Little Gransden gears up for August airshow
The Little Gransden Air and Car Show returns for its 2023 outing on Sunday August 27
Historic Aviation Quiz: Fighters of the 1930s
With the shadow of world war growing on the horizon during the 1930s, aircraft designers and manufacturers worked to push the boundaries of fighter aviation – especially when it came to the development of all metal skins, retractable undercarriage, more powerful powerplants and increased armament capabilities. But can you recognise these lesser-known fighters of the 1930s?
New York Concorde on the move — but where to?
USS Intrepid museum exhibit leaves by barge for refurbishment
When did a Me 262 last take to British skies?
The visit to the UK by the Flugmuseum Messerschmitt’s magnificent Me 262 reproduction conjured thoughts of the last time an example of the revolutionary German jet flew from British soil
More Saab SK 60s for Swedish historic flight
Three examples of jet trainer set to fly on after service retirement
Bruntingthorpe gears up for another Cold War Jets Open Day
Following the success of their April event, the Bruntingthorpe Cold War Jets Museum in Leicestershire is to host another special day in September
OFMC Spitfire marks 80th anniversary at Duxford
The legendary Old Flying Machine Company Spitfire Mk.IX has reached a landmark ‘birthday’
Veteran goes flying in Shuttleworth’s Magister
Christian Lamb, a 103-year-old Wren veteran, went flying in the Old Warden-based Magister on Sunday to commemorate a flight she made in 1943
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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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