Aeroplane Archive
The Key.Aero team have delved for treasure in the archive of Aeroplane Magazine dating back to 1911. Aviation history brought to life by the editors of the period.
The hunt for a BOAC airliner that crashed in the Sahara in 1952
Over 70 years ago a BOAC airliner crash-landed, 1,300 miles off course, in the sandy wastes of the Western Sahara. In January 2002, Aeroplane Assistant Editor Tony Harmsworth went to find it
Behind the scenes of Aeroplane's Battle of Britain film day
In the December 1999 issue of Aeroplane Monthly, Tony Harmsworth reports on a reader event at Duxford which was a memorable celebration of the 30th anniversary of the famous film’s launch in 1969
The daring 1,800-mile journey of three Tiger Moths across Africa
The concept was in the madcap class, the execution seemingly impossible: to fly three 50-year-old de Havilland Tiger Moths from Johannesburg, South Africa, to the remote reaches of Botswana’s Okavango Swamps, more than 1,800 miles away. In the August 1988 issue of Aeroplane Monthly, Dave Hanson recounts the adventure
Former RAF pilot's secret 1958 arms mission in battered B-17
In the April 1988 issue of Aeroplane Monthly, former RAF and Israeli Air Force pilot Gordon Levett recalled a secret 1958 attempt to fly arms from Israel to the West Indies in an ageing B-17
Meet the woman who ferried 222 Halifax bombers during World War Two
During World War Two Lettice Curtis ferried 222 Handley Page Halifax bombers, usually with just an ATC cadet to assist her. In the September 1981 issue of Aeroplane Monthly, she recalled how she became the first woman licensed to fly four-engined RAF aircraft
The miniature Hurricane replica built by a United Airlines pilot
The story of Fred Sindlinger and his miniature Hawker Hurricane was told in the October 1973 issue of Aeroplane Monthly.
Inside Bristow's 1960s North Sea oil rig helicopter service
From the February 16, 1967 issue of Aeroplane, Raymond Hankin describes Bristow Helicopters’ support service for rigs drilling off the east coast of the UK for oil and natural gas
Revealing Insights into UK-based USAF F-86D Sabres
A detailed report on the new capabilities provided by the F-86D from the April 22, 1955 issue of The Aeroplane
Farnborough Airshow insights from TV’s Raymond Baxter
For many years the distinctive voice of Raymond Baxter was synonymous with Farnborough Airshow, due to him presenting the BBC’s coverage of the aeronautical extravaganza. In this October 1978 article in ‘Aeroplane Monthly’ he gives a personal take on the famous airshow
Twin Pioneer Demo Tours
When Scottish Aviation sent its new Twin Pioneer on demonstration tours, it really put the aircraft through its paces
By David Dorman