The Messerschmitt Bf-109a fighter prototype makes its first flight at Augsburg, Germany. More than 32,000 Bf-109s will be built (including post-war versions in Spain and Czechoslovakia) in a multitude of versions, making it the second most produced aircraft of all time. (Most produced: Ilyushin II-2; see entry for Dec. 30, 1939.)
Iran War Highlights the Value of Unmanned Aircraft
April 20, 2026
Combat video from MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) striking targets in Iran may have surprised those who thought the iconic unmanned aircraft were destined for retirement now that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are behind us. The Reapers are neither stealthy nor fast and therefore seen as unsurvivable against adversaries with sophisticated air defense systems....
