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AVIATION FIRSTS
Aviation firsts have generally occurred more rapidly involving technological advancements during times of war.
Before the advent of aircraft, fleets of warships from the most powerful nations on earth would travel the oceans of the globe. Most recently the aircraft controlling the skies would often be a deciding factor in the outcome of conflicts.
The advent of the jet engine and advances in aerodynamics mean that aircraft can fly higher and faster than ever before.
Although the speed of aircraft has increased greatly since the first ones took to the sky, accomplishments have also taken place with regard to maneuverability.
Most recently, exotic materials have allowed for stronger, yet lighter structures. Aircraft can travel farther than ever before through the use of streamlining and more efficient engines.
In recent history, most aviation firsts within the earth's atmosphere have involved larger payloads being lifted to higher altitudes. A few aircraft 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 for future firsts in aviation to enhance science and further the development of peaceful technology.
February 9, 1910
First mass produced scout aircraft used in World War I by Germany - Taube
October 10, 1914
First dedicated fighter plane ever to fly - Vickers F.B.5 Gun Bus
December 3, 1914
First aircraft ever to have a machine gun fire through its propeller arc - Morane Saulnier
April 1, 1915
First monoplane fighter; first aircraft to have synchronized gun firing through its propeller arc - Fokker Eindecker
August 2, 1917
First aircraft to ever land on a moving ship - Sopwith Pup
October 20, 1921
First flight of a RAF all metal fighter aircraft - Armstrong Whitworth Siskin
August 29, 1929
First flight of the first civilian aircraft ever to beat front line military aircraft in a race - Travel Air Mystery Ship
November 29, 1929
First aircraft to fly over the South Pole:Ford Trimotor
March 25, 1931
First RAF fighter aircraft to exceed 200 MPH in level flight - Hawker Fury
January 10, 1932
First flight of a "modern" United States bomber aircraft - Martin B-10
March 20, 1932
First U.S. all metal, low-wing fighter to fly - Boeing P-26
November 20, 1933
First single engine monoplane produced by Focke Wulf after World War 1 - FW-56
July 1, 1934
First aircraft ever to fly a total of 635 hours, 34 minutes before landing - Curtiss Robin
July 17, 1935
First flight of a mass produced four engine bomber - Boeing B-17
Nov. 6, 1935
First flight of a British fighter aircraft capable of top speeds of over 300 mph -Hawker Hurricane
July 4, 1937
First fully controlled helicopter long duration flight - Focke Wulf FW-61
August 11, 1937
First British fighter aircraft with more than four machine guns - Boulton Paul Defiant
October 11, 1938
First British single seat twin engine fighter aircraft - Westland Whirlwind
October 14, 1938
First U.S. production aircraft to exceed 300 MPH in level flight - Curtiss P-40
August 27, 1939
The first ever experimental jet takes flight - Heinkel He 178
May 29, 1940
First U.S. production aircraft to exceed a speed of 400 MPH in level flight - Chance Vought F-4U Corsair
July 28, 1940
First ever radar intercept of an enemy aircraft: Bristol Blenheim
August 3, 1940
First transport helicopter to fly - FA-223
September 22, 1940
First jet fighter to fly - He-280
December 7, 1940
First flight of a monoplane RAF dive bomber - Fairey Barracuda
March 12, 1941
First four engine bomber to fly World War II missions against German forces - Halifax
December 28, 1941
First ever test flight of a cruise missile - Fieseler Fi 103 V-1
January 14, 1942
First flight of a helicopter produced in quantity, first USAAC helicopter, and first helicopter to land on a ship at sea - Sikorsky R-4
January 14, 1942
First U.S. aircraft to raid Japan after the start of World War II - North American B-25
May 21, 1942
First aircraft to be designated from the start as a night fighter takes to the air - Northrop P-61
July 18, 1942
First operational jet aircraft to fly - Me-262
September 9, 1942
First air attack on U.S. mainland - Yokosuka E14Y
June 15, 1943
First jet bomber to fly - Arado Ar 234
June 23, 1943
