HISTORY OF FLIGHT
History of flight, an airplane and aviation timeline of flight, from balloons to today's space flight, with accomplishments, pictures, sound, specifications, and a guide to scale model radio control airplanes.
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Throughout the history of flight, the most significant advances have generally occurred more rapidly during times of war, especially involving technological advancements. Before the advent of aircraft, fleets of warships from the most powerful nations on earth would travel the oceans of the globe. Flying history shows that aircraft controlling the skies would often be a deciding factor in the outcome of conflicts. The history of flight reveals that at the time when airplanes were first employed as instruments of war, crews tossed small, improvised bombs over the side on to a terrorized enemy on the ground. Hitting a target was a matter of luck. The history of flight has established that modern airplanes can have the ability to employ stealth technology, arriving over a target without being detected, all the while traveling at trans-sonic and supersonic speeds. They can drop their ordnance with such accuracy as to minimize damage on surrounding areas. In the history of flight, the advent of the jet engine and advances in aerodynamics mean that the airplane can fly higher and faster than ever before. Although the speed of the airplane has increased greatly since the first ones took to the sky, accomplishments in the history of flight have also taken place with regard to maneuverability. Exotic materials have allowed for stronger, yet lighter structures. Airplanes can travel farther than ever before through the use of streamlining and more efficient engines. A study of the history of flight shows that the biggest accomplishments within the earth's atmosphere have involved larger payloads being lifted to higher altitudes. A few airplanes have set remarkable speed records, but those have been on the edge of space where a thinner atmosphere allowed less speed reducing friction. Our wish is that, in the future, there will be enhanced science that will further the development of peaceful technology. |
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YouTube - History of Flight
450 B.C.
Friends Mozi and Lu Ban fly a kite made from bamboo and silk fabric, using a silk twine flying line, near Qufu, China.
400 B.C. In Southern Italy, Archytas builds a bird shaped steam powered model with flapping wings that is said to have flown about 655 feet. 1250 A.D. In England, Roger Bacon writes about a flying machine that could flap its wings, similar to a bird, to achieve flight. 1485 In Italy, Leonardo da Vinci draws plans for a parachute, a glider, a bird-like flying machine with flapping wings, and two flying machines with spiral-like rotors. 1668 In Italy, Francesco Lana de Terzi conceives of a vacuum suspended aircraft. He has been called the Father of Aeronautics for his scientific works on aerial navigation. June 24, 1709 In Portugal, Bartolomeu Laurenco de Gusmao proposes to demonstrate a flying machine before the King. It is described as boat-like, with a large sail over it, somewhat similar to a covered wagon, to provide lift. The machine would have bellows to blow into the sail if not enough wind was blowing. Magnets would propel the flying machine. The demonstration never occurred. De Gusmao also conceived of an air ship using a pyramid shaped gas bag to stay aloft, but it never materialized. June 5, 1783 In France, brothers Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier show the workings of a hot air balloon to onlookers. August 27, 1783 In France, a balloon using hydrogen gas makes a flight of approximately 16 miles. It is unmanned. September 19, 1783 In France, a hot air balloon made by the Montgolfier brothers flies to an altitude of about 1,700 feet, then lands, while safely carrying a chicken, duck and a lamb. October 15, 1783 Francois Laurent le Vieux d'Arlandes and Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier fly some 85 feet above the ground in a tethered Montgolfier hot air balloon. November 21, 1783 A free flying Montgolfier hot air balloon takes flight in France carrying