Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French inventor, aviation pioneer and the world’s first professional balloon pilot, was born on 4 July 1753, in Les Andelys, France. From an early age, Blanchard displayed remarkable mechanical talent and a […]
Jacob Christian Hansen-Ellehammer was born in 1871, in Bakkebølle, Denmark. He trained as a watchmaker, then served with the Royal Danish Navy before moving to Copenhagen, where he worked as a mechanic. In 1898, he […]
On 6th June 1917, the first wheeled torpedo-carrying aircraft in the world, Sopwith Cuckoo biplane, was officially approved for test flight. Shortly after, the aeroplane performed its maiden flight, although the exact date is unknown. […]
On 30th May 1944, the Swiss-developed SB-2 Pelikan (English: pelican) light transport aircraft, performed its maiden flight. In 1938, the then Swiss Eidgenössisches Luftamt (Federal Aviation Office) launched the programme of new light transport aircraft, […]
Stanisław Skarżyński was one of the most remarkable aviation pioneers of the interwar period, best known for his record-breaking solo flight across the Atlantic in 1933. Although he had already gained recognition through long-distance flights […]
The idea of crossing the Atlantic by air dates back to the era of ballooning. In the late 1850s, John Wise attempted to build a balloon capable of such a journey, but his project ended […]
On 18th April 1952, prototype of Convair YB-60 long-range heavy bomber, successfully performed its maiden flight. The story of YB-60 starts already in the early 1940s, when the US military authorities issued the first requirement […]
On 11th April 1952, prototype of YH-21 rotorcraft, successfully performed its first flight. The helicopter was designed by Frank N. Piasecki, the American aviation engineer and rotorcraft pioneer, and was developed in response to the […]
On 28th March 1910, an experimental floatplane developed by Henri Fabre, performed its first flight marking the aviation history with the first successful take-off of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft from water. The first floatplane in […]
In 1979, the California-based Robinson Helicopter Company began production of its first helicopter, the R22, which entered the market later that year. The small, two-seat rotorcraft was powered by a single engine and featured two-bladed […]
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