On March 22, 1979, the Lockheed CP-140 Aurora took to the skies for the very first time. A maritime patrol aircraft used by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), the CP-140 is based on the Lockheed P-3 Orion, which serves a similar role in the United States Navy. While the airframes are similar, the key…
On March 18, 1945, the Douglas XTB2D-1 Skypirate took flight for the first time. Designed as a carrier-based torpedo bomber, the Skypirate was intended to operate from the larger, planned Midway and Essex-class aircraft carriers. However, at the time of its development, the aircraft was too large for existing carrier decks. Ultimately, only two prototypes…
On March 15, 1960, the Convair B-58 Hustler officially entered service, marking a major milestone in Cold War aviation. Designed to meet the U.S. Air Force’s need for a supersonic strategic bomber, the Hustler was built for speed—able to get in, deliver its payload, and exit quickly. Convair’s signature delta-wing design, also seen on its…
On this day in aviation history, March 11, 1959, the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King took to the skies for the first time. Known internally by Sikorsky as the S-61, the Sea King was a twin-engine Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopter developed to counter the growing threat of Soviet submarines during the Cold War. The U.S. Navy…