
SHORT AVIATION STORIES


Robinson R44
On 31st March 1990, prototype of R44 helicopter performed its maiden flight. The Robinson R44 was developed in the 1980s by Robinson Helicopter Company. It was based on the manufacturer´s previous successful rotorcraft design, Robinson […]

Convair B-58 Hustler
Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational bomber in the world capable of Mach 2 maximum speed. Development and construction of two prototypes was performed in accordance with the highest security standards. Neither the shape […]

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
On 4th March 1954, Tony LeVier, official test pilot of the Lockheed company, took-off for the first time in a prototype of a new fighter – XF-104, later developed into a well-known F-104 Starfighter. The […]


Lockheed Model 10 Electra
On 23rd February 1934, Lockheed Model 10 Electra airliner performed its first flight. The aircraft was flown by Marshall E. Headle, an American test pilot known for his cooperation with Lockheed Aircraft, and who participated […]

Traian Vuia – the Romanian aviation pioneer
On 16th February 1903, Romanian inventor and aviation pioneer, Traian Vuia, presented his concept of the flying machine, described as the ´aeroplane-car´, to the French Academy of Science. In July of previous year, Vuia decided […]

Charles Edward Kingsford Smith – the Australian aviation pioneer
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith was born on 9th February 1897 in Brisbane, Australia. During the Great War, he enlisted the Australian Army where he became a motorcycle dispatch rider and participated in the Gallipoli […]

Dupuy de Lôme dirigible balloon
On 2nd February 1872, Henri Dupuy de Lôme presented to public his muscle-powered dirigible balloon, able to achieve flight speed of up to 11 kph. On 29th October 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, the French […]

Umberto Nobile – Italian aviation pioneer and explorer of the Arctic areas
On 21st January 1885, Umberto Nobile, the Italian aviation pioneer and designer, as well as famous explorer of the Arctic areas, was born in Lauro, Italy. Nobile became famous thanks to his technical skills and […]