This Date in Aviation History: March 30 - April 1

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
04/01/2016 at 12:35 • Filed to: planelopnik, planelopnik history

Welcome to This Date in Aviation History , getting you caught up on milestones, personalities, and important historical events in aviation from March 30 through April 1.

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April 1, 1939 – The first flight of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. The Japanese surprise !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on December 7, 1941 provided a deadly wakeup call to the United States, as Japanese plans for the expansion of their empire came home to the American people. But that rude awakening also extended to the US Army Air Forces, who would come face to face with the remarkable A6M Zero for the first time, an aircraft that was clearly the best fighter in the Pacific at the time. In early 1937, the Imperial Japanese Navy issued specification 12-shi to find a new fighter to replace the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (allied reporting name Claude), which had the distinction of being the world’s first ship-based monoplane fighter. The requirements called for in 12-shi were rigorous, including a top speed of 370 mph, a high rate of climb, heavy armament (two 20mm cannons, two .303 caliber machine guns, two 130-pound bombs), and enough range to cover the vast distances of the Pacific Ocean. Lead Mitsubishi designer !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! realized that the only way to design a fighter to these specifications was to make it as light as possible. So the new fighter, eventually called the Type 0 Carrier Fighter, would be constructed of a new, top-secret aluminum alloy, have no armor to protect the pilot or engine, and no self-sealing fuel tanks. This made for a fighter that possessed excellent aerobatic and dogfighting characteristics, but also one that caught fire easily and could not withstand the pounding of heavier American fighters. The Zero (also known to the Japanese as Rei shiki Kanj sentki, or Rei-sen for short) entered service in 1940 against obsolete Chinese biplane fighters, and quickly gained a reputation as an unbeatable dogfighter. It even provided a serious challenge to the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! which, while faster, was no match for the Zero in a turn. The Zero also far outclassed all American fighters of the early part of the war. However, American pilots soon developed new techniques for combating the Zero. Entering into a dogfight with one was practically suicidal, but high speed passes from above, or implementation of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , helped the Allies to fight on a more even footing. Fortunately for the Allies, the mystery of the Zero was unlocked when an almost intact A6M was recovered from the Aleutian island of Akutan in 1942 after its pilot was killed in a crash landing. The fighter was shipped back to the US, repaired, and its flight characteristics were thoroughly analyzed. Now the Allies could exploit the Zero’s weaknesses, such as the propensity for its ailerons to freeze up at speeds above 200 knots, and a carburetor that caused the engine to quit in certain negative G maneuvers. Throughout its life, the Zero was consistently updated, most significantly with more powerful engines, a supercharger, shortened wings that improved roll rates, redesigned ailerons and trim tabs. A new exhaust system also provided a modicum of thrust. Ultimately, nearly 11,000 Zeroes of all variants are produced. However, Allied designs quickly improved, and by the late stages of the war, American fighters such as the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! were every bit the match for the Zero. The war had also taken a heavy toll on experienced Japanese pilots who could never be replaced. By the end of the war, the Zero was relegated to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! attacks against Allied shipping in the Pacific, a seemingly ignominious end for such a remarkable aircraft. (Photo by Marc Grossman via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ).

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April 1, 1935 – The first flight of the North American T-6 Texan. It’s pretty rare to hit a home run your first time at bat, but that’s exactly what North American did with the T-6 Texan. Back in 1935, North American debuted the model !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the first trainer aircraft they had ever designed. Throughout the production run of nearly 2,000 NA-16s, North American experimented with a host of modifications, with some aircraft having fixed landing gear, and others an open cockpit. North American also experimented with various rudder shapes before settling on a recognizable triangular shape that prevented a loss of control during maneuvers with a high angle of attack. In 1937, North American submitted the aircraft in response to a US Army Air Corps request for a “Basic Combat” aircraft. The USAAC initially ordered 180 of the BC-1 variant, which had retractable landing gear and provisions for up to three .30 caliber machine guns. Early models were powered by a single !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! radial engine, which gave the BC-1 a maximum speed of 170 mph. North American also produced 400 aircraft for export to the RAF where it was known as the Harvard I, and a handful for the US Navy, where it was known as the SNJ-1. But it was the BC-2 variant that the Texan, now called AT-6 to signify its role as an advanced trainer, that received its iconic shape and name, with squared wingtips and triangular rudder. The addition of a more powerful !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! radial increased the Texan’s top speed to just over 200 mph, and the USAAC ordered more than 1,500 of that model, designated AT-6A. This aircraft was used for flight training, and the armed AT-6B was used for gunnery practice. The Texan proved to be an extremely reliable and sturdy aircraft, and was responsible for training the vast majority of pilots who flew during WWII, and provide student pilots with a more powerful and maneuverable aircraft as they transitioned from basic trainers to frontline aircraft. The Texan had excellent flight characteristics, and could perform all the necessary aerobatic maneuvers that combat pilots needed to learn, including dogfighting, dive bombing and ground attack. In fact, armed Texans were used in combat in low-intensity conflicts following WWII. By the time production ended, 15,495 Texans had been built, and they were in service in 34 countries around the world. Today, the Texan remains popular on the air show circuit, forming the basis for historical squadrons and aerobatic teams. Others have been modified to mimic Japanese Zero fighters for historic reenactments and roles in movies. And the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in Reno, Nevada still maintains a unique racing class for Texan and Harvard aircraft. (US Air Force photo)

