---
title: "History of aviation"
chunk: 14/15
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_aviation"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:59:18.099578+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

The British de Havilland Comet became the first commercial jet airliner and was introduced into scheduled service by 1952. The aircraft was a breakthrough in technical achievements, but had several intense failures. The square design of the windows caused stress cracks from metal fatigue, caused by cycles of cabin pressurization and depressurization. This eventually led to severe structural failures in the fuel area. These issues were resolved too late, since competing jet airliners were already flying.
On 15 September 1956, the USSR's airline Aeroflot became the first to offer continuous, regular jet services using the Tupolev Tu-104. Soon after, Boeing 707 and DC-8 also set new standards in comfort, safety, and passenger experience. This was the beginning of the Jet Age, the introduction of large-scale commercial air travel.
Jet airliners were able to fly higher, faster, and farther than older piston‑powered propliners, making transcontinental and intercontinental travel considerably faster and easier. Aircraft leaving North America and crossing the Atlantic Ocean (and later, the Pacific Ocean) could now fly to their destinations non-stop, making much of the world accessible within a single day's travel for the first time. Large jetliners could carry more passengers than piston-powered airliners, which caused air fares to decline and opened international travel to a broader range of socioeconomic groups.
In October 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first to fly faster than the speed of sound when he piloted the rocket-powered Bell X-1 past the sound barrier. The air speed record for an aircraft was set by the X-15 at 4,534 mph (7,297 km/h) or Mach 6.1 in 1967. This record was later broken by the X-43 in 2004, excluding spacecraft.
Military aircraft had a strategic advantage during the Cold War with the invention of nuclear bombs in 1945. Even just a small fleet of bombers could inflict catastrophic damage, which caused for the development of effective defenses. One early development was supersonic interceptor aircraft. By 1955, the focus shifted toward guided surface-to-air missiles. This eventually led to the emergence of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which have nuclear capabilities. An early example of ICBMs occurred in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, beginning the Space Race.
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space when he completed a single orbit around Earth in 108 minutes aboard Vostok I. Following this, the United States sent Alan Shepard on a suborbital flight using a Mercury program capsule. In 1963, Canada became the third nation to enter space with the launch of its satellite, Alouette I. The space race culminated in the landing on the moon in 1969.

The Harrier jump jet, capable of vertical landing and takeoff, first flew in 1969. This was also the year of the introduction of the Boeing 747. Additionally, the Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde supersonic passenger airliner had its maiden flight. The Boeing 747 was the largest commercial passenger aircraft ever to fly at the time, now replaced by the Airbus A380, capable of transporting 853 passengers. Aeroflot started flying  the Tu-144—the first supersonic passenger plane in 1975. The next year, British Airways and Air France began supersonic flights over the Atlantic.
In 1979, the Gossamer Albatross achieved the status of the first human-powered aircraft to fly over the English channel, which had been a dream for centuries.

=== Digital age (1980–present) ===

The last quarter of the 20th century saw a change of emphasis.  No longer was revolutionary progress made in flight speeds, distances and materials technology. This part of the century instead saw the spreading of the digital revolution both in flight avionics and in aircraft design and manufacturing techniques.
In 1986, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager flew an aircraft, the Rutan Voyager, around the world un-refuelled, and without landing. In 1999, Bertrand Piccard became the first person to circle the earth in a balloon.
Digital fly-by-wire systems allow an aircraft to be designed with relaxed static stability. These systems were initially used to increase the manoeuvrability of military aircraft such as the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, however they are now being used to reduce drag on commercial airliners.
The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was established in 1999 to encourage the broadest national and international participation in the celebration of 100 years of powered flight. It publicized and encouraged a number of programmes, projects and events intended to educate people about the history of aviation.