Save the Skymaster closes
North Weald-based Save the Skymaster has announced that it is to close its charity and halt restoration work on Douglas C-54, N44914 (c/n 10630) ‘56498’.
The Thomas Castle Aviation Heritage Scholarship trust has announced its 2024 scholarships
Applications for one of five available scholarships will open on May 1
How the Soviets improvised to counter Luftwaffe night intruders
How to take on Luftwaffe intruders by night when you lack any dedicated night fighters? The Soviet Northern Fleet was forced to improvise — and the results were mixed
Historic ‘9/11’ Cessna for USAF museum
The National Museum of the US Air Force has received Cessna 172P N9344L, newly retired by the Civil Air Patrol.
Mosquito T43 flies at Ardmore
On 18 March, former Royal New Zealand Air Force de Havilland Mosquito T43 NZ2308 — the fourth Mosquito to emerge from the Avspecs workshops at Ardmore, Auckland — took to the air with leading American warbird pilot Steve Hinton at the controls.
BIG year for Meteor WS778!
Work to bring Meteor NF(T).14 WS788 back to life continues apace at Elvington’s Yorkshire Air Museum (YAM) near York…
Vast RCAF gallery on show as book launch beckons
An art exhibition has been launched as a special book celebrating the centenary of the RCAF is due for publication by CANAV books later this year
Aeroplane May 2024
May 2024 issue of Aeroplane in page-turning format features UK Aviation Museums 2024 - your complete, updated guide to the UK's aviation collections
Meet the ex-Shuttleworth pilot who became Scotland's first astronaut
In Aeroplane’s monthly interview series, we recount the extraordinary flying career of Dave Mackay
Latest Issues from our leading aviation publications
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The Latest Historic Aviation News All in One Place
This is your one stop shop for everything you could possibly want to know about historic aviation. Historic aircraft flights, displays and renovations can all be found among the categories and articles linked to from this page.
Readers can find categories for Warbirds, restoration projects by individuals and organisations such as museums, and in-depth resources on iconic aircraft from all the corners of the globe. Whether it is the Hughes H-4 Hercules Spruce Goose, Boeing C-137 Stratoliner, Aerospatiale / British Aircraft Corporation Concorde, Tupolev Tu-144, Hawker Harrier jump-jet or any other historic commercial and military aircraft, the information is here at your fingertips.
Warbird News & Projects
Warbird enthusiasts spend their time bringing iconic military aircraft back to life and in some cases even back to a state of airworthiness. The name Warbird originally referred only to World War 2 era aircraft but has since been widened to include all historical military aircraft.
Popular Warbird types include the North American P-51 Mustang, Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and the Messerschmitt Bf109. While one or two-seat fighters are affordable for the individual enthusiast to restore, aviation museums and groups of people take on much larger aircraft. Examples of these, include, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and the Avro Lancaster. The most famous of recent years must be the Avro Vulcan supersonic bomber, which is now on a static display in the UK but flew for several years at airshows.
Spitfire Fighter Aircraft
The Supermarine Spitfire is arguably the most iconic World War II era European aircraft. Credited with a significant role in the Battle of Britain victory against the Luftwaffe’s assault on Great Britain in the summer of 1940, the propeller driven fighter was designed by Reginald J Mitchell at Supermarine Aviation. Mitchell designed the Spitfire with the Rolls-Royce Merlin and Griffon engines in mind because he saw their potential when combined with the aircraft’s unique aerodynamics.
The Spitfire first flew on 5th March 1936 from Eastleigh Aerodrome. However, due to production issues and limitations in Supermarine’s manufacturing process, the first production Spitfire did not take to the skies for a further 2 years. The Spitfire was born four months after the maiden flight of its partner aircraft, the Hawker Hurricane. Together they would deny Nazi Germany air superiority over England and the English channel.
Aircraft Restorations
The restoration of historical aircraft is a challenge full of difficult obstacles with missing engines, control system parts, and the need for significant fuselage, wing or tail repair. The long, slow process of restoring an aircraft to a flight worthy condition or simply for static display is taken up by many individuals, but also museums and groups of enthusiasts.
The restorations undertaken can be as small as a one-seat civilian bi-plane or the always popular Warbirds, or as large as a Lockheed C-121C Constellation. Museums that tackle large scale restorations include the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum in Missouri and the Museum of Flight in Everett, Washington. These museums have restored early propeller driven passenger aircraft and the early airliners built in the USA and Europe, like the de Havilland Comet.
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