Echoes of heroes – Grantham’s Dambusters exhibition
The 80th anniversary of Operation Chastise in May 2023 enabled a rare opportunity to visit St Vincents Hall in Grantham, Lincolnshire
Council funds Australian Vampire refurbishment
The de Havilland jet is due for a much needed ‘re-Vamp’…
Museum to showcase historic raceplane
A 1950s Formula One racing aircraft has been donated to a US museum
Spectacular Italian Air Force Museum reopens for centenary
Vigna di Valle collection remodelled to mark 100th anniversary year
Tomcat takes centre stage at US museum
An example of the ‘swing-wing’ jet has been completed for display in Ohio
World War Two RAF Dakota pilot stories
Graham Pitchfork, in the November 2011 issue of FlyPast, profiled two exceptional RAF Dakota pilots who went unarmed into harm’s way
US Air Force AC-47s in Vietnam – the first gunships
One of the more unusual tasks for the C-47 was as a gunship. The AC-47 Spooky saw extensive service in the Vietnam War as Philip Chinnery detailed in the June 2015 issue of FlyPast
Air Atlantique Dakotas – Diverse Operations
In the December 2014 issue of Aviation News, Charles Woodley examined the varied work undertaken by Air Atlantique’s Dakotas
Rare Salmson Cri-Cri re-emerges
High-wing French trainer nearing end of restoration at La Ferté-Alais
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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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