Facts, Feats and Records 1934 to 1977 1934 8-9 August: First non-stop flight from Canada to Britain by J.R. Ayling and L.G. Reid, from Wasaga Beach, Ontario to Heston. 20 October: Start of the MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia. 22 October-4 November: First flight from Australia to the United States. 8 December: Inauguration…
The inspiration for the bouncing bomb, which some say is more legend than truth, came on the backyard patio at the Wallises’ Effingham home in the spring of 1942. Easter vacations brought the entire Wallis family together – Barnes and Molly and their four children, as well as their two adopted nephews. The gathering sparked…
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (USA) Frustrated in their efforts to acquire a fleet of strategic bombers for service with the Army Air Corps, US Army planners – who were devotees of the theories expounded by Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell – inserted the thin end of an important wedge when they ordered…
Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing Date: 21 December 1988 Summary: In-flight breakup due to terrorist bombing Site: Lockerbie, Scotland Coordinates: N55°06′56″; W003°21′31″W Total fatalities: 270 Aircraft Type/Registration: Boeing 747–121 (Clipper Maid of the Seas); N739PA Operator: Pan American World Airways Call sign: Clipper 103 (Clipper one zero three) Flight origin: Frankfurt Airport, Frankfurt, West…
In a stark contrast to the ‘big jet’ market, Europe came to dominate sales of first-generation turboprops, primarily through the efforts of Fokker, with its excellent F-27 Friendship. The basic economics of the turboprop compared to the pure jet are as sound today as they were in the late 1940s. Arranging a turbine, or jet…
When Prime Minister Chamberlain’s ultimatum to Germany expired on 3 September 1939, World War II found the home-based Royal Air Force established with a strength of: 55 Bomber Squadrons with Bristol Blenheim IVs Vickers Wellington Is and IAs Armstrong Whitworth Whitley IIIs and IVs Handley Page Hampdens 35 fighter squadrons with Hawker Hurricanes Supermarine…
BOAC Flight 712 (callsign Speedbird 712) was a British Overseas Airways Corporation service operated by a Boeing 707-465 from London Heathrow Airport bound for Sydney via Zurich and Singapore. On Monday 8 April 1968, it suffered an engine failure on takeoff that quickly led to a major fire. The engine fell off the aircraft in…
After helping to kill the Red Baron 100 years ago, a Canadian hero finally gets his due While there’s some debate over who dealt the final blow to the infamous First World War ace, Canadian fighter pilot Arthur Roy Brown is being recognized for his service and legacy. Canada’s most fascinating military relic stands sentinel…
The 1930s were an age of aeronautical experimentation. All around the world air forces were trying new and fascinating designs, searching for the perfect combination of deadly force, ease of use, and affordability. During this period the Supermarine Spitfire, Messerschmitt BF-109, and Mitsubishi A6M- Zero were all developed. But at Boulton Paul Aircraft, a…
Baron Cheshire VC, OM, DSO & Two Bars, DFC ; 7 September 1917 – 31 July 1992, was a highly decorated World War II Royal Air Force pilot and philanthropist. Early Life Leonard Cheshire was the son of Geoffrey Chevalier Cheshire, a barrister, academic and influential writer on English law. He had one brother, Christopher Cheshire, also a wartime pilot. Cheshire was born in Chester, but was…
smhusain1's Blog 