Archives: Today in History

5 May 1943: First flight of a production North American Aviation P-51B-1-NA Mustang, 43-12093 (NAA serial number 102-24541). Following the RAF’s initial disappointing experience with the Mustang I (P-51A), Ronald Harker, a test pilot for Rolls-Royce, suggested fitting a Merlin 61 engine, a two-speed, two-stage, inter-cooled supercharger, designed by Stanley Hooker of Rolls-Royce. This gave an […]

4 May 1949 – USAF North American F-82F Twin Mustang, 46-468, out of Mitchel Field crashes into an unfinished house on Fulton Avenue near Duncan Road, a residential neighborhood of Hempstead, New York near Hofstra University; the plane burst into flames but neither the pilot, 2nd Lt. Andrew Wallace, nor his radar observer, 1st Lt.

3 May 1952 USAF Pilots LCOL William P. Benedict and LCOL Joseph O. Fletcher land a ski-equipped United States Air Force Douglas C-47A at the North Pole. The navigator was 1st Lieutenant Herbert Thompson. Staff Sergeant Harold Turner was the flight engineer and Airman 1st Class Robert L. Wishard was the radio operator. Also on