics installation, and setting the limits for the flaps and gear doors, but other than that the old girl is ready to go. The restoration team in Wichita, Kan., […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1911 – Frenchman Henri Jullerot demonstrates the Bristol Boxkite, a pusher biplane based on the successful Farman III, in Calcutta before a crowd of 100,000. 1942 – Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to schedule a flight around the world. 1944 – First flight of the McDonnell XP-67 Bat (shown), a twin-engine bomber destroyer. 1963 – Birth of Philippe Perrin, French Air Force pilot, test pilot and former […]

Spielberg, Hanks Team Up for 8th AF Tales

In the thin air above 20,000 feet, with Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters bearing down from all directions, the inside of an unpressurized American bomber in World War II was an altogether foreign world. Freezing cold, oxygen-deprived and hundreds of miles from the nearest friendly fighter escort, the bombers faced desperate odds with each mission deep […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1891 – Birth of Carl “Charly” Degelow, German World War I fighter ace; he is the last German pilot and final German serviceman to be awarded the Blue Max, the German Kingdom of Prussia’s highest order of merit. 1930 – During the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE), Royal Australian Air Force pilot Stuart Campbell […]