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"USS Nautilus SSN-571 is the world's first nuclear-powered submarine and was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit across the North Pole. Its propulsion system was a landmark in the history of naval engineering and submersible craft. During Nautilus' long career, it has established many historic firsts. On May 10, Nautilus headed for a shakedown and its longest submerged cruise was when it traveled 2,100 km from New London to San Juan, Puerto Rico. From 1955 to 1957, Nautilus continued to be used to investigate the effects of submerged speeds and endurance. On February 4, 1957, Nautilus logged its 60,000th nautical mile (111,120 km). In May, Nautilus departed for the Pacific Coast to participate in coastal exercises and the fleet exercise, operation ""Home Run,"" which acquainted units of the Pacific Fleet with the capabilities of nuclear submarines. On July 21, Nautilus returned to New London, Connecticut and departed on August 19 for its first voyage of 2,226 km (1,202 nmi) under polar pack ice. In early 1959, Nautilus completed its first overhaul on May 1959 - August 1960. On October 24, Nautilus departed New London for its first deployment with the sixth fleet in the Mediterranean Sea and returned to its home-port on December 16. On May 2, 1966, Nautilus returned to its home-port to resume operations with the Atlantic Fleet and log its 300,000th mile underway. In the next year, Nautilus conducted special operations for ComSubLant and then on August 1967, it returned to Portsmouth, and conducted exercises off the southeastern seaboard. On December 1968, Nautilus returned to New London. In 1979, Nautilus set out from Groton, Connecticut for its final voyage, reaching Mare Island Naval Shipyard of Vallejo, California on May 26, 1979. On March 3, 1980, Nautilus was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register."

The Northrop YB-49 was a prototype jet-powered flying wing medium bomber aircraft developed by Northrop for the United States Air Force shortly after World War II. It was a development of the piston-engined YB-35, and the two YB-49s actually built were both converted YB-35 test aircraft. The aircraft was never to enter production, however, being passed over in favor of the more conventional Convair B-36 in service

"Virginia Class Submarine was intended to be comparable in most respects to its immediate predecessor - the Seawolf - but in a more affordable configuration. The missions of Virginia include Covert Strike Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Covert Intelligence Collection/Surveillance, Covert Indication and Warning and Electronic Warfare, Anti-Surface Ship Warfare, Special Warfare, Covert Mine Warfare, and Battle Group Support. The Virginia class submarines are the first class of submarine to be designed and influenced by post-Cold War needs. With the emphasis no longer on open ocean SLOC (Sea Lanes of Communication) warfare against the Warsaw Pact, the Virginia, though still capable of traditional ""blue water"" deep ocean missions, focuses on ""littoral"" missions, specifically special operations support, intelligence gathering, and counter mine operations. While it carries the same weapons as its Cold War predecessors (the Seawolf class and Los Angeles class attack submarines) its weapon load out is significantly smaller (roughly half that of the Sea Wolf.) In addition, where the Seawolf featured eight 660mm ""swim out"" low transient signature torpedo tubes, the Virginia is armed with only four conventional 533mm tubes. The Virginias however, are the first class of submarine specifically built to incorporate the regular use of ROV sensors. The SSN 774 was christened on August 16, 2003, and is undergoing dockside outfitting and testing. Virginia started builder’s trials in 2004. "

"USS Nautilus SSN-571 is the world's first nuclear-powered submarine and was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit across the North Pole. Its propulsion system was a landmark in the history of naval engineering and submersible craft. During Nautilus' long career, it has established many historic firsts. On May 10, Nautilus headed for a shakedown and its longest submerged cruise was when it traveled 2,100 km from New London to San Juan, Puerto Rico. From 1955 to 1957, Nautilus continued to be used to investigate the effects of submerged speeds and endurance. On February 4, 1957, Nautilus logged its 60,000th nautical mile (111,120 km). In May, Nautilus departed for the Pacific Coast to participate in coastal exercises and the fleet exercise, operation ""Home Run,"" which acquainted units of the Pacific Fleet with the capabilities of nuclear submarines. On July 21, Nautilus returned to New London, Connecticut and departed on August 19 for its first voyage of 2,226 km (1,202 nmi) under polar pack ice. In early 1959, Nautilus completed its first overhaul on May 1959 - August 1960. On October 24, Nautilus departed New London for its first deployment with the sixth fleet in the Mediterranean Sea and returned to its home-port on December 16. On May 2, 1966, Nautilus returned to its home-port to resume operations with the Atlantic Fleet and log its 300,000th mile underway. In the next year, Nautilus conducted special operations for ComSubLant and then on August 1967, it returned to Portsmouth, and conducted exercises off the southeastern seaboard. On December 1968, Nautilus returned to New London. In 1979, Nautilus set out from Groton, Connecticut for its final voyage, reaching Mare Island Naval Shipyard of Vallejo, California on May 26, 1979. On March 3, 1980, Nautilus was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register."

