1934 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1934:

Events

 * At Yokosuka, Japan, the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy hold the first of three annual interservice competitions in air combat techniques.

January

 * January 10–11 – A flight of six United States Navy Consolidated P2Y flying boats sets a new distance record for formation flying of 2,400 mi between San Francisco, California, and Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii. They also set a new speed record for this crossing of 24 hours 35 minutes.
 * January 30 – Soviet pilots Pavel Fedosenko, Andrey Vasenko, and Ilya Usyskin take the hydrogen-filled high-altitude balloon Osoaviakhim-1 on its maiden flight to a record-setting altitude of 22000 m, where it remains for twelve minutes. The 7-hour 14-minute flight—during which the balloon travels 470 km from its launch site—ends in tragedy when the crew loses control of the balloon during its descent and the gondola disintegrates and crashes near the village of Potizh-Ostrog in Insarsky District of Mordovian Autonomous Oblast in the Soviet Union, killing the crew.

February

 * Germany begins a regular air mail service between Africa and South America, employing Dornier flying boats catapulted from depot ships. Dornier Do 26s will later fly the route without the assistance of ships, and various Dornier flying boats will complete over 300 crossings before the outbreak of World War II brings the service to an end in 1939.
 * February 18 – The American World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker and a Transcontinental & Western Air team including Jack Frye, "Tommy" Tomlinson, Larry Fritz, Paul E. Richter, Si Morehouse, Harlan Hull, John Collings, and Andy Andrews, set a new record for a transcontinental flight across the United States, flying the Douglas DC-1 from Burbank, California, to Newark, New Jersey, in 13 hours 4 minutes.
 * February 19 – The United States Army Air Corps begins flying U.S. airmail in the wake of President Roosevelt's cancellation of all U.S. Air Mail contracts.
 * February 26 – In the first week of U.S. Army Air Corps delivery of U.S. Air Mail, five Army aviators have been killed in accidents. The death rate highlights the lack of training of most U.S. Army pilots in night and bad-weather flying.

March

 * March 7 – Juan de la Cierva lands an autogyro on the Spanish Navy aviation ship Dédalo. It is the first time an autogyro lands on a Spanish ship.
 * March 9 – All air operations of the United States Customs Service are transferred to the United States Coast Guard.

April
None

May

 * May 7 – U.S. Army Air Corps delivery of U.S. Air Mail comes to an end. During the 78 days of delivering air mail, 12 Army air crew have died in 66 accidents. The losses convince U.S. Army officials of the need to train their pilots in flying at night and in bad weather.

June

 * June 4 – The U.S. Navy commissions its first purpose-built aircraft carrier, USS Ranger (CV-4).
 * June 23 – The U.S. Army takes delivery of its first six Link Trainers, giving birth to the flight simulator industry.

July

 * July 2 – The Armée de l'Air is separated from the French Army to become the independent French Air Force, although retaining the name Armée de l'Air.
 * July 11 – Engelbert Zaschka of Germany flies his large human-powered aircraft, the Zaschka Human-Power Aircraft, about 20 meters at Berlin Tempelhof Airport without assisted take off.
 * July 15 – Varney Speed Lines (later to be Continental Airlines) makes its first passenger-carrying flight.
 * July 19 – F9C Sparrowhawk parasite fighters from the United States Navy airship USS Macon (ZRS-5) successfully launch from the airship, scout out the heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30), and return to Macon.
 * July 19-August 20 – United States Army Air Corps General Henry Arnold leads ten Martin B-10 bombers on an 8,000-mile (12,882-km) proving flight.

August - November
None

December

 * December 20 – United States Coast Guard Lieutenant Richard L. Burke sets a world seaplane speed record of 308.750 km/h (191.734 mph) over a 3-kilometer (1.8-statute mile) test course flying a Grumman JF-2 Duck.
 * December 28 – During the Chaco War, a Macchi M.18 flying boat of the Paraguayan Navy's aviation arm carries out the first night bombing raid in South America, attacking Bolivian positions at Vitriones and Mbutum.

First flights

 * Aichi D1A (Allied reporting name "Susie")
 * Nakajima Ki-8
 * Nakajima Ki-11
 * Early 1934 - Arado Ar 68

January

 * January 7 – Curtiss XF13C-1, prototype of the monoplane version of the Curtiss XF13C
 * January 14 – De Havilland DH.86
 * January 16 – Northrop XFT-1
 * January 20 – Boeing XP-940, prototype of the Boeing P-29
 * January 23 – Berliner-Joyce XF3J-1

February

 * 19 February - Supermarine Type 224 K2890
 * 22 February - Fairey S.9/30 S1706
 * Gotha Go 145
 * Kawasaki Ki-5

March

 * Nakajima E8N (Allied reporting name "Dave")
 * March 30 - Sikorsky S-42

April

 * Mitsubishi Ka-9, forerunner of the Ka-15 prototype of the Mitsubishi G3M (Allied reporting name "Nell")
 * April 17 - De Havilland Dragon Rapide
 * April 17 - Fairey Swordfish prototype K 4190

May

 * Nakajima Ki-4
 * May 9 - De Havilland Hornet Moth
 * May 11 - Douglas DC-2

June

 * June 26 - Airspeed Envoy

July

 * July 27 - Supermarine Stranraer

August

 * Amiot 143
 * PZL.23 Karas
 * August 14 - Dewoitine D.510

September

 * September 7 - Hawker Hardy K3013
 * September 8 - De Havilland DH.88
 * September 12 - Gloster Gladiator
 * September 12 - Hawker Hind K2915

October

 * Caudron Simoun C620
 * October 7 - First prototype Tupolev ANT-40RT which becomes Tupolev SB
 * October 15 - Grumman XF3F-1, prototype of the Grumman F3F, the 's fastest shipboard fighter at the time

November

 * November 23 - Bloch MB.210

December

 * Aichi E10A

Entered service

 * Beriev MBR-2 with Soviet Naval Aviation (NATO reporting name "Mote")
 * PZL P.11a with the Polish Air Force
 * PZL P.11b with the Romanian Air Force

January

 * Consolidated P-30 (later PB-2) with the United States Army Air Corps

May

 * May 18 – Douglas DC-2 with Transcontinental and Western Air