Spitfires.com to resume flying from Leeds East
Following the success of its 2021 detachment to Leeds East Airport (formerly known as Church Fenton, and also this year’s venue for the Flying Legends Airshow), Spitfires.com has announced that it will be returning on a semi-permanent basis during the 2023 flying season
A Focke-Wulf Ta 152 is being built in Germany
Based in Wittenberg, near Berlin, historical aviation engineering facility Arsenal-45 is building a fuselage of a Focke-Wulf Ta 152H
Who were the heroes of Tarrant Rushton?
Quiet Dorset farmland was once the base for a daring D-Day raid and the home of in-flight refuelling. Ken Ellis reflects on an airfield’s remarkable history
Historic Aviation Quiz – Cancelled British types
Countless British aeroplanes have come and gone. Some never made it of the drawing board, while other disappeared before being unveiled. But can you recognise these types that were ultimately cancelled?
Aeroplane meets... Rod Dean
After more than 50 years of airshow flying, this former RAF fast jet pilot and leading light of the warbird scene still loves displaying as much as ever
Biggin Hill Spitfire Company to offer flights from Kemble
FlyaSpitfire.com, a company that offers flights in Spitfires, has announced that it will operate from Cotswold Airport in Kemble starting this summer.
Spitfire mid-air collision prevented by ‘providence’, report finds
“It is hard to judge after an intense moment, but it seemed very close, between 50 and 100ft above, but I believe closer to 50ft”. This was how the pilot of an EV97 light aircraft described a near miss with a Spitfire IX close to the Isle of Wight last year.
Metheringham – in the footsteps of heroes
James Peene headed to Lincolnshire to pay a visit to the Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre and discovered a former bomber base steeped in history but with a healthy future
What's happening with the UK's next flying Seafire?
The next Supermarine Seafire to fly in the UK will be a MkXV — and, through the application of advanced manufacturing techniques, it’s a project with potentially wider importance for other restorations, too
Everyone remembers their first time...in a Chipmunk
Bill Turnill recounts his memories of flying with the Air Experience Flight
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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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