On 2nd May 1891, the founding commander of the South African Air Force, General Sir Helperus Andreas van Ryneveld – commonly known as Pierre van Ryneveld – was born in Senekal, in the then Orange […]
On 25th April 1945, the only German aircraft carrier ´Graf Zeppelin´ was captured by the Red Army in Stettin (now Szczecin, in Poland). However, shortly before she was significantly damaged by the Germans themselves who […]
North American AT-6C-15-NT Texan / Harvard Mk IIa (c/n 88-13651, N696RE, formerly 7696 of the South African Air Force), exhibited during open doors day at Classic Trainers / Hangar 3 collection, Plzeň-Líně, May 2024. In […]
On 11th September 1944, a formation of B-17G Flying Fortress bombers from the 100th Bomb Group of the Eight Air Force USAAF, took-off for another mission against Germany. The target of the day were oil […]
On 14th February 1943, the American forces carried out an air raid on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, which – due to heavy loses – was later commonly known as the ´St. Valentine´s Day Massacre´. […]
On 6th December 1944, new German single-engine jet fighter, Heinkel He 162, performed its maiden flight. The aircraft was developed under Jägernotprogramm (English: Emergency Fighter Programme), issued by Reichsluftfahrtministerium (English: Ministry of Aviation) on 3rd […]
On 8th November 1942, with the beginning of Operation Torch in Africa, the anti-gravity suit developed by a Canadian scientist W.R. Franks, was for the first time used in combat. Wilbur Rounding Franks was born […]
On 6th September 1893, Claire Lee Chennault, an American military aviator and famous fighter pilot, was born in Commerce, Texas. Nevertheless, both date and place Chennault was born are just current (and official) version because […]
Taylorcraft Auster Mk V (c/n 1753, OK-BTA), flying display at Letecký den Cheb (Aviation Day Cheb), Cheb, August 2024. In 1930, Clarence Gilbert Taylor, the Chief Engineer of Taylor Aircraft Company developed a small, low-powered […]
Supermarine Seagull V / Walrus (c/n A2-4, formerly ´A2-4´ of the Royal Australian Navy, then VH-ALB), exhibited at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, London, July 2014. In May of 1921, the new flying […]
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