Birth of jet propulsion in aviation (1946)...
Item # 726649
January 27, 1946
CHICAGO SUNDAY TRIBUNE, Jan. 27, 1946
* Transcontinental flight record broken
* The birth of jet propulsion in airplanes
* Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star - jet fighter
The front page has a six column heading: "Jet Plane Flies Across U. S. in 4 Hrs., 13 Min." with subheads. (see images)
Complete 1st section only with all 20 pages, light toning at the margins, small binding holes along the spine, nice condition.
Background: The transcontinental flight on January 26, 1946, stands as a pivotal "proof of concept" for the Jet Age, fundamentally altering the trajectory of both military strategy and civilian expectations for travel. By piloting a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star from Long Beach to New York in just over four hours, Colonel William H. Councill didn't just break a record; he effectively rendered the world's piston-engine fleet obsolete overnight. This event demonstrated that jet propulsion—previously viewed as a volatile, fuel-thirsty technology limited to short-range combat—possessed the reliability and speed necessary for long-range logistics and strategic dominance. The flight’s average speed of 584 mph nearly halved the existing record held by a Boeing C-97, proving that the vast distances of the American continent could be bridged in a single morning. This milestone validated the secret efforts of Lockheed’s "Skunk Works" and signaled to the global community that the United States had successfully transitioned its air power into a new era of supersonic potential, laying the groundwork for the commercial jetliners that would eventually make global travel a routine reality.
* Transcontinental flight record broken
* The birth of jet propulsion in airplanes
* Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star - jet fighter
The front page has a six column heading: "Jet Plane Flies Across U. S. in 4 Hrs., 13 Min." with subheads. (see images)
Complete 1st section only with all 20 pages, light toning at the margins, small binding holes along the spine, nice condition.
Background: The transcontinental flight on January 26, 1946, stands as a pivotal "proof of concept" for the Jet Age, fundamentally altering the trajectory of both military strategy and civilian expectations for travel. By piloting a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star from Long Beach to New York in just over four hours, Colonel William H. Councill didn't just break a record; he effectively rendered the world's piston-engine fleet obsolete overnight. This event demonstrated that jet propulsion—previously viewed as a volatile, fuel-thirsty technology limited to short-range combat—possessed the reliability and speed necessary for long-range logistics and strategic dominance. The flight’s average speed of 584 mph nearly halved the existing record held by a Boeing C-97, proving that the vast distances of the American continent could be bridged in a single morning. This milestone validated the secret efforts of Lockheed’s "Skunk Works" and signaled to the global community that the United States had successfully transitioned its air power into a new era of supersonic potential, laying the groundwork for the commercial jetliners that would eventually make global travel a routine reality.
Category: The 20th Century
