June 5, 1783 - French brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, flew first hot-air balloon, unmanned, for ten minutes at their home town of Annonay, France.

October 15, 1783 - Frenchman Jean Pilâtre de Rozier made a tethered, captive-balloon ascent in gardens of La Muette; Aerostat Reveillon rose to end of 250- ft tether, stayed up for 15 minutes, landed safely nearby; November 21, 1783 - untethered, Pilâtre and Marquis d'Arlande made first manned free flight, across Paris; June 15, 1785 - Pilâtre attempted first east-to-west crossing of English Channel with hybrid balloon combining lift from both hydrogen and hot air - exploded, plunged to rocks on coast of Wimereux, killed Pilâtre.

December 1, 1783 - First manned voyage of hydrogen balloon left Paris, carried Professor Jacques Alexander Cesar Charles, Marie-Noel Robert to about 600 meters, landed 43 km away after 2 hours in air; hydrogen generator mixed huge quantities of sulfuric acid with iron filings.

October 28, 1799 - Moses McFarland, of Massachusetts , received aeronautical patent for a  "Federal Balloon."

September 24, 1852 - Henri Giffard demonstrated a dirigible, semi-rigid airship, in flight from Paris to Trappe; installed small (3 h.p.) steam engine of his own design in gondola of 147-foot-long spindle shaped coal-gas balloon; engine turned a 11 ft propeller, produced  speed of 5 mph against wind over distance of 17 mile on 3 hour trip; first powered, controlled flight ever achieved.

June 21, 1859 - Andrew Lanergan, of Boston, MA, received a patent for a "Rocket"; fuse (called 'match') pre-assembled with rocket, packed inside recess at bottom of rocket, covered with light seal; safe from accidental firing (falling cinders, sparks falling on exposed fuses).

April 15, 1877 - Enrico Forlanini, Italian pioneer of scientific aviation built steam-engine driven helicopter model; rose 40 ft (12 m); machine weighed 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs), remained aloft for 20 seconds; 1905 - built hydroplane which could take off on water; 1914 - built new type of semi-rigid aircraft.

March 14, 1899 - Ferdinand von Zeppelin, of Stuttgart, Germany, received a patent for a "Navigable Balloon" ("provided with a number of motors arranged separately from each other...a smaller diameter in relation to the driving power developed by the motors...correspondingly reduce the air resistance"); cylindrical shape with rounded ends was covered with a cotton shell, framed with aluminum struts, wire-braced and contained a number of independent hydrogen balloons used for lift. Two or more separate engines were suspended below for propulsion.

November 12, 1894 - Lawrence Hargrave, Australian inventor, flew first manned box kite; linked four huge box kites, added sling seat, attached to ground by piano wire; box kites were used until 1930's to carry meteorological equipment for high altitude weather studies and by tRoyal Air Force as sea rescue equipment to deliver radio aerials.

May 6, 1896 - Aerodrome No. 5 made first successful flight of  unpiloted, engine-driven, heavier-than-air craft of substantial size;  Samuel Pierpont Langley (1887 - third Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution) launched craft using spring-actuated catapult mounted on top of houseboat on Potomac River, near Quantico, VA; traveled 3,300-ft, followed by second of 2,300 ft on same afternoon at speed of about 25 mph; November 28 - Aerodrome No.6, similar aircraft, accomplished distance of about 4,790-ft.

March 14, 1899 - Ferdinand Graf Zeppelin, of Stuttgart, Germany, received a patent for a "Navigable Balloon"; rigid airship, known as the Zeppelin; cylindrical shape with rounded ends was covered with a cotton shell, framed with aluminum struts, wire-braced and contained a number of independent hydrogen balloons used for lift. Two or more separate engines were suspended below for propulsion.

February 20, 1900 - John F. Pickering, of Gonaives, Haiti, received a patent for an "Air-Ship" ("ship or launch of great strength and durability and to combine with the float mechanism and appliances whereby the movement of the launch may be completely under the control of an operator").

December 17, 1903 - Wright brothers, in the Kitty Hawk, achieved first successful man-powered airplane flight of self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft at Kill Devil Hill, NC; launched from track into wind, gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane covered 120 feet, aloft for 12 seconds; for first time, machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into air in full flight, sailed forward without reduction of speed, landed at point as high as that from which it started.

May 22, 1906 - Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright, of Dayton, OH, received a patent for a "Flying-Machine" ("weight is sustained by the reaction resulting when one or more aeroplanes are moved through the air edge-wise at a small angle of incidence, either by the application of mechanical power or by the utilization of the force of gravity").

March 12, 1907 - Alfred Maul, German engineer, received German patent for camera-carrying space rocket; could also carry scientific instruments and return safely; later used for military surveillance.

July 11, 1908 - Emile Berliner, in trial of his first "test-rig" helicopter design, found it could potentially lift double its weight; 1903 - tested a 7-ft model rocket-powered airplane, which flew 40-ft before tumbling to ground; 1907 - began designing helicopter with tandem intermeshing rotors; recognized the versatility of a helicopter; developed 36-hp rotary engine with Adams-Farwell Company; first application in aviation of rotary engine, had weight advantage; founded Gyro Motor Company to promote rotary engines in aviation.

September 17, 1908 - First aircraft fatality occurred during  demonstration at Fort Myer in Arlington, VA; propeller came loose on plane piloted by Orville Wright and Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge of U.S. Signal Corps; passenger died of skull fracture.

October 16, 1908 - Samuel Cody, an American, made first airplane flight in England at Farnborough; built his own machines by trial and error; ended in crash but was first officially recorded powered flight - length of 1,390 feet.

1909 - Aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin launched maiden voyage of first aeroplane, made of silk and bamboo, in Santa Ana, CA.; June 16, 1909 - sold first commercial U.S. airplane, for $5,000; 1912 - Glenn L. Martin Company incorporated in Los Angeles, CA; 1914 - delivered first Model TT Trainer planes to U.S. Army Signal Corps.;  1916 - merged with Wright Company, formed Wright-Martin Aircraft Company; 1917 - backed by group of Ohio investors, Glenn Martin left Wright-Martin Company, reestablished Glenn L. Martin Company in Ohio; 1926 - incorporated in Maryland, opened aircraft manufacturing plant in Middle River, near Baltimore (still in operation); first airplane built is XT5M-1 bomber; 1940 - introduced first B-26 Marauder medium bomber (best survivability rate of any World War II bomber); more than 5,200 produced; 1945 - two Martin B-29 heavy bombers (Enola Gay, Bock' s Car), dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ended Pacific conflict; 1958 - Martin Bold Orion became first air-launched multistage ballistic missile; began execution of Pershing Missile program (lasted more than 34 years, one of most successful military programs ever in terms of performance, schedule, cost); 1959 - Martin Titan I was most powerful ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) made to date in free world; 1961 - merged with American-Marietta Company, renamed Martin Marietta; 1965 - Titan II rocket launched two astronauts into space in first of 10 successful manned Gemini missions; 1966 - Titan-launched Gemini VIII spacecraft, Lockheed Agena became first two vehicles to successfully dock (and undock) in space; 1973 - produced multiple docking adapter for Skylab, America's first space station; 1979 - began full-scale development of Pershing II missile system; 1984 - won 10-year contract to modernize nation's air traffic control, navigation, communications systems (most complex federal program since Apollo Moon project); March 15, 1995 - Lockheed Corporation, Martin Marietta Corporation merger completed.

June 28, 1909 - First French air show, Concours d'Avation, opened.