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Short Take Off

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March 30, 2006 – Marcos Pontes becomes the first Brazilian astronaut in space. Pontes was both the first Brazilian and the first Portugese-speaking astronaut when he traveled to the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (ISS) on board the Russian !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Trained by NASA and originally slated to go to space on board the Space Shuttle, Pontes transferred to the Russian space program due to delays with the Shuttle program. Pontes spent seven days aboard the ISS conducting experiments before returning to Earth with the departing crew of Expedition 12 on board !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . His flight coincided with celebrations around the 100th anniversary of the first flight by Brazilian aviation pioneer !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in 1906. (Photo via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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March 30, 1982 – Space Shuttle Columbia lands at White Sands, New Mexico. Following the third mission of the Space Shuttle Program ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ), the Shuttle !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! landed on Northrop Strip at White Sands (now called !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) after an 8-day mission to test Shuttle endurance and perform scientific experiments. Columbia was originally slated to land at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in California, but heavy rains had flooded the landing site, necessitating the switch to White Sands. The landing site at the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was also available, but Shuttle pilots opted for White Sands since they had trained there and were more familiar with the location. It was the only time in the Shuttle Program that a Shuttle landed at a site other than Edwards or Kennedy Space Center. (NASA photo)

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March 30, 1934 – The first flight of the Sikorsky S-42. While Igor Sikorsky is perhaps best known for designing helicopters, he got his start in aviation by building large fixed-wing aircraft, particularly flying boats. The S-42 was developed to meet a requirement by Pan Am for a long-range flying boat, and included many innovative features such as wing flaps and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . The S-42 was powered by four !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! radial engines and, during testing, the S-42 set numerous payload records. The S-42 carried up to 37 passengers or 14 sleeper berths, and a total of 10 were produced. (US Navy photo)

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March 31, 1995 – The first flight of the Grob Strato 2C, an experimental high-altitude research aircraft built by Germany. The Strato 2C was powered by two turbocharged piston engines and had a service ceiling of almost 79,000 feet. With a wingspan of just over 185 feet, it was designed to remain aloft for up to 48 hours. In 1995, the Strato 2C set a world record for altitude by a piston-powered aircraft of 60,897 feet, but cost overruns eventually led to the cancellation of the project in 1996. (Photo via 1000aircraftphotos.com)

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March 31, 1939 – The first flight of the Miles Master, a two-seat trainer adopted by the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm as an advanced trainer. The Master was developed from the earlier !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and was adopted when the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! turned out to be unacceptable. The Master was fast enough to give students an idea of what to expect in more powerful fighters like the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and also powerful enough to work as a glider tug. Some were even pressed into service as a fighter during the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . A total of 3,250 Masters were produced. (UK government photo)

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April 1, 2001 – The Hainan Island incident. While operating approximately 70 miles from the Chinese island of Hainan, a US Navy !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted by two !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! fighters. One of the fighters collided with the American plane, resulting in the death of the Chinese pilot. After regaining control of the heavily damaged aircraft, pilot Lt. Shane Osborne ordered the destruction of sensitive data and surveillance equipment before making an emergency landing on Hainan Island. The American crew (21 men and 3 women) was held and interrogated for 10 days before being released, and the EP-3E was dismantled and flown off the island on a chartered Russian !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . For his actions in saving the ARIES and its crew, Lt. Osborne was awarded the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for “heroism and extraordinary achievement” in flight. (Lockheed photo)

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Recent Aviation History Posts

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If you enjoy these Aviation History posts, please let me know in the comments. And if you missed any of the past articles, you can find them all at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

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DISCUSSION (19)

Jcarr > ttyymmnn
04/01/2016 at 12:42

Interesting that the Zero and the plane that often portrays it in air show reenactments took their first flights on the same day (albeit 4 years apart).

Brian, The Life of > ttyymmnn
04/01/2016 at 13:03

I dig Zeroes <3! I mean, my grandfather didn’t but he’s gone so I don’t feel guilty being a fan.

Kinja'd!!!

ttyymmnn > Brian, The Life of
04/01/2016 at 13:04

Did you grandfather go up against them?

Jonathan Harper > ttyymmnn
04/01/2016 at 13:09

Thanks! Love these.

Brian, The Life of > ttyymmnn
04/01/2016 at 13:09

He fought in the Pacific Theater (Navy CPO) so, yeah, he saw a few around Guadalcanal and the Marshal Islands. I have an olive drab katana that he “liberated” as a souvenir.

ttyymmnn > Jonathan Harper
04/01/2016 at 13:21

My pleasure! Thanks for reading.

