1942 in aviation

January
January - Lt. I.M. Chisov of the Red Air Force survives miraculous fall from 22,000 feet without a parachute after departing a heavily damaged Ilyushin Il-4 twin-engined medium bomber. After achieving a terminal velocity of about 150 mph, he is decelerated when he hits the lip of a snow-covered ravine, sliding down with decreasing speed until he stops at the bottom, suffering a broken pelvis and severe spinal injuries.

January 30 - Canadian Pacific Air Lines formed by the acquisition and merger of Arrow Airways and Canadian Airways, along with all the various subsidiaries of the latter.

April
April 18 - Col James Doolittle leads the first US attack on the Japanese mainland, leading a force of sixteen B-25 Mitchells flying from the USS Hornet against Tokyo in what comes to be known as the "Doolittle Raid".

April 22 - the USAAF forms China Ferry Command to support the Allied war effort in the China Burma India Theater.

May
May 4-8 - the Battle of the Coral Sea is fought between US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carriers. Japanese light carrier Shōhō is sunk and Shōkaku is badly damaged, and the USS Lexington is sunk.

June
June 4-7 - the Battle of Midway is fought, the turning point in the Pacific War. Japan loses four carriers, the Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, and Hiryū. The US loses the USS Yorktown

July
July 18 - a Messerschmitt Me 262 prototype makes its first flight under jet power, test-piloted by Fritz Wendel. Previous flights had been driven by a propeller.

August
August 17 - first raid by heavy bombers of U.S. Eighth Air Force against occupied France.

September
September 30 - German ace Hans-Joachim Marseille is killed when his plane catches fire. He had 158 victories at the time.

October
October 3 - the first A4 rocket, later dubbed the V-2 flies from Peenemünde, covering 190 km (119 miles) in 296 seconds at five times the speed of sound, reaching an altitude of 84.5 km (53 miles).

November
November 28 - Australian pilot F/Sgt Ron Middleton earns a posthumous VC for valour in bringing his crew and crippled bomber home after a raid on Turin, Italy.

December
December 4 - USAAF bombers make their first raid on Italy.

First flights

January
January 7 - Supermarine Seafire
January 14 - Sikorsky XR-4

February
February 27 - Blackburn Firebrand

March
Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 rotor kite
March 20 - Mitsubishi J2M

April
April 24 - Miles Martinet prototype LR241
April 26 - XB-28 Dragon

May
May 26 - Northrop XP-61

June
June 26 - Grumman XF6F

July
July 3 - Martin XPB2M-1 Mars prototype BuNo 1520
July 5 - Avro York
July 10 - A-26 Invader

September
September 2 - Hawker Tempest
September 12 - Miles Messenger
September 21 - Boeing XB-29

November
November 15 - Heinkel He 219

December
December 7 - P-63 Kingcobra
Messerschmitt Me 264

Entered service

January
Grumman TBF Avenger with Squadron VT-8 USN