1956 in aviation
| Years in aviation |
|---|
| 1952 |
| 1953 |
| 1954 |
| 1955 |
| 1956 |
| 1957 |
| 1958 |
| 1959 |
| 1960 |
| 1961 |
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1956:
Events
March
- March 10 – Lt Cdr Peter Twiss sets a new airspeed record in the Fairey Delta FD.2, also becoming the first person to exceed 1,000 mph. His top speed is 1,132 mph (1,821 km/h).
May
- May 21 – a B-52 Stratofortress drops the US's first air-dropped hydrogen bomb, a 3.75 MT device on Bikini Atoll
June
- June 1 – Eastern Airlines buys National Airlines.
- June 20 – the US Navy commissions its first helicopter carrier, USS Thetis Bay
September
- September 7 – the Bell X-2 research aircraft is flown by Captain Iven C. Kincheloe to a new altitude record of 126,200 ft (38,466 m).
- September 24 – the Luftwaffe is re-formed in West Germany
- September 27 – Milburn Apt sets a new airspeed record in the Bell X-2, becoming the first person to exceed Mach 3, reaching a speed of 2,094 mph (3,350 km/h) before he lost control of the X-2 and died in the resulting crash
October
- October 11 – a Vickers Valiant of No. 49 Squadron RAF drops Britain's first air-dropped atomic bomb, over Maralinga, South Australia
- October 31 – a US Navy R4D Skytrain is the first aircraft to land at the South Pole
November
- November 28 – the Ryan X-13 Vertijet makes its first transition from vertical to horizontal flight
First flights
April
- April 17 – SFECMAS Gerfaut II
May
July
August
September
November
December
- December 17 – Short SC.1
- December 26 – F-106 Delta Dart
Entered service
February
- February 24 – Gloster Javelin with No. 46 Squadron RAF
March
- March 31 – A3D Skywarrior with VAH-1
April
- April 16 – F4D Skyray with VC-13
July
- August 31 – Avro Vulcan with No. 83 Squadron RAF
September
- September 24 – Tupolev Tu-104 with Aeroflot
December
- December 9 – The 463rd Troop Carrier Wing receives the Air Force's first C-130 Hercules.
|
List of aircraft | Aircraft manufacturers | Aircraft engines | Aircraft engine manufacturers Airports | Airlines | Air forces | Aircraft weapons | Missiles | Timeline of aviation |
Categories: Timeline of aviation | 1956