Francois Laurent le Vieux d'Arlandes and Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier. December 1, 1783 In France, a balloon filled with hydrogen gas flies about 27 miles with Jacques Charles and Nicolas-Louis Robert aboard. December 1, 1783 Jacques Charles ascends to an altitude of approximately 9,850 feet in the same balloon later that day. September 19, 1784 For the first time in recorded history, a device is used to propel an aircraft. It is when a hand turned propeller is fastened to a balloon by Jean-Pierre Blanchard. January 7, 1785 A hydrogen gas filled balloon flies from England to France, the first to cross the English Channel. It is piloted by Jean-Pierre Blanchard and also carries John Jeffries. January 9, 1793 The first recorded cross country balloon flight in the United States is made from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Deptford, New Jersey, a distance of about 13 miles. The pilot of the balloon is Jean-Pierre Blanchard. 1804 In England, Sir George Cayley flew a glider with a vertical tail and horizontal stabilizer, with an adjustable center of gravity controlled by a weight. Cayley put forth the scientific principles of flight that laid the foundation for the development of today's aircraft. September 24, 1852 In France a dirigible, with steam turning a propeller, flies about 17 miles at a speed of approximately 6 mph. June 30, 1853 A successful flight of glider designed by Sir George Cayley, flown by an unknown pilot over an unknown distance is recorded in Yorkshire, England. 1857 Steam and wind-up propeller powered unmanned aircraft are successfully flown in France by Felix Du Temple. September 20, 1874 A steam engine powered aircraft flown by Felix Du Temple makes a short flight of an unknown distance after being launched from a ski-jump type down ramp. 1891 In Germany, Otto Lilienthal first flew a glider of his own design that laid the foundation for hang gliders and ultra light aircraft. During his life time he made numerous glider flights. Lilienthal lost his life in a glider accident when it stalled some 50 feet above the ground. May 6, 1896 In the United States Samuel Pierpoint Langley built an unpiloted biplane with a steam engine turning a propeller. It was catapulted from a boat and flew about 3,950 feet. 1897 In the United States Ocatave Chanute invented a system for biplane and triplane type aircraft employing wing struts and wires to strengthen aircraft wings. Oct. 19, 1901 While flying his own built and designed dirigible around the Eiffel Tower, Brazilian born Alberto Santos-Dumont demonstrated that it was possible to control the direction of its flight. December 17, 1903 First controlled flight of a manned powered heavier than air aircraft - Wright Flyer August 3, 1904 First U.S. Army dirigible takes flight - California Arrow October 23, 1906 In France, Brazilian Born Alberto Santos-Dumont flew his canard-type powered biplane design that used a gasoline engine turning a pusher propeller a distance of about 200 feet at a maximum altitude of about 15 feet above the ground. It is the first controlled flight of a powered aircraft in Europe. November 10, 1907 Controlled flight for over 60 seconds of a manned powered aircraft in Europe is achieved - Farman 1 November 30, 1907 First U.S. company to mass produce aircraft opens - Curtiss Airplane And Motor Co., New York July 4, 1908 Awarding of the first United States aeronautical trophy for a flight of over one kilometer (3,280 ft.) - AEA June Bug November 11, 1908 First European manufacturer of mass produced aircraft opens - Short Bros., England February 23, 1909 First controlled powered flight that takes place in Canada - AEA Silver Dart May 17, 1909 First airplane routes map for France published - Cartes Guides Campbell July 25, 1909 First airplane crosses English Channel - Bleriot XI October 16, 1909 First airliner service started -Delag March 28, 1910 First seaplane takes flight - Hydravion May 30, 1910 First experimental jet powered aircraft receives a patent - Coanda-1910 August 27, 1910 First successful use of a radio in an airplane. December 10, 1910 First experimental jet powered aircraft takes flight - Coanda-1910 February 18 , 1911 First delivery of mail by airplane - Humer-Sommer biplane October 22, 1911 First use of aircraft in a war (scouting mission in Italo - Turkish War) - Bleriot XI November 1, 1911 First bombs dropped (4 ea. 4.5 lbs.) from an airplane in a war (Italo - Turkish War) - Etrich Taube November 5, 1911 Completion of first New York to California (coast-to-coast) U.S. airplane flight in 49 days - Burgess-Wright February 1, 1912 First airplane to fly at over 100 mph - Deperdussin Monocoque April 16, 1913 First airplane to win a Schneider Cup race - Deperdussin Racer May 10, 1913 First four engine airplane takes flight - Sikorsky S-21 August 30, 1913 First airplane to fly on auto pilot - Curtiss AB-2 December 10, 1913 First Russian four engine strategic bomber flies - Sikorsky Illya Muromets October 10, 1914 A dedicated fighter airplane takes flight - Vickers F.B.5 Gun Bus December 3, 1914 Machine gun fires through airplane propeller arc - Morane Saulnier April 1, 1915 First Russian aircraft designed as an escort fighter takes flight - Sikorsky S-XVI May 23, 1915 First aircraft with a synchronized machine gun firing through the propeller arc - Fokker Eindecker July 25, 1915 British RFC Capt. L.G. Hawker receives the first ever Victoria Cross presented for aerial combat. November 5, 1915 First catapult launch of an aircraft from a moving ship - Curtiss AB2 January 1, 1916 First flight of an aircraft built mainly from metal - Junkers J1 May 16, 1916 British WWI ace Albert Ball scores his first aerial victory - Bristol Scout July 15, 1916 William E. Boeing establishes himself in the aviation business by opening the Pacific Aero Products Co. March 22, 1917 First airline company to provide scheduled flights is formed - Red Arrow Flying Service August 2, 1917 Airplane lands on a moving ship - Sopwith Pup September 22, 1917 First aircraft built by the new Supermarine Co. - P.B. 31E Nighthawk quadraplane August 21, 1918 First flight of what will be the fastest fighter aircraft of its time and the primary French Air Force fighter - Nieuport-Delage NiD-29 February 5, 1919 Passenger airliner service between France and England begins - Farman F60 Goliath May 15, 1919 U.S. postal air service commences. May 31, 1919 Completion of the first flight from New York to England with stops along the way - Navy-Curtiss NC-4 June 15, 1919 Completion of first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean - Vickers Vimy June 25, 1919 First non-military commercial transport built entirely without wood takes flight - Junkers F 13 July 21, 1919 Fokker Aircraft Co. is started. October 7, 1919 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is started. November 15, 1920 First airplane with retractable landing gear takes flight - RB-1 Racer July 21, 1921 First battleship sunk by airplanes - Martin NBS-1 August 3, 1921 First crop duster - Curtiss Jenny March 20, 1922 First U.S. aircraft carrier - U.S.S. Langley September 4, 1922 First U.S. coast-to-coast flight in less than 24 hours - Airco DH4 October 26, 1922 First plane to land on a U.S. aircraft carrier - Aeromarine Co. Model 39 February 23, 1923 First landing and take off of a fighter plane from a Japanese aircraft carrier - Mitsubishi 1MF March 5, 1923 Sikorsky Aero Engineering begins operating in the U.S.A. May 3, 1923 First U.S. coast to coast flight without landing is completed - Fokker T-2 June 23, 1924 Flight of the first aircraft built by the newly formed Focke Wulf Co. - A-16 September 28, 1924 First flight circumnavigating the world is completed - Douglas World Cruisers November 26, 1925 First Soviet all-metal heavy bomber - Tupolev ANT-4 / TB-1 March 16, 1926 Robert H. Goddard successfully flies a liquid fueled rocket that he invented and built. Through 1941 Goddard is credited with a total of 34 liquid fueled rocket flights achieving speeds up to 550 mph and altitudes of up to about 8,500 feet. April 6, 1926 Lufthansa Airlines begins flight operations. May 9, 1926 First flight crossing the North Pole - Fokker Trimotor March 14, 1927 Pan American World Airways opens for business. May 21, 1927 Completion of first solo non-stop flight acorss the Atlantic from New York to Paris- Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis September 7, 1927 Cessna Aircraft Co. begins business. June 11, 1928 First successful rocked powered airplane flight - Lippisch Ente June 17, 1928 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, from Newfoundland to Wales, U.K. She is a passenger seated in a Fokker F.VII piloted by Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon. August 29, 1929 Civilian airplane tops front line military airplane in a race - Travel Air Mystery Ship November 29, 1929 First flight crossing South Pole - Ford Trimotor October 25, 1930 TWA starts regular scheduled transcontinental flights in the U.S.A. December 22, 1930 World's first modern four engine monoplane bomber - Tupolev TB-3 November 29, 1931 Japanese aircraft attack Manchuria -Mitsubishi G3M Rikko May 20, 1932 Amelia Earhart flies a Lockheed Vega, taking off from Newfoundland bound for Paris. Due to poor weather and engine problems, she lands in Culmore, Northern Island, a distance of 2,026 miles. The flight takes 14 hours 56 minutes to complete. With the flight, Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. February 8, 1933 First of a generation of "modern" airliners takes flight - Boeing 247 July 15, 1933 First Atlantic crossing by a large aircraft squadron - Savoia Marchetti S.55 July 22, 1933 Completion of first solo circumnavigation of the world - Lockheed Vega October 31, 1933 First single wing with no external bracing fighter aircraft that has retractable landing gear - Polikarpov I-16 July 1, 1934 World record of an airplane flying a total of 635 hours, 34 minutes before landing - Curtiss Robin October 23, 1934 The still standing propeller driven seaplane speed record of 440.68 MPH is established - Macchi Castoldi MC-72 March 23, 1935 World's first successful retrieval in flight of a parasite fighter by its mother ship - Soviet Zveno Project July 17, 1935 Mass produced modern four engine U.S. bomber takes to the sky - Boeing B-17 December 17, 1935 The world's most advanced airliner to date takes to the sky - Douglas DC-3 March 4, 1936 The largest vehicle ever to fly takes to the sky - Zeppelin LZ 129 Hindenberg July 20, 1936 The first mass military air transport of the Spanish Civil War - Junkers Ju 52 August 7, 1936 First Luftwaffe fighter aircraft are deployed to aid Franco's forces in Spain - Heinkel He 51 May 6, 1937 World's largest Zeppelin lost while attempting to land - LZ 129 May 29, 1937 Grumman's first twin engine plane, first successful monoplane, and first commercial airliner - Grumman G-21 Goose July 4, 1937 Fully controlled helicopter long duration flight - Focke Wulf FW-61 August 11, 1937 British fighter aircraft with more than four machine guns takes to the sky - Boulton Paul Defiant November 2, 1937 British fighter intercepts another aircraft using ground based radar - Glouster Gauntlet October 11, 1938 British single seat twin engine fighter aircraft flies - Westland Whirlwind December 31, 1938 World's first passenger airliner with interior pressurization - Boeing 307 January 26, 1939 First U.S. fighter plane capable of speeds over 400 mph - Lockheed P-38 Lightning April 26, 1939 German aircraft sets a world speed record of 469 mph - Messerschmitt Me 209 August 27, 1939 Experimental jet takes flight - Heinkel He 178 December 17, 1939 First air-to-ground rockets - Ilyushin IL-2 December 17, 1939 British Commonwealth Air Training Plan enacted - de Havilland Tiger Moth July 28, 1940 Radar intercept of an enemy aircraft: Bristol Blenheim August 3, 1940 Transport helicopter flies - FA-223 August 27, 1940 First Italian jet powered aircraft - Caproni Campini N1 September 22, 1940 Jet fighter takes flight - He-280 October 1, 1940 First single engine U.S. fighter with a top speed over 400 mph - F4U Corsair October 26, 1940 Prototype flight of what will become the premier escort fighter of WW II flies - North American P-51 Mustang December 7, 1940 Monoplane RAF dive bomber takes to the sky - Fairey Barracuda March 12, 1941 Four engine bomber flies World War II missions against German forces - Halifax April 6, 1941 First aircraft ejection seat - Heinkel He 280 April 17, 1941 First ever lift off and landing of a helicopter on water - Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 August 8, 1941 Soviet aircraft bomb Berlin for the first time - Ilyushin IL-4 September 23, 1941 The Soviet battleship Marat sinks after being hit by a 2,200 lb. bomb dropped by a Luftwaffe dive bomber - Junkers Ju-87 December 7, 1941 Japanese carrier launched aircraft attack Pearl Harbor Hawaii, sinking or seriously damaging most of the U.S. Pacific Fleet - Aichi Val December 18, 1941 Lt. Col. Boyd Wagner becomes first U.S. ace of WW II - Curtiss P-40 Warhawk December 28, 1941 Test flight of a cruise missile - Fieseler Fi 103 V-1 January 14, 1942 First time that a helicopter lands on a ship at sea - Sikorsky R-4 March 17, 1942 The Luftwaffe fits their dive bombing aircraft with 37 mm anti-tank cannons - Junkers Ju-87 Stuka April 18, 1942 U.S. aircraft raid on Japan after the start of World War II - North American B-25 May 21, 1942 Airplane designated from the start as a night fighter takes to the air for the first time - Northrop P-61 June 11, 1942 Dedicated Soviet night bomber regiment aircraft begin harassment missions against German troops - Polikarpov Po-2 June 12, 1942 First U.S. bomber raid on Ploesti - B-24 Liberator July 18, 1942 Operational jet aircraft flight - Me-262 September 9, 1942 Air attack by Japan on U.S. mainland - Yokosuka E14Y October 3, 1942 First successful flight of German long range ballistic missile - V-2 December 4, 1942 First U.S. plane bomb Italy - B-24 Liberator December 10, 1942 First successful flight of a German cruise missile - V-1 Fieseler Fi 103 December 23, 1942 Long range bomber designed to attack U.S. East Coast takes flight - Messerschmitt Me 264 June 15, 1943 Jet bomber flies - Arado Ar 234 June 23, 1943 Operational aircraft with ejection seats - Heinkel He-219 August 18, 1943 Dedicated rescue helicopter takes flight that would eventually be used in the Antarctic - Sikorsky H-5 August 31, 1943 U.S. Navy's newest fighter plane flies first sorties - F6F Hellcat September 9, 1943 After Italy joins the Allies, their battleship Roma sinks after being hit by two radio control bombs dropped by Luftwaffe bombers - Dornier Do 217 September 12, 1943 Italian dictator Benito Mussolini is rescued from captors by aircraft - Fieseler Fi 156 October 20, 1943 Experimental German bomber intended to drop bombs on the U.S. flies for the first time - Junkers Ju 390 November 2, 1943 Multi-engine U.S. Navy fighter flies - Grumman F7F November 5, 1943 U.S. carrier aircraft begin attacks on Japanese warships near Truk Island - Douglas SBD Dauntless January 8, 1944 First flight of what will become the U.S.A.F. first operational jet fighter- P-80 Shooting Star January 18, 1944 U.S. aircraft anti-submarine patrols launched over the Strait of Gibraltar- PBY Catalina February 17, 1944 U.S. Carrier aircraft launch night raids on Japanese targets on and around Truk Island - Grumman Avenger May 22, 1944 Kamikaze attacks launched - Ki-45 June 14, 1944 Production rocket propelled fighter plane becomes operational - Me163 June 15, 1944 U.S. heavy bombers begin strategic bombing of Japan - B-29 Superfortress August 14, 1944 Allies begin parachuting troops into France - Douglas C-47 Skytrain September 5, 1944 German plan to kill Soviet leader Stalin is aborted when their transport airplane is damaged beyond repair upon landing - Arado Ar 232 March 21, 1945 Japanese rocket plane deployed for the first time - Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka September 6, 1945 First flight of a helicopter across the English Channel - FA-223 June 25, 1945 First U.S. sheduled cargo transport company, National Skyway Freight, begins operations - Budd C-93 Conestoga August 6, 1945 U.S. aircraft drops atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima - Boeing B-29 November 6, 1945 First ever jet power airplane landing on an aircraft carrier - Ryan FR Fireball December 3, 1945 British jet airplane lands on an aircraft carrier - de Havilland Vampire January 10, 1946 A Sikorsky helicopter climbs to 21,000 feet, making it the highest flying helicopter of the time - H-5 June 1, 1946 Pan American World Airways begins regular service from New York to London - Constellation June 21, 1946 First pure jet to land on U.S.Navy carrier - McDonnell Phantom June 25, 1946 Flying wing bomber takes flight - XB-35 August 17, 1946 First U.S. test of