Happy Birthday: Aircraft

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

46 years ago, the General Dynamics/Grumman EF-111A Raven made its maiden flight (March 10, 1977). The Raven became United States Air Force leading EW aircraft of the 80s and played an indispensable role in the success of Operations Desert Storm and Deliberate Force.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

56 years ago, the Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low made its first flight (Mar 15, 1967). The Pave Low emerged as the premier long-range Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) helicopter of the United States Air Force and became one of the most versatile aerial platforms of its era.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

78 years ago, the Douglas A-1 Skyraider made its first flight (March 18, 1945). The piston-powered, propeller-driven relic of WWII became an ubiquitous weapon in the US arsenal and played an indispensable role as a CAS/SAR platform during the Korean & Vietnam wars.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

68 years ago, test pilot John Konrad made the first flight of the Vought F-8 Crusader (March 25, 1955). The single-engine, supersonic, air superiority fighter became the last American fighter to feature guns as its primary armament.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

29 years ago, test pilot Peter Weger made the first flight of the prototype Eurofighter Typhoon at Manching, Germany (Mar 27, 1994). The mighty "Tiffy", one of the best air superiority fighter designs of its generation, was born.

[stevep]

Mar 26, 2023 10:42:31 GMT lordroel said:

Happy birthday to:

29 years ago, test pilot Peter Weger made the first flight of the prototype Eurofighter Typhoon at Manching, Germany (Mar 27, 1994). The mighty "Tiffy", one of the best air superiority fighter designs of its generation, was born.

  Bloody hell that makes me feel ancient!  Near 30 years ago.

[lordroel]

Mar 26, 2023 11:18:25 GMT stevep said:

Mar 26, 2023 10:42:31 GMT lordroel said:

Happy birthday to:

29 years ago, test pilot Peter Weger made the first flight of the prototype Eurofighter Typhoon at Manching, Germany (Mar 27, 1994). The mighty "Tiffy", one of the best air superiority fighter designs of its generation, was born.

  Bloody hell that makes me feel ancient!  Near 30 years ago.

And Tranche 4 is now the latest version that is still being produced and i think the Typhoon will still be produced for a couple more years.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

84 years ago, the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" made its first flight at Kagamigahara (April 1, 1939). From its initial deployment in China to the desperate Kamikaze campaigns of the closing stages of World War II, the A6M remained the preferred fighter for both the IJN and IJA.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

85 years ago, company test pilot James Taylor made the first flight of the "revolutionary" Bell P-39 Airacobra at Wright Field, Ohio (April 6, 1938).

The Airacobra was the first fighter in history to feature a tricycle undercarriage and the first to have the engine installed in the centre of fuselage, behind the pilot.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

71 years ago, company pilot Alvin M. "Tex" Johnston took the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress into the air for the first time (April 15, 1952). The legend of legends that came to epitomize American airpower was born.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

63 years ago, company pilot Robert Smyth made the first flight of the #Grumman A-6 Intruder, at Calverton, NY (April 19, 1960). Dubbed the flying “Drumstick”, the A-6 served as United States Navy & United States Marine Corps's leading attack/strike aircraft for almost three decades.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

38 years ago, the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, the second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) variant of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, made its maiden flight (April 30, 1985).

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

65 years ago, company test pilot Robert C. Little made the first flight of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II (YF4H-1) at Lambert Field, St. Louis, Missouri (May 27, 1958). The legendary fighter of the Cold War was born.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

83 years ago, test pilot Lyman Bullar made the first flight of the Vought F4U Corsair at Bridgeport, CT (May 29, 1940). Designed to outfly, outclimb, and outrun any prop-driven enemy aircraft in service at the time, the gull-winged F4U became an instant hit.

[lordroel]

Happy birthday to:

84 years ago, the Focke-Wolfe Fw 190 “Würger” (or Shrike) made its maiden flight (June 1, 1939). Designed by the legendary Kurt Tank, the Fw-190 was widely regarded as the best German fighter of World War II.