Ethiopian First Airplane Art T-Shirt – Historic Aviation Design Unisex

Ethiopia’s first aircraft, the Tsehay, was a two-seater plane that made its maiden flight in December 1935. Designed by German pilot Herr Ludwig Weber in collaboration with Ethiopian engineers, the plane was named after Princess Tsehay, daughter of Emperor Haile Selassie I. “Tsehay” means “sun” in Arabic and was prominently displayed on the fuselage. The Tsehay was equipped with a seven-cylinder Walter Vinus engine, a water-cooling system, fixed landing gears without brakes, and a compass. Its inaugural flight covered approximately 30 miles from Addis Ababa. In 2024, the Italian government returned the Tsehay to Ethiopia after it had been stolen in the 1930s. Additionally, Ethiopia’s aviation history includes the establishment of its first pilot training school in 1930 by French instructor Gaston Vidal, with Mishka Babichief and Asfaw Ali becoming the first certified Ethiopian pilots.