On This Day In Aviation History

Threads about the world of aviation outside of airshows. General aviation, airlines, spotting, etc.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:44 am

79 years ago today:
#OTD in 1941, the B-17 Flying Fortress saw its first combat sortie. A trial raid by three Royal Air Force Fortress I aircraft undertook a mission to bomb the naval barracks at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Of the three aircraft that launched, one had to turn back due to engine trouble. The other two made it to the target, but hit nothing, though they returned safely to base.

The British learned a great many of the lessons that improved the design of the B-17. They attempted the first raids at very high altitudes during daylight, counting on the Fortress' own machine guns to defend her against fighters. They learned bombing accuracy from 30K feet was not what it was made out to be, and that the defensive machine guns actually froze up at the temperatures at that altitude. They would go on to learn in later missions that the machine guns alone were not enough to fend off enemy fighters, and they also found many vulnerabilities of the design that were rectified in later models. Do you know some of them?
https://www.facebook.com/CommemorativeA ... &__tn__=-R

73 years ago today, the Yakovlev Yak-23 (NATO code-named: Flora) flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFXAdrJoQl0

Also 73 years ago today, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v92U2F9gbUo

72 years ago today, the Ilyushin Il-28 (NATO code-named: Beagle) flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwNdeRuAdqQ

37 years ago today:
On this date in 1983 the 1000th F-16 Fighting Falcon rolled out.
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29 years ago today:
On this date in 1991 options were few for the crew of a Steeljaws Hummer in the Med.
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13 years ago today:
On this date in 2007 Boeing rolled out the 787. Air France sure made theirs look magnifique!
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Thu Jul 09, 2020 5:07 am

75 years ago today:
#OTD in 1945, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) carried out observations of a total solar eclipse from four aircraft: a Spitfire, a Mitchell, and two Ansons. Three of the aircraft, the Spitfire, Mitchell, and one Anson, were outfitted with a total of seven aerial cameras. The second Anson carried a motion picture camera. The altitude of the aircraft ranged between 17,000 ft and 34,000 ft, with the Spitfire the highest. The eclipse photos obtained during the mission may be the first-ever taken from an aircraft. Have you ever experienced a solar eclipse?
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44 years ago today:
Eye opener- on this date in 1976 the Antonov An-32 Cline flew for the first time.
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29 years ago today:
On this date in 1991 Green Lizards KA-6D Intruder BN Keith Gallagher had himself one hell of a wild ride. His story and a whole lot more right here.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Fri Jul 10, 2020 5:06 am

The Battle of Britain began 80 years ago today.
The Battle of Britain began on this date in 1940. The RAF might not have prevailed if not for this stalwart.
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78 years ago today, the Douglas A-26 Invader flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37yQ-0mjfGQ

73 years ago today:
Eye opener- on this date in 1947 the Airspeed Ambassador flew for the first time.
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Last edited by n33d4sp33d_85 on Fri Jul 10, 2020 6:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Sat Jul 11, 2020 6:36 pm

77 years ago today:
#OTD in 1943 during the Allied invasion of Sicily, the US Army Air Forces’ 52nd Troop Carrier Wing flew paratroopers of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment from North Africa for a landing in Sicily. The C-47 Skytrains flew low in darkness over Allied ships and troops on the island, unfortunately arriving during an Axis air raid. Even though naval forces in the area had received a warning order on the route of the flight, one ship mistakenly opened fire on the formation, with the rest of the ships and troops ashore soon following suit, shooting down the friendly aircraft and forcing paratroopers to jump far from their drop zones.

Twenty-three of the 144 С-47s were lost to friendly fire, causing 318 casualties with 83 dead. Thirty-seven aircraft were damaged and eight returned to base without dropping their troops. The paratroopers suffered 229 casualties to "friendly fire", including 81 dead. Among the casualties was Brigadier General Charles L. Keerans, Jr., the 82nd Airborne's assistant division commander, who was along with the 504th as an unofficial observer.

The 82nd Airborne Division's 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, was waiting in North Africa and scheduled to land in Sicily by glider that night, together with the rest of the division staff. After what happened to the 504th, the glider operation was canceled.

