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The Wright Brothers Fly The First Airplane
The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, have just successfully flown the first airplane. The two brothers have based their plane off of the earlier works of George Cayley’s fixed-wing flying machines, with modifications of course. The flight took place nearly four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. It lasted 12 seconds and took place over 120 feet. The plane was aided by a catapult on take off to get it up to a high enough speed for lift off. -
Invention of Retractable Landing Gear
The retractable landing gear was invented just 5 short years after the Wright Brothers flight. The objective of the development was to streamline the plane and increase both speed and control. -
Autopilot Invented
Lawrence Sperry, the third son of Elmer Sperry, co-inventor of the gyrocompass, invented the first autopilot system. It permitted the pilot to fly in a straight line, drastically reducing the workload. Without this system, today's autopilot may not even exist, let alone be as good as it is. -
First Fighter Jets
The French army created the first fighter jet on April 1st. The objective of this aircraft was to shoot down enemy planes attempting to spy on them. Unfortunately, there was one flaw: the gun would destroy the propeller. Just over two and a half weeks later, the Germans were able to replicate the work of the French with one major change: the gun. The German engineers realized the flaw in the French plane so they fixed it in their own design, giving them a distinct edge over the allies. -
Boeing Is Founded
The famous aviation company was founded in Seattle, Washington by William Edward Boeing. The company goes on to make The 747, 767 and 787, all major aircraft and field-leading planes when first produced. -
First Metal Aircraft
The first metal plane, the Junkers, named after its creator Hugo Junker, was created by the Prussians and was used as a fighter jet by them. This meant the planes were harder to take down than the canvas planes that had been used prior to the invention, giving the Germans a distinct advantage in the war. -
Radar is Used for Air Traffic Control
Radar’s implications had never really been considered up until this time, but was discovered to be useful in tracking ships, submarines, planes and other modes of transportation. The technological advancement has been developed over the years and is currently used today. -
Addition of the Jet Engine to the Airplane
The jet engine had only been used in labs before World War 2, but when the war came, German scientist Anselm Franz adapted it so it worked on the airplane. The first flight was in a Heinkel He 172. This engine was also the basis for modern engines. -
First Passenger Jet
The Vickers VC. 1 Viking G-AJPH was the first passenger plane to fly. It was derived from a WWII bomber. -
Bell X-1 Surpasses The Speed of Sound
The plane, piloted by Chuck Yeager, broke the sound barrier, travelling at its peak, over 1600 km/h. The high-tech aircraft used a rocket engine with parts later replicated in spacecrafts. -
Boeing 747 Created
The second biggest passenger jet in the world was created by Boeing on this day, but wasn’t available until January of next year. It is still being made today and is also the jet of choice of the White House in Air Force One. -
Airbus is Founded
The second superpower in the airplane industry was founded in Blagnac, France. The company will strike it rich on the A300, but will be known best for the A380. -
Deadliest Air Disaster
Two planes collided on the runway at Los Rodeos (now Tenerife-North) airport. 583 people were killed when the 747s crashed. The reason for the crash was miscommunication. The pilots both believed they had been cleared for takeoff and started down the runway. Of the more than 600 passengers and crew, only 61 survived, all on one plane. This unfortunate disaster lead to better communication between air traffic control and pilots. -
Airbus A380 Created
The Airbus A380, the largest passenger jet in the world, was created in 2005, its first flight coming shortly after. It surpassed the long time record holder, the Boeing 747. -
Solar Impulse Plane
The Swiss launched an experimental plane, powered solely by the suns rays. The plane had its first international flight in 2011 and is currently being produced. The hopes for the plane are for it to be modified into a multi passenger plane and to be mass produced, driving planes away from gas and to clean, renewable modes of transportation.
