1939 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1939:

Table of contents

1 Events 2 First flights 3 Entered service

Events

• Heinkel He 176 and He 178: first functional jetplanes, powered by liquid-fulled rocket and by turbojet respectively. Both private ventures by Ernst Heinkel and test-flown by Erich Warsitz. The rocket used was developed by Hellmuth Walter and the turbojet by Hans von Ohain.

First flights

• March 31 - Miles Master production aircraft N 7408
• July
  • 17 - Bristol Beaufighter prototype R 2052
  • 25 - Avro Manchester
• September 24 - Handley Page Halifax H.P.57 prototype L 7244

• August
  • Miles Master
• October
  • Bristol Beaufort with No. 22 Squadron RAF (Coastal Command)
• December
  • Boulton Paul Defiant with No. 264 Squadron RAF