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 jet-powered flying boat that was a nuclear bomber
Before submarines took on a strategic nuclear missile role, the US Navy sought to use jet-powered flying boats to carry nuclear weapons. In 1955, The Aeroplane revealed the first photos of this new concept
Tenth Anniversary Meteor Tribute from 1954
After a decade in service The Aeroplane’s July 9, 1954 issue looks back over the type’s development with a particular focus on 25 Sqn
Supersonic in the Super Sabre in 1957
The North American Aviation F-100 Super Sabre was the USAF’s first supersonic fighter and The Aeroplane gave a first-hand account of flying in this fighter after John Fricker was taken aloft. His revealing report was published in the June 28, 1957 edition
Sensational Sabre 6 Scrutinsed
The June 14, 1957 issue of The Aeroplane featured a report on the latest version of the Sabre, which was populating Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons deployed in Europe
Canberra Controversy
The Canberra’s first participation in a UK air defence exercise led to wildly different claims in the press about how the bomber and defending fighters had performed. Read here the informative article from the October 24, 1952 issue of The Aeroplane on this landmark exercise
Revealing 1950s Fighter Command Exercise Report
A fascinating article on a 1957 UK air defence exercise which focused on countering a massed attack on the first day of a conflict from The Aeroplane’s June 7 issue
Flying Transatlantic on the Whispering Giant
Prior to the Britannia, nicknamed the Whispering Giant, entering service with Canadian Pacific Air Lines the esteemed F. G. Swanborough was invited to experience flying on this propliner from the UK to Vancouver to attend the opening of a new hangar for the type. He also took the opportunity while there to report on the civil aviation scene in western Canada for his article that appeared in the March 7, 1958 issue of The Aeroplane
Step Back in Time – 1980 Hawk Flight and Tactical Training at RAF Brawdy
An interesting snapshot, from the January 1981 issue of Aeroplane Monthly, of RAF fast jet training from a time when the air force was ramping up aircrew throughput to populate the growing Tornado GR.1 force
The World’s Biggest Transport Aircraft…in 1957
The Aeroplane, in its June 21, 1957 issue, reported on the progress of the massive Douglas C-133A being manufactured for the US Air Force
Astonishing Details of Air War from 1941
The Aeroplane published surprisingly detailed weekly reports of the aerial campaigns of the RAF and the Luftwaffe during World War Two - this example is from the May 16, 1941 issue