search Skytamer.com

1954 Master Index 1956

1955 Chronology of Aviation History
Major Aviation Events

1955 Events

  • 1955 — The United Kingdom's first atomic bomber unit, the Royal Air Force's No. 138 Squadron, becomes operational, flying Vickers “Valiants”. [1]

January 1955

  • January 10 — Aircraft of the People's Republic of China attack the Nationalist Chinese-held Tachen Islands. [1]

  • January 10 — After an extensive overhaul, the attack aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) is recommissioned as the first operational United States Navy aircraft carrier with an angled flight deck. [1]

  • January 11 — Two Royal Air Force No. 42 Squadron Avro “Shackleton” maritime patrol aircraft disappear without trace during a routine exercise off Fastnet Rock on the southwest coast of Ireland, and are presumed to have collided in mid-air. An engine from one of the aircraft finally will be found in 1966. [1]

  • January 12 — A Trans World Airlines Martin 2-0-2A collides in mid-air just after takeoff from Boone County Airport (later Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport) in Hebron, Kentucky, with a privately owned Douglas DC-3 which has strayed into controlled airspace without clearance. Both aircraft crash, killing all 13 people aboard the TWA plane and both people on the Douglas DC-3. [1]

February 1955

  • February 9 — Twenty nautical miles (37 km) southeast of the Tachen Islands, the People's Republic of China shoots down a U.S. Navy Douglas AD “Skyraider” attack aircraft covering the evacuation of Nationalist Chinese forces from the islands. [1]

  • February 13 — A Sabena Douglas DC-6 crashes on Mount Terminillo, near Rieti, Italy, killing 29 people, including actress and model Marcella Mariani. [1]

  • February 19 — Trans World Airlines Flight 260, a Martin 404, crashes in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, New Mexico, killing all 16 people on board. [1]

  • February 24 — The United States Navy Convair R3Y-1 “Tradewind - Coral Sea Tradewind” sets a new speed record for a flying boat flight across the continental United States, flying from San Diego, California, to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, in 6 hours at an average speed of 403 mph (639 km/h). The record remains unbroken. [1]

  • February 26 — George F. Smith becomes the first person to survive a supersonic ejection, from a North American F-100 “Super Sabre” travelling at Mach 1.05. [1]

March 1955

  • March 10 — Pakistan International Airlines is formed. [1]

  • March 20 — American Airlines Flight 711, a Convair CV-240, strikes the ground during final approach at Springfield, Missouri, killing 13 of the 35 on board. [1]

  • March 22 — Descending to land in darkness and heavy rain at Hickam Air Force Base, Territory of Hawaii, the crew of United States Navy Douglas R6D-1 “Liftmaster” (BuNo 131612) of Air Transport Squadron 3 (VR-3) makes a navigational error, and the plane crashes into Pali Kea Peak in Oahu's Waianae Range 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Honolulu and explodes, killing all 66 people on board. At the time, it is the worst accident involving any version of the Douglas DC-6, and it remains the worst air disaster in the history of Hawaii and the deadliest heavier-than-air accident in U.S. naval aviation history. It will tie with the October 6 crash of United Airlines Flight 409 as the deadliest air accident of 1955. [1]

  • March 25 — During a test flight with afterburner, the Lockheed XF-104 achieves a speed of Mach 1.79 (1,181.4 mph, 1,901.3 km/hr). [1]

  • March 26 — The number three propeller and engine detach from the Pan American World Airways Boeing 377 “Stratocruiser 10-26 Clipper United States”, operating as Flight 845/26 with 23 people on board, forcing it to ditch in the Pacific Ocean 35 miles (58 km) off the coast of Oregon, killing four people. The United States Navy attack transport USS Bayfield (APA-33) rescues the 19 survivors about two hours later. [1]

April 1955

  • April — A Cunard Line report assesses that airlines do not pose a threat to the transatlantic ocean liner business because political interference with airline routes prevents aircraft from having the freedom of navigation that ships enjoy. [1]

  • April 1 — Post-World War II bans on powered flight in West Germany are lifted and Lufthansa resumes operations. [1]

  • April 4 — The United Airlines Douglas DC-6 “Mainliner Idaho” crashes shortly after taking off from Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, Islip, New York, on an instrument rating check flight due to an inadvertent reversal of the pitch of the propeller on number 4 engine. The plane is carrying no passengers; all three crew members on board die. [1]