manned ejection seat during aircraft flight - P-61 Black Widow September 29, 1946 Non-stop flight distance record set - P2V Neptune August 9, 1947 Flight of first jet combat aircraft of Latin America. It is of Argentine origin - FMA IAE 27 September 2, 1947 British Navy jet flies - Sea Hawk October 14, 1947 Aicraft goes supersonic in level flight - Bell X-1 November 24, 1947 Grumman jet fighter takes flight - F9F December 17, 1947 Swept wing bomber deployed by the U.S.A.F. - Boeing B-47 June 26, 1948 Berlin Airlift commences - C-54 Skymaster July 16, 1948 First mid-range turboprop aircraft used for passenger transportation - Vickers Viscount September 5, 1948 Weight of cargo carried aloft record set -Martin Mars December 8, 1948 U.S.A.F. bomber flies 9,400 non-stop without refueling - Convair B-36 Peacemaker December 8, 1948 Smithsonian Institute takes possession of first aircraft to achieve controlled powered flight - Wright Flyer March 2, 1949 Completion of the first around the world airplane flight with mid-air refueling - Boeing B-50 April 16, 1949 American production jet aircraft with afterburner, and operational all weather interceptor - F-94 May 13, 1949 First British jet bomber - English Electric Canberra February 1, 1950
First jet landing on an U.S. aircraft carrier at night - F9F Panther June 25, 1950 North Korean aircraft bomb the airport at Kimpo marking the start of the Korean war - Yak-9 June 27, 1950 U.S. fighter downs three enemy aircraft in one of the first U.S. air actions of the Korean war - F-82 June 27, 1950 U.S. jets down four enemy aircraft in the first jet U.S. air action of the Korean war - P-80 Shooting Star June 27, 1950 Flight of first swept wing jet fighter solely of Latin American origin. It was produced in Argentina - FMA IAE 33 September 4, 1950 First rescue by a U.S. helicopter of a pilot behind enemy lines - Sikorsky H-5 September 5, 1950 First successful bomb drop from an aircraft flying at over 500 mph - North American B-45 Tornado October 31, 1950 Flight of a jet aircraft constructed entirely in Australia - GAF Pika November 8, 1950 U.S. F-80 downs North Korean jet in first jet to jet encounter of Korean War - Mig-15 December 1, 1950 Helicopters assigned to U.S. MASH facilities - Bell H-13 Sioux December 18, 1950 Newest swept wing U.S. jet fighters deployed in Korea - F-86 Sabre January 23, 1951 U.S. jet fighters claim victories over four MiG-15's in one day - Republic F-84 January 5, 1952 Pan Am introduces all cargo transport from New York to London - Douglas DC-6 April 15, 1952 First flight of what is still the backbone of the U.S. heavy bomber fleet - Boeing B-52 May 2, 1952 First jet powered passenger airliner to fly regular service - de Havilland DH 106 Comet July 31, 1952 First helicopter to cross the Atlantic - Sikorsky S-55 November 2, 1952 First U.S. jet night victory using radar - F3D Skyknight May 25, 1953 U.S. production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight - F-100 September 18, 1953 Soviet aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight - MiG-19 October 3, 1953 US Navy aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight - F4D October 29, 1953 International jet aircraft speed record of 754 mph set - F-100 Super Sabre March 4, 1954 Aircraft sets simultaneous records for speed, altitude and time to climb - F-104 May 1, 1954 USAF AWAC flights begin - EC-121 August 3, 1954 Experimental jet powered seaplane goes supersonic - F2Y Sea Dart August 26, 1954 Experimental turbine powered helicopter sets 155.9 mph speed record - Sikorsky XH-39 November 5, 1954 First non-rotorcraft successful transition from vertical take-off to horizontal flight and back - Convair XFY Pogo December 19, 1954 Supersonic all-weather interceptor and operational delta-wing aircraft - F-102 March 25, 1955 Supersonic carrier-based aircraft - F-8 May 31, 1955 Jacqueline Auriol sets aircraft woman's speed record of 715 mph - Dassault Mystere June 6, 1955 Highest helicopter landing and takeoff of 15,772 ft. with pilot Jean Moine at Mt. Blanc - Bell 47 October 15, 1955 Aircraft 500 km. course speed record of 695 mph set - Douglas A-4 Skyhawk August 24, 1956 First ever U.S. helicopter flys non-stop coast-to-coast - Piasecki H-21 January 