WIN A Spitfire Flight worth £2975!
Flypast, Aeroplane Monthly and Britain at War magazines have teamed up with Spitfires.com to give one lucky reader the chance to win a flight in a Spitfire.
Norwegian Vampire in new Royal Auxiliary Air Force markings
A de Havilland Vampire wearing 502 (Ulster) Squadron markings arrived on September 6, 2024 at Aldergrove Flying Station, Northern Ireland.
The curious tale of how two airshow Strikemasters ended up in an African civil war
In February 2003, two aircraft best-known for flying at British airshows left the UK for ‘film work’ in South Africa — but neither ever arrived there. How did two BAC Strikemasters repeatedly slip through the fingers of customs officials, and end up taking part in one of Africa’s bloodiest civil wars?
Historic Aviation Quiz: How well do you know your manufacturers?
How good is your knowledge of the historic aviation? Test your knowledge here...
Spitfire MK912 makes it 16 for Biggin Hill
Almost exactly nine years after it was damaged in a forced landing, Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX MK912 (G-BRRA) returned to the skies on July 31 from London’s Biggin Hill Airport, with Dan Griffith at the controls.
Aeroplane meets Jim Tobul
The American warbird pilot who honours both the Korean War and his late father with a fine F4U Corsair
Wildcat accident report
The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has released the report on the accident of a Grumman Wildcat at Heveningham Hall, Suffolk, that left the pilot seriously injured.
REVEALED: Electronic Intelligence gathering Chipmunks over Berlin
Cold War Berlin, and the RAF Gatow Station Flight’s Chipmunks are a familiar sight over the city, carrying out photographic ‘spy’ sorties that brought back imagery of the highest value. But sometimes they undertook another, even more clandestine task, one that’s not been publicly documented until now: the gathering of electronic intelligenc
Historic Aviation Quiz
How good is your knowledge of the historic aviation? Test your knowledge here...
SR-71 Blackbirds in Britain
Bob Archer celebrates the 50th anniversary of the mysterious black SR-71 arriving in the UK
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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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