1939 IN AVIATION

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1939:

Contents

Events

First flights

Entered service

Events

'January'

★ January 12 - the RAF Auxiliary Air Force Reserve is formed
'February'

★ February 9 - Alex Henshaw sets a new speed record for the round trip between England and Cape Town in 4 days 10 minutes in a Percival Mew Gull
'March'

★ March 30 - Hans Dieterle sets a new airspeed record in a Heinkel He 100 of 746 km/h (464 mph).
'April'

★ April 28 - Vladimir Kokkinaki and Mikhail Godienko attempt a non-stop flight from the Soviet Union to New York but are forced down on Miscou Island in bad weather the next day.
'June'

★ June 16 - Air France commences hourly flights from Paris to London

★ June 28 - Britain's Women's Auxiliary Air Force is formed.
'July 20'

★ July 6, Olga Klepikowa sets a world record by flying a glider 746 km (466 miles) from Moscow to Otradnoje.

★ July 20 - first flight powered by liquid-fuelled rocket made by Erich Warsitz in the Heinkel He 176
'August'

★ August 11 - Pan American World Airways begins scheduled flights from New York, New York to Southampton, England.

★ August 26 - the Messerschmitt Me 209 sets a new world speed record of 755 km/h (469 mph).

★ August 27 - first flight made entirely on turbojet power made by Erich Warsitz in the Heinkel He 178
'September'

★ September 1 - Germany invades Poland. The Luftwaffe plays a key tactical bombing role in neutralising Polish defences.

★ September 3 - '''Britain and France declare war on Germany. World War II breaks out.'''

★ September 3 - Paratroops are used for the first time, with German units dropped into Silesia, behind Polish lines.

★ September 3 - Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys are used to drop propaganda leaflets into German cities.

★ September 4 - first British bombs of the war dropped on German targets, with a Bristol Blenheim attacking the German fleet.
'October'

★ October 8 - First RAF victory of World War II when a Lockheed Hudson shoots down a Dornier Do 18 over Jutland.

★ October 16 - the Luftwaffe attacks its first British targets - Royal Navy warships in the Firth of Forth.
'November'

★ the Luftwaffe begins dropping sea mines around the British coastline.

★ November 24 - BOAC is formed by the merger of Imperial Airways and the original British Airways.

★ November 30 - Soviet air raids on Helsinki and Viipuri mark the outbreak of the Winter War.
'December'

★ December 18 - the Royal Air Force abandons daylight raids on Germany after a raid by Vickers Wellingtons takes heavy losses.

★ December 26 - the first RAAF squadrons to join the war arrive in Britain

First flights

'January'

★ January 27 - Lockheed XP-38
'March'

★ March 31 - Miles Master production aircraft ''N7408''
'April'

★ April 1 - Mitsubishi Zero

★ April 22 - Aeronautica Umbra Trojani AUT.18 ''M.M.363''
'May'

★ May 7 - Petlyakov VI-100

★ May 14 - Short Stirling
'June'

★ June 1 - Focke-Wulf Fw 190
'July'

★ July 17 - Bristol Beaufighter prototype ''R2052''

★ July 20 - Heinkel He 176, first aircraft powered by liquid-fuelled rocket

★ July 25 - Avro Manchester prototype ''L7246''
'August'

★ August 13 - Vickers Warwick

★ August 27 - Heinkel He 178, first aircraft powered by turbojet
'September'

★ September 14 - Sikorsky VS-300, first helicopter to enter mass production.

★ September 24 - Handley Page Halifax H.P.57 prototype ''L7244''
'December'

★ December 29 - Consolidated XB-24

Entered service

'February'

★ Lockheed Hudson with No. 224 Squadron RAF
'August'

★ Miles Master
'October'

★ Bristol Beaufort with No. 22 Squadron RAF (Coastal Command)
'December'

★ Boulton Paul Defiant with No. 264 Squadron RAF