Latest from Key.Aero
Explore the latest news and features by our world-class aviation journalists. Stay up to date on the latest military aviation developments, commercial airline news, historic restoration projects, flight simulation releases and much more.
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Historic
Vickers Valiant and Britain’s first nuclear bomb
British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin’s quote about the necessity of developing an independent nuclear deterrent — “We’ve got to have the bloody Union Jack flying on top of it” — signifies the priority placed on this programme as the Cold War reared its head. It led, 70 years ago, to the first ‘special weapons’ arriving at an RAF station, and to the Vickers Valiant becoming the first platform able to deliver them
V-Force pathfinder - the story of the unique black Valiant B2
The concept of target-marking had been proved with great success by the RAF of World War Two, but how would it translate to the jet bomber age? The Vickers Valiant was chosen to lead the role into this new era. Why, then, did the menacing and very capable ‘Black Bomber’, the Valiant B2, end up being a one-off?
Draken centre stage at Swedish exhibition
The distinctive jet is the showpiece of a recently opened exhibition, while in Spain a retired Falcon is on the move
Vickers Valiant secret reconnaissance
Valiants pioneered long-range, deep-penetration reconnaissance – in the February 2016 issue of FlyPast Vic Flintham revealed the shadowy world of 543 Squadron
Military
USMC’s first East Coast F-35B unit declared operational
The USMC formally declared its first East Coast-based F-35B Lightning II squadron operational when Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 (VMFA-542) ‘Tigers’ – a component of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) – achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina on February 5
USAF to perform flypast over Sheffield to mark 80th anniversary of B-17 crash
The US Air Force is to conduct a flypast over Endcliffe Park in Sheffield to mark the 80th anniversary of the crash of B-17 “Mi Amigo”.
Ethiopia acquires Su-30K fighters and Akinci drones
The Ethiopian Air Force (EAF) has taken delivery of two Russian-built Su-30K Flanker-F multi-role fighters and an unspecified number of Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs)
Commercial
How the Boeing 787 turned the dream of flying Australia to Europe non-stop into reality
The first Dreamliner for Qantas has entered service with the type set to enable the airline to achieve a long-held aspiration, as Chris Frame explained in the January 2018 issue of Aviation News.
How Boeing builds the 787 Dreamliner
Ambitious. No single word better describes the outset of the 787 Dreamliner programme as Boeing sought to turf manufacturing out to contractors worldwide, while creating a second production line thousands of miles from home. This article first appeared in Airliner World's December 2021 issue
Going short-haul on the long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner
In the March 2018 Aviation News, Spencer Bennett described the experience of flying on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner inter-European service using a South American carrier, for just £33.
LEVEL's huge expansion plans revealed
Barcelona-based low-cost, long haul carrier LEVEL is to obtain its own Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) under plans by owner – The International Airline Group (IAG) – to expand its operations.
Boeing given green light to begin MAX 10 flight testing
Boeing has announced that its 737 MAX 10 has been cleared by the FAA to begin certification flight testing
Flight Simulation
Abu Dhabi Yas Island for MSFS released
iniBuilds has released Abu Dhabi Yas Island for Microsoft Flight Simulator for free.
Air Combat Simulation – Part 6
In this instalment, we explore the ‘art’ of aerial gunnery and discuss why hitting a target while moving within a three-dimensional environment is one of the most challenging aspects of dogfighting.
Airports of the Pacific Northwest
With the recent release by Roman Design of CYYJ Victoria International Airport, four major destinations in the Pacific Northwest are now available for Microsoft Flight Simulator. In this feature, we travel to the region and explore all four airports.