July 30, 1909 - Wright Brothers delivered first military plane to army.

October 2, 1909 - Orville Wright set altitude record, flew at 1,600 feet.

November 24, 1909 - Wright brothers formed corporation for  commercial manufacture of their airplanes (already manufactured, sold planes, arranged flying exhibitions, engaged in patent suits against Glenn Curtiss, others).

March 28, 1910 - First seaplane, designed by Frenchman Henri Fabre, took off from Martigues near Marseilles, France.

August 31, 1910 - Glenn Hammond Curtiss made first U.S. airplane flight over water in biplane over Lake Erie from Euclid Beach Park, Cleveland, OH, to Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH, at altitude between 400 and 500 feet for 78 minutes nonstop over distance of 70 miles.

November 14, 1910 - Eugene Fly, civilian pilot for Curtiss Aviation Company, made first plane flight from a ship, bow of scout cruiser Birmingham, anchored at Hampton Roads Yacht Clubhouse at Willoughby Spit; runway was 83 feet long, five degree slope (plane itself was 57 feet long, available runway for takeoff was only 26 feet); January 18, 1911 - made first landing on a ship; brought 50-hp Curtiss pusher biplane in for safe landing on 119-ft wooden platform attached to deck of U.S.S. Pennsylvania in San Francisco Harbor; landing gear provided with hooks adapted to catch ropes secured by sandbags stretched across landing platform.

January 26, 1911 - Glenn Curtiss piloted first successful hydroplane in San Diego.

November 5, 1911 - Calbraith P. Rodgers completed first transcontinental airplane trip; took 49 days, flew from New York City to Pasadena, CA.

1912 - Allan and Malcolm Loughead formed Alco Hydro-Aeroplane Company in San Francisco, CA; June 15, 1913 - flew first aircraft, Model G wood and fabric seaplane, over San Francisco Bay; 1916 - established the Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, CA; March 29, 1918 - F-1 Flying Boat made first flight (John K. "Jack" Northrop designed, helped build hull and wings); April 12, 1918 - made first military sale to U. S. Navy (Curtiss HS-2L flying boats); 1921 - went into liquidation (Navy aircraft orders dried up after end of WW I); December 13, 1926 - Lockheed brothers (last name spelled phonetically to avoid being pronounced as 'log-head'), group of investors formed Lockheed Aircraft Company (51% owned by Fred E. Keeler); 1929 - acquired by Detroit Aircraft Corporation (including Keeler's stock); 1931 - went into receivership; 1932 - investors led by Robert Gross bailed company out, acquired Lockheed's assets for $40,000; formed new Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (Lloyd C. Stearman as president, Allan Lockheed as consultant); February 23, 1934 - twin-engine, all-metal, Model 10 Electra, with retractable landing gear, twin fins and rudders, first to be pressurized, made first flight; helped establish company's line of commercial passenger aircraft; January 1943 - first flight of 40-pasenger airliner, L-049 Constellation (largest, fastest cargo transport to serve in WW II); 1954 - first flight of Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft (longest running military airlifter program in world); 1955 - first flight of top secret U-2 reconnaissance aircraft; 1956 - developed Polaris fleet ballistic missile for U. S. Navy; 1958 - F-104 Starfighter became first plane to hold both altitude, speed records at same time; introduced first FAA-approved flight data recorder; 1960 - launched Polaris, first ballistic missile to be fired from submerged submarine (to target 1,000 nautical miles away); 1988 - U.S. Airforce disclosed existence of F-117A Stealth Fighter, developed by Lockheed for more than a decade; 1990 - Lockheed-built Hubble Space Telescope deployed; March 15, 1995 - Lockheed Corporation, Martin Marietta Corporation merger completed; one of largest aerospace, defense and technology companies in the world; July 3, 1997 - announced $11.18 billion acquisition of Northrop Grumman Corp.

February 28, 1912 - First parachute jump made over Missouri.

March 1, 1912 - Capt. Albert Berry made first parachute descent from powered airplane in America; jumped from a Benoist aircraft at height of 1,500 ft. over Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, MO; used  static line parachute.

May 13, 1913 - Igor Sikorsky of Russia built, flew first four-engine airplane.

November 18, 1913 - Lincoln Beachey piloted first airplane in U.S. to perform loop-the-loop over North Island, San Diego, CA; loop at  height of 300 feet; November 28, 1913 - performed triple loop.

July 7, 1914 - Dr. Robert Hutchins Goddard, of Worcester, MA, received a patent for a "Rocket- Apparatus" ("adapted to transport photographic or other recording instruments to extreme heights"); liquid-fueled rocket design; July 14, 1914 - received a second patent for a "Rocket Apparatus"; July 18, 1916 - received a third patent for a "Rocket Apparatus"; August 15, 1916 - received a fourth patent for a "Rocket Apparatus" ("...of the magazine type"); December 5, 1916 - received fifth patent  for a "Rocket Apparatus" ("...of the magazine type").

October 12, 1915 - Glenn Curtiss, of Hammondsport, NY, received a patent for a "Heavier-than-Air Flying Machine"; seaplane; 1916 - Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company went public (largest aircraft manufacturer in world during World War I); 1919 - Wright Aeronautical incorporated to design, manufacture aero engines; July 5, 1929 - Curtiss-Wright Corporation formed from merger of 12 Wright and Curtiss affiliated companies. 

July 15, 1916 - William Boeing incorporated Pacific Aero Products Co. for $100,000, May 9, 1917 - name changed to Boeing Airplane Co.; May 3, 1922 - William Boeing named Boeing Airplane Co. chairman; May 15, 1930 - Ellen Church, registered nurse, joined crew of Boeing Model 80A (first female flight attendant); November 29, 1951 - first Boeing B-52 bomber secretly rolled out at Seattle plant; January 27, 1970 - Boeing 747 made first commercial flight (New York to London for Pan American); December 1980 - 500th Boeing 747 rolled out at Everett, WA; April 10, 1990 - 6,000th Boeing jetliner, 767, delivered to Britannia Airways; April 30, 1991 - 1,010th Boeing 707 rolled out of Renton, WA plant, ended 35-year-old production line; August 7, 1993 - NASA selected Boeing as prime contractor for International Space Station; December 6, 1996 - merged with Rockwell aerospace, defense units; renamed Boeing North American (operated as subsidiary); August 1, 1997 - Boeing, North American component, merged with McDonnell Douglas Corp.; January 13, 2000 - acquired Hughes Electronics Corp. space, communications business for $3.75 billion; October 28, 2004 - 1,050th, final, 757 rolled off production line, completion of  757 commercial airplane program; February 13, 2006 - 5,000th 737 came off production line, most-produced large commercial jet airplane in aviation history; December 31, 2006 - new Boeing record for total commercial orders in single year (1,044 net); surpassed 2005 record (1,002); previous 1988 record (877).

1917 - Chance Vought, Birdseye Lewis formed The Lewis & Vought Corp.; 1922 - Lewis retired, company renamed Chance Vought Corp.; 1929: - became division of United Aircraft; 1939 - merged Vought with Sikorsky, formed Vought-Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft; 1954 - re-incorporated as Chance Vought Aircraft Inc.; 1961 - merged with Ling-Temco Electronics, formed Ling-Temco Vought; 1992 - LTV declared bankruptcy, aircraft business acquired by Carlyle Group and Northrop; aircraft division renamed Vought Aircraft; 1994 - Northrop Grumman acquired Carlyles's share of Vought; operates as division of Northrop Grumman.

