Aeroplane meets... Meier Motors
The team behind the German warbird restoration shop with a host of outstanding, and rare, projects to its credit
Historic Aviation Quiz: Sports aircraft of the 1920s
Fueled by a need and passion to go faster, not even a worldwide economic depression could derail the development of sports aeroplanes during the 'Roaring Twenties'. But can you identify these sports ai
Spitfire returns 'home' — and makes show debut
Ex-Belgian Air Force fighter-reconnaissance ‘Spit’ takes part in Florennes commemoration and gives first airshow display at La Ferté-Alais
'Jenny' restoration complete at USAF museum
Historic biplane to go back on show at Wright-Patterson this summer
When Eagle dared: the British Eagle story
Beginning 75 years ago, the story of British Eagle is typical of many a British independent airline. In one of the final features he completed before his death, Bruce Hales-Dutton looked back to a 2009 interview with Eagle’s founder Harold Bamberg to chart this much-loved carrier’s rise and fall
Nighthawk ‘lands’ at US museum
A museum in the American state of Georgia has received Lockheed F-117A 81-10794
Historic helicopters saved for preservation
A pair of retired military helicopters have been ‘rescued’ from the scrapman and now face a brighter future
Classic aviation and motoring at Stow Maries
Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome in Essex, Europe’s largest surviving First World War aerodrome, hosted a cavalcade of classic aircraft and classic cars last weekend
Former 617 Squadron Vulcan salutes Dambusters
Hundreds of aviation enthusiasts gathered at London Southend Airport on the evening of May 20 to watch resident Avro Vulcan XL426 perform a high-speed taxi-run
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The Latest Historic Aviation News All in One Place
This is your one stop shop for everything you could possibly want to know about historic aviation. Historic aircraft flights, displays and renovations can all be found among the categories and articles linked to from this page.
Readers can find categories for Warbirds, restoration projects by individuals and organisations such as museums, and in-depth resources on iconic aircraft from all the corners of the globe. Whether it is the Hughes H-4 Hercules Spruce Goose, Boeing C-137 Stratoliner, Aerospatiale / British Aircraft Corporation Concorde, Tupolev Tu-144, Hawker Harrier jump-jet or any other historic commercial and military aircraft, the information is here at your fingertips.
Warbird News & Projects
Warbird enthusiasts spend their time bringing iconic military aircraft back to life and in some cases even back to a state of airworthiness. The name Warbird originally referred only to World War 2 era aircraft but has since been widened to include all historical military aircraft.
Popular Warbird types include the North American P-51 Mustang, Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and the Messerschmitt Bf109. While one or two-seat fighters are affordable for the individual enthusiast to restore, aviation museums and groups of people take on much larger aircraft. Examples of these, include, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and the Avro Lancaster. The most famous of recent years must be the Avro Vulcan supersonic bomber, which is now on a static display in the UK but flew for several years at airshows.
Spitfire Fighter Aircraft
The Supermarine Spitfire is arguably the most iconic World War II era European aircraft. Credited with a significant role in the Battle of Britain victory against the Luftwaffe’s assault on Great Britain in the summer of 1940, the propeller driven fighter was designed by Reginald J Mitchell at Supermarine Aviation. Mitchell designed the Spitfire with the Rolls-Royce Merlin and Griffon engines in mind because he saw their potential when combined with the aircraft’s unique aerodynamics.
The Spitfire first flew on 5th March 1936 from Eastleigh Aerodrome. However, due to production issues and limitations in Supermarine’s manufacturing process, the first production Spitfire did not take to the skies for a further 2 years. The Spitfire was born four months after the maiden flight of its partner aircraft, the Hawker Hurricane. Together they would deny Nazi Germany air superiority over England and the English channel.
Aircraft Restorations
The restoration of historical aircraft is a challenge full of difficult obstacles with missing engines, control system parts, and the need for significant fuselage, wing or tail repair. The long, slow process of restoring an aircraft to a flight worthy condition or simply for static display is taken up by many individuals, but also museums and groups of enthusiasts.
The restorations undertaken can be as small as a one-seat civilian bi-plane or the always popular Warbirds, or as large as a Lockheed C-121C Constellation. Museums that tackle large scale restorations include the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum in Missouri and the Museum of Flight in Everett, Washington. These museums have restored early propeller driven passenger aircraft and the early airliners built in the USA and Europe, like the de Havilland Comet.
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