Sunday, January 7, 2024

Lex Anteinternet: Friday, January 7, 1944. Adoption of the P59 announced.

Lex Anteinternet: Friday, January 7, 1944. Lou Henry Hoover passes ...:


Friday, January 7, 1944. Lou Henry Hoover passes away.



"Interested natives look on as armorers place 50 cal. machine guns in the nose of a North American B-25G, Mullinnix Airfield, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands. 7 January 1944. (NARA)"

A British Mosquito is shot down with its Oboe navigational aid intact, allowing the Germans to develop countermeasures.


The United States Army Air Force announced the production of the Bell P-59 Airacomet.  The first US jet fighter aircraft, it would prove to be a disappointment and provided no real advantage over existing piston engined aircraft.

Thursday, January 7, 1909. Those early licenses.

The first pilot's licenses were issued in France on this day in 1909. The issuing entity was the Aero-Club de France and the recipients were Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright, Albert Santos-Dumont, Louis Blériot, Robert Esnault-Pelterie, Léon Delagrange, Henri Farman and Captain Ferdinand Ferber.

John Evershed discovered, on the same day, that gas radiates over the surface of sunspots, from the inner border to the outer edge.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Lex Anteinternet: Monday January 3, 1944. The Turner Explosion.

Lex Anteinternet: Monday January 3, 1944. The Turner Explosion.

Monday January 3, 1944. The Turner Explosion.

George C. Marshall was Time's Man Of The Year.


The USS Turner suffered a series of internal explosions while in harbor off of the Ambrose Light in New York.  138 of the 256-man crew died during the incident.  A Coast Guard Sikorsky HNS-1 flown by Lieutenant Commander Frank A. Erickson flew two cases of blood plasma, lashed to the helicopter's floats, from New York to Sandy Hook, saving many of the injured crewman, and providing the first incident of a helicopter used in that fashion.

Commander Frank A. Erickson, USCG and Dr. Igor Sikorsky, Sikorsky Helicopter HNS-1.  The HNS-1 had been in service for slightly under a year at this time.

Gregory "Pappy" Boyington was shot down and became a Prisoner of War of the Japanese.

Monday, December 18, 2023

Lighting things up.

C.P. Search under starboard wing of Martin PBM-3C Mariner from Air Sub Dev, Lant, Quonset Point, Rhode Island.  December 19, 1943.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Monday, November 13, 2023

Lex Anteinternet: Saturday, November 13, 1943. XP-80 completed.

Lex Anteinternet: Saturday, November 13, 1943. Coconut Grove.:

Saturday, November 13, 1943. Coconut Grove.

The first XP-80 was completed.

Lulu Belle, the first XP-80.

The Kelly Johnson design would go into service in 1945, too late for the Second World War, but would see service in Korea, by which time it was already eclipsed by later designs.

Friday, November 10, 2023

Lex Anteinternet: Wednesday, November 10, 1943. Heroes and martyrs.

Lex Anteinternet: Wednesday, November 10, 1943. Heroes and martyrs.

Crash-landing of F6F-3, Number 30 of Fighting Squadron Two (VF-2), USS Enterprise, November 10, 1943.  Lt. Walter L. Chewning Jr., the catapult officer of the USS Enterprise, is seen leaping up on the burning blame to rescue the pilot, Ensign Bryon M. Johnson.  Johnson would receive hardly any injury.

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Lex Anteinternet: Friday, November 2, 1923. Air Speed Record

Lex Anteinternet: Friday, November 2, 1923. A person of interest.:


U.S. Navy Lieutenant Harlold J. Brow set a new flight airspeed record of 250 mph, making him the first person to fly faster than 400 kph.  His plane was a Curtis racer.



Friday, October 27, 2023