1931 in aviation explained
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1931:
Events
- Bert Hinkler flies a de Havilland Puss Moth from Canada to New York City, then non-stop 2400km (1,500miles) to Jamaica, then on to British Guiana and Brazil. He then flies across the South Atlantic Ocean to West Africa in extremely bad weather, becoming the first person to fly across the South Atlantic solo and only the second person after Charles Lindbergh in 1927 to fly solo across the Atlantic. He completes his journey by flying from West Africa to London.[1] For the flight, he receives the Segrave Trophy, the Johnston Memorial Prize, and the Britannia Trophy for the most meritorious flying performance of the year.
- Manufacturer Airspeed Ltd founded in York, England.
- Alexander Seversky founds the Seversky Aircraft Corporation.[2]
- Watanabe Iron Works, the ancestor of the Kyūshū Airplane Company Ltd., begins to manufacture aircraft.[3]
- First Bendix trophy race.
- The Imperial Japanese Navy decides to abolish its airship units and phase airships out of the fleet over the next few years.[4]
- In New York City, the Empire State Building is completed, topped with a 200-foot (61-meter) mooring mast for airships. Plans to disembark airship passengers prove impractical, and the mast is never used except for a single three-minute contact by the United States Navy blimp J-4.[5]
- U.S. Army Second Lieutenant William A. Cooke sets world gliding records for endurance and distance, flying an estimated 600 statute miles (966 km) in 21 hours 34 minutes 15 seconds at Wheeler Field, Territory of Hawaii.[6]
- Summer 1931 - Transcontinental and Western Air moves its headquarters from New York City to Kansas City, Missouri.[7]
January
February
- Flying from Oran in French Algeria, the French aviators Antoine Paillard and Louis Mailloux fly a 15km (09miles) circuit for over 50 hours in the Bernard 80 GR in an attempt to set a new unrefueled nonstop closed-circuit world distance record. They cover 8168abbr=offNaNabbr=off before higher-than-expected fuel consumption forces them to land only 20abbr=offNaNabbr=off short of the record.
- February 1 – Polish pilot Stanisław Skarżyński begins a 25050km (15,570miles) tour around Africa in a PZL Ł.2. He will complete it on May 5.
- February 12 – The Detroit News places an order for a Pitcairn PCA-2 autogiro with the Pitcairn Aircraft Company. It is the first commercial order for an autogiro in the United States.[10]
- February 14 - The United States Congress authorizes a new award, the Air Mail Medal of Honor, which the President of the United States is to award to pilots who perform distinguished service in connection with U.S. Air Mail service.[11] It will first be awarded in December 1933.[12]
- February 21 - After a Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra) Ford Trimotor lands at Rodríguez Ballón Airport at Arequipa, Peru, armed revolutionary soldiers surround it. They demand that it fly them to another destination, but the Trimotor's pilot refuses. The standoff continues for 10 days until, on 2 March, the soldiers suddenly announce that their side won the revolution and let the pilot go in exchange for him giving one of them a ride to Lima.[13]
- February 26 - Imperial Airways begins scheduled services between England and Africa using Armstrong Whitworth Argosys.
- February 6-March 1 - Flying the Blériot 110 over a closed circuit in French Algeria, the French aviator Maurice Rossi sets an unrefueled distance record of 8822abbr=offNaNabbr=off. The plane remains in the air for over 75 hours 23 minutes.[14]
March
- The French aviator Marcel Goulette flies a Farman F.304 trimotor from Paris, France, to Tananarive, Madagascar, and back.
- March 9 - Flying a Farman F.302, French aviators Jean Réginensi and Marcel Lalouette set new distance and duration records over a closed circuit with a 2,000-kilogram (4,409-pound) payload, flying 2678abbr=offNaNabbr=off in 17 hours.
- March 21
- March 26 - Ad Astra Aero and Balair merge to form Swissair.
- March 30–April 2 - Flying the Benard 80 GR, French aviators Jean Marmoz and Antoine Paillard set a new closed-circuit unrefueled flight distance record, covering 8960abbr=offNaNabbr=off in a time of 52 hours 44 minutes. A loss of coolant finally brings the flight to an end, although during the last part of the flight the two men pump champagne, eau de Vittel, and coffee into the radiator to keep the engine cool.
- March 31 - A Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crashes near Bazaar, Kansas, killing all eight on board, including American football coach Knute Rockne. The crash prompts the first grounding of an aircraft type, ordered by the United States Department of Commerce.
April
May
June
July
- July 15 - The United States Army Corps's Air Corps Tactical School completes its relocation from Langley Field, Virginia, to Maxwell Field, Alabama.
- July 20 - The Boston and Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad found Boston-Maine Airways, the future Northeast Airlines. It flies from Boston, Massachusetts, to Bangor, Maine, via Portland, Maine, as a Pan American Airways contract carrier.