First operational aircraft with ejection seats - Heinkel He-219
August 18, 1943
Flight of first dedicated rescue helicopter that would eventually be the first helicopter used in the Antarctic - Sikorsky H-5
November 2, 1943
First flight of a multi-engine U.S. Navy fighter - Grumman F7F
May 22, 1944
First Kamikaze attacks launched - Ki-45
June 14, 1944
First production rocket propelled fighter plane becomes operational - Me163
September 8, 1944
First flying vehicle to exceed the speed of sound - German V-2 Missile
September 6, 1945
First flight of a helicopter across the English Channel - FA-223
December 3, 1945
First jet aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier - Vampire
June 25, 1946
First flying wing bomber to fly - XB-35
February 28, 1946
First post-war U.S. fighter: F-84
September 2, 1947
First British Navy jet to fly: Sea Hawk
October 14, 1947
First supersonic aicraft in level flight - Bell X-1
November 24, 1947
Flight of first Grumman jet fighter - F9F
December 17, 1947
First swept wing bomber to be deployed by the U.S.A.F. - Boeing B-47
September 29, 1948
First non-stop flight around the world - B-50
April 16, 1949
First flight of an American production jet aircraft to have an afterburner and the first operational all weather interceptor - F-94
June 25, 1950
First U.S. fighter to down an enemy aircraft during the Korean war - F-82
Feb. 23, 1951
First French supersonic, swept wing, jet fighter to fly: Dassault Mystere
May 25, 1953
First U.S. production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight - F-100
September 18, 1953
First Soviet aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight -MiG-19
October 3, 1953
First US Navy aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight -F4D
March 4, 1954
First aircraft to hold simultaneous records for speed, altitude and time to climb - F-104
December 19, 1954
First supersonic all-weather interceptor and first operational delta-wing aircraft - F-102
March 25, 1955
First supersonic carrier-based aircraft -F-8
March 10, 1956
First supersonic training aircraft - T-38
December 30, 1956
First flight of a bomber at supersonic speeds Convair B-58
January 18, 1957
First jet plane flight around the world without landing - Boeing B-52
August 31, 1957
First flight of a British delta-wing jet bomber - Avro Vulcan
December 6, 1957
First U.S. built turboprop airliner flies - L188 Electra
October 14, 1959
First flight of a U.S. Army turboprop powered airplane - OV-1 Mohawk
November 13, 1963
First time the largest aircraft ever to land on and take off from an aircraft carrier - C-130
December 21, 1964
The first operational aircraft to employ variable geometry wings takes flight - F-111
September 7, 1965
First dedicated attack helicopter and first to have tandem crew seating - AH-1
October 24, 1967
First airborne radar aircraft to direct a successful attack on an enemy plane - EC-121
December 31, 1968
First flight of an airliner capable of speeds over Mach 1 - Tu-144
January 21, 1976
First regularly scheduled supersonic flights commence -Concorde
August 13, 1976
America's first light twin helicopter takes flight -Bell 222
April 25, 1978
First helicopter outside of the Soviet Union certified for all-weather operations - SA330
Sept. 30, 1982
First helicopter around the world flight - Bell 206
December 14, 1984
First forward swept wing (FSW) aircraft to exceed the speed of sound is flown - X-29
February 22, 1987
First flight of sub sonic airliner to use fly by wire controls - A320
October 9, 1988
First aircraft to fly a fully automated flight from takeoff to landing - Condor
December 7, 1988
First F-15B development aircraft modified by NASA for flight control research - F-15 S/MTD
March 19, 1989
First production tilt-rotor aircraft to fly - V-22
February 17, 1991
First flight of a civil aviation four seat aircraft with a pressurized cabin - Lancair IV-P
June 14, 1994
First flight of a jetliner 100% digitally designed using three dimension computer graphics - Boeing 777
April 24, 2001
First drone aircraft to successfully fly across the Pacific - RQ-4
August 13, 2001
First solar powered aircraft to set new altitude record - NASA Helios
June 21, 2004
First non-government manned aircraft to reach space - SpaceShipOne