Historic

Key.Aero leads the way in the field of aviation history and heritage. Enjoy an outstanding mix of restoration and warbird features, fascinating articles on aviation history produced by some of the best writers in the business and in-depth and entertaining reports on all historic aircraft. Broad coverage spans the earliest years of flight through to the Cold War, encompassing countless aircraft types and their aerial achievements, plus Key.Aero offers the very latest historical aviation news.

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Aeroplane March 2024

The full issue in page-turning format

Film star Moth up for auction in Miami

‘Out of Africa’ DH60 sale to benefit conservation charities

Rare ex-RAF Vampire flies again in Utah

One of only two genuine T11s airworthy in the world takes to the skies after almost 20 years

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Remarkable survivor - Navy Wings Swordfish

What it lacked in speed and svelte lines, it more than made up for in versatility, endurance and operational success. In fact, the Fairey Swordfish was one of Britain’s most successful World War Two aircraft. Steve Beebee speaks to Navy Wings about W5856, its remarkable Mk.I survivor

Kingcobra ‘Fatal Fang’ returns to Californian skies

Bell P-63 'Fatal Fang' is flying again in the US following a thorough restoration

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Battle of Britain Legend - 303 (Polish) Squadron

Having spent ten years researching their role in the Battle of Britain, Richard King delves into the legend to answer the question: fact or fiction?

Vintage airshow coming to Compton Abbas

Aero Legends are teaming up with the Wiltshire airfield to stage The Golden Age Of Aviation Airshow this August

Recognition for International Bomber Command Centre volunteers

Late last year, volunteers at the IBCC project in Lincolnshire were awarded the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Services

Air Festival returns to the Midlands this summer

From May 31 to June 2, Midlands Air Festival will return to Ragley Hall estate in Warwickshire – with a pyrotechnic finale planned

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Keeping the Vulcan ‘howl’ alive… but how do you do it?

Jamie Ewan dropped in on the Vulcan Restoration Trust to get an update on Avro Vulcan B.2 XL426, now that the revered jet is in a new hangar at London’s Southend Airport

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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.

See all the latest Warbird projects here

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.

Find out more about the legendary Spitfire

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.    

Read more aircraft restoration articles

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