On This Day in Aviation History

On This Day in Aviation History

1912 – An American Wright biplane, flown by U.S. Army Air Corps Lt. Thomas De Witt Milling at College Park, Md., becomes the first aeroplane to be armed with a machine gun.

1917 – British ace Capt. Albert Ball (44 victories) of the Royal Flying Corps is killed in a crash following a dogfight with Lothar von Richthofen (younger brother of Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen), who also crashes but survives.

1943 – U.S. Army Air Forces Col. Frank Gregory made the first helicopter landing aboard a ship with a Sikorsky R-4 Hoverfly in Long Island Sound near New York.

1965 – First flight of the Canadair CL-84 Dynavert (shown above), a V/STOL turbine tiltwing monoplane. Despite successful tests, the aircraft was never ordered into production.

1979 – Air France is the first airline to operate the Lockheed L-1011-500, a long-range version of the TriStar with shorter fuselage, more powerful engines and improved aerodynamics.

2011 – Swiss “Jetman” Yves Rossy completes an eight-minute flight along the Grand Canyon in a jet-propelled wing attached to his back; he steers only by moving his body.

Updated: June 18, 2013 — 1:01 PM
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