- July 22–September 1 - Sir Alan Cobham and crew make a 19800km (12,300miles) return flight between England and the Belgian Congo in a Short Valletta.
- July 27 - The Air Line Pilots Association, International is founded at a meeting in Chicago, Illinois.[19]
- July 28–31 - Russell Norton Boardman and John Louis Polando fly the Bellanca Special J-300 high-wing monoplane Cape Cod, registration NR761W, powered by a 300hp Wright J-6 Whirlwind engine, nonstop from Floyd Bennett Field in New York City, to Istanbul, Turkey, in 49 hours 20 minutes, establishing a distance record of 5011.8miles. It is the first known non-stop flight to surpass either 5,000 miles or 8,000 kilometers.[20] [21]
August
September
- The Latécoère 380 flying boat sets six world seaplane records, including three speed-with-load-over-distance records and a closed-circuit distance-with-load record of 2208abbr=offNaNabbr=off.
- The Royal Air Forces first instrument flying course begins. Held at RAF Wittering, it employs six Avro 504Ns fitted with blind-flying hoods, turn indicators, and reduced dihedral to decrease inherent stability.[23]
- September 7 - Herbert Clayton Wells loses his life during an air contests in Ottumwa.[24]
- September 7 - Lowell Bayles wins the 1931 Thompson Trophy in the Gee Bee Model Z racer at the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio, with a speed of 236.24mph.
- September 13 - The United Kingdom wins the Schneider Trophy outright by winning its third consecutive Schneider Trophy race. Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant John Boothman of the RAF High-Speed Flight completes the course at Calshot Spit in Supermarine S.6B serial S1595 at 547.297km/h. With the trophy retired, the Schneider Trophy races, begun in 1913, come to an end.
- September 23 - A Pitcairn XOP-1 autogyro conducts landing and take-off trials aboard the United States Navy aircraft carrier . It is the U.S. Navys first experiment with a shipborne rotary-wing aircraft.[25]
- September 29
- Following the Schneider Trophy success, Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant George Stainforth in Supermarine S.6B serial S1596 breaks the 400 mph air speed record barrier at 407.5mph.[26]
- American inventor Ed Link receives a patent for his "Combination Training Device for Student Aviators and Entertainment Apparatus." Better known as the Link Trainer, it allows pilots to train safely on the ground for "blind" instrument flying.[27]
October
- October 1 - KLM begins a regular service between Amsterdam and Batavia by Fokker F.XII. At 13744km (8,540miles) this is the longest regular air route in the world at the time.
- October 3 - Brazil reestablishes Brazilian Navy control over naval aviation, creating a naval aviation corps which takes over the control of naval aircraft from the general staff.[28]
- October 3–5 - Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon make the first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean, from Samushiro Beach, Japan, to Wenatchee, Washington, in 41 hours in Miss Veedol, a Bellanca J-300 Long Distance Special.[29]
- October 17 - The first hook-on test of the U.S. Navys parasite fighter program takes places, as the Curtiss XF9C-1 prototype successfully docks with the dirigible .[30]
- October 27 - The Detroit Aircraft Corporation files for bankruptcy. Eventually, the Lockheed portion of the company is bought out of receivership.
- October 27–28 - As a test of the second Fairey Long-Range Monoplane in preparation for a later attempt at setting a new non-stop distance flight record it, Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Oswald R. Gayford and Flight Lieutenant D. L. G. Bett fly from RAF Cranwell in England to RAF Abu Sueir in Egypt, covering 2857abbr=offNaNabbr=off nonstop in 31 hours.[31]
November
- The first production R-6 rolls off the assembly line at the N22 factory in Moscow.
- Hillman's Airways is founded. It will begin charter services in December 1931 and scheduled services in April 1932.
- November 2 - United States Marine Corps squadrons VS-15M and VS-14M embark on and, the first time Marine Corps squadrons are assigned to aircraft carriers.
- November 20 – The Government of the Philippines creates an office under its Department of Commerce and Communications to handle aviation matters in the Philippines, particularly the enforcement of rules and regulations governing commercial aviation and private flying.
December
- December 5 - Lowell Bayles, winner of the 1931 Thompson Trophy, dies when the Gee Bee Model Z racer he is piloting crashes during a speed run at Wayne County Airport in Detroit, Michigan.
- Hillman's Airways begins flight operations with a charter flight. It will begin scheduled services in April 1932.
- December 29 - As the French aviators Louis Mailloux and Jean Marmoz take off in the Bernard 81 GR Antoine Paillard to attempt to set a new unrefueled non-stop closed-circuit flight distance record, the airplane's propeller hits the ground and its undercarriage collapses. The two men escape the accident with only a few bruises, and the aircraft eventually is repaired.