June 15, 1919 - Capt. John Alcock (pilot), Lt. Arthur W. Browne (navigator) successfully completed first, non-stop, transatlantic, airplane flight in Vickers Vimy from Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland in 16 hours 12 minutes; won prize offered by London Daily Mail. 

July 22, 1920 - Donald W. Douglas, David R. Davis formed  Davis Douglas Co. near Santa Monica, CA; July 1921 - Donald W. Douglas incorporated The Douglas Co.; April 1922 - awarded first production contract for DT-2s for Navy; February 16, 1925 - awarded largest contract to date for 75 observation aircraft by War Department; November 20, 1928 - Douglas Aircraft Co. Inc. organized; July 1, 1933 - first Douglas airliner, DC-1, made first flight; May 11, 1934 - DC-2, larger version of the DC-1, made first flight; April 28, 1967 - McDonnell and Douglas companies merged, formed McDonnell Douglas; August 29, 1970 - Douglas DC-10, first "jumbo jet" from Douglas, made first flight; September 15, 1982 - Douglas Aircraft division of McDonnell Douglas delivered 2,000th jet airliner, DC-10 built for United Airlines; February 10, 1993 - 10,000th jet manufactured in St. Louis, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet for U.S. Navy, delivered; September 26, 1994 - Harry C. Stonecipher named president,  CEO of McDonnell Douglas, first time in company's history that  CEO has not been member of Douglas or McDonnell families.

August 17, 1920 - Paul Yeso, of Dodgeville, MI, received a patent for a "Flying-Machine"; helicopter.

April 26, 1921 - Auguste C. E. Rateau, of Paris, FR, received a patent "Pertaining to Internal-Combustion Aircraft-Motors"; aircraft turbo supercharger.

June 16, 1922 - Henry A. Berliner demonstrated first helicopter prototype (war-surplus Nieuport 23 fighter with tilting tail rotor, short-span upper wing with 14-ft helicopter blades at tips) for representatives of U.S. Bureau of Aeronautics in College Park, MD.

October 14, 1922 - Lieutenant Lester James Maitland broke 200-mile-per-hour airplane speed barrier with 216.1 mph in Curtiss pursuit plane.

October 10, 1923 - Shenandoah ("daughter of the stars"), first American-build rigid dirigible, christened in Lakehurst, NJ; first of  Zeppelin type to use helium gas; 680 feet long, weighed 36 tons, bore 55 tons, carried enough fuel to cruise 5,000 miles at average speed of 65 mph; September 3, 1925 - Commander Zachery Lansdowne died with 14 members of crew when airship was struck, destroyed in violent thunderstorm over Caldwell, OH; 29 of crew survived.

1924 - Walter Beech and Clyde Cessna co-founded Travel Air Manufacturing Company; became world's largest producer of both monoplane and biplane commercial aircraft; established more than 200 performance records; 1929 - merged with Curtiss-Wright Airplane Company; Walter Beech became President of new Aircraft Division.

March 1, 1925 - T. Claude Ryan, former U.S. Air Service pilot, started Los Angeles San Diego Air Line; $14.50 one way, $22.50 round trip; claimed to be first airline in United States to operate all year on regular schedule; April 19, 1925 - half interest in Ryan's operations (airline, aviation school, charter and sightseeing business) acquired by Benjamin Franklin Mahoney for $7,500; renamed Ryan Airlines; September 1926 - Los Angeles San Diego Air Line due to decline in traffic; perfect safety record; November 23, 1926 - partnership terminated; Mahoney bought out Ryan for $25,000 and an M-2, continued to use Ryan Airlines name (discontinued July 1927).

September 1, 1925 - Adolph Monsen, of Logansport, IN, received a patent for a "Helicopter".

March 16, 1926 - Dr. Robert H. Goddard successfully launched  world's first liquid-fueled rocket, at Auburn, MA.

November 12, 1926 - First recorded airplane bombing took place in Williamson County, IL during feud between rival beer and liquor factions, Sheltons and Birgers.

September 7, 1927 - Clyde Cessna, Victor Roos founded Cessna Aircraft Company on west side of Wichita, KS; 1931 - board of directors voted to oust Cessna, close factory; created C.V. Cessna Aircraft Co., specialized in building diminutive, custom racing airplanes; 1934 - Dwane Wallace (nephew), aeronautical engineer, and Dwight Wallace (brother), gained control of defunct Cessna Aircraft Company; introduced Cessna C-34 monoplane.

1928 - James S. McDonnell organized J.S. McDonnell & Associates to build Doodlebug for Guggenheim safe airplane competition; November 15, 1929 - made first flight; March 1933 - joined  Glenn L. Martin Co., Baltimore, MD, as chief project engineer for land planes; July 6, 1939 - founded McDonnell Aircraft Co. in St. Louis, MO; 1946 - produced U.S. Navy's first carrier based jet fighter.

October 15, 1928 - Airship LZ127 Graf Zeppelin (775 feet long, 100 feet high, cruising speed of 73 mph, christened on July 8, 1928), landed at Naval Air Station Lakehurst (Lakehurst, NJ) after its first transatlantic crossing from Germany; success of Graf Zeppelin  overshadowed by Hindenburg disaster in 1937.

1929 - Curtiss, Wright companies merged; formed Curtiss Wright Corporation.

June 29, 1929 - National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics completed first high-speed jet wind tunnel at Langley Field, CA; field laboratory permitted testing of aerofoils; arranged wind speed of about 600-mph (tunnel deactivated).

September 24, 1929 - First all-instrument flight took place over Mitchell Field in New York ; U.S. Army Lieutenant James H. Doolittle guided Consolidated N-Y-2 Biplane.

January 2, 1930 - Leroy R. Grumman, Leon A. Swirbul, William T. Schwendler (formerly of Loening Aircraft Engineering Corporation), E. Clint Towl, Ed Poor established Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation in small abandoned auto garage in Baldwin, Long Island; made floats for Vought scout aircraft used on Battleships; 1994 - merged with Northrop Corporation.

October 5, 1930 - Laura Ingalls was first woman to make  transcontinental airplane flight (nine stops, four days, 30 hours 27 minutes of flying time) in D.H. Gipsy Moth bi-plane from Roosevelt Field, NY to Grand Central Air Terminal, Glendale, CA.

December 19, 1930 - First autogyro pilot to carry a passenger was Amelia Earhart at Pitcairn Field, Willow Grove, PA; flew a PCA-2 Pitcairn Autogyro, made several trips with various passengers until dark.

March 28, 1931 - Boeing Air Transport, National Air Transport, Varney Airlines Pacific Air Transport combined as United Air Lines, provided coast-to-coast passenger service, mail service (27 hours to fly route, one way).

May 27, 1931 - First U.S. full scale wind tunnel for testing airplanes opened in Langley Field Research Center, VA; 30-ft high by 60-ft wide tunnel, flying characteristics of full-size airplanes tested in air speeds up to 115-mph; October 1995 - NASA closed tunnel.

June 9, 1931 - Robert H. Goddard, of Worcester, MA, received a patent for "Propulsion of Aircraft"; rocket-fueled aircraft design; designed to utilize energy of gas blast of rocket without dissipation to obtain maximum propulsive effect by driving one or more turbine elements, which in turn could turn propellers for driving plane in usual manner at low altitudes.

June 23, 1931 - Aviators Wiley Post, Harold Gatty took off from New York on first round-the-world flight in single-engine plane.

October 5, 1931 - Clyde Pangborn, Hugh Herndon completed first nonstop flight across Pacific Ocean in 14 hours (Japan to Washington state).

