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Main access road to Stow Maries re-opened as aerodrome fights for survival
Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome is again accessible through its primary entrance on Hackman’s Lane in Purleigh, Essex, providing a crucial lifeline in its ongoing struggle for survival.
Exploits of 500 Squadron Avro Ansons over Dunkirk
While the cry of many of the troops stuck on the beaches at Dunkirk was ‘Where are the RAF?”, 500 Squadron and its near-obsolete Avro Anson Mk.Is were there in the thick of it. Robin Brooks recalls some of the unit’s most notable combat exploits during Operation Dynamo
Alaska Aviation Museum Grumman Goose flies
The Alaska Aviation Museum’s Grumman G-21 Goose, N789, made its first flight for 16 years following a six-month restoration at the Lake Hood Seaplane Base in Anchorage on 29 May.
Farnborough International Airshow 2024 aircraft listing
This year’s Farnborough International Airshow takes place between July 22 to 26 and once again a wide variety of aircraft types are scheduled to attend.
South Korea bids farewell to the F-4 Phantom
As the Republic of Korea Air Force marked the end for the venerable F-4, Dino van Doorn was at the official retirement ceremony in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
FlyPast September 2024
September 2024 issue of FlyPast in page-turning format features a very special aeroplane on its cover – the Avro Heritage Museum’s white-painted Vulcan B.2 XM603
Spitfire export gets Turkish scheme
Following its arrival in Turkey on 27 May, Ali Ismet Öztürk’s recently acquired Supermarine Spitfire IX TE517/G-RYIX had been painted into Turkish Air Force markings at the MSÖ Air & Space Museum at Sivrihisar, 85 miles south-west of Ankara, by mid-June.
Golden Age SPAD replica airborne
Twelve years after construction began, the Golden Age Air Museum SPAD XIII replica made its first flight proper from the grass strip at Bethel, Pennsylvania on 15 June, the machine having made a brief hop in early November last year.
Boscombe Down Lightning testing: two ETPS pilots reflect on their experiences
Two graduates of the Empire Test Pilots’ School look back on their Lightning experiences at Boscombe Down
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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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