Today In History:  28 July  [0000]   --  The first operational use of the Me 163 Komet rocket fighter

The first operational use of the Me 163B Komet rocket fighter occurs by units of JG 400 in defense of the Leuna synthetic fuel facilities, the Third Reich's largest synthetic fuels complex. The Komet is the only operational rocket-powered fighter aircraft in history as well as the first piloted aircraft of any type to exceed 1,000 kilometres per hour (620 mph) in level flight.

PHOTO: Typical appearance of a Komet after landing, waiting for the airfield's Scheuch-Schlepper tractor and lifting trailer to tow it back for reattachment of its "dolly" maingear.

Photo Attribution:  Public Domain  via Wikimedia. Australian armed forces
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Today In History:  27 July  [1946]   --  First flight of the Supermarine Attacker.

The Attacker was a British single-seat naval jet fighter designed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, and it was the first jet fighter to enter operational service with the FAA. It was intorduced into service in 1951, and retired with the FAA in 1954, however Pakistan Air Force examples continued in service until 1964.

PHOTO: Supermarine Attacker FB.2 WP290 of 1831 Squadron RNVR landing at RNAS Stretton, Cheshire, England in 1956

Photo Attribution:  CC BY-SA 3.0  via Wikimedia. RuthAS

Today In History:  26 July  [1910]   --  Capt. Dawes becomes the first British Army officer pilot

Capt. George. W. P. Dawes becomes the first British Army officer to be awarded an aviator"s certificate in England, when he qualifies for certificate No.17 on a Humber Monoplane at Wolverhampton, England. Dawes was a Flight Commander in No 2 Sqn RFC when it flew to France in August 1914. On 22 August he was flying as observer with Major Longcroft in a BE2a, when the first German aicraft seen in the war, an Albatros biplane, was encountered over the RFC aerodrome at Maubeuge.

PHOTO: 1910 Humber monoplane (Le Blon Type) - designed by Hubert Le Blon. Exhibited at the 1910 Olympia Air Show. The narrow body was designed to be ridden on, like a horse-back or a fairy on a Dragonfly, thus saving weight.

Photo Attribution:  Public Domain  via Wikimedia.

Today In History:  25 July  [2001]   --  A Global Hawk drone flies automatically from US to Australia non-stop

The Northrop Grumman unmanned aircraft Global Hawk flies automatically from Edwards Air Force Base in the US to Australia non-stop and unrefuelled. This is the longest point-to-point flight ever undertaken by an unmanned aircraft, the first pilotless aircraft to cross the Pacific Ocean, and took 23 hours and 23 minutes.

PHOTO: An RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft like the one shown is currently flying non-military mapping missions over South, Central America and the Caribbean at the request of partner nations in the region. Ph oto: U.S. Air Force photo by Bobbi Zapka.

Photo Attribution:  Public Domain  via Wikimedia.

Today In History:  24 July  [1946]   --  The first live test of the Martin-Baker ejection-seat system

The first live flight test of the Martin-Baker ejection-seat system took place when Bernard Lynch ejected from a Gloster Meteor Mk.III jet travelling at 320 miles per hour (510 km/h) at 8,000 feet (2,400 m) over Chalgrove Airfield in Oxfordshire.

PHOTO: Gloster Meteor WL419 Model T7, an ejection-seat test aircraft owned by Martin Baker Company. On static display at the 2008 Air Day, Kemble Airport, Gloucestershire, England. There are modifications to the rear cockpit where the ejection seat is fitted (in particular, no canopy). Photo Adrian Pingstone.

Photo Attribution:  Public Domain  via Wikimedia. Adrian Pingstone

Today In History:  23 July  [1965]   --  Baby born during a flight from Frankfurt to New York

Barbara Lufthansa Herzog was born on a Lufthansa flight from Germany to New York and was given the middle name, Lufthansa,  in honor of the airline. Her birth certificate bears a longitude and latitude reading instead of a location of birth as she was born at 39,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

To celebrate her 18th birthday, Lufthansa provided her with an all-expenses paid flight to West Germany (from Florida).

PHOTO: Boeing 707 of Lufthansa as used on the route to New York in the mid-1960's. This aircraft is a 707 at Hamburg Airport in 1984, shortly before the type was retired.

Photo Copyright ©  Perry Hoppe, GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia.

Photo Attribution:  GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia.

Today In History:  22 July  [1933]   --  Wiley Post completes the first solo flight around the world

One-eyed pilot Wiley Post lands after completing the first solo flight around the world. Post pioneers the early development of a pressure suit and proves the value of navigating instruments, especially his automatic pilot. He departed from Floyd Bennett Field and continued on to Berlin where repairs were attempted to his autopilot, stopped at Königsberg to replace some forgotten maps, Moscow for more repairs to his autopilot, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk for final repairs to the autopilot, Rukhlovo, Khabarovsk, Flat where his propeller had to be replaced, Fairbanks, Edmonton, and back to Floyd Bennett Field. Fifty thousand people greeted him on his return on July 22 after 7 days, 18 hours, 49 minutes.

PHOTO: Lft front view from below of the Lockheed Model 5B Vega "Winnie Mae" (r/n NR-105-W) on display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's National Mall Building, Washington, D.C.

Photo Attribution:  CC0 via Wikimedia.

Today In History:  21 July  [1939]   --  First flight of the Short S.26 'Golden Hind'

The Short S.26 G-class was a large transport flying boat designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Short Brothers. It was designed to achieve a non-stop transatlantic capability, increasing the viability of long distant services/duties. Only two other examples of the type were built, respectively named "Golden Fleece" (G-AFCJ) flew, and the third "Golden Horn" (G-AFCK), both of which were subsequently lost due to accidents. In 1954, Golden Hind ran aground at Harty Ferry on the Isle of Sheppey whilst on tow to a new anchorage. It was eventually scrapped due to hull damage.

PHOTO: Short S.26/M (X8274, formerly 'Golden Fleece'), after impressment in 1940

Photo Attribution:  Public Domain  via Wikimedia.

Today In History:  20 July  [1948]   --  Lockheed Shooting Stars complete the first west-to-east transatlantic flight

Sixteen Lockheed P-80 "Shooting Stars" complete the first west-to-east transatlantic flight by jet aircraft. The P-80  was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, production models were flying, and two pre-production models did see very limited service in Italy just before the end of World War II. Designed with straight wings, the type saw extensive combat in Korea with the USAF as the F-80.

PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force Lockheed P-80A-1-LO Shooting Star (s/n 44-85004) in flight. This aircraft was later upgraded to an F-80C-11-LO.

Photo Attribution:  Public Domain CC BY-SA 3.0

Today In History:  19 July  [1943]   --  Soviet Air Forces fighter ace Yekaterina Budanova is shot down

Soviet Air Forces fighter pilot Yekaterina Budanova is shot down and killed in a dogfight with Messerschmitt Bf 109s over Luhansk Oblast. Although her victory total is unclear, she is commonly credited with 11 kills. She and Soviet pilot Lydia Litvyak are the only two female aces in history.

PHOTO: Yak-1 fighters, the type flown by Budanova during World War II, lined up on an airfield in 1941

Photo Attribution:  Public Domain  via Wikimedia.