1932 - Walter and Olive Ann Beech, and engineer Ted Wells, founded Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita. KS; November 1932 - first product, negative-stagger biplane (designated Model 17R Stagger Wing Biplane), made test flight; sleek, comfortable, fast (capable of more than 200 mph); paragon of business airplanes in early 1930s; 1945 -produced more than 7,000 airplanes for Allied war effort; twin Beech AT-71C-45 trained more than 90 percent of U.S. Army Air Forces navigator/bombardier's, 50 percent of multi-engine pilots; 1947 - introduced new line of light aircraft (modern, all-metal Model 35 "V" Tailed Bonanza); February 1980 - merged with Raytheon Company, Olive Ann elected to Board of Directors of Raytheon.

January 1932 - John K. "Jack" Northrop, skilled and innovative designer, partnered with Donald Douglas (51% of stock), formed  Northrop Corporation in El Segundo, CA; September 1, 1937 - Douglas Aircraft Co. acquired remaining 49% shares of Northrop Corp. subsidiary,  began operating facility in August 1938 as  Douglas El Segundo (Calif.) Division; January 1, 1938 - Northrop resigned; August 1939 - formed Northrop Aircraft Incorporated in Hawthorne, CA with money he received when Douglas bought him out; 1940 - built first aircraft, N-3PB patrol bomber, for Norwegian Air Force; won $17 million contract to co-produce "Vengeance" dive bomber  for Great Britain; U.S. Army ordered more than 700 P-61 "Black Widow" radar-equipped night fighters; by end of war, company had completed 1,088 aircraft; November 1941 - Army awarded contracts for four engine-powered XB-35 flying-wing bomber (did not fly until 1946); January 11, 1949 - $88 million B-49 contract canceled; 1959 - changed name to Northrop Corporation; 1972 - company accused of paying $30 million in bribes to government officials in Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia in effort to increase business; July 17, 1989 - first flight of B-2 stealth bomber; April 1994 - acquired Grumman Aircraft for $2.17 billion, renamed Northrop Grumman.

July 22, 1933 - Wiley Post completed first round-the-world solo flight (15,596 miles) in single-engine Lockheed Vega 5B aircraft "Winnie Mae," in 7 days 18hr 49minutes; invented first pressurized suit to wear when he flew around the world.

November 22, 1935 - Flying boat, The China Clipper, left San Francisco on first transpacific air-mail flight.

January 19, 1937 - Millionaire Howard Hughes set transcontinental air record; flew monoplane from Los Angeles, CA to Newark, NJ in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

February 20, 1937 - First successful automobile-airplane combination completed, ready for testing; built by Westerman Arrowplane Corporation of Santa Monica, CA, dubbed Arrowbile, claimed top air-speed of 120 mph, 70 mph on highway.

October 9, 1938 - Bell Labs first publicly demonstrated radio altimeter, gave pilots height of an aircraft above local terrain by bouncing radio signals off the ground to give a reliable altitude reading; changed aviation forever.

July 6, 1939 - James S. McDonnell founded McDonnell Aircraft Co. in St. Louis, MO; 1946 - produced U.S. Navy's first carrier based jet fighter.

August 27, 1939 - Captain Erich Warshitz flew first jet-powered plane for seven minutes; invented by Sir Frank Whittle and Hans J.P. von Ohain.

September 14, 1939 - Igor Sikorsky made first vertical liftoff in his Vought-Sikorsky VS-300; May 6, 1941 - established world helicopter endurance record of 1 hour, 32 minutes, 26 seconds in VS-300; used three-bladed main propeller 28-feet in diameter, stayed in air for 65 minutes and 14.5 seconds.

May 15, 1940 - First successful helicopter flight in US: Vought-Sikorsky US-300.

May 15, 1941 - Jet-propelled Gloster-Whittle E 28/39 aircraft flew successfully over Cranwell, England, in first test of Allied aircraft using jet propulsion; turbojet engine devised by Frank Whittle,  English aviation engineer, pilot generally regarded as father of jet engine.

May 20, 1940 - Inventor Igor Sikorsky demonstrated helicopter invention to public.

January 13, 1943 - First use of ejection seat to save pilot. Schenk, German test pilot, required its use when his He 280 refused to separate from tow aircraft due to icing of cable release mechanism.

May 4, 1943 - Igor Sikorsky, of Trumbull, CT, received patent for "Helicopter and Controls Therefor" ("improved control for a direct-lift aircraft").

November 29, 1945 - A Sikorsky R5 helicopter (second helicopter designed by Igor Sikorsky formilitary) performed first rescue from a sinking civilian vessel off coast at Fairfield, CT in Long Island Sound; first use of rescue winch.

February 16, 1946 - Four-seat, single rotor Sikorsky S51, first commercial helicopter, flew for first time; first Sikorsky helicopter to be licensed by the U.S. Civil Aviation Administration for commercial operations; could carry 3 passengers over 250 miles at speed of 100 miles per hour.

May 1, 1947 - Radar for commercial, private planes first demonstrated at Culver City, CA on TWA airplane; bright red panel light, horn in cockpit warned pilot if plane was not at safe distance from obstacles to flight; developed by Howard Robard Hughes, team of electronic engineers at Hughes Aircraft Corp. 

September 22, 1947 - First automatic-pilot flight over Atlantic Ocean.

October 14, 1947 - Air Force test pilot Charles E. Yeager became first person to break sound barrier; flew experimental Bell X One rocket plane (nicknamed "Glamorous Glennis") over Rogers Dry Lake ( Edwards Air Force Base) in Southern California;  X-1 lifted to altitude of 25,000 feet by B-29 aircraft; released through bomb bay, rocketed to 40,000 feet, exceeded 662 miles per hour (sound barrier at that altitude).

November 2, 1947 - Howard Hughes piloted his huge wooden airplane, Spruce Goose (laminated birch and spruce, originally conceived by industrialist Henry Kaiser, commissioned by U. S. government), on its only (unannounced) flight ,70 feet above water, for a mile, for about a minute over Long Beach Harbor in California  to prove its airworthiness to Congress; wingspan of 320 feet, powered by eight giant propeller engine, cost $23 million, designed to carry more than 700 men to battle, completed in 1946.

July 16, 1948 - World's first production turbine-propellor aircraft,  Vickers Viscount, made maiden flight; still Britain's most successful commercial transport aircraft (444 aircraft built); formed basis for many airlines until replaced by pure jet equipment.

February 2, 1949 - Airplane Lucky Lady II, B-50 bomber, landed in Texas, completed first non-stop flight around the world; refueled four times in mid-air during 23,452-mile flight (lasted 94 hours).

February 24, 1949 - Two-stage rocket launched from White Sands Proving Grounds, NM; first to reach outer space.

July 27, 1949 - British De Havilland Comet, world's first jet-propelled airliner, made maiden flight in England; commercial aircraft designed for high cruise speed at high ceilings.

July 15, 1954 - First commercial jet transport airplane built in US,  Boeing 707, tested in Renton, WA.

August 4, 1954 - Britain's first supersonic fighter plane, P-1 English Electric Lightning, made maiden flight.

January 16, 1957 - Three B-52's took off from Castle Air Force Base in California on first nonstop, round-the-world flight by jet planes; trip lasted 45 hours and 19 minutes.

