The Lockheed 12A Electra Junior flown by Sidney Cotton on daring clandestine reconnaissance missions prior to the outbreak of World War Two is due to make its first public appearance.
The 1930s airliner returned to the UK after an absence of more than 75 years in May 2022 and has been closing in on its first post-restoration flight, having conducted engine runs and taxi tests in late November.
The twin-engined aircraft – understood to be one of only two airworthy examples in Europe – is set to take centre stage at a night photoshoot at its Sywell, Northamptonshire base on March 25.
The event will raise funds for the Thomas Castle Aviation Heritage Trust, which was created by the family and friends of Thomas Castle, who lost his life in an aerobatics training incident in 2019. It aims to inspire young aviators and promote vintage aviation to young pilots by offering five hours of instruction in a de Havilland Tiger Moth. To date, more than half a dozen scholarship recipients have gone solo in Thomas’ Tiger Moth, G-ANTE.
In what is likely to be their final public appearance, all five of The Blades’ Extra EA300s will be joining the 1936-built Lockheed, while the aforementioned Tiger Moth will also be participating.
