Date On This Date In Aviation History Information Source 9/19/1943 US Navy raid on Tarawa in preparation for it's conquest. Wings Of Gold by Gerald Astor 9/19/1940 RAF establishes 71SQ first of the American volunteer units at RAF Church Fenton International Air Power Review, Fall 2001 9/19/1962 First flight of the Conroy 'Pregnant Guppy', a converted Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, designed to carry outsize loads. Wright To Fly, by Peter R. March 9/19/1783 Joseph and Etienne Mongolfier, sons of a paper manufacturer in Annoy, Franc, send the first living creatures aloft in a hot air balloon. The sheep, rooster, and duck return to earth safely after only a few minutes in the air over the palace at Versailles, France. U.S. Airforce - A Complete History by The Air Force Historical Foundation 9/19/1917 The only Handley Page O/400 in the Middle East dropped sixteen 112 lb bombs on the central telephone exchange used by Turkish Army Headquarters, effectively cutting off German commander-in-chief, General Liman von Sanders, from the Turkish 7th and 8th Armies in Palestine, and from the 4th Army to the east of the Jordan River. Aviation Century - The Early Years by Ron Dick & Dan Patterson 9/19/1949 Maiden flight of the Fairey Gannet turboprop anti-submarine aircraft for the Fleet Air Arm, which was the first aircraft to use a turboprop engine (an Armstrong-Siddeley Double Mamba) with a dual propeller. Wright To Fly, by Peter R. March 9/19/1988 The prototype of the BAe Sea Harrier FRS2 was flown for the first time. Wright To Fly, by Peter R. March 9/19/1902 Having returned to Kitty Hawk, the Wrights begin flights using a new, larger glider. The performance of the 1902 Glider had been calculated during previous experiments and proved to be accurate in flight. U.S. Airforce - A Complete History by The Air Force Historical Foundation 9/19/1962 First flight of the Aero Spacelines Boeing 337PG,the first "Guppy". Royal Air Force Flying Review, December 1962 9/19/1928 The first diesel engine designed for aircraft propulsion is tested at Utica, Michigan. The engine is designed by I.M. Woolson and built by the Packard Motor Car Company. U.S. Airforce - A Complete History by The Air Force Historical Foundation 9/19/1938 First flight of the Short S.31 50% scale Stirling. Pilots; J.Parker,Hugh Gordon. X Planes and Prototypes By Jim Winchester 9/19/1952 32 Boeing B-29s with North American F-86 Sabre escort attack an enemy barracks and two supply areas southwest of Hamhung during daylight. This marks the first day raid flown by B-29s in nearly 11 months. U.S. Airforce - A Complete History by The Air Force Historical Foundation 9/19/1949 First flight of the Fairey Gannet AS prototype VR546.Pilot: R.G. Slade. 4+(Four Plus), No Month, 2007, Volume 023, Issue , No Month, 2007, Volume 023, Issue 0 9/19/1979 700A SQ Royal Navy is commissioned with acceptance of Sea Harrier FRS.1 XV451. Harrier Naval Institute Press, No Month, 1983, Vol, No Month, 1983, Volume 001, Issue 2