January 31, 1958 - United States entered space age by launching first successful orbiting satellite, Explorer-I, four months after Soviet launch of Sputnik; measured cosmic radiation, led to discovery of Van Allen radiation belt; data transmitted to ground by 60-milliwatt transmitter operating on 108.03 MHz and 10-milliwatt transmitter operating on 108.00 MHz; Explorer-I was 80-inch long, diameter-6 inch, weighed 31 pounds with 18 pounds of payload, delivered into orbit using Jupiter-C rocket; orbit period of 114.9 minutes.

May 14, 1963 - Elmer G. Johnson, of Fairborn, OH, received a patent for a "Solar Powered Vehicle" ("lift sustained flying vehicle consisting primarily of an airplane-propulsive unit and control system having its power derived through the conversion of solar radiation"); solar airplane.

June 11, 1963 - Maxine A. Faget and Andre J. Meyer, Jr., of Newport News, VA, Robert G. Chilton, of Seaford, VA, Willard S. Blanchard, Jr. and Alan B. Kehlet, of Hampton, VA, Jerome B. Hammack and Caldwell C. Johnson, Jr., of Newport News, VA, received a patent for a "Space Capsule" ("manned capsule configuration capable of being launched into orbital flight and returned to the Earth's surface"); Mercury space capsule; assigned to United States of America as represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

September 22, 1967 - North American Aviation merged with Rockwell Standard Corp., became North American Rockwell Corp.; 1971 - invested $35 million in Collins Radio Co., reorganized into four main market areas: aerospace, automotive, electronics, industrial products; February 1973 - renamed Rockwell International, Collins Radio merged into it; April 12, 1981 - Rockwell-built Columbia is the first Space Shuttle to fly into orbit; January 28, 1986 - Rockwell-built Space Shuttle Challenger, seven-member crew lost 73 seconds after launch, when booster failure caused it to break up; May 4, 1989 - Rockwell-built Space Shuttle Atlantis launched spacecraft Magellan to Venus; July 13, 1995 - Rockwell-built Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Cape Canaveral, FL; December 6, 1996 - Rockwell aerospace and defense units merged with Boeing; renamed Boeing North American, operated as subsidiary.

December 11, 1967 - Concorde, joint British-French venture,  world’s first supersonic airliner, unveiled in Toulouse, France.

January 9, 1969 - Supersonic Concorde jetliner made first test flight at Bristol, England.

February 9, 1969 - World's largest airplane, Boeing 747-100 made first flight; January 21, 1970 - made first commercial flight from New York to London for Pan American; cabin almost twice as wide as  707, length of 231 feet; ability to carry more than 400 passengers more than 5,500 miles, 747 opened up economic long-distance travel to the masses.

March 2, 1969 - French-built Concorde SST Supersonic jet aircraft made maiden flight.

October 1, 1969 - Prototype French-built Concorde broke sound barrier for first time; March 2, 1969 - inaugural flight of only supersonic passenger aircraft, in Toulouse, France; January 21, 1976 - first commercial flight; first plane in world to be entirely controlled by computer.

January 9, 1972 - Reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, speaking by telephone from the Bahamas to reporters in Hollywood, said  purported authorized biography of him by Clifford Irving was fake.

March 8, 1972 - Goodyear blimp first flown.

January 21, 1976 - Supersonic Concorde, developed in joint venture between  French and English, put into service; flew at 1,350 mph, well over speed of sound, cut air travel time by more than half.

April 29, 1977 - British Aerospace formed as nationalized corporation by merger of British Aircraft Corporation, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics, Scottish Aviation; January 1981 - British Aerospace formed as public limited company (PLC), acquired assets, business of nationalized corporation; November 1999 - British Aerospace, Marconi Electronic Systems merged; called BAE SYSTEMS.

October 19, 1977 - Supersonic Concorde made first landing in New York City.

November 20, 1980 - Steve Ptacek, in Solar Challenger, piloted its first solar-powered flight (designed, built by AeroVironment, Inc.;  46.5-ft wingspan, huge horizontal stabilizer, wing area for 16,128 solar cells; July 7, 1981 - Ptacek flew across English Channel.

August 25, 1982 - Bendix Corporation announced $1.5 billion unsolicited takeover bid for Martin Marietta Corporation. MMC retaliated with "PacMan defense": made $1.6 billion offer to buy Bendix, major supplier of auto parts, electronic equipment, machine tools; ultimately, Allied Corp. bought Bendix, exchanged stock with Martin Marietta (retained its independence, strapped with $900 million in debt).

December 14, 1986 - Voyager, experimental aircraft piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California on first non-stop, non-refueled flight around world; took nine days (216 hours) for the 25,000 mile flight, at average speed of 115.8 mph; nearly double previous distance record set in 1962 by USAF Boeing B-52H.

August 30, 1994 - Lockheed, Martin Marietta agreed to merge;  created one of world's largest aerospace/defense companies; subsequently acquired Loral and Unisys Defense.

December 15, 1996 - Boeing, McDonnell Douglas aircraft manufacturers announced they would merge to create world's largest aerospace company; August 1, 1997 - Boeing acquired McDonnell-Douglas in a deal valued at $16.3 billion.

July 15, 1998 - The Pentagon stepped up its efforts to block  pending $10.7 billion merger between defense contractors Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman on anti-trust charges; July 16, 1998 - Lockheed scrapped multi-billion dollar merger.

December 4, 1998 - Space shuttle "Endeavour", crew of six blasted off on first mission to begin assembling international space station.

October 24, 2003 - Era of supersonic jet travel came to an end as three British Airways Concordes landed at London's Heathrow Airport; British Airways cited rising operating costs, reduced ticket sales; May 2003 - Air France permanently grounded its jets; January 1976 - Concorde commercial service began.

January 18, 2005 - World's largest commercial jet, Airbus A380 that can carry 800 passengers, unveiled in Toulouse, France; March 20, 2007 - landed in New York and Los Angeles with Lufthansa and Qantas testing the airports to see if they can easily handle a number of the flights landing there every day.

(A.V. Roe), Greig Stewart (1988). Shutting Down the National Dream: A.V. Roe and the Tragedy of the Avro Arrow. (Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 320 p.). A.V. Roe Canada Limited; Avro Arrow (Turbojet fighter plane); Aircraft industry--Canada. Winner - Canada's 1988 National Business Book Award.

--- (1998). Arrow Through the Heart: The Life and Times of Crawford Gordon and the Avro Arrow. (Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 216 p.). Gordon, Crawford, 1914-1967; A.V. Roe Canada Limited--History; Avro Arrow (Turbojet fighter plane); Aircraft industry--Canada--History; Businessmen--Canada--Biography; Chief executive officers--Canada--Biography.

(Alexander Aircraft Company), John A. de Vries (1985). Alexander Eaglerock: A History of Alexander Aircraft Company. (Colorado Springs, CO: Century One Press, 126 p.). Alexander Aircraft Company--History.

(Arado Flugzeugwerke), Jörg Armin Kranzhoff; [translated from the German by Ray Theriault] (1997). Arado: History of an Aircraft Company. (Atglen, PA: Schiffer Pub., 166 p.). Arado Flugzeugwerke--History; Arado aircraft--History.

(Auburn Aviation Co.), R. W. Ingalls (1986). A Scrapbook History of the Auburn Aviation Co., Inc., and the Auburn Airport at Throopsville, N.Y., 1941-1952. (Auburn, NY: R.W. Ingalls, 169 p.). Auburn Aviation Co.--History; Auburn Airport--History; Aeronautics, Commercial--New York (State)--Throopsville--History; Airports--New York (State)--Throopsville--History.

(Beech Aircraft), William H. McDaniel (1976). The History of Beech. (Wichita, KS: McCormick-Armstrong Co. Pub. Division, 480 p.). Beech Aircraft Corporation--History; Aircraft industry--United States.

