Airplane History, an aviation history timeline, from baloons to space flight, accomplishments, specifications, pictures, sound, and a guide to scale model radio control airplanes.
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AIRPLANE HISTORY
Throughout airplane history, the most significant advances have generally occurred more rapidly
during times of war, especially involving technological advancements.
Before the advent of aircraft, fleets of warships from the most powerful nations on earth would travel the oceans of the globe. Most recently airplane history shows that aircraft controlling the skies would often be a deciding factor in the outcome of conflicts.
Airplane history reveals that at the time when airplanes were first employed as instruments of war, crews tossed small,
improvised bombs over the side on to a terrorized enemy on the ground. Hitting a target was a matter of luck.
The most recent airplane history has established that modern airplanes can have the ability to employ stealth technology, arriving
over a target without being detected, all the while traveling at transsonic and supersonic speeds. They can drop their ordnance with
such accuracy as to minimize damage on surrounding areas.
In airplane history, the advent of the jet engine and advances in aerodynamics mean that the airplane can fly higher and faster than ever before.
Although the speed of the airplane has increased greatly since the first ones took
to the sky, accomplishments in airplane history have also taken place with regard to maneuverability.
Most recently, exotic materials have allowed for stronger, yet lighter structures. Airplanes can travel farther
than ever before through the use of streamlining and more efficient engines.
Airplane history has shown that recently, the biggest accomplishments within the earth's atmosphere have involved larger payloads being lifted to
higher altitudes. A few airplanes have set remarkable speed records, but those have been on the edge of space where a thinner atmosphere allowed less speed reducing friction.
Our wish is that in future airplane history there will be enhance science that will further the development of peaceful technology.
November 21, 1783
A manned, untied hot air baloon takes flight in France.
December 17, 1903
First controlled flight of a powered aircraft - Wright Flyer
August 3, 1904
First U.S. Army dirigible takes flight -California Arrow
March 17, 1907
Controlled flight for over 60 seconds of a powered aircraft in Europe is achieved - Voisin 1907 biplane
November 30, 1907
First U.S. company to mass produce aircraft opens - Curtiss Airplane And Motor Co., New York
November 11, 1908
First European manufacturer of mass produced aircraft opens - Short Bros., England
May 17, 1909
First airplane routes map for France published - Cartes Guides Campbell
July 25, 1909
First airplane crosses English Channel - Bleriot XI
October 16, 1909
First airliner service started -Delag
March 28, 1910
First seaplane takes flight -Hydravion
May 30, 1910
First experimental jet powered aircraft receives a patent - Coanda-1910
August 27, 1910
First successful use of a radio in an airplane.
December 10, 1910
First experimental jet powered aircraft takes flight - Coanda-1910
February 18 , 1911
First delivery of mail by airplane - Humer-Sommer biplane
October 22, 1911
First use of aircraft in a war (scouting mission in Italo - Turkish War) - Bleriot XI
November 1, 1911
First bombs dropped (4 ea. 4.5 lbs.) from an airplane in a war (Italo - Turkish War) - Etrich Taube
November 5, 1911
Completion of first New York to California (coast-to-coast) U.S. airplane flight in 49 days - Burgess-Wright
February 1, 1912
First airplane to fly at over 100 mph - Deperdussin Monocoque
April 16, 1913
First airplane to win a Schneider Cup race - Deperdussin Racer
May 10, 1913
First four engine airplane takes flight -Sikorsky S-21
December 10, 1913
First Russian four engine strategic bomber flies - Sikorsky Illya Muromets
First aircraft built by the new Supermarine Co. -P.B. 31E Nighthawk quadraplane
August 21, 1918
First flight of what will be the fastest fighter aircraft of its time and the primary French Air Force fighter. It will also be
used in large numbers by the air forces of Belgium, Italy, and Japan -Nieuport-Delage NiD-29
February 5, 1919
Passenger airliner service between France and England begins - Farman F60 Goliath
May 15, 1919
U.S. postal air service commences.
May 31, 1919
Completion of the first flight from New York to England with stops along the way - Navy-Curtiss NC-4
June 15, 1919
Completion of first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean - Vickers Vimy
June 25, 1919
First non-military commercial transport built entirely without wood takes flight - Junkers F 13
July 21, 1919
Fokker Aircraft Co. is started.
October 7, 1919
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is started.
November 15, 1920
First airplane with retractable landing gear takes flight - RB-1 Racer
July 21, 1921
First battleship sunk by airplanes -Martin NBS-1
August 3, 1921
First crop duster - Curtiss Jenny
March 20, 1922
First U.S. aircraft carrier - U.S.S. Langley
September 4, 1922
First U.S. coast-to-coast flight in less than 24 hours - Airco DH4
February 23, 1923
First landing and take off of a Japanese fighter plane from an aircraft carrier - Mitsubishi 1MF
March 5, 1923
Sikorsky Aero Engineering begins operating in the U.S.A.
May 3, 1923
First U.S. coast to coast flight without landing is completed -Fokker T-2
September 28, 1924
First flight circumnavigating the world is completed - Douglas World Cruisers
November 26, 1925
First Soviet all-metal heavy bomber - Tupolev ANT-4 / TB-1
April 6, 1926
Lufthansa Airlines begins flight operations.
May 9, 1926
First flight crossing the North Pole - Fokker Trimotor
March 14, 1927
Pan American World Airways opens for business.
May 21, 1927
Completion of first solo non-stop flight acorss the Atlantic from New York to Paris- Ryan NYP
September 7, 1927
Cessna Aircraft Co. begins business.
June 11, 1928
First successful rocked powered airplane flight - Lippisch Ente
AIRPLANE HISTORY
