1951 in aviation
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| Years in aviation |
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| 1946 |
| 1947 |
| 1948 |
| 1949 |
| 1950 |
| 1951 |
| 1952 |
| 1953 |
| 1954 |
| 1955 |
| 1956 |
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1951:
Events
February
- February 21 - an English Electric Canberra becomes the first jet to make an unrefuelled crossing of the Atlantic, taking 4 hours 37 minutes
March
- March 6 - the Martin aircraft company gains production rights to the English Electric Canberra as the B-57
- March 15 - a QANTAS flying boat makes a survey flight from Sydney to Valparaiso via Easter Island, the airline's first flight across the South Pacific.
April
- April 12 - 48 USAF B-29 Superfortresses attack the Sinuiju Railway Bridge on the Yalu River.
May
- May 1 - US Navy A-1 Skyraiders and F4U Corsairs from USS Princeton attack the Hwachon Dam, flooding the Pukhan River
- May 20 - Cpt James Jabra becomes the first fighter ace to score his five victories in a jet (a F-86 Sabre) over jets (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s)
- May 29 - Cpt C. Blair makes the first solo flight over the North Pole, in a P-51 Mustang
June
- June 1 - BEA commences helicopter services between London and Birmingham
July
- July 6 - aerial refueling is used under combat conditions for the first time, with a KB-29 Superfortress refueling four RF-80 Shooting Stars over North Korea
August
- The Canadian Blue Devils aerobatic team is disbanded.
- August 1 - Japan Air Lines is formed
- August 7 - William Bridgeman sets a new airspeed record in the Douglas Skyrocket of Mach 1.88 (1,245 mph, 1,992 km/h).
- August 15 - William Bridgeman sets a new altitude record in the Douglas Skyrocket of 74,494 ft (22,706 m)
- August 15 - BEA commences turboprop freight services
October
September
- September 21 - the US Marine Corps makes the world's first mass combat deployment by helicopter. 228 Marines are landed in 12 Sikorsky HRS
December
- December 1 - F/O Bruce Gogerly of No. 77 Squadron RAAF shoots down a MiG-15 from his Gloster Meteor, the RAAF's only confirmed air-to-air kill of the Korean War.
- December 12 - Alaska Air becomes the first airline to fly over the North Pole
- December 13 - Maj George Davis of the 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron shoots down four MiG-15s in a single day
First flights
February
March
April
May
- May 18 - Vickers Valiant prototype WB210
June
- June 20 - Bell X-5, first aircraft with swing wings
- June 21 - Handley Page HP.88
July
- July 20 - Hawker Hunter prototype WB188
August
September
November
- November 26 - Gloster Javelin prototype WD804
December
- December 10 - Fiat G.80, Italy's first true jet
- December 10 - Kaman K-225, first turbine-powered helicopter
- December 12 - de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter prototype CF-DYK-X
Entered service
May
August
- August 22 - Supermarine Attacker with No. 800 Squadron FAA, the Fleet Air Arm's first jet
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