(Boeing), Laurence S. Kuter (1973). The Great Gamble: The Boeing 747; The Boeing-Pan AM Project To Develop, Produce, and Introduce the 747. (Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press, 134 p.). Boeing 747 (Jet transports).

(Boeing), Harold Mansfield (1986). Vision: A Saga of the Sky. (New York, NY: Madison Pub. Associates, 404 p. [2nd ed.]. Boeing Company; Boeing Aircraft Company.

(Boeing), E.E. Bauer; introduction by Wolfgang Demisch (1991). Boeing in Peace and War. (Enumclaw, WA: TABA Pub., 374 p. [2nd ed.]). Boeing Company--History; Aircraft industry--United States--History; Conglomerate corporations--United States--History.

(Boeing), Robert J. Serling (1992). Legend and Legacy: The Story of Boeing and Its People. (New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, 480 p.). Boeing Company--History; Aircraft industry--United States--History; Conglomerate corporations--United States--History.

(Boeing), Clive Irving (1993). Wide-Body: The Triumph of the 747. (New York, NY: Morrow, 384 p.). Boeing 747 (Jet transports)--History.

(Boeing), Eugene Rodgers (1996). Flying High: The Story of Boeing and the Rise of the Jetliner Industry. (New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly, 502 p.). Boeing Company; Aircraft industry--United States--History; Aeronautics, Commercial--United States--History.

(Boeing), Matthew Lynn (1997). Birds of Prey: Boeing vs. Airbus: A Battle for the Skies. (New York, NY: Four Walls Eight Windows, 244 p.). Boeing Company; Airbus Industrie; Aircraft industry--United States; Aircraft industry--France; Competition, International.

(Boeing), Robert Redding & Bill Yenne (1997). Boeing: Planemaker to the World. (San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press, 256 p.). Boeing Company; Boeing airplanes.

(Boeing), Eugene E. Bauer ; introduction by Wolfgang Demisch (2000). Boeing: The First Century. (Enumclaw, WA: TABA Pub., 383 p.). Boeing Company; Aircraft industry--United States--History; Aeronautics, Commercial--United States--History; Boeing airplanes--History.

(Boeing), T.M. Sell (2001). Wings of Power: Boeing and the Politics of Growth in the Northwest. (Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 162 p.). Professor of Journalism and Political Science (Highline College, Des Moines, Washington). Boeing Company--History; Aircraft industry--United States--History; Aircraft industry--United States--Employees; Aeronautics, Commercial--United States--History; Seattle Metropolitan Area (Wash.)--Economic conditions.

(Boeing), Philip K. Lawrence and David W. Thornton (2005). Deep Stall: The Turbulent Story of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 160 p.). Director of the Aerospace Research Centre (University of the West of England, Bristol, UK); Associate Professor in Government and History (Campbell University, North Carolina). Boeing airplanes--History; Boeing Aircraft Company--History. Relative decline of Boeing in the civil aircraft market in relation to European manufacturer, Airbus  - neglect of strategic value in favor of shareholder value.

(Boeing), Kenny Kemp (2006). Flight of the Titans: Boeing, Airbus and the Battle for the Future of Air Travel. (London, UK: Virgin Books, 272 p.). Boeing Dreamliners 200-350; Airbus A380. Boeing Corporation; Airbus Industrie. Rivalry and risk - Airbus's launch of largest passenger plane ever to fly, how it risked everything vs.  Boeing Dreamliners 200-350. 

(Boeing), Joe Sutter with Jay Spenser (2006). 747: Creating the World’s First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Action. (New York, NY: Smithsonian, 288 p.). Leader of the Boeing Design and Engineering Team that Created the 747. Sutter, Joseph F.; Aeronautical engineers--United States--Biography; Boeing 747 (Jet transports)--Design and construction. Technical, political and corporate forces that clashed over the 747 development.

(Boeing), John Newhouse (2007). Boeing versus Airbus:The Inside Story of the Greatest International Competition in Business. (New York, NY: Knopf, 272 p.). Boeing Company; Airbus Industrie; Aircraft industry--United States; Aircraft industry--France; Competition, International. High-stakes rivalry between world’s two largest aircraft manufacturers. Boeing overtaken by Airbus in late 1990s. But Airbus did not remain on top for long. 

(Bombardier), Roger Lacasse (1988). Joseph-Armand Bombardier: An Inventor's Dream Come True. (Montreal, QU: Libre Expression, 207 p.). Bombardier, Joseph-Armand, 1907-1964; Snowmobiles -- Québec (Province) -- History; Inventors -- Québec (Province) -- History.

(Bombardier), Larry MacDonald (2001). The Bombardier Story: Planes, Trains, and Snowmobiles. (Toronto, ON: Wiley, 293 p.). Bombardier Inc.--History.

(Boulton & Paul), Gordon Kinsey; foreword by David Chenery (1992). Boulton & Paul Aircraft: The History of the Companies at Norwich and Wolverhampton. (Lavenham, UK: Terence Dalton, 199 p.). Boulton & Paul (Firm); Aircraft Production History; Norfolk (England); West Midlands (England).

(British Aerospace), Sir Richard Evans and Colin Price (1999). Vertical Take-Off: The Inside Story of British Aerospace's Comeback from Crisis to World Class. (London, UK: Nicholas Brealey, 214 p.). British Aerospace (Firm)--Management; Aerospace industries--Great Britain--Case studies; Corporate turnarounds--Great Britain--Case studies.

(British Aircraft), Charles Gardner (1981). British Aircraft Corporation: A History. (London, UK: Batsford, 320 p.). British Aircraft Corporation -- History.

(Canadian Marconi Company), Graham Gibbs (1997). Teaming a Product and a Global Market: A Canadian Marconi Company Success Story. (Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 254 p.). Canadian Marconi Company--History; Aircraft supplies industry--Canada--History; Aeronautical instruments industry--Canada--History; Avionics--History; Airplanes--Electronic equipment; Airplanes--Electric equipment.

(Cessna Aircraft Company), Jeffrey L. Rodengen (1998). The Legend of Cessna. (Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Write Stuff Enterprises, 255 p.). Cessna Aircraft Company--History; Cessna aircraft--History.

(Consolidated Aircraft), William Wagner (1976). Reuben Fleet: and the Story of Consolidated Aircraft. (Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, 324 p.). Fleet, Reuben Hollis; Consolidated Aircraft (Firm); Aeronautics -- United States -- History.

(Curtiss-Wright), Murray Rubenstein & Richard M. Goldman (1974). To Join with the Eagles: Curtiss-Wright Aircraft, 1903-1965. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 230 p.). Curtiss-Wright Corporation; Curtiss-Wright aircraft.

(Curtiss-Wright), Louis R. Eltscher and Edward M. Young (1998). Curtiss-Wright: Greatness and Decline. (New York, NY: Twayne Publishers, 213 p.). Curtiss-Wright Corporation--History; Aircraft industry--United States--History.

(Curtiss-Wright), Seth Shulman (2002). Unlocking the Sky: Glenn Hammond Curtiss and the Race to Invent the Airplane. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 258 p.). Curtiss, Glenn Hammond, 1878-1930; Airplanes--History; Air pilots--United States--Biography.

(Fokker Anthony Group), Anthony H. G. Fokker and Bruce Gould (1972). Flying Dutchman; The Life of Anthony Fokker. (New York, NY: Arno Press, 282 p. [orig. pub. 1931]). Fokker, Anthony H. G. (Anthony Herman Gerard), 1890-1939. Series: Literature and history of aviation.