18, 1957 Jet airplane flight around the world without landing - Boeing B-52 August 28, 1957 British aircraft sets altitude record - English Electric Canberra August 31, 1957 British delta-wing jet bomber flies - Avro Vulcan December 6, 1957 First U.S. built turboprop airliner flies - L188 Electra December 12, 1957 World aircraft speed record is now 1,207 mph - F-101 Voodoo January 14, 1958 Quantas Airlines now has around the globe flights - C-121 May 7, 1958 New aircraft altitude record of 91,243 feet set - F-104 Starfighter May 16, 1958 New aircraft speed record of 1,403 mph set - F-104 Starfighter May 30, 1958 First jet airliner built by Douglas Aircraft to fly - DC-8 March 10, 1959 Flight of the first training aircraft capable of level flight faster than the speed of sound - T-38 Talon June 4, 1959 Still standing single engine light aircraft distance record set - Piper PA-24 Comanche July 14, 1959 New aircraft altitude record of 94,659 feet set - Sukhoi Su-9 August 26, 1959 First woman, Jacqueline Auriol, flies faster than Mach II - Mirage III October 31, 1959 New aircraft speed record of 1,484 mph set - MiG 21 Ye66 December 6, 1959 New helicopter altitude record of 29,846 feet set - HH-43 Huskie December 14, 1959 New aircraft altitude record of 103,389 feet set - F-104 Starfighter December 15, 1959 New single engine aircraft speed record of 1,525 mph set - F-106 Delta Dart May 1, 1960 U.S. spyplane, capable of continuous flight at altitudes in excess of 60,000 feet, downed by surface launched missiles over Russia - Lockheed U-2 August 12, 1960 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship reaches an altitude of 136,000 feet - North American X-15 May 4, 1961 Still standing manned balloon altitude record of 113,740 feet set. November 9, 1961 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship flies at a speed of 4,092 mph - North American X-15 November 22, 1961 New aircraft speed record of 1,606.3 mph set - F-4 Phantom June 27, 1962 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship flies at a speed of 4,104 mph - North American X-15 July 7, 1962 New aircraft speed record of 1,665.9 mph set - Mikoyan Ye-152 prototype July 17, 1962 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship reaches an altitude of 314,688 feet - North American X-15 January 17, 1963 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship reaches an altitude of 271,392 feet - North American X-15 May 1, 1963 Woman's aircraft speed record of 1,203.7 mph set by Jacquelin Cochran - F-104 June 25, 1963 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship flies at a speed of 3,910 mph - North American X-15 June 27, 1963 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship reaches an altitude of 284,592 feet - North American X-15 July 18, 1963 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship flies at a speed of 3,925 mph - North American X-15 July 19, 1963 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship reaches an altitude of 347,424 feet - North American X-15 November 13, 1963 Largest aircraft lands on and takes off from an aircraft carrier - C-130 December 5, 1963 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship flies at a speed of 4,017 mph - North American X-15 April 17, 1964 Geraldine Mock completes first woman's aerial global solo circumnavigation - Cessna 180 December 21, 1964 Operational aircraft employing variable geometry wings takes flight - F-111 December 22, 1964 First flight of speed and altitude setting jet aircraft with records which are still standing today - SR-71 Blackbird March 6, 1965 Helicopter distance record of 2,116 miles set - Sikorsky Sea King May 1, 1965 New aircraft speed record of 2,070.1 mph set - SR-71 Blackbird prototype YF-12A September 7, 1965 Dedicated attack helicopter and first to have tandem crew seating flies - AH-1 Cobra November 15, 1965 Pole to pole around the world flight completed - Boeing 707 July 28, 1966 Still standing aircraft speed record of 2,193.2 mph set - SR-71 Blackbird prototype YF-12A September 24, 1966 New woman's aircraft speed record of 1,270 mph set by Marina Solovyeva - MiG-21 October 21, 1966 Flight of the world's first jet regional airliner - Yak-40 November 18, 1966 