Hu Shi Xiu, director of the Bureau of Forestry and the delegation leader, and Ding Yao Hua, director of the Chengdu Zoo at Sichuan, meet MGEN Benedict, commander, U.S. air base, and COL Vernon L. Frye, commander, 7450th Air Base Group, upon their arrival at the Tempelhof Central Airport following the delivery of the panda bears Bao Bao and Tian Tian by the United States Air Force to Berlin from China.
Today in History – July 26, 1998 – Burt Rutan launches first flight of the Scaled Composites Proteus
26 July 1998 – Burt Rutan’s “Scaled Composites Model 281 Proteus is a tandem-wing high-altitude long endurance aircraft designed by Burt Rutan to investigate the use of aircraft as high altitude telecommunications relays. The Proteus is a multi-mission vehicle able to carry various payloads on a ventral pylon. The Proteus has an extremely efficient design,