This costly lesson led to a well-known addition to aircraft during the D-Day landings the following year. Do you know what that was?
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57 years ago today:
Eye opener- on this date in 1963 the Grumman American AA-1 Yankee flew for the first time.
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Last edited by n33d4sp33d_85 on Sat Jul 11, 2020 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Sun Jul 12, 2020 6:59 am

54 years ago today:
On this date in 1966 the Northrop M2-F2 lifting body "flew" for the first time. It became famous for how it met its demise.
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40 years ago today, the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, a military version of the DC-10, flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVKW79f6cxg
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Mon Jul 13, 2020 6:20 pm

105 years ago today:
As the Tex Hill Wing - CAF will tell you, Tex Hill was born #OTD in 1915. David Lee "Tex" Hill, was an American fighter ace who served in both WWII and Korea. He was one of the first pilots of First American Volunteer Group, AKA the Flying Tigers. He was actually born in Gwangju, Korea under Japanese rule, the son of Presbyterian missionaries, but raised in Texas. He was already a double ace when he left the AVG to join the USAAF, and it is believed that he may have been the first pilot to down a Zero with a P-51. He ended up with an odd number of aerial victories due to an assist in the downing of a Japanese Nate fighter. Do you know what is official total was?
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Tue Jul 14, 2020 5:40 am

72 years ago today:
#OTD in 1948, six de Havilland F3 Vampires of the RAF's No. 54 Squadron became the first jet aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. They flew via Stornoway, Iceland and Labrador to Montreal on the first leg of a goodwill tour of Canada and the US where they gave several formation aerobatic displays. The Vampire was introduced into service just one year after WWII.
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69 years ago today, the Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, an aerial refueling version of the C-97 Stratofreighter, and the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation both flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZYBJn3CfWs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAad4kLi3J8

65 years ago today, the Martin P6M SeaMaster flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QowTqmxYZ1Q

27 years ago today, the C-17 Globemaster III entered service with the US Air Force.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVYzxl9-8K4
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Wed Jul 15, 2020 6:29 am

68 years ago today:
Yesterday we noted the first transatlantic crossing by jet from the UK to the US in 1948, so turn about being fair play, today is the anniversary of the first transatlantic crossing by helicopter, and it went in the other direction!
It was #OTD in 1952 that Harold Moore and Harry Jeffers landed a pair of USAF Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaws, named Hopalong and Whirl-o-Way, in Prestwick, Scotland. They departed Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts 42 hours, 25 minutes earlier and flew some in 3,535 miles!
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66 years ago today, the Boeing 367-90, also known as the Dash 80, flew for the first time. Today, the airplane is on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center, located at Washington Dulles International Airport.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U17minbHjwc

56 years ago today, the SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDv9hHrmF8M

22 years ago today, the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II, a training aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-9, flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHfBDckoQb8

16 years ago today, the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4QbdVg6zIU
Last edited by n33d4sp33d_85 on Wed Jul 15, 2020 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Thu Jul 16, 2020 5:29 am

90 years ago today:
On this date in 1930 Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) was born when Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express merged. You knew them better (later) as TWA.
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75 years ago today:
On this date in 1945 the first atomic weapon was detonated at the Trinity test site at Alamogordo.
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73 years ago today, the Saunders-Roe SR.A/1, a prototype flying boat fighter aircraft, flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXuZzyzyIco

67 years ago today:
On this date in 1953 USAF Lieutenant Colonel W. F. Barnes set the world's first speed record over 700 mph in a North American F-86D Sabre Dog.
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55 years ago today, the OV-10 Bronco, a twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft, flew for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3PKzGDIs_Q

51 years ago today:
On this date in 1969 Apollo 11 blasted off.
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Last edited by n33d4sp33d_85 on Fri Jul 17, 2020 2:08 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:27 am

42 years ago today, the Soko G-4 Super Galeb flew for the first time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWpzKZXUF_U

31 years ago today, the Northrop B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, flew for the first time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcQhW0N22Fw
Last edited by n33d4sp33d_85 on Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
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