(Fokker), Thijs Postma and translated [from the Dutch] by Sidney Woods (1980). Fokker: Aircraft Builders to the World. (New York, NY: Jane's Publishing Company Limited, 160 p.). Fokker, Anthony H. G. (Anthony Herman Gerard), 1890-1939; Zentralgesellschaft VFW-Fokker m.b.H.

(Fokker), Marc Dierikx (1997). Fokker: A Transatlantic Biography. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 250 p.). Fokker, Anthony H. G. (Anthony Herman Gerard), 1890-1939; Aeronautical engineers--Netherlands--Biography.

(Fokker), Marc Dierikx (2004). Uit de Lucht Gegrepen: Fokker als Nederlandse Droom, 1945-1996. (Amsterdam: Boom, 324 p.). Zentralgesellschaft VFW-Fokker m.b.H.; Aircraft industry--Netherlands--History.

(Garrett Corporation), William A. Schoneberger and Robert R.H. Scholl (1985). Out of Thin Air: Garrett's First 50 Years. (Los Angeles, CA: GarrettCorp., 288 p.). Garrett Corporation--History; Aircraft industry--California--History; Aircraft industry--United States--History.

(Hawker Siddeley Aviation), Harry Holmes (1994). Avro: The History of an Aircraft Company. (Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 196 p,). Hawker Siddeley Aviation; Avro Whitworth Division; Avro airplanes -- History; Fighter aircraft Production Great Britain.

(Hiller Aircraft Company), Jay P. Spenser (1992). Vertical Challenge: The Hiller Aircraft Story. (Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 224 p.). Hiller Aircraft Company--History; Helicopter industry--United States--History.

(Hughes), Albert B. Gerber. (1967). Bashful Billionaire; The Story of Howard Hughes. (New York, NY: L. Stuart, 384 p.). Hughes, Howard Robard, 1905-.

(Hughes), Stanton O'Keefe (1972). The Real Howard Hughes Story (New York, NY: American Affairs Press, 251 p.). Hughes, Howard, 1905-1976; Businessmen -- United States -- Biography; Motion picture producers and directors -- United States -- Biography.

(Hughes), Michael Drosnin (1985). Citizen Hughes: Citizen Hughes : The Power, the Money and the Madness . (New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 532 p.). Hughes, Howard, 1905-1976; Millionaires--United States--Biography; Political corruption--United States; United States--Politics and government--1945-1989.

(Hughes), Robert Maheu and Richard Hack (1992). Next to Hughes: Behind the Power and Tragic Downfall of Howard Hughes by His Closest Advisor (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 289 p.). Maheu, Robert; Hughes, Howard, 1905-1976; Businessmen -- United States -- Biography.

(Hughes), Charles Higham (1993). Howard Hughes: The Secret Life (New York, NY: Putnam, 368 p.). Hughes, Howard, 1905-1976; Businessmen -- United States -- Biography; Millionaires -- United States -- Biography.

(Hughes), L.A. "Pat" Hyland; edited by W.A. Schoneberger (1993). Call Me Pat: The Autobiography of the Man Howard Hughes Chose to Lead Hughes Aircraft.  (Virginia Beach, VA: Donning Co., 415 p.).

(Lockheed), Bill Yenne (1987). Lockheed. (New York, NY: Crescent Books, 255 p.). Lockheed Aircraft Corporation; Aircraft industry--United States; Aerospace industries--United States.

(Lockheed), Walter J. Boyne (1998). Beyond the Horizons: The Lockheed Story. (New York, NY: Thomas Dunne Books, 542 p.). Lockheed Aircraft Corporation--History; Aircraft industry--United States--History; Aerospace industries--United States--History.

(Lockheed Martin), Norman R. Augustine (1998). Augustine's Travels: A World-Class Leader Looks at Life, Business, and What It Takes To Succeed at Both. (New York, NY: AMACOM, 262 p.). Chairman, CEO, Lockheed Martin. Management; Leadership; Chief executive officers; Success in business.

(Luscombe Airplane Corporation), John C. Swick (1987). The Luscombe Story: Every Cloud Has a Silvaire Lining: A Story about the History of the Luscombe Airplanes and of the Designer, Don Luscombe. (Terre Haute, IN: Sunshine House, 216 p.). Luscombe Airplane Corporation--History; Luscombe airplanes--History.

(Luscombe Airplane Corporation), James B. Zazas (1993). Visions of Luscombe: The Early Years. (Terre Haute, IN: SunShine House, 319 P.). Luscombe, Don A., d. 1965; Luscombe Airplane Corporation; Luscombe airplanes.

(Martin Marietta Corporation), Henry Still (1964). To Ride the Wind; A Biography of Glenn L. Martin. (New York, NY: Messner, 256 p.). Martin, Glenn L. (Glenn Luther), 1886-1955.

(Martin Marietta Corporation), William B. Harwood (1993). Raise Heaven and Earth: The Story of Martin Marietta People and Their Pioneering Achievements. (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 656 p.). Martin, Glenn L. (Glenn Luther), 1886-1955; Martin Marietta Corporation--History; Aeronautics--United States--History.

(Martin Marietta Corporation), Mike Cheatham (2003). "No Man Walks Alone": The Life and Times of Thomas G. Pownall. (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 157 p.). Pownall, Thomas G. (Thomas Gilmore), 1922- ; Martin Marietta Corporation Management; Chief executive officers United States Biography; Military aeronautics equipment industry United States History. 

(McDonnell Douglas), Bill Yenne (1985). McDonnell Douglas: A Tale of Two Giants. (New York, NY: Crescent Books, 256 p.). McDonnell Douglas Corporation--History; McDonnell Douglas airplanes--History.

(D. Napier and Son Ltd.), Charles H. Wilson and William Reader (1958). Men and Machines; A History of D. Napier & Son, Engineers, Ltd., 1808-1958. (London, UK: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 187 p.). Napier (D.) and Son, ltd.

(Northrop), Ted Coleman with Robert Wenkam (1988). Jack Northrop and the Flying Wing: The Story Behind the Stealth Bomber. (New York, NY: Paragon House, 284 p.). Northrop, John Knudsen, 1895-1981; Aeronautical engineers--United States--Biography; B-2 bomber; Stealth aircraft.

(Northrop), Richard S. Allen (1990). The Northrop Story, 1929-1939. (New York, NY: Orion Books, 178 p.). Northrop, John Knudsen, 1895-1981; Northrop Corporation--History; Industrialists--United States--Biography; Aircraft industry--United States--History.

(Piper Aircraft Corporation), Devon Francis (1973). Mr. Piper and His Cubs. (Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press, 256 p.). Piper, William Thomas, 1881-1970; Piper Aircraft Corporation, Lock Haven, Pa.; Lock Haven (Pa.)--History.

(Pratt & Whitney Canada), Kenneth H. Sullivan & Larry Milberry (1989). Power: The Pratt & Whitney Canada Story. (Toronto, ON: CANAV Books, 319 p.). Pratt & Whitney Aircraft of Canada -- History; Airplanes -- Motors -- History.

(Republic Aviation Corporation), Joshua Stoff (1990). The Thunder Factory: An Illustrated History of the Republic Aviation Corporation. (Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 192 p.). Republic Aviation Corporation--History; Aircraft industry--United States--History; Airplanes, Military--United States--History.

(Rockwell), Bill Yenne (1989). Rockwell: The Heritage of North American. (New York, NY: Crescent Books, 223 p.). North American Rockwell Corporation -- History; Rockwell International -- History; Aerospace industries -- United States -- History; Military aeronautics equipment industry -- United States -- History.