"USS Dallas (SSN-770), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is one of two ships of the United States Navy to be named for Dallas, Texas, although another two ships were scheduled but never completed. The LA class serves as the backbone of the United States submarine force. The LA class is an attack submarine, whose mission is to engage enemy surface ships and submarines perform covert operations, and to protect carrier battle groups (CVBGs), which are the primary unit of US naval/military power. The USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) was ordered on January 8, 1971, and was commissioned on November 13, 1976. USS Dallas (SSN-700) was launched on April 28 1979 and was commissioned on July 18 1981. Dallas is assigned to the US Atlantic Fleet and is home ported at Groton, CT. Since then, eighty-five Los Angeles Class ships have been delivered to the US Navy, with most of them still operating in 2002. USS Dallas was featured prominently in the novel and film adaptation of Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October. The USS Dallas was also featured as the submarine commanded by Tessa's late father in Full Metal Panic!, it was the Dallas that was in peril and ended up being saved by Richard Merdukas. USS Dallas was mentioned in the BBC drama Threads as being sunk (presumably by Soviet forces) in the waters off Iran in the lead up to war. "

"The PT-109 boat was commanded by 35th United States President John F. Kennedy, an Elco PT-103 class torpedo boat. During World War II, The Elco boats were the largest PT boats operated by the United States Navy. At 80 feet (24 m) and 40 tons, they had strong wooden hulls of 2-inch (5 cm) mahogany planking. Powered by three 12-cylinder 1,500hp (1100 kW) Packard gasoline engines (one per propeller shaft), their designed top speed was 41 knots (76 km/h). For space and weight-distribution reasons, the center engine was mounted with the output end facing forward, with power transmitted to the propeller shaft through a V-drive gearbox. Because the center propeller was deeper, it left less of a wake, and was preferred by skippers for low-wake loitering. The engines were fitted with mufflers in the stern to direct the exhaust under water, which had to be bypassed for high speed. These were used not only to mask their own noise from the enemy but to be able to hear enemy aircraft, which were rarely detected overhead before dropping their bombs. The only completely restored 80' Elco PT-boat in existence, PT 617, is on display at the Battleship Cove Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. Decorated as the PT-109, PT 796 was used as a float in John F. Kennedy's inaugural parade."

"The first USS Gato submarine was first launched in 21 August 1941, commissioned in 31 December 1941 and decommissioned in 16 March 1946. It was the first submarine that was produced massively between 1941 and 1945. In New York and Baltimore, the submarine was placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training vessel. And in March 1 1960, it was placed out of service from the Navy. From its service in the Second World War, it received battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. It has the finest American design and has the standard type of US submarine from the Second World War. It was based on the Tambor submarine. Modifications and improvements were done on the Gato to increase its combat abilities. Batteries and its engines were improved to increase the period of its patrol."

"The Hindenburg (LZ-129) was a German zeppelin. Along with its sister ship the Graf Zeppelin II, it was the largest aircraft ever built. It was named after Paul von Hindenburg, the president of Germany from 1925 to 1934. During its second year of service, it was destroyed by a fire while landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Manchester Township, New Jersey, on May 6, 1937. The Hindenburg was built by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin in 1931 to a new, all-duralumin design. It was a visually striking “ship of the air”, at 804 feet long and 135 feet in diameter. It was longer than three Boeing 747s placed end to end, longer than four Goodyear Blimps end to end, and only 79 feet shorter than the Titanic. It was originally equipped with cabins for 50 passengers and a crew complement of 40, though on the last flight there were an additional 21 crew members in training. To reduce drag, the passenger rooms were contained entirely within the hull, rather than in the gondola as on the Graf Zeppelin. During its first year of commercial operation in 1936, the Hindenburg flew 308,323 km carrying 2,798 passengers and 160 tons of freight and mail. It made 17 round trips across the Atlantic Ocean, with ten trips to the US and seven to Brazil. In July of that year it also completed a record Atlantic double-crossing in 5 days, 19 hours and 51 minutes. The German boxer Max Schmeling returned home on the Hindenburg to a hero's welcome in Frankfurt, after defeating Joe Louis. On August 1 the Hindenburg was present at the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Moments before the arrival of Adolf Hitler, the airship crossed over the Olympic stadium, trailing the Olympic flag from its gondola."