  • April 11 — A bomb detonates aboard the Air India Lockheed L-749A “Constellation Kashmir Princess”, which is carrying delegates to the Bandung Conference in Djakarta, Indonesia. The aircraft explodes in mid-air and crashes into the South China Sea, killing 16 of the 19 people on board. Kuomintang agents had planted the bomb in a failed attempt to assassinate Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, who had changed his travel plans and is not on the plane. [1]

May 1955

  • May 31 — As tensions in the Formosa Strait ease, the People's Republic of China releases four captured American fliers. It will release all other captured Americans over the summer. [1]

June 1955

  • June — Frank N. Piasecki forms the Piasecki Aircraft Corporation. [1]

  • June 6 — Jean Boulet sets a world altitude record for helicopters of 8,209 metres (26,932 ft) in a Sud-Est S.E. 3130 “Alouette II”. [1]

  • June 16 — As part of an attempted coup against President Juan Perón, Argentine Naval Aviation and Argentine Air Force aircraft bomb and strafe the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires and the adjacent Plaza de Mayo while a large crowd is gathered there to express support for Perón, killing 364 people and injuring over 800. The bombing of Plaza de Mayo is the largest aerial bombing ever to take place in mainland Argentina. [1]

  • June 22 — The Soviet armed forces shoot down a U.S. Navy patrol plane over the Bering Strait. The Soviet Union surprises the United States by paying half the damages and issuing a statement of regret even though the American plane clearly had violated Soviet airspace. [1]

  • June 28 — Jean Moire lands a Bell 47 helicopter on top of Mont Blanc, at an altitude of 4,807 m (15,772 ft). [1]

July 1955

  • July 1 — South Vietnam's air force, the Vietnam Air Force, is established. [1]

  • July 11 — The United States Air Force Academy admits its first class, consisting of 306 cadets, at its temporary location at Lowry Air Force Base in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. It will later move to Colorado Springs, Colorado. [1]

  • July 26 — Capital Airlines adopts the Vickers “Viscount”, the first US airline to select a British airliner. [1]

  • July 27 — El Al Flight 402, a Lockheed “Constellation”, strays into Bulgarian air space and is shot down by Bulgarian Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 “Fagot” fighters. All 58 people aboard are killed. [1]

August 1955

  • August 11 — Two United States Air Force Fairchild C-119 “Flying Boxcars” collide near Stuttgart, Germany, killing 66. [1]

  • August 20 — Flying a U.S. Air Force North American F-100C “Super Sabre”, Horace A. Haines sets a world speed record of 822.135 mph (1,323.889 km/h). [1]

  • August 29 — A Royal Air Force English Electric “Canberra” sets a new world altitude record of 65,876 ft (20,079 m). [1]

  • August 31 — Lockheed Aircraft Corporation engineering test pilot Stanley Beltz is killed in a crash near Lancaster, California, while piloting an Lockheed F-94B “Starfire” modified to test the nose section of the BOMARC missile. [1]

September 1955

  • September — Czechoslovakia agrees to sell the Egyptian Air Force 50 twin-engine medium jet bombers and 120 jet fighter-interceptors, as well as military transport aircraft and helicopters. [1]

  • September 3 — J. S. Fairfield makes the first ejection from an aircraft on the ground, escaping from a Gloster “Meteor” traveling at 120 mph (193 km/h) along a runway. [1]

  • September 9 — American Airlines, Trans World Airlines, and United Airlines agree to adopt a domestic “Coach Class” for transcontinental flights across the United States. [1]

  • September 16 — Gloster “Meteor” aircraft of the Argentine Air Force attack the Argentine Navy destroyers Cervantes and La Rioja in the River Plate during the Revolución Libertadora against Juan Perón, inflicting numerous casualties. [1]

  • September 18 — Argentine Naval Aviation aircraft attack an Argentine Army column during the Revolución Libertadora against Juan Perón, halting the column before it can capture a naval air base. [1]

October 1955

  • October 6 — A Douglas DC-4 operating as United Airlines Flight 409 crashes in the Medicine Bow Mountains near Centennial, Wyoming, killing all 66 on board. It will tie with the March 22 crash of a U.S. Navy Douglas R6D-1 “Liftmaster” in Hawaii as the deadliest air accident of 1955. [1]

  • October 10 — Helicopters from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saipan (CVL-48) play a key role in rescuing people stranded by flooding in Tampico, Mexico. [1]

