Nel pomeriggio del 9 agosto 1896, Otto Lilienthal decollò da una collina vicino a Stölln, in Germania, a bordo del suo aliante monoplano standard, lo stesso velivolo che aveva pilotato centinaia di volte. Una raffica improvvisa lo colse di sorpresa. L'aliante andò in stallo. Precipitò da un'altezza di circa 15 metri...
Share this story Quick Facts Pilot Sub-Lieutenant Ian “Soapy” Watson, Royal Navy Aircraft British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS.1 (serial ZA176) Date June 1, 1983 Ship MV Alraigo — a Spanish container vessel Location Atlantic Ocean, approximately 50 miles...
Share this story Quick Facts Operation Black Buck 1 (first of seven missions, April 30 – May 1, 1982) Aircraft Avro Vulcan B.2 (XM607, 101 Squadron RAF) Crew Captain Flight Lieutenant Martin Withers Distance ~8,000 miles round trip (Ascension Island to Port Stanley...
Share this story Quick Facts Aircraft Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO: Fulcrum) First Flight October 6, 1977 Operators 30+ nations across four continents — one of the most widely exported fighters in history Role Air superiority fighter with secondary ground attack capability...
Share this story In 1799, a 26-year-old Yorkshire baronet engraved a small silver disc with two drawings — one on each side. On one face: a diagram of the forces acting on a wing in flight, showing lift, drag, and thrust as separate vectors. On the other: a sketch of...
Share this story Quick FactsPilot1st Lt. Gail Seymour Halvorsen, USAF (later Colonel)Nickname”Onkel Wackelflügel” (Uncle Wiggly Wings) — for wiggling his wings before each candy dropOperationOperation Little Vittles (September 1948 – May 1949)Candy...
Share this story Quick FactsOfficial NameUnited States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) programFoundedMarch 3, 1969, NAS Miramar, CaliforniaFounderLt. Cdr. Dan “Yank” Pedersen — the “Godfather of TOPGUN”Why It Was CreatedThe Ault Report revealed Navy kill...
Share this story Quick FactsConcorde’s SpeedMach 2.04 (2,180 km/h) — London to New York in 3.5 hoursConcorde Service1976–2003 (27 years, British Airways and Air France)Modern Cruise SpeedMach 0.78–0.85 — slower than the Boeing 707 cruised in 1958Why We Slowed...
Share this story Quick FactsFirst Claimed Jet-vs-Jet KillNovember 8, 1950 — 1st Lt. Russell J. Brown (F-80C) vs. MiG-15 (disputed by Soviet records)First Confirmed KillNovember 9, 1950 — Lt. Cdr. William T. Amen (F9F Panther) vs. Captain Mikhail Grachev...
Share this story Quick FactsAircraftMikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat — high-altitude interceptorMaximum SpeedMach 2.83 (operational limit); Mach 3.2 observedAltitude Record37,650 m (123,524 ft) — still stands as the FAI absolute record for jet aircraftConstruction80%...
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