North Weald’s ‘MiG-17’ to fly again?
The former Polish Air Force machine is bound for European skies…
Historic Aviation Quiz: The Bristol Aeroplane Company
With October 27, 2023, marking the anniversary of Bristol’s rugged Buckmaster advanced trainer taking to the skies for the first time, we dedicate this week’s quiz to one of the most important British aviation companies. Can you recognise these lesser-known Bristol types?
'Flanker' arrives at major US museum
One of the former Ukrainian Air Force jets is destined for a new home at the Ohio attraction
Jetstream revamp progresses at Sywell
Sywell Aviation Museum’s Handley Page Jetstream 200 G-RAVL has recently passed a couple of milestones since its arrival at the Northamptonshire aerodrome in 2021
Scampton officers’ mess granted protection
The historic officers' mess building at the former RAF Scampton has been given protected status
Remembering Sir Tim Wallis – 1938-2023
Warbirds Over Wanaka and Alpine Fighter Collection founder Sir Tim Wallis passed away on October 17, aged 85
USAF humanitarian role inspires award-winning exhibit
Dayton, Ohio’s National Museum of the USAF has received the 2023 Air Force Heritage Award for its exhibit, A Force for Good: Department of the Air Force Humanitarian Missions
Was Bell’s remarkable Mach 3-capable X-2 a shattered dream or ‘The Right Stuff’?
Jamie Ewan looks at the troublesome history of the Bell X-2 ‘Starbuster’, a type that seemed destined for greatness, but ended in tragedy
Secrets of the lake - rare Luftwaffe aircraft revealed
A remarkable pair of Luftwaffe wartime aircraft have been filmed at the bottom of a lake
Historic Aviation Quiz - 1950s experimental types
Can you identify these experimental types from across the 1950s?
Latest Issues from our leading aviation publications
Premium Key Aero subscribers get access to read all our magazines online as soon as they leave the editor’s desk.
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.
Subscribe to Key.Aero
Become a part of our aviation community and subscribe to Key.Aero now. You can get all the aviation information you'll ever need, whenever you want, with access to all the latest aviation updates, news, events and more.