Unit 4 - World War II (1939-1945)

  • GROUP 4: The Night of Broken Glass

  • Group1: First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning

    ( Important American piston-engined fighter aircraft)
  • GROUP 3: Nuclear Fission discovered by German scientists

  • GROUP1: First flight of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero

    This is a Japanese long-range fighter aircraft formerly manufactured in Japan by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company. Important airplane during WWII.
  • GROUP1: First flight of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190

    (German fighter)
  • GROUP 3: Einstein warns Roosevelt about the possibility of Germany to be developing a nuclear weapon

  • Group2: First flight of a jet-powered aircraft with HeS 3B

    Heinkel He 178 V1, the first jet-powered aircraft, flies for the first time, powered by the HeS 3B
  • Group2: Frank Whittle

    A team from the Air Ministry visits Power Jets once again, but this time Frank Whittle demonstrates a jet engine at full power for a continuous 20-minute run. They are extremely impressed, quickly contracts are offered to Whittle to develop a flyable design, and production contracts are offered to practically every engine company in England. These companies also set up their own design efforts, reducing the possibility of financial rewards for Power Jets
  • GROUP 4: Invasion of Poland by Germany

  • Group2: world’s first practical helicopter

    September 14, 1939 - First Sucessful Flight by Igor Sikorsky: the VS-300, the world’s first practical helicopter, took flight at Stratford, Connecticut. Designed by Igor Sikorsky
  • Group2: First flight of the first jet aircraft

    First flight of the first jet aircraft: on August 27, 1939, the He 178, piloted by Captain Erich Warsitz, flew over the factory airfield at Rostock-Marienehe
  • GROUP 4: Sovietic fighter was the most aircraft produced in World War II

  • Group2: Contract to build XR-1 helicopter for the US

    Platt-LePage of Eddystone, PA receives a contract to build a helicopter for the U.S. - XR-1
  • Group2: Campini Caproni CC.2 flies for first time

    The jet power aircraft Campini Caproni CC.2 flies for first time
  • Group2: First flight VS-300

    First flight VS-300. It is the first successful US helicopter and the first to employ a main rotor and tail rotor configuration, commonly used in helicopters today
  • GROUP1: First flight of the Chance Vought F4U Corsair

    (American fighter aircraft)
  • GROUP 3: German Blitz on London begins, "Battle of the Beams"(radio navigation and jamming)

  • GROUP 3: U.S. begins a nuclear bomb program. Manhattan Project

  • GROUP1: First flight of North American P-51 Mustang

    An important American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and in later conflicts.
  • GROUP 4: First flight of one of the most important fighters in USA

  • GROUP1: Battle of Britain

    This is a famous military campaign occurred during the Second World War. The Royal Air Force (RAF) defended the United Kingdom (UK) against attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe.
  • GROUP 3:MIT Radiation Laboratory opens to research microwave radar based on British magnetron technology

  • Group2: First Gloster E 28 flight

    First Gloster E 28 flight: Gloster test pilot Gerry Sayer first flew at RAF Cranwell base near Sleaford in Lincolnshire. The flight lasted 17 minutes and was a complete success.
  • GROUP 4: First flight of Me 262 in World War II

  • GROUP1: First flight of Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet

    German rocket-powered interceptor aircraft. The only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational and the first piloted aircraft of any type to exceed 1000 km/h (621 mph) in level flight.
  • GROUP 3: U.S. begins a nuclear bomb program. Manhattan Project

  • GROUP1: Attack on Pearl Harbor

    The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters, level and dive bombers, and torpedo bombers) in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.
  • Group2: First flight of the Messerschmitt Me 262

    First flight of the Messerschmitt Me 262: Plans for the first operational reaction fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 262, were completed in 1939 and the first jet-powered prototype flew in 1942.
  • GROUP 3: LORAN stations (radio beacons) begin operating for long-range radio navigation

  • Group2: Frank Piasecki

    Frank Piasecki flies his PV-2 in Philadelphia. He becomes the first FAA certified helicopter pilot and goes on to develop a line of successful tandem rotor helicopters.
  • GROUP 3: Roosevelt announces "Unconditional Surrender" policy

  • GROUP 3: 6000 radar sets designed by MIT Radiation Laboratory are delivered to US military

  • GROUP 3: British use "window", small strips of reflective metal, to jam German radar from the air for first time over Hamburg

  • GROUP 3: Colossus computer begins operating in England for code-breaking purposes

  • GROUP1: Dornier Do 335 "Pfeil/Arrow"

    Fastest German propeller driven aircraft that flew in WWII. it had a top speed of 474 mph (763 km/h). This airplane did not see combat.
  • GROUP 3: U.S. begins using "H2X" bombing radar to locate ground targets from the air through clouds or at night

  • Group2: First USAAF attack on Berlin

    The first USAAF attack on Berlin takes place with 660 heavy bombers; 69 bombers and 11 escort fighters are lost
  • GROUP 3: Germaan V-1 buzz bomb attacks begin against London

  • GROUP 3: German ME-262 enters combat service, first jet aircraft

  • Group2: First jet success of the Allies.

    A Gloster Meteor "tips" over a V-1 in the first jet success of the Allies.
  • GROUP 3: German V-2 rocket attacks begin against London

  • GROUP 3: Allies agree to use atomic bomb against Japan

  • GROUP 4: More aircraft produced in World War II

  • GROUP 4: German side produce the largest number of aircraft (39,807) during World War II

  • GROUP 3: Production of bomb-grade U-235

  • Group2: XR-1 helicopter cancelled

    XR-1 helicopter modeled contract is cancelled after the German design proves troublesome.
  • GROUP 4: First atomic bomb

  • GROUP1: United States dropped its first atomic bomb from a B-29 bomber

    The name of this aircraft was Enola Gay
  • GROUP 4: Japan´s formal surrender