First flights
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
- December 29 - Grumman XFF-1, prototype of the Grumman FF[39] [40]
- December 29 - Hawker Audax
Entered service
May
October
November
December
Retirements
Notes and References
- http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hinkler-herbert-john-bert-6680 Australian Dictionary of Biography: Bert Hinkler
- Angelucci, Enzo, The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft From 1917 to the Present, New York: Orion Books, 1987,, p. 382.
- Francillon, René J., Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1979,, p. 22.
- Peattie, Mark R., Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power 1909-1941, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2001,, p. 16.
- Polmar, Norman, "Ships That Were Lighter Than Air," Naval History, June 2011, p. 19.
- http://hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation/chronology-of-aviation-in-hawaii/1930-1939 Aviation Hawaii: 1930-1939 Chronology of Aviation in Hawaii
- http://twaflightattendants.com/liftoffhtml/historytimeline.html TWA History Timeline
- Swanborough, Gordon, and Peter M. Bowers, United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911, Second Edition, London: Putnam, 1976,, p. 2.
- Web site: Glaciar Perito Moreno. https://web.archive.org/web/20080725052118/http://www.glaciologia.cl/moreno.html. 2008-07-25. www.glaciologia.cl. 2008-07-25. Wayback Machine.
- http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/helicopter%20history/The%20Contributions%20of%20the%20Autogyro.htm Century of Flight: History of the Helicopter: Contributions of the Autogyro
- https://web.archive.org/web/20100409075048/http://nasm.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19580113000 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Medal, Air Mail Medal of Honor
- Johnson, Frederick L., "Modest Mal," Aviation History, March 2012, p. 19.
- https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19310221-0 Aviation Safety Network Hijacking Description
- http://fly.historicwings.com/2012/08/new-york-to-syria-non-stop/ Historic Wings: Flight Stories, "New York to Syria Non-Stop," 5 August 2012.
- http://www.ameliaearhart.com/about/achievements.html ameliaearhart.com Achievements
- http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/helicopter%20history/The%20Contributions%20of%20the%20Autogyro.htm century-of-flight.net Century of Flight: History of the Helicopter: Contributions of the Autogyro
- "Set Flight Record Without Refueling; Lees And Brossy, 84:33 Hours In Air, Recapture World Mark From France," New York Times, May 29, 1931.
- https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/16/us/plane-ends-a-record-nonstop-flight.html Blakeslee, Sandra "Plane Ends a Record Nonstop Flight," The New York Times, July 16, 1986.
- http://www.avgeekery.com/early-history-alpa-air-line-pilots-association-first-airline-strike/ Santiago, J. P., "The Early History of ALPA, the Air Line Pilots Association, and the First Airline Strike," avgeekery.com, February 2016.
- News: 'Cape Cod's' Success Climaxes 5 Years [of] Bellanca Records ]. The Sunday Morning Star, Wilmington, DE . 2 August 1931 . 4 September 2013.
- . Airisms from the Four Winds - More Atlantic Flights . Flight . 774 . United Kingdom . flightglobal.com . July 31, 1931 . February 23, 2016.
- http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19310809-0 Aviation Safety Network: Accident Description
- Donald, David, ed., The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft, New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997,, p. 77.
- The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska · Page 5 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/58114314/
- Layman, R.D., Before the Aircraft Carrier: The Development of Aviation Vessels 1849-1922, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1989,, p. 124.
- Book: Price, Alfred. Spitfire: a Documentary History. London. Macdonald and Jane’s. 1977. 0-354-01077-8. 12.
- Bauman, Richard, "Link to the Future," Aviation History, May 2014, p. 50.
- Scheina, Robert L., Latin America: A Naval History 1810–1987, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1987,, p. 195.
- Heikell, Edward and Robert, One Chance for Glory, Amazon book,, May 2012, P.61
- Angelucci, Enzo, The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft From 1917 to the Present, New York: Orion Books, 1987,, p. 145.
- O'Connor, Derek, "Going Long," Aviation History, March 2016, pp. 54–55.
- Donald, David, ed., The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft, New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997,, p. 50.
- Angelucci, Enzo, The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft From 1917 to the Present, New York: Orion Books, 1987,, p. 146.
- Donald, David, ed., The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft, New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997,, p. 48.
- Angelucci, Enzo, The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft From 1917 to the Present, New York: Orion Books, 1987, p. 60.
- Donald, David, ed., The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft, New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997,, p. 287.
- Angelucci, Enzo, The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft From 1917 to the Present, New York: Orion Books, 1987,, p. 144.
- Angelucci, Enzo, The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft From 1917 to the Present, New York: Orion Books, 1987,, p. 262.
- Angelucci, Enzo, The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft From 1917 to the Present, New York: Orion Books, 1987, pp. 218, 219.
- Polmar, Norman, "Historic Aircraft: Biplane Fighters in Action," Naval History, June 2011, p. 16.
- Polar, Norman, "'There's a Ford in Your Future'," Naval History, December 2015, p. 15.
