9 2 7 , ▁crashes ▁at ▁Buff alo , ▁New ▁York ▁after ▁having ▁logged ▁only ▁ 5 8 ▁hours , ▁ 5 5 ▁minutes ▁flying ▁time . ▁▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁ 1 3 ▁February ▁So le ▁prototype ▁Black burn ▁F . 1 ▁Tur cock , ▁the ▁firm ' s ▁first ▁f ighter ▁project ▁in ▁some ▁eight ▁years , ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁produce ▁an ▁aircraft ▁equally ▁su ited ▁as ▁a ▁land - based ▁inter ceptor ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁ship - bor ne ▁f ighter , ▁found ▁no ▁interest ▁from ▁the ▁Air ▁Ministry , ▁but ▁Black burn ▁built ▁one ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁vent ure . ▁It ▁first ▁fle w ▁( without ▁guns ) ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁November ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁pil oted ▁by ▁F lt . ▁L t . ▁Arthur ▁George ▁Lot on , ▁A FC , ▁and ▁having ▁been ▁purchased ▁by ▁the ▁Turkish ▁government ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁Tur cock . ▁Al located ▁the ▁British ▁registration ▁G - EB VP ▁for ▁test ▁and ▁delivery ▁purposes , ▁it ▁was ▁destroyed ▁in ▁a ▁flying ▁accident ▁this ▁date . ▁No ▁other ▁models ▁of ▁the ▁type ▁were ▁built . ▁ 1 7 ▁February ▁Capt . ▁William ▁Mill ican ▁Rand olph , ▁a ▁pione er ▁av i ator , ▁a ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁Texas ▁A & M ▁University , ▁and ▁adj ut ant ▁of ▁the ▁Air ▁Corps ▁F lying ▁School ▁at ▁Kelly ▁Field , ▁Texas , ▁is ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁crash ▁of ▁a ▁Curt iss ▁AT - 4 ▁Haw