SHORT AVIATION STORIES

Jean Mermoz

On 13th May 1930, Jean Mermoz, French aviation pioneer, opened the south transatlantic postal line, from Saint-Louis in Senegal to Natal, Brazil, flying in Latécoère 28 floatplane. Jean Mermoz was born on 9th December 1901 […]

SHORT AVIATION STORIES

Fairey Swordfish

The Fairey Swordfish was a biplane torpedo bomber developed in the early 1930s. However, yet during the World War II, the aircraft – with its open cockpit, struts and braces, as well as maximum speed […]

SHORT AVIATION STORIES

Boulton Paul Defiant

The Boulton Paul Defiant was designed in the mid-1930s, as a response to rapid development of fast bomber aircraft and aerial warfare model based on theories created by General Giulio Douhet. According to Specification F.9/35 […]

SHORT AVIATION STORIES

Henri Pitot

Henri Pitot, the French hydraulic engineer, was born on 3rd May 1695 in Aramon, France. Although he was actually not an aviation pioneer, the Pitot´s name is well known to literally all aviators, due to […]

SHORT AVIATION STORIES

Laika, the space dog

On 3rd November 1957, another milestone in space exploration was achieved. On that very day, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, the first spacecraft to carry an animal into the Earth´s orbit – a space […]

SHORT AVIATION STORIES

Mars Helicopter Ingenuity

On 19th April 2021, the autonomous NASA helicopter Ingenuity made its first flight at Wright Brothers Field on Mars. Ingenuity (also nicknamed Ginny) became the first aircraft to perform powered and controlled extra-terrestrial flight. Although […]

SHORT AVIATION STORIES

Let L-410 Turbolet

On 16th April 1969, the new Czechoslovak short-range, twin-engine transport aircraft L-410 Turbolet successfully completed its maiden flight. The aircraft was designed and developed by LET Kunovice aviation plant. Initially, the aeroplane was intended for […]

SHORT AVIATION STORIES

Swissair

On 26th March 1931, two Swiss airlines – Ad Astra Aero (founded in 1919) and Balair (founded in 1925) – merged to create a new company named Schweizerische Luftverkehr-AG / S.A. Suisse pour la Navigation […]

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 […]