1956 in aviation - Definition and Overview

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
• June 30 - a TWA Lockheed Constellation and United Airlines Douglas DC-7 collide in mid-air over the Grand Canyon and crash. The 128 people aboard the two aircraft are all killed. The accident prompts tighter air traffic control to be implemented in the United States.

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

• Aerfer Sagittario 2
• May 26 - Sukhoi Su-9

July

• July 23 - Dassault Etendard II

August

• August 1 - Aeritalia G.91
• August 6 - Beechcraft Travel Air

September

• September 10 - North American F-107

November

• November 11 - Convair XB-58
• November 17 - Dassault Mirage III

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.