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship flies at a speed of 4,250 mph - North American X-15 February 26, 1967 U.S. aircraft begining mining of North Vietnam targets - A-6 Intruder June 5, 1967 The 1,000 airliner to be powered by jet engines is produced by Boeing - Boeing 707 August 11, 1967 U.S. fighter bombers attack and cut the North Vietnam Paul Doumer Bridge - F-105 Thunderchief October 3, 1967 U.S. manned rocket powered aircraft launched from a mother ship sets the still standing speed record of 4,520 mph - North American X-15 October 8, 1967 U.S. dedicated attack helicopter in combat for the first time - AH-1 Cobra December 4, 1967 New U.S. Navy attack aircraft fly their first combat missions over Vietnam - A-7 Corsair October 24, 1967 Airborne radar aircraft directs an attack successfully on an enemy airplane - EC-121 December 31, 1968 Airliner capable of speeds over Mach 1 takes flight - Tu-144 October 28, 1972 World's first twin engine wide cabin airliner takes flight - Airbus A300 January 21, 1976 Regularly scheduled supersonic flights commence - Concorde Airliner August 13, 1976 America's first light twin helicopter takes flight - Bell 222 April 25, 1978 Helicopter outside of the Soviet Union certified for all-weather operations flies - SA330 April 12, 1981 First launch of manned earth orbiter space transportation system (STS) - Space Shuttle Sept. 30, 1982 Helicopter around the world flight - Bell 206 December 14, 1984 Forward swept wing (FSW) aircraft exceeds the speed of sound - X-29 December 23, 1986 Completion of flight of only airplane to circumnavigate the earth without landing or refueling - Rutan Voyager February 22, 1987 Flight of sub-sonic airliner using fly by wire controls - Airbus A320 October 9, 1988 Aircraft flies fully automated from takeoff to landing - Condor October 27, 1988 First flight of commercial turboprop airliner making 50 - 70 passenger, small airport, short range flights profitable: ATR 72 December 7, 1988 F-15B development aircraft modified by NASA for flight control research - F-15 S/MTD December 21, 1988 First flight of world's heaviest airplane - Antonov An-225 Mriya March 19, 1989 Production tilt-rotor aircraft flies - V-22 February 17, 1991 Civil aviation four seat airplane with a pressurized cabin flies - Lancair IV-P June 14, 1994 Jetliner 100% digitally designed using three dimension computer graphics takes to the sky - Boeing 777 September 4, 1997 First flight of the world's first stealth air superiority fighter aircraft - F-22 Raptor April 24, 2001 Drone aircraft successfully flies across the Pacific - RQ-4 August 13, 2001 Solar powered aircraft sets altitude record - NASA Helios June 21, 2004 Non-government manned aircraft reaches space - SpaceShipOne April 27, 2005 First flight of the world's largest ever mass produced airliner - Airbus A380 December 15, 2006 First flight of the world's most expensive military aircraft project - F-35 May 19, 2008 First flight of Russia's most advanced regional jet liner - Sukhoi Superjet 100 April 25, 2009 First flight of the U.S. Navy's maritime patrol aircraft slated to replace the P-3 Orion - Boeing P-8A Poseidon November 25, 2009 First flight of the largest and fastest aircraft built by Gulfstream Aerospace - G650 December 11, 2009 First flight of the military transport to compete with the C-130 - Airbus A400M December 15, 2009 Flight of the first airliner made primarily of composite materials - Boeing 787 January 29, 2010 Flight of Russia's first multirole stealth fighter aircraft - Sukhoi Su-57 July 8, 2010 Completion of the then longest non-stop flight (over 26 hours) by a solar/battery powered aircraft using the energy from batteries charged in daylight to fly overnight. It simultaneously set a manned solar powered flight altitude record of 28,500 feet - Solar Impulse January 11, 2011 China's first multirole stealth fighter aircraft takes to the sky for the first time - Chengdu J-20 May 23, 2013 World distance record flight of 957 miles set for a solar powered aircraft - Solar Impulse May 2, 2014 Speed record set flying from from Teteboro Airport, New York to London City Airport in 5 hours 54 minutes - Dassault Falcon 7X |
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