Aeroplane meets PAUL BENNET
He’s one of the busiest people in the Australian airshow scene — and, having started out in aerobatics, a wide range of warbirds plays a big part in that
A final top-up with 57 Squadron
Malcolm English was privileged to join 57 Squadron for an air-to-air refuelling sortie just before the unit retired its long-serving Handley Page Victor K.2s
Historic Aviation Quiz
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Caproni Ca 310 coming together in Norway
The only surviving Caproni Ca 310 twin-engine reconnaissance machine is now approaching the end of a lengthy restoration in the workshops of the Flyhistorisk Museum at Sola, south-western Norway.
Phantom made ready for memorial display
A group of veterans in Lena, Illinois, is close to completing the restoration of McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom 68-0450.
Mildenhall KC-135 named ‘High Life’ after B-17
Eighty-one years to the day that Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress ‘High Life’ flew its last mission, a ceremony was held recently at RAF Mildenhall to unveil artwork on a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker based on that worn by the World War Two bomber
Operation Shetland
Saluting the bravest of the brave, Catalina pilot Jeff Boyling and crew took Duxford-based Miss Pick Up on a pilgrimage to honour Coastal Command’s two Victoria Cross winners
Leading Edge
Seldom has there been greater optimism about British aviation as when the DH106 Comet jet airliner first took to the air 75 years ago, and stole a march on the world. As we now know, a run of tragedies meant the lead wouldn’t last. But how had de Havilland achieved such a coup? In an article written specially for The Aeroplane in May 1952, just as the Comet 1 was entering service, the company’s chief designer R. E. Bishop described the thinking behind this commercial pioneer
How Delta and United entered the jet age with the DC-8
Despite entering service almost a year after Boeing’s 707, the California-built Douglas DC-8 was a game-changer for the aviation industry and the two airlines that simultaneously put the type into service on September 18, 1959. Lee Cross documents Delta Air Lines’ and United Airlines’ entrance to the jet age
Hawaii Mars arrives at BC Aviation Museum
The Martin Mars C-FLYL ‘Hawaii Mars’ water bomber completed its final flight on August 11, 2024, en route to its new home at the British Columbia (BC) Aviation Museum in Victoria.
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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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