(Rotol), Bruce A. Stait (1990). Rotol: The History of an Airscrew Company, 1937-1960. (Stroud, UK: Alan Sutton, 180 p.). Dowty Aerospace Gloucester; Aircraft Production History. 

(Ryan Aeronautical Company), William Wagner, in collaboration with Lee Dye (1971). Ryan, The Aviator; Being the Adventures & Ventures of Pioneer Airman & Businessman, T. Claude Ryan. (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 253 p.). Ryan, Tubal Claude, 1898- ; Ryan Aeronautical Company.

(Ryan Aeronautical Company), Ev Cassagneres (1982). The Spirit of Ryan. (Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 250 p.). Ryan, Tubal Claude, 1898- ; Ryan Aeronautical Company--History.

(Scottish Aviation Limited), Alan Robertson (1986). Lion Rampant and Winged: A Commemorative History of Scottish Aviation Limited, Predecessor Company of British Aerospace PLC, Civil Aircraft Division, Prestwick. (Barassie, UK: A. Robertson, 269 p.). Scottish Aviation Limited; Great Britain Aircraft industries history.

(Sikorsky), Robert M. Bartlett (1947). Sky Pioneer: The Story of Igor I. Sikorsky. (New York, NY: C. Scribner's Sons, 153 p.). Sikorsky, Igor Ivan, 1889-1972; Aeronautics--Biography.

(Sikorsky), K.N. Finne; translated and adapted by Von Hardesty. (1987). Igor Sikorsky, the Russian Years. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 223 p.). Sikorsky, Igor Ivan, 1889-1972; Aeronautical engineers--Soviet Union--Biography; Il´ia Muromets (Bomber).

(Sikorsky), Dorothy Cochrane, Von Hardesty, Russell Lee (1989). The Aviation Careers of Igor Sikorsky. (Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 207 p.. Sikorsky, Igor Ivan, 1889-1972 --Exhibitions.

(Sikorsky), William E. Hunt (1998). 'Heelicopter': Pioneering with Igor Sikorsky: Based on a Personal Account. (Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Pub., 229 p.). Sikorsky, Igor Ivan, 1889-1972; Hunt, William E.; Helicopters--United States--Design and construction--History; Aeronautics--United States--Biography.

(Sikorsky), Sergei I. Sikorsky, Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives (2007). The Sikorsky Legacy. (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 128 p.). Oldest Son of Igor. Sikorsky, Igor Ivan, 1889-1972; Aeronautics--Biography. History of Sikorsky aviation and its founder, Igor I. Sikorsky, one of most talented, versatile aeronautical pioneers in history; genius of Sikorsky’s intuitive engineering, lifelong interest in challenge of the helicopter.

(Smiths Industries), Ray J. Abraczinskas ... [et al] (1990). Smiths Industries at Cheltenham: The Story of Fifty Years at Bishops Cleeve 1940-1990. (Surbiton, Surrey, UK: Published for Smiths Industries Aerospace and Defence Systems by Kristall Productions Ltd., 128 p.). Aircraft industry -- England -- Cheltenham -- History; Aerospace industries -- England -- Cheltenham -- History; Aerospace engineering History Gloucestershire (England).

(Smiths Industries), Ray J. Abraczinskas ... [et al] (1999). Fifty-Five Trips around the Sun: The History of Smiths Industries Information Management Systems in Grand Rapids. (Grand Rapids, MI: Smiths Industries Aerospace, 313 p.). Smiths Industries Information Management Systems--History; Aerospace industries--Michigan--Grand Rapids.

(Norman Thompson Flight Company), Michael H. Goodall (1995). The Norman Thompson File: The History of the Norman Thompson Flight Company, and White & Thompson Ltd. (Tunbridge Wells, UK: Air-Britain, 101 p.). Norman Thompson Flight Company -- History; White & Thompson Ltd. -- History; Seaplanes -- Great Britain -- History.

(Turboméca), Guy Decôme (1999). Joseph Szydlowski et Son Temps, ou, L'Aventure de Turboméca. (Tarbes, FR: Conseil imprim, 512 p.). Szydlowski, Joseph, 1896-1988; Turboméca (Firm)--History; Aerospace engineers--France--Biography; Businessmen--France--Biography; Jet engines--France--History.

(Vought Corporation), Gerard P. Moran (1978). Aeroplanes Vought, 1917-1977. (Temple City, CA: Historical Aviation Album, 164 p.). Vought Corporation Systems Division; Vought aircraft.

(Vought Corporation), Bernard Millot ; préface de Pierre Gaillard; dessins en couleurs de Jean-Jacques Petit (1983). Les Avions Vought. (Paris, FR: Editions Lariviere, 531 p.). Vought Corporation--History; Vought aircraft--History.

(Waco Aircraft Company), Raymond H. Brandly (1988). The Authentic History of Waco Airplanes and the Biographies of the Founders, Clayton J. Brukner and Elwood J. "Sam" Junkin. (Dayton, OH: R. H. Brandly, 213 p. [2nd ed.]). Brukner, Clayton John, 1896-1977; Junkin, Elwood J. (Elwood James), 1897-1926; Waco Aircraft Company--History; Advance Aircraft Company--History; Waco airplanes--History; Aeronautics--United States--Biography.

(Weir Group), W.J. Reader (1968). Architect of Air Power: The Life of the First Viscount Weir of Eastwood 1877-1959. (London, UK: Collins, 351 p.). Weir, William Douglas Weir, 1st Viscount, 1877-1959.

(Weir Group), W.J. Reader (1971). The Weir Group: A Centenary History. (London, UK: Weidenfeld, 238 p.). Weir Group Limited.

Roger E. Bilstein (1996). The American Aerospace Industry: From Workshop to Global Enterprise. (New York, NY: Twayne Publishers, 280 p.). Aerospace industries--United States--History; Aircraft industry--United States--History.

--- (2001). The Enterprise of Flight: The American Aviation and Aerospace Industry. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 280 p.). Aerospace industries--United States--History; Aircraft industry--United States--History.

Keith Hayward (1989). The British Aircraft Industry. (New York, NY: Manchester University Press, 221 p.). Aircraft industry--Great Britain; Aerospace industries--Great Britain.

Seishi Kimura (2007). The Challenges of Late Industrialization: The Global Economy and the Japanese Commercial Aircraft Industry. (New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 240 p.). Associate Professor of International Business (Fukushima University, Japan). Competition, International; Barriers to entry (Industrial organization); Aircraft supplies industry--Japan--Case studies; Aircraft industry--Japan--Case studies. Underlying factors for latecomer firms to catch up as system integrators or to upgrade as suppliers in fast-globalizing industries; how/why post-war Japanese commercial aircraft firms have upgraded yet failed to catch up.

Grover C. Loening (1968). Takeoff into Greatness; How American Aviation Grew So Big So Fast. (New York, NY: Putnam, 256 p.). Aircraft industry--United States; Aircraft industry.

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Business History Links

Boeing: The History beneath Our Wings   Http://Www.Boeing.Com/Companyoffices/History/Indexf.Html)            A corporate history of Boeing, including a chronology, brief biographies of company leaders, and indexes of aircraft, with pictures and statistical information. Separate sections cover the histories of two other companies acquired by Boeing: McDonnell Douglas and North American Aviation (later North American Rockwell). Biographies feature video clips. Subjects: Boeing Company -- History | Aircraft industry -- United States -- History.