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.
On board a BOAC wartime flying boat
A revealing visit to a BOAC operated Boeing 314-A flying boat undertaking wartime services for the British government was detailed in the February 6, 1942 issue of ‘The Aeroplane’
Unearthed – 1942 visit to an RAF Boston squadron
Despite World War Two still raging the press were invited to visit a squadron of the RAF’s new Douglas Bostons and experience flying in the bomber, as reported in the April 17, 1942 issue of ‘The Aeroplane’
Training RAF Hunter Pilots in the 1950s
A revealing article on the challenges of training pilots on the Hunter in its early days of service with the RAF, as published in ‘The Aeroplane’ in its August 3, 1956 issue
Behind the scenes of a BOAC Boeing 707 delivery
In its December 9, 1960 issue ‘The Aeroplane and Astronautics’ described the process of testing and certification of a new Boeing 707 for BOAC. The author was also onboard the delivery flight from Seattle to London
IN PICTURES: Rare colour photos of propliners at London airports in 1949
A selection of colour photos of airliners visiting London airports was published in the May 27, 1949 issue of ‘The Aeroplane’
A Valiant start to the V-Force
The Valiant nuclear bomber was the first aircraft used by the RAF as an in-flight refuelling tanker. The details of this and other developments with this V-bomber were detailed in the July 29, 1960 issue of ‘The Aeroplane and Astronautics’
First-hand report from the Berlin Airlift
A revealing account of the aircraft operations during the Berlin Airlift with ‘The Aeroplane’s’ John E Fricker getting to experience flights into the city on an Avro York and Short Sunderland carrying supplies. In his article, which was published in the July 23, 1948 issue, he also gives his impressions of life in Berlin which was still bearing the scars from World War Two
Convair-liner 1948 UK debut
Heathrow Airport hosted the first visit to the UK of a CV-240 (which be the first of many variants of this family), with the event covered in the September 10, 1948 issue of ‘The Aeroplane’
Revolutionary Victor design insights
The Handley Page H.P. 80, later to be named the Victor, had a new wing design which bestowed excellent performance. The virtues of this ground-breaking shape were explained by no less than Handley Page’s chief designer in the January 2, 1953 issue of ‘The Aeroplane’
BEA 1960s Highlands and Islands operations
An insightful overview of the challenges faced by BEA serving the communities of Scotland from the August 11, 1966 issue of Aeroplane