Today In History:  27 August  [1939]   --  First flight made entirely with turbojet power

First flight made entirely on turbojet power is made by Erich Warsitz in the Heinkel He 178. This flight only lasted for six minutes, and due to its performance limitations (e.g. max speed of 598 km/h (372 mph) and its relatively small endurance) the aircraft failed to impress Nazi officials Ernst Udet and Erhard Milch, who attended a demonstration flight.
PHOTO: The He 178 drawing board design

See the Historical Aviation Film Unit website at http://www.aviationfilm.com to get a new history tidbit every day.


Photo Attribution:  CC BY-SA 3.0 de via Wikimedia. Bundesarchiv, Bild 141-2505 / CC-BY-SA 3.0