NOV06

1929 - 1st flight of The Junkers G.38, large German four-engined transport aircraft prototype, featuring a blended wing design which provided access to all four power plants. It was also licenced built in Japan as the Mitsubishi Ki-20.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_G.38 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Ki-20

1929 - Death of Bruno Rodschinka, German aviator, while trying an emergency landing with a Luft Hansa Junkers G31 in england, Killing 7 on board. Only survivor was record-breaking aviator and motor racing driver George Pearson Glen Kidston.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Rodschinka - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_Luft_Hansa_Junkers_G_31_crash

1932 - 1st flight of the TsAGI A-4, Russian Autogyro for use as military trainer and observation machine.

http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/tsagi_a-4.php

1935 - 1st flight of The Hawker Hurricane, famous British single-seat fighter aircraft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Hurricane

1940 - 1st fligth of The Nikitin-Schyevchyenko IS, (Istrebitel Skladnoi – folding fighter), Soviet single seat polymorphic fighter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikitin-Shevchenko_IS

1942 - 1st flight of The Heinkel He 219 Uhu, German twin engine night fighter. It possessed a variety of innovations, including an advanced VHF-band intercept radar. It was also the 1st operational military aircraft in the world to be equipped with ejection seats, and the 1st operational German WWII-era aircraft with tricycle landing gear.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_219

1944 - Death of Kiichi Nagano, Japanese WWII fighter ace, killed in action near Taiwan.

http://www.cieldegloire.fr/010_nagano_k.php - http://acesofww2.com/japan/

1945 - 1st flight of the SNCASO SO-30R, French twin engine low wing monoplane transport prototype aircraft.

http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=2857

1945 - A Ryan FR Fireball, designed to utilize its piston engine during takeoff and landing, had a piston engine failure on final approach. U.S. Navy Ensign Jake West started the jet engine, performing the 1st jet-powered carrier landing aboard USS Wake Island (CVE-65), albeit unintentionally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_FR_Fireball#Operational_history

1956 - Operation Musketeer: following air strikes against Egyptian positions on the selected landing beaches and a short but intense naval bombardment, British Army, Royal Marine and French Army units mount an amphibious assault on Port Said. During operations to secure the town, British and French ground forces receive extensive air support from Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm and Aeronavale fighter-bombers.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/history-of-aviation-timeline/interactive-aviation-timeline/british-military-aviation/1956.aspx

1957 - 1st flight of The Fairey Rotodyne (as helicopter), British compound gyroplane designed and built for commercial and military applications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Rotodyne

1957 - Bristol Aeroplane Company Bristol Britannia Type 301, British medium-to-long-range airliner, crashed in woods near Overndale Road in Downend Village, near Bristol, England, on its landing approach at Filton airport during a test flight killing all 15.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downend_air_crash

1961 - Death of André Julien Chainat, French WWI flying ace.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Julien_Chainat - http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/chainat.php

1965 - Birth of Maurizio De Rinaldis, Italian Air force pilot and chief of the aerobatic team 'Frecce tricolori'

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurizio_De_Rinaldis

1966 - Launch of Lunar Orbiter 2, NASA spacecraft designed primarily to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selection and verification of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Orbiter_2

1967 - Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 159 Boeing 707-131 crashed after an aborted takeoff from Cincinnati after the aircraft had collided with a disabled DC-9 on the runway, Killing one over 36.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_159

1974 - Luna 23, Soviet Moon lander mission which was intended to return a lunar sample to Earth, is Damaged during landing in Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises), The sample collecting apparatus could not operate. Scientists devised a makeshift plan to conduct a limited science exploration program with the stationary lander. Contact was lost 3 days later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_23

1976 - Death of Hans Waldhausen, German WWI flying ace.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Waldhausen - http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/waldhausen.php

1980 - 1st flight of Solar Challenger, American solar-powered electric aircraft, improvement on the Gossamer Penguin, powered entirely by the photovoltaic cells on its wing and stabilizer, without even reserve batteries, 1st such craft capable of long-distance flight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Challenger

1985 - STS-61-A is back on earth, last succesful mission of space shuttle Challenger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-61-A

1986 - Sumburgh disaster, a British International Helicopters Boeing 234LR Chinook crashes in the Shetland Isles, killing 45 people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumburgh_disaster

1995 - 1st flight of The McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD 600N, American light utility civilian helicopter, stretched eight-seat development of the five-seat MD 520N helicopter.

http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/mcdonnel-630.php

2002 - Luxair Flight 9642 Fokker F50 crashed and burned on final approach to Luxembourg-Findel International Airport about 6 nautical miles (11 km) short of the runway while trying to land in the fog, killing 20 over 22.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxair_Flight_9642

2002 - National Airlines (Las Vegas based low fare airline, 3rd of the name in the US) permanently ceases operations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Airlines_(N7)