Matthew Willis

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British aviation 1992-2002: days of going it alone end

The fifth part of our series examining the British aviation industry during Elizabeth II’s reign focuses on the period between 1992 and 2002, when the days of going it alone ended

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British aviation 1982-1992: entering the digital era

In part four of our series examining the British aviation industry during Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign, we take a look at the decade between 1982 and 1992

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British aviation 1962-1972: consolidation and cancellation

In the second part of our series looking at the British aerospace industry during Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign, we examine the decade between 1962 and 1972

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British aviation 1952-1962: a golden era and dashed hopes

Our salute to Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee begins with a unique seven-part series, tracing the story of Britain’s aeronautical industry over the seven decades of her reign — decade-by-decade, warts and all, beginning with 1952-1962

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In-depth profile of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

The ‘Beast’, to give one of the Helldiver’s unflattering nicknames, had a troubled gestation, as Matthew Willis reports

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The controversial 1937 Tupolev ANT-25 flight distance record

When the Soviet Union, with the Tupolev ANT-25, set a new world distance record in 1937, The Aeroplane’s editor C. G. Grey felt the whole thing was a fix, said so in print, and nearly caused an international incident. The record stood — but was he right?

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1930s Fleet Reviews

At a time of great change for the service, the Fleet Air Arm demonstrated its strength during a pair of royal reviews

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The real story behind Malta's Gloster Gladiators

Everyone knows the legend of the three Gloster Sea Gladiators, named Faith, Hope and Charity, which held the line in Malta. But what’s the real story behind them? New research reveals it to be a rather different tale, but one in which the outmoded biplane fighters still played a crucial role

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The plan to kill Hitler by DH.88 Comet

It’s an unlikely killing machine, the elegant, distinctively un-warlike de Havilland DH88 Comet racer G-ACSS — but, in the late 1930s, it was at the centre of a plan to assassinate Hitler. How feasible was it, and who was behind the secretive plot?

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Flight Line - Aeroplane February 2021

People involved in aviation have always needed a sense of humour. The creativity of aeronautical humourists was apparent during the writing of last month’s Flight Line, with...