RidgeR5 > ttyymmnn
04/01/2016 at 14:24

I remember a bumper sticker of the Hainan Island incident, which featured a “Vehicle makes wide turns” image, similar to on a big rig, but it had a P-3 on it instead.

EvilFD > Brian, The Life of
04/01/2016 at 16:22

I have a Japanese Army ceremonial sword (not a Katana) and a bolt-action rifle my grandfather brought back. He flew DC-3s over the “hump”. Both have the all important chrysanthemum imprinted on them. Might want to check your swag for it. It’s appearance and location is one of the few ways to decipher legitimate stuff from all the knock off war stuff people have falsely hanging above their mantle.

EvilFD > ttyymmnn
04/01/2016 at 16:27

Great article guy. Very well done. Some of Gawker’s staff should be taking diligent notes.

Fun fact: I had not one, but three families members that were all too familiar with the Zero. One flew Wildcats off of Bogue class escort carriers in the Atlantic before transitioning to a fleet carrier, the Hellcat, and the Pacific theater. One was a navigator on B-26 and then B-24 out of New Guinea and the other flew DC-3s over the “hump”.

ttyymmnn > EvilFD
04/01/2016 at 16:35

Thank you for those kind words, and thanks for reading. Be sure to hit up some of the older articles. I’ve been at this a while!

Being so far removed from the war, it’s hard to imagine what those guys went through on a daily basis. It’s easy to get excited about all the “cool” airplanes and whizz bang technology, but in the end, people were dying or getting horribly maimed. Still, I’m sure that many of the men and women understood how they had been caught up in the sweep of history, and it must have been exhilarating on a certain level. And to have survived it all must have given them quite a sense of achievement.

EvilFD > ttyymmnn
04/01/2016 at 16:44

I’ve noticed your enthusiasm for aviation for quite some time. That being said, for whatever reason your stuff is popping up in my feed when it never has before. I’ll make more of an effort to look for your stuff.

“Still, I’m sure that many of the men and women understood how they had been caught up in the sweep of history, and it must have been exhilarating on a certain level. And to have survived it all must have given them quite a sense of achievement.”

Absolutely. I think that sense of achievement is what’s particularly important to pay attention to. I did multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, a trip to Bosnia, and few adventures in N. Africa. I can say I never spoke/speak about my experiences like WWII vets have. I definitely never got that feeling. Thankful to come home every time sure, but never that I was doing something extremely important to humanity. Something that desperately needed to be done. My dad is a Vietnam veteran (2 tours) and he’s, to this day, more bitter about his experiences than even I am. We’re both proud of our service but it’s extremely complicated. Something that wasn’t a factor for most [allied] WWII vets.

ttyymmnn > EvilFD
04/01/2016 at 17:02

I think they’ve jiggered the Kinja algorithm to show you more stuff from people you’re following, or who are following the people you’re following. Does that make any sense?

I definitely never got that feeling.

That’s probably because the job was never finished in the places you’ve, and in Vietnam. When Hitler and Tojo were beaten, they were beaten. Not all the world’s problems were solved, and we actually started a new “war” with the Soviet Union, but those men and women who went to Europe and the Pacific to do a job got. the. job. done. That chapter of world history was effectively closed. We could go into all the political reasons for that, but I’m sure I’d be preaching to the choir. And I’m certain that you and everybody else who has served from Korea forward have had every intention of finishing the job, but there’s no longer any stomach for it in our leadership or even our country. You go, you fight, you come home, but nothing has changed. They had the Big Parade after GWI, but even that job still isn’t finished, and probably never will be, at least not in my lifetime. There’s a reason that Studs Terkel called his history of WWII The Good War.

uofime-2 > ttyymmnn
04/01/2016 at 17:28

Good job, you sent me on a 2 hour long tangent to better understand air combat maneuvering

ttyymmnn > uofime-2
04/01/2016 at 17:32

The Thatch Maneuver is brilliant in its simplicity. I'm a teacher at heart, and if I can inspire somebody to go learn then my work is done. Thanks for reading.

Brian, The Life of > EvilFD
04/01/2016 at 17:40

He got it from a Japanese officer taken as a POW.

EvilFD > Brian, The Life of
04/01/2016 at 18:12

Doesn’t get much more authentic than that. Wasn’t sure what you were getting at with “liberated”.

Brian, The Life of > EvilFD
04/01/2016 at 23:49

I took a couple photos when I got home. I should have a pro check it out someday.

Kinja'd!!!

Boxer_4 > ttyymmnn
04/03/2016 at 00:46

Great post!

I always enjoy reading about WWII planes. Especially those with Nakajima involvement.

The Nakajima Sakae engine in the Zero sounds unique for sure.

ttyymmnn > Boxer_4
04/04/2016 at 09:00

That’s a great sound. No doubt.