"The Wright Flyer (often retrospectively referred to as Flyer I and occasionally Kitty Hawk) was the first powered aircraft designed and built by the Wright brothers. It was the first successful powered, piloted, controlled heavier-than-air aircraft. The Wright Flyer was a canard biplane configuration. The Wright Flyer was based on the Wrights' experience testing gliders at Kitty Hawk between 1900 and 1902. The Wrights built the aircraft in 1903 using 'giant spruce' wood as their construction material. Since they could find no suitable automobile engine for the task, they commissioned their employee Charlie Taylor to build a new design from scratch. A sprocket chain drive, borrowing from bicycle technology, powered the twin propellers, which were also made by hand. In 1904, the Wrights continued refining their designs and piloting techniques in order to obtain fully controlled flight. Major progress toward this goal was achieved in 1904 and even more decisively with the modifications during the 1905 program, which resulted in a 39-minute, 24 mile nonstop circling flight by Wilbur on October 5. While the 1903 Flyer was clearly a historically important test vehicle, its near-mythical status in American imagination has obscured its place as part of a continuing development program that eventually led to the Wrights' mastery of controlled flight in 1905. In 1910 the Wrights first made attempts to exhibit the Flyer in the Smithsonian Institution but talks fell through with the ensuing lawsuits against Glenn Curtiss and the Flyer may have been needed as repeated evidence in court cases. In 1916, Orville brought the Flyer out of storage and prepared it for display at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (Wilbur had died in 1912.) He replaced parts of the covering, the props, and the engine's crankcase, crankshaft, and flywheel. The crankcase, crankshaft and flywheel had been sent to the Aero Club of America for an exhibit in 1906 and were never returned to the Wrights. A number of individuals and groups have attempted to build reproductions of the Wright Flyer for demonstration or scientific purposes."

"The Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde supersonic transport (SST) was first flown by Andre Turcat in 1969. The aircraft was initially referred to as ""Concorde"", with the French spelling, but the name was changed officially by Harold Macmillan to ""Concord"". Concorde pioneered a double-delta shaped wings, variable inlet ramps, supercruise capability, thrust-by-wire engines and a droop-nose section for improved landing visibility. In February 1965, there were two Concordes prototype built. The first was the 001, which was built by Aerospatiale at Toulouse and 002, built by BAC at Filton, Bristol. On September 4, 1971, Concorde embarked on a sales and demonstration tour, as the flight programme progressed. While the Concorde 002 toured the Middle and Far East on June 2, 1972. These trips resulted to 70 aircraft orders, but a number of incidents occurred that resulted to a sudden number of order cancellations such as the oil crisis in 1973 and the sonic boom, takeoff-noise and pollution. The Concorde service commenced in 1976 and still in service for about 27 years. The airliner flew regular transatlantic flights from British Airways and Air France to New York JFK and Washington Dulles in just less than half the time compared to other airliners. In 1971, the US had cancelled its supersonic transport (SST) programme. Concorde's scheduled flights started on January 21, 1976 on the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio (via Dakar) routes. New York banned Concorde locally, the time When the Us ban on JFK Concorde operations was lifted in February 1977. From 1974 onwards, European Airlines flew both demonstration and test flights. There were 20 Concordes built in total, six for development and 14 for commercial service. "

"More than a million spectators were cheering as RAF Flight officer H.R.D. Waghorn set down his Supermarine S-6 in southern England's Solent Channel on September 10, 1929. Waghorn had just flown an average of 328 mph around the triangular course to defeat his Italian rivals and capture Britain's second straight Schneider Trophy win. France, Italy and the U.S. had all won the Schneider trophy in the past, as had Britain. But none of the four had managed to win three out of five consecutive races, as required for retiring the trophy. Now Britain stood within reach of the elusive goal and, shortly after Waghorn's victory, Prime Minister McDonald vowed that England would do her level best to win the next race in 1931. But a few months later, McDonald's Air Ministry stunned the Aero Club of Britain -- sponsors of the country's Schneider Trophy entries -- by announcing the government would give no financial support to future Schneider trophy efforts. Without this financial support, the Aero Club could not develop a new racer to compete with heavily subsidized French and Italian challengers expected in 1931. The British public was outraged. Their country's prestige was at stake. Soon several million pounds were raised to support the home team. Disaster struck the Italian and French teams. Mid-summer crashes claimed a top plane and top pilot from each. Crippled by these losses, both countries withdrew from the race a week before it was scheduled to be run. On Sunday, September 13, 1931, RAF Lieutenant John Boothman flew the S-6B, unopposed, over the Solent Channel course at an average speed of 340 mph. With courage, skill and a little bit of luck, England had retired the Schneider Trophy. Was it worth all the money, work and heartache to claim a fairly ugly, now almost forgotten trophy? The British think it was. Because five years after the 1931 race, Reginald J. Mitchell introduced a new Rolls Royce powered interceptor fighter incorporating many lessons he had learned designing Schneider Trophy seaplanes. Someone gave Mitchell's fighter a nickname, which stuck: ""Spitfire."" "