  • October 16 — The Boeing 367-80 (a Boeing 707 prototype) crosses the United States in just 3 hours 58 minutes. [1]

  • October 18 — A U.S. Navy Convair R3Y-1 “Tradewind” flying boat sets a speed record for a flight from Hawaii to the continental United States, flying from Honolulu to Naval Air Station Alameda, California, in 6 hours 45 minutes at an average speed of 360 mph (579 km/h). [1]

November 1955

  • November 1 — The Douglas DC-6B “Mainliner Denver”, operating as United Airlines Flight 629, is destroyed over Longmont, Colorado, by a bomb planted by Jack Gilbert Graham, who is attempting to cash in his mother's life insurance policies. All 44 on board, his mother among them, are killed. Graham will be executed for the crime on January 11, 1957. [1]

  • November 22 — A Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 (NATO reporting name “Badger”) drops the first Soviet thermo-nuclear bomb, RDS-37, in Siberia. [1]

December 1955

  • December — Royal Air Force Bomber Command becomes an all-jet operation upon the retirement of its last piston engine Avro “Lancasters” from bomber duty. [1]

  • December 4 — Glenn L. Martin, founder of the Glenn L. Martin Company, dies at age 69. [1]

  • December 13 — The de Havilland “Comet 3”, the world's first jet airliner, visits an American airport for the first time when it stops at Honolulu International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, during an around-the-world flight. It then flies to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 5 hours 39 minutes. [1]

  • December 15 — The de Havilland “Mosquito” flies its final operational sortie with the Royal Air Force. [1]

1955 First Flights

  • January 5 — LBIS LK-1. [1]

  • February 9 — Convair CV-540. [1]

  • February 14 — Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-2, prototype of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21. [1]

  • March 2 — Dassault Super Mystère. [1]

  • March 12 — Aérospatiale “Alouette II”. [1]

  • March 25 — Vought XF8U-1, prototype of the F8U “Crusader”, in 1962 redesignated F-8 “Crusader”. [1]

  • April 25 — FFA P-16 J-3001. [1]

  • May 27 — Sud “Caravelle”. [1]

  • June 11 — SIPA S.1000 “Coccinelle”. [1]

  • June 14 — Frati F.8 “Falco”. [1]

  • June 17 — Tupolev Tu-104 (NATO reporting name “Camel”). [1]

  • June 17 — Reynolds-Bensen B-8 gyro-glider prototype. [1]

  • June 24 — Scottish Aviation “Twin Pioneer”. [1]

  • June 25 — Dassault “Mirage I”. [1]

  • July 14 — Martin XP6M-1 “Seamaster” (BuNo 138821). [1]

  • July 22 — Republic XF-84H “Thunderscreech”. [1]

  • July 23 — PZL TS-8 “Bies”. [1]

  • August 4 — Lockheed Article 001, prototype of the Lockheed U-2. [1]

  • August 14 — Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter. [1]

  • August 18 — AISA AVD-12. [1]

  • August 23 — Westland “Widgeon”. [1]

  • August 25 — Handley Page HPR.3 “Herald”. [1]

  • September 7 — Sukhoi S-1, prototype of Sukhoi Su-7 (NATO reporting name “Fitter A”). [1]

  • September 20 — Nord 1500 “Griffon”. [1]

  • October 6 — Convair CV-440 “Metropolitan”. [1]

  • October 22 — Republic YF-105A, prototype of the F-105 “Thunderchief”. [1]

  • October 25 — Saab J.35 “Draken”. [1]

  • November — Cessna 172. [1]

  • November 18 — Bell X-2 (first powered flight). [1]

  • November 24 — Fokker F-27. [1]

  • December 6 — Bensen B-8M autogyro. [1]

  • December 8 — Auster “Agricola”. [1]

  • December 18 — Beechcraft Model 73 “Jet Mentor”. [1]

  • December 21 — Edgar Percival E.P.9. [1]

1955 Aircraft Entering Service

  • January 9 — Vickers “Valiant” with No. 138 Squadron, Royal Air Force. [1]

  • February — Auster A.O.P.9 with the Royal Air Force. [1]

  • May — North American FJ-3 “Fury” with the United States Navy. [1]

  • June 29 — Boeing B-52 “Stratofortress” with the United States Air Force's 93rd Bomb Wing. [1]

Works Cited

  1. Timeline and History: Wikipedia. 1955 in aviation

Copyright © 1998-2018 (Our 20th Year) Skytamer Images, Whittier, California
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED