Both Lockheed andd Martin had long, storied histories before their merger, and both began with the same type of odd aircraft.

The year was 1916, just 12½ years after the Wright brothers had their first successful flight at Kitty Hawk. World War I was underway in Europe, and the U.S. would join the fray the following year.

On March 14, 1927, the Parnall Pike N202 reconnaissance aircraft made its first flight. Designed for both carrier and float operations, the prototype ultimately failed to secure production.

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first powered, sustained, and controlled flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft with the Wright Flyer. After their final and longest flight, ...