Vintage Aviation News

Lockheed YF 12A 60 6934 first flight at Groom Lake Nevada 7 August 1963 with test pilot James D. Eastham

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The Lockheed YF-12A Interceptor

August 7, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 1

On August 7, 1963, the first Lockheed YF-12A interceptor, sn/ 60-6934, took off from a top-secret air base at Groom Lake, Nevada, on its first flight. Lockheed test pilot James D. Eastham was at the […]

Boeing Model 377 10 19 Stratocruiser NX90700. Boeing

Today In Aviation History: First flight, Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser

July 8, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 3

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On July 8, 1947, the Boeing Model 377-10-19 Stratocruiser flew for the first time with Project Test Pilot John Bernard Fornasero. at its controls. Fornasero had […]

Today in Aviation History: 1,000th F-4 Phantom Delivered

July 7, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On July 7, 1965, the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation delivered the 1,000th production F-4 Phantom II, an F-4B, to the United States Navy. Phantom II MSN 1034 […]

The last operational U.S. Air Force C 47 Skytrain 43 49507 on display at NMUSAF. U.S. Air Force

Today in Aviation History: Last Operational Douglas C-47 Skytrain Was Retired

June 30, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On June 30, 1975, the last operational Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport in service with the United States Air Force, 43-49507, was retired and flown to the […]

Grumman XF6F 1 Hellcat Bu. No. 02981. Northrop Grumman

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The Grumman F6F Hellcat

June 26, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 1

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On June 26, 1942, the Grumman XF6F-1, Bureau of Aeronautics serial number (Bu. No.) 02981, prototype for the Navy and Marine Corps F6F Hellcat fighter, with […]

Today in Aviation History: Tora! Tora! Tora! First Airshow Appearance

June 25, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

On June 25, 1972, the back then CAF Tora! Tora! Tora! demo team debuted for the first time at the Galveston Texas airshow at Scholes Field (KGLS). Sunday, December 7th, 1941 – the sky was […]

Vought Sikorsky F4U 1 Corsair Bu. No. 02170 with test pilot Willard Bartlett Boothby 24 October 1942. This is the twenty fifth production F4U 1. Rudy Arnold National Air and Space Museum NASM XRA 1294

Today in Aviation History: The first Production F4U-1 Corsair Made Its First Flight

June 24, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On June 24, 1942, the first production Vought-Sikorsky F4U-1 Corsair, Bu. No. 02155, made its first flight at Stratford, Connecticut. (Some sources state 25 June.) The […]

Lockheed XP 38 Lightning 37 457 at March Field Riverside County California January 1939. San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The XP-38 Lightning

January 27, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On January 27, 1939, First Lieutenant Benjamin Scovill Kelsey, Air Corps, United States Army, made the first flight of the prototype Lockheed XP-38 Lightning, serial number […]

Lockheed XC 69 Constellation 43 10309 L 049 NX25600 in flight. San Diego Air Space Museum Archive

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The Lockheed Constellation

January 9, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On January 9, 1943, at the controls of the United States Army Air Forces, Boeing’s Chief Test Pilot, Eddie Allen, made the first flight of the […]

Battle of Britain Memorial flight Avro Lancaster cropped

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The Avro Lancaster

January 9, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On January 9, 1941 test pilot Captain Harry Albert (“Sam”) Brown, O.B.E., (1896–1953) made the first flight of the Avro Lancaster prototype, BT308, at RAF Ringway, […]

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