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Morane Saulnier MS 760 Paris
The Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris was a French four- or six-seat jet trainer and liaison aircraft entering service with the Aeronavale in 1959. Based on the earlier side-by-side seating two-seat trainer, the MS.755 Fleuret, but adding an additional row of two seats, the Paris was flown by the French military until 1997. Although it would later be used as a liasion aircraft, the French Navy primarily employed it as a military trainer for future Super Etendard and F-8 Crusader pilots, preparing them with IFR and all-weather training to operate what were then (early 1960’s) the Aeronavale’s front-line fighters in fleet service.
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Arado Ar 234C-3 with V-1
On October 25, 1944, Arado submitted four proposals to tow or carry the Fieseler Fi 103 flying bomb (the V-1) with the Ar 234C. The final design mounted a V-1 atop the Ar 234C-3 in a “Huckepack” (“Piggyback”) configuration. This weapon would have devastated England, but never got beyond prototype stage by the time the war ended.
Curtiss SO3C Seamew
The Curtiss SO3C Seamew flew for the first time on October 6, 1939. Developed by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation as a replacement for the SOC Seagull as the United States Navy’s standard floatplane scout, its poor flight performance and maintenance record led to its early withdrawal from service after only a few months aboard Navy cruisers.
De Havilland Chipmunk T.10/T.20
The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a two-seat, single engine primary trainer aircraft, designed to replace the DH.82 Tiger Moth, and it attracted immediate air force interest. Simple to operate and easy to maintain, it was very popular with flying schools around the world and was adopted by the RAF as its standard trainer.
De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth
Originally designed for the civilian market, the De Havilland Tiger Moth first flew in October 1931. It grew in importance during the 1930’s until the RAF adopted it as a trainer. Ultimately it would become the primary trainer for most RAF pilots during WWII, and was modified for use as an attack aircraft in the event of a Nazi invasion of the UK.
Grumman F3F-2
The highly maneuverable Grumman F3F served as the Navy and Marine Corps’ premier fighter of the late 1930’s. The last bi-plane fighter deployed by either service, the rugged, stubby-looking fighter served from 1936 to 1941. Highly maneuverable and prized as dogfighters, they nonetheless became obsolete when the Navy switched to monoplanes.
F4U-4B Corsair
Vought designed the F4U Corsair around the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine to build a superb fighter. The F4U-4B was a late WWII refinement of earlier versions successfully operated by the Navy and Marine Corps. Introduced in June 1945, it saw little action in WWII but came into its own during the Korean War as a fighter-bomber.
Lavochkin La-250
The Lavochkin La-250 was a high-altitude, long-range interceptor prototype intended to be a dedicated, missile-armed weapons system that would blast enemy strategic bombers from the sky before they could reach their targets. It had an identical mission profile as its contemporaries, the Canadian CF-105 Arrow and the American XF-108 Rapier.
Kyushu J7W1 Shinden
Japan’s J7W1 Shinden was the only World War II fighter featuring a canard design that any combatant ordered into production. A pusher design with a rear-mounted, six-bladed propeller, the Shinden (“Magnificent Lightning”) was heavily armed with four 30mm cannon, but flight testing began on August 3, 1945, 11 days before Japan’s surrender.
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This Day in Aviation History
October 6, 1983
First flight of the Bell Helicopter Company Model 406. subsequently designated the OH-58D Kiowa reconnaissance helicopter.