8 May 1927: The “Transatlantic White Bird”, a bi-plane piloted by french Aviator Captain Nungesser is attempting to be the first to cross the Atlantic non-stop from Paris to New York. The plane is spotted in the early morning off Nova Scotia and is fighting strong headwinds while heading for the Maine Seaboard. The plane had been